She'd only Just gun
Record Collector|May 2024
With their rapturous harmonies, the Carpenters dominated the 70s’ airwaves, selling over 100 million records with hits like Close To You and Yesterday Once More. But by 1979, lead singer Karen was seeking a new direction… Biographer Lucy O’Brien recounts her attempts to move out of the restrictive environment of the family band that had made her a star
Lucy O’Brien
She'd only Just gun

In January 1979 Karen Carpenter was dismayed at a downturn in record sales. Though the Carpenters’ 1977 album, Passage, was home to their captivating opus Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft, it was deemed patchy and, compared to the statuesque harmonies of early ballads, the band were chasing trends rather than creating their own timeless sound.

Also, her brother Richard was in rehab in Kansas, trying to beat Quaalude addiction, and that sent her into a restless panic. “I was anxious to go back to work,” she said. Even though she had her own mental health issues, struggling with long-term anorexia, Karen kept driving herself forward.

She decided to record her own album – as well as offering something new to the fans, Karen wanted recognition as a solo performer. She noted how best friend Olivia Newton-John had reinvented herself after Grease, making a dramatic transformation from soft country star to a vision in leather and skin-tight Spandex. This sparked Karen’s innate sense of competition – maybe she could explore a new direction?

この記事は Record Collector の May 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Record Collector の May 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

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