That was a big part of her motivation,” says Bob James, a jazz/fusion arranger on the project. “Karen yearned for more control over her art. At 29 years old, she was discovering her sense of autonomy as a woman. When Richard’s own problem with quaalude addiction led him to rehab in 1979, Karen took the opportunity to record an ambitious solo album with Phil Ramone in New York. But not much was known about anorexia then, and people didn’t understand the kind of slippery slope she was on.” By summer 1975, Karen’s weight had plummeted to 91lbs (41kg) and she checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, the first of several stays in hospital.įor the next eight years, Karen’s weight fluctuated, but she remained resolutely focused on her music. I did say to one person, ‘Somebody should be aware that she’s not eating’. “There were a few times on the road that I would look at her and think, somebody’s got to do something. Tour manager Rebecca Segal noted a change in Karen. I’m sure she got told ‘You have a big ass’ by the wrong people, many times.” But it was different for women in the 1970s. “Now you can have a big ass and be a huge star, like Lizzo. “I never thought of her as fat, but she had that complex,” recalls the Carpenters’ video director, Clare Baren. Photograph: Tony Russell/Redfernsįeeling exposed and self-conscious, Karen began a stringent diet and exercise regime. View image in fullscreen The Carpenters performing on the BBC’s In Concert series in 1971, with Karen on the drums. She was an amazing singer and drummer – real precision work,” recalls DJ/producer Jeff Dexter, who met Karen in 1974 when the Carpenters were rehearsing their Talk of the Town show. “She was the boss, the one in control of stagecraft and directing the musicians. Although her brother Richard has been attributed a Svengali role as the key arranger, Karen early on was an equal driving force in the band. In talking to friends, musicians and former lovers, I discovered a determined, pioneering woman with her own sense of agency. The fact that she was an artist at the top of her game suggested to me she was not a submissive puppet. With my biography, I wanted to reframe Karen’s life and legacy. Since then, she has been portrayed as a victim, dominated by her family and a ruthless music industry. This year marks the 40th anniversary of lead singer Karen Carpenter’s death at the age of 32, as a result of complications from anorexia. With their rapturous harmonies and lush production, the Carpenters were one of the biggest acts in the 1970s, selling over 100 million records with global hits like Close to You, Only Yesterday and Please Mr Postman.
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