The Carpenters: The Untold Story : An Authorized Biography

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She told them how sorry she was for having put them in a situation where they felt a need to defend her upbringing, and she went so far as to apologise for ruining their lives. With a string of number one hits Karen Carpenter's warm and distinctive vocals and Richard Carpenter's sophisticated compositions and arrangements, the Carpeneters were responsible for some of the most popular music of the 1970s and this compendium collects more than 50 articles, interviews, essays, reviews, and reassessments that chronicle the lives and career of this brother-sister musical team.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It would have been an injustice if our lead singer had been anything less than amazingly talented today. I'm ready to record again, and Richard and I have been talking about getting the group together and performing. Some questions do form in the reader's mind (especially regarding her disasterous marriage) and this book really makes you think. This is a behind-the-scenes look by a devoted brother into the life of his sister and indeed the life of the duo.Promoted from behind the drums to star vocalist, she became one of the decade's most instantly recognisable female singers. From their humble childhood days in New Haven, CT, to their move to California and the fame that would ultimately take them the world stage, this is by far the definitive Carpenters biography (and sadly the only one) that has ever been written. Honestly, Richard knew Karen very well and as someone reads through they should understand that this section actually shows why Karen wasn't honestly getting help. The hyperalimentation process completely replaced all of her nutritional needs, and a precise daily calorie intake was dispensed through the catheter. Very eye opening as they go from a live concert to a studio to record to doing a TV special many times.

I won't say I'm disappointed in this because it's wonderfully detailed if you like Billboard charts, out of focus photos (including the cover shot of Karen), and discographies. According to Levenkron's 1982 book, Treating and Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa, the patient must become totally dependent upon the therapist. Bette Midler, center, is flanked by Karen and Richard Carpenter as she poses backstage with her Grammy statuette, during the annual Grammy Awards presentation in Los Angeles, on March 2, 1974. My heart is still broken that she is gone, and I know it has to be so difficult for him, so I don't want to sound harsh or judgmental. I loved this, but that may have more to do with the memories the book triggered than with the book itself.Touched issues such as anorexia nerviosa for which I only had a superficial idea of in a way that will make you feel like you knew Karen Carpenter personally. If you’re looking for a sad story about the triumphs and tragedies of the Carpenters, choose one of those unauthorized books, but if you want to know about their music and how it came about, you’ll enjoy this walk down memory lane and appreciate even more one of the most amazing female voices and her talented brother of our time. Today, Mike lives in suburban Los Angeles with his husband Brian and their four-legged daughter Emmy.

The heyday of The Carpenters might have been the 70s but don’t let that put you off; the music is timeless. I have no idea what 'six stone in weight' is," Karen replied, becoming noticeably uncomfortable and increasingly agitated. It was not the inspiring musicians story I expected, but rather a very sad account of the lives of very rich artists.And I question why the co-authors devoted so little space to some of the biggest hits, while wasting too much on some totally insignificant songs or albums. You can feel the love in every page, in how everyone involved in this wanted to give Carpenters the respect that they deserve. Mike Cidoni Lennox has logged forty years as an entertainment journalist, with bylines appearing in dozens of outlets including "Billboard," "Variety," "The Washington Post," and "USA Today. It creates painful cramps, tastes terrible, and it does another thing that the public isn't aware of. Simply take a look through our extra-special offers, pick the experience that’s perfect for you, and we’ll take care of the rest.

As a huge fan I thought I knew everything about the duo but we get some real insights from the authors to do with their career. Karen was shocked when she saw photos from an August 1973 Lake Tahoe concert where an unflattering outfit accentuated her paunch. She had a hectic four-week schedule lined up in Europe but I could not allow her to go through with it. With that, the music was written by others for the most part so there wasn't really anything personal with the Carpenters (Karen and Richard) themselves in the music. One chapter includes a Year in the Life, which maps out 364 days the duo spent in 1970 — from the release of their breakout single “(They Long to Be) Close to You” to their self-titled third album.Between the TV movie [1989’s The Karen Carpenter Story] and a number of unauthorized documentaries and articles, that’s what a lot of the attention is focused on,” Richard says. The book's organization is confusing and it's a great shame that album track listings are omitted and that under the song-by-song listings many songs have just white space under "notes". And like with the rest of the book, stuff is presented but the reader is allowed to think for themselves. Herb Alpert provides information as does John Bettis and of course Richard Carpenter as well but it is personal information and not trying to second guess or mind read what others may or may not have been thinking.