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So, with all this talk about Karen at the drums and air drumming, I really would love to know when she is the drummer in the Carpenters songs. How do you know when she is drumming compared to a different one like Cubby O'Brien? My ears know voice quality, but I can't distinguish drumming styles!

Can a kind soul please list some of the songs she drums so I can start respecting her talent for rhythm and not just her marvelous voice? It would enhance my listening experience to know this!

-Leanne

Well Here's the Few From The Essential Collection that says Karen is drumming on, and as far as I know she's drumming on the Whole Offering/Ticket To Ride album.

Don't Be Afraid
Your Wonderful Parade
All Of My Life
Eve
Ticket To Ride
Love Is Surrender
Mr. Guder
Another Song
This Masquerade
Sing
Yesterday Once More
Oldies Medley
Please Mr. Postman
The Medley of their songs from Music Music Music

Just a few, I'm sure theres more that I don't know of right now, so to the experts, school us!

dvb, on Mar 8 2005, 10:56 PM, said:

From what I've come to understand, she did all the studio drums until 74 or so. There is a site somewhere that tells who played on what, and I'd bet Sakura has the link!
KC played drums in a jazz trio before she sang, so she was a competent jazz drummer at what, 15? 16? She had a good sense of time, and was a tasty player, see "And When He Smiles" and "Knowing When To Leave".
I think the cubster had to copy all of KC's drum licks from the hits, so when you hear him play, he's playing what KC played, or close to it. He hit harder, though..

It appears that she didn't play studio much after the first 4-5 or so albums. Hal Blaine played on a majority of the earlier recordings up until about 74 it seems.

dvb, on Mar 9 2005, 04:14 AM, said:

It seems to go up and down: she played on all of Offering, a few on Close To You, a few on ASFY, then all of Now and Then (apart from Jambalaya), then I think just Please Mr Postman. After that all of the studio albums were recorded with session drummers, Hal Blaine, Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon and co.

It's only on the TV specials that she seems to have been wheeled back out to cover drum duties , but that's probably because it was visual and she was to be seen playing them on the screen, so it had to be her own original drumming.

Stephen

Thanks for the info everyone


Love Ellie xxx

I've noticed on the live performances, Cubby plays a different, more individual and intrusive style of drums. I feel and sense it goes against the grain and flow of their music and the other styles of Karen, touring drummer Jim Seguiya (?) from the early 70s who went to college with Rich, and studio drum legend Hal Blaine. Cubby was a very skilled drummer but it seems to me he was out to showcase himself and style somewhat too much.

Just my thoughts and take on it.

Japanese fans sometimes said that Cubby's drum was too much,

As Matt and Stephen already answered about what songs, I am quoting from Carpenters Fan Club Newsletters:

Quote

Albums, from "A Kind Of Hush" to "Lovelines", have song notes which have players each.

Made In America-

"When It's Gone"
Drums: Larrie Londin, Karen Carpenter
Percussion: Karen Carpenter, Bob Conti

("Those Good Old Dreams"
Drums: Ron Tautt
Percussion: Karen Carpenter, Paulinho DaCosta )

Other songs on "Made In America" and other original albums which include Christmas albums have other drummers in credit.

Has anyone asked Richard about "Help"?

Karen:
It(to sing and play drums at the same time) was the most comfortable thing, and I played the entire show for two years.

We can watch Karen sing and play drums at the same time on live video such as BBC or Live at Budokan.
She became to sing some songs without playing the drums. She was a drummer who sang until around 1975 at live. In 1976 she started to perform drum solo. 23 drums on the stage!! You can watch it on First TV Special.
(I went to see Carpenters in 1976, I couldn't watch Karen sing and play drums at the same time.)

Sakura

Thanks for the info, fascinating! And a coincidence too, Now And Then was one of the next albums on my list to get

The first time I saw footage of Karen singing and playing drums, I couldn't believe it. Really. I don't know how she did it all so perfectly, all at the same time.

Linda

She drums on every track except "JAMBALAYA" on the Now & Then Album

Regards
Simon

dvb, on Mar 8 2005, 10:56 PM, said:

To add a few here as was stated all of Offering and all but Jambalaya (On The Bayou) on Now and Then.

In addition to the above tracks

Close to You: Help
Carpenters: Bacharach Medley, Druscilla Penny
A Song For You: FLAT BAROQUE, PIANO PICKER
Horizon: Please Mr. Postman and Happy

As far as telling Karens drumming apart she taught Hal Blaine and I am sure the others how to drum in the same style she did to keep the sound consistant throughout the records dispite the various musical styles so unless one is really good at picking out minor differences in styles you will not likely know whose drumming on a track just by listening to it. I think that covers all the tracks Karen drummed on in the studio as well as the 2 MIA tracks she did percussion on that were already mentioned.

DR Drummer, on Mar 9 2005, 09:18 AM, said:

I'd say he was a bit bombastic within the confines of thier songs. I base my opinion mainly on the John Davidson Tonight show clip. The whole band was kinda loose.

Thanks you guys for all this great information!

Richard wrote song note for "Piano Picker" on Japanese compilation CD "Treasures";
Drums - Hal Blaine

I think it is not remix.
Has "Piano Picker" been remixed? Was drum track recorded again?

Sakura