Karen Carpenter, the Drummer Who Sang

March 3, 2024 1:53 PM

An eighteen-year-old Karen Carpenter going wild on the drums on Dancing in the Street (and the same song again). This is from back when the Carpenter siblings were two-thirds of the Dick Carpenter Trio. At fifteen she was already a fantastic drummer, as can be heard on their cover of Caravan. Here she is in 1976 on stage doing a drum solo on multiple sets that turns into a drum duet and here's a similar routine from the 1976 Carpenters TV special except she's duetting with herself. By then she rarely drummed on their songs, though here she's drumming on Help in 1974. But in 1971 she still drummed on most tracks and that version of the band was recorded for the BBC in a 40 minute concert. Finally, here's a discussion thread by fans about her as a drummer.
posted by Kattullus (13 comments total)

At fifteen she was already a fantastic drummer, as can be heard on their cover of Caravan.

Thanks for this. I've been into exotica music since the 1990s & "Caravan" is one of the standards in that genre. It's always great to find another cover version of "Caravan"!
posted by jonp72 at 2:08 PM on March 3 [2 favorites]

I see someone else also watched the Karen Carpenter vs John Bonham video that was released recently.
posted by hippybear at 2:12 PM on March 3 [3 favorites]

My friend and I found this randomly on Youtube about 9 months ago and couldn't believe it! She's tearing it up. I had no idea she played like that.
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:22 PM on March 3 [2 favorites]

hippybear: I see someone else also watched the Karen Carpenter vs John Bonham video that was released recently.

Oh damn, I wish I had, because I'd've included it in the post.

Here's that video by YouTuber TJR, comparing Bonham and Carpenter, because of an intemperate outburst by the former about being ranked below the latter on a Playboy list of best drummers.
posted by Kattullus at 2:23 PM on March 3 [5 favorites]

This is so cool - excellent collection of clips.

Thank you so much for putting these together and sharing them, Kattullus!
posted by kristi at 2:24 PM on March 3 [1 favorite]

"Beyond that, there’s no official word on what other drummers, including Ginger Baker (Cream) and Keith Moon (Who), were thinking once they found out readers placed them a few notches below Karen as well. However, many other world class drummers proudly endorsed her skills, including Wrecking Crew member Hal Blaine (who worked with the Carpenter’s for many years) and drumming legend Buddy Rich."
posted by clavdivs at 2:44 PM on March 3 [9 favorites]

One interesting note is that Karen is more in the jazz strain of drumming. Neil Peart had famously been one of the best rock drummers for a couple of decades when he started studying with jazz drummer Freddie Gruber. They're sort of a different world when it comes to approach to the instrument. Which in this case would be the drum kit.
posted by hippybear at 2:54 PM on March 3 [3 favorites]

I always took it as the highest compliment that Buddy Rich praised her drumming. Buddy Rich didn’t praise any thing except Buddy Rich.
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:52 PM on March 3 [16 favorites]

jazz drummer Freddie Gruber.

This is twice in the last week that my last name has come up here on MeFi. That's all I wanted to say on that.
posted by grubi at 5:16 AM on March 4 [2 favorites]

I had no idea. I'm just old enough to remember hearing her on the radio when they were getting famous, and I've always thought her voice was one of the Wonders of the World.

Listening to a couple of those sent me on to a Karen Carpenter safari where I learned a lot more than the bare-bones "she starved herself to death in the end" bio I'd been carrying in my head. What a tragic, fucked up deal she got.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 7:55 AM on March 4 [3 favorites]

I first learned about Karen Carpenter's amazing drumming skills (and the joy it seemed to bring her, which stood in stark contrast to the latter years of her life), from Sarah Marshall's interview with Carolyn Kendrick (part 2 is here when you're done with part 1). They basically end the series with the conclusion that the best way to remember her is to bring up videos of her drumming.

So thanks for this post!
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 9:17 AM on March 4 [3 favorites]

I've always thought her voice was one of the Wonders of the World

That deep alto always felt to me to be like Hershey's syrup in audio form, rich and thick and delicious. It's one thing that can cut directly through all my emotional defenses, so I have to take my Karen melancholy pieces in small doses.
posted by hippybear at 2:52 PM on March 4 [4 favorites]

ca-sish-ca-sish-ca-sish-Zrat.
"we've only just begun"
What show did they do that, Kingdom Hospital? That was spooky. Hippybear, this would make a good post. 'Son of Dracula (1974 film) directed by Freddie Francis. Apple Films.

John Bonham – Count Downe's Band member

Keith Moon – Count Downe's Band member

Klaus Voormann – Count Downe's Band member

Leon Russell – Count Downe's Band member.

We've only begun
Before the risin' sun, we fly
ca-sish-ca-sish-ca-sish
posted by clavdivs at 3:59 PM on March 4 [1 favorite]