Carpenters



"Every sha-la-la-la, every whoa-whoa, still shines..."

Carpenters (absolutely not "The Carpenters") was a brother-and-sister pop duo, Karen and Richard Carpenter. Karen started out as the drummer but was gradually phased off the instrument once it became clear she had a superlative singing voice; Richard wrote the material, played piano and provided backing vocals.

They were active from 1969 to 1981. They were prolific. They had numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in The Seventies. Hits include "Close to You," "Sing," "Yesterday Once More," "We've Only Just Begun," and "Superstar."


 * Author Existence Failure: Karen's well-publicized death from anorexia nervosa (and possibly also bulimia) at the age of 33 is one of the band's main fame points today.
 * Real Life Writes the Plot -- after Karen broke up with him, songwriter Tom Bahler wrote what would eventually become a Michael Jackson hit, "She's Out Of My Life."
 * Self-Backing Vocalist: another major component of their fame. Most of their singles involve Richard and Karen overdubbed numerous times on backing vocals, often using chords most rock bands have never even heard of.
 * Silly Love Songs: the final selling point.
 * Spell My Name with a "The": A notable aversion.
 * Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Karen Carpenter is often portrayed this way.