Karen Carpenter is being celebrated once again for her extraordinary voice.
On Oct. 25, Grunge included the Carpenters singer among the most beautiful female voices of the 1960s, with Elton John once calling her “one of the greatest voices of our life-time.”
But behind that unmistakable voice was a gifted musician who wanted to do more than repeat the formula that made her famous.
View this post on InstagramIn 1979, while her brother and musical partner, Richard Carpenter, took a break from their career, Karen seized the opportunity to record a solo album. The project allowed her to explore a different sound, but it would remain unreleased for years, leaving fans to wonder what might have happened if she’d been given the chance to strike out on her own.
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Karen Carpenter Wanted to Find Her Own Sound
The Carpenters became one of the biggest musical acts of the 1970s, known for polished arrangements and hits including “Close to You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Richard was the group’s principal musical architect, while Karen’s warm, remarkably controlled voice became its defining feature.
When Richard entered rehab in 1979, Karen decided she wouldn’t simply wait for the duo to resume. She traveled to New York to work with acclaimed producer Phil Ramone, with arrangements by musicians including Bob James. Instead of re-creating the Carpenters’ familiar soft-rock sound, the album ventured into disco, rock, and blues.
“She was beginning to free herself, but she was not free,” songwriter Tom Bahler said of Karen’s efforts to establish her independence, according to The Guardian.
The Album That Never Came Out During Her Lifetime
Despite the ambition behind the project, the album didn’t receive the response Karen had hoped for. After its completion, the reaction from executives and others was lukewarm, and it was shelved in May 1980.
The decision meant that audiences never got to hear this different side of Karen while she was alive. She died in February 1983, at age 32, from heart failure associated with anorexia nervosa. Her solo album finally appeared in 1996, 13 years after her death, charting as high as No. 19 internationally.
A Different Side of an Iconic Voice
The album’s eventual release offered listeners a glimpse of an artist eager to stretch beyond the role that had made her a star. It didn’t erase the Carpenters’ legacy; it added another dimension to it.
Karen remains best remembered for the tenderness and precision of her singing. But her solo work also leaves behind a tantalizing question: What else might she have accomplished if she’d had more time—and more opportunities—to define her career on her own terms?
Whatever the answer, one thing’s certian: It would have sounded beautiful.
Related: 1982 Ballad, Which Knocked Kenny Rogers From No. 1, Named One of Soft Rock’s Greatest One-Hit Wonders
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