Information found on this page has been furnished by Patty Gursky. Posted here with the kind permission of Patty and Rocky and his excellent Close To You website.
The well blended harmony that has come to be a trademark of the Carpenters was heard again in the War Memorial Saturday night as the brother and sister singing act was warmly received by some 7,000 appreciative fans.
Just back from their European tour, the popular duo treated the young and old in the audience with tunes from the Beatles to Bacharach, and from Hank Williams to Halley and the Comets. Leading off with a medley of their top selling tunes, including Superstar, and Rainy Days And Mondays, Karen and Richard kept the house entranced with hit after hit.
Spanning their four-year history, the repertoire highlighted such favorites as Top Of The World, Help, Close To You, Jambalaya, Hurting Each Other, and of course We've Only Just Begun.
To achieve the proper effect for Sing a Song the duo was joined by the sixth grade boys' choir of Syracuse's Seymour Elementary School. They added a nice touch to the number, and the crowd loved it. It would be impossible for them to attain the same harmony that's heard on their recordings in a live performance, and they don't try. Instead, they got a similar result with a four-part harmony that included members of their accompanying musicians. Their sound was just as pleasant and it didn't detract from any of their numbers.
Karen was as much at home behind the drums as she was singing. Richard's work at the keyboards was just as masterful, whether it was the piano or the organ. Their instrumental accompaniment was always right on the mark, and it was well mixed with a good sound system.
Comedians Bill Skiles and Pete Henderson opened the night's proceedings with a zany routine that featured a variety of funny sound effects. The clean and innovative jokes kept the crowd roaring with a tire pump concerto and a hilarious rendition of By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Henderson also joined the Carpenters for a medley of top hits from the rock 'n' roll era of the 50s and early 60s.
Criticized as being commercial and sickening sweet, Karen and Richard Carpenter proved Saturday night that the derogatory remarks of some can't tarnish the true greatness of a winner. Their success of the past four years, marked with Grammy awards and gold records, will continue if this performance is an indicator of the future.
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Last changed: Thu Nov 2 15:48:33 EST 2006