Read Online Little Girl Blue by Randy L. Schmidt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Randy L. Schmidt
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The gospel-style arrangement called for a duet, and Pooler chose the unlikely pairing of Wanda Freeman and Karen Carpenter. âKaren had a nice alto voice,â Freeman recalls. âI never really thought anything of it, but it was a very clear voice. When we did âAnd When I Dieâ she really opened up. She really wanted to do that song.â
Pooler often praised Karenâs versatility as a singer and even used her as a model for other choir students. âHer range was spectacular,â he recalls. âShe could sing higher than anybody else but also lower than anybody else. At that time her voice was like most adolescent voices. It was not completely unified from the top to the bottom, but she knew how to do it.â
W ITH THE departure of bassist Wes Jacobs, who in 1967 left the Richard Carpenter Trio and Los Angeles to study classical tuba at Juilliard, Richard was open to exploring new musical opportunities. He had long been fond of vocal ensembles like the Hi-Loâs, the Four Freshmen,and the Beach Boys. He had also enjoyed the close harmony sounds of overdubbing pioneers Les Paul and Mary Ford since childhood. But it was Frank Poolerâs choral influence that left a lasting impression on both him and Karen. His philosophy stressed vocal blend, vowel shaping, and precise attack and release. These fundamentals were the basis for what would ultimately become the trademark Carpenters sound.
Richardâs first attempt at forming a vocal group produced a quintet assembled during Karenâs senior year of high school. They called themselves Summerchimes but soon renamed the group Spectrum. Their first recruit was John Bettis, who sang and played rhythm guitar. Over a period of several months, he, Karen, and Richard conducted informal auditions to complete the group. Gary Sims lived in Downey and, like Karen, was still attending high school when the group originated. â He used to perform with an acoustic guitar, like a folk singer,â recalled Bettis, who went with Richard to catch Simsâs act. âHe had this great baritone voice and joined the group as a guitar player.â The final recruit was Dan Woodhams, a tenor vocalist enlisted to sing and play bass guitar, although he âdidnât have a clue how to play the bass,â according to Bettis. âHe played violin, so Richard actually taught him how to play the bass. Danny was the final member. That was the original Spectrum.â
The addition of Leslie âTootsâ Johnston in the fall of 1967 made the group a sextet. âJohnny Bettis and Gary Sims were friends of mine,â Johnston recalls. âGary was the Carpentersâ neighbor, and they were looking for another girl to add to the group. They listened to me, and I had a good pop voice style. Richard was looking for someone who could blend with Karen, which I did very well.â A member of the college choir, Johnston sat next to Karen in the alto section during the daily afternoon rehearsals. âWe threw jokes back and forth and got along really well,â she says. âKaren was such a great musician but didnât read music as well as I did, so she listened to me for the part. We struck up a friendship. She had a dry sense of humor and was funny. She thought I was funny, too. She didnât have a lot of girlfriends, so I think Karen enjoyed having another female around.â
Spectrum rehearsed in the garage at the house on Fidler, where there was never a shortage of Agnes Carpenterâs famous iced teaâthe perfect blend of Lipton instant tea and frozen lemonade. âThere had to be a jug of that on the table for every rehearsal,â Johnston recalls. âThat was
the drink
!â
K AREN BECAME increasingly mindful of her appearance during her first year of college. She had been chubby as a kid. In fact, Richard often called her Fatso (to which she would reply, âFour eyes!â). It was the type of teasing
Pooler often praised Karenâs versatility as a singer and even used her as a model for other choir students. âHer range was spectacular,â he recalls. âShe could sing higher than anybody else but also lower than anybody else. At that time her voice was like most adolescent voices. It was not completely unified from the top to the bottom, but she knew how to do it.â
W ITH THE departure of bassist Wes Jacobs, who in 1967 left the Richard Carpenter Trio and Los Angeles to study classical tuba at Juilliard, Richard was open to exploring new musical opportunities. He had long been fond of vocal ensembles like the Hi-Loâs, the Four Freshmen,and the Beach Boys. He had also enjoyed the close harmony sounds of overdubbing pioneers Les Paul and Mary Ford since childhood. But it was Frank Poolerâs choral influence that left a lasting impression on both him and Karen. His philosophy stressed vocal blend, vowel shaping, and precise attack and release. These fundamentals were the basis for what would ultimately become the trademark Carpenters sound.
Richardâs first attempt at forming a vocal group produced a quintet assembled during Karenâs senior year of high school. They called themselves Summerchimes but soon renamed the group Spectrum. Their first recruit was John Bettis, who sang and played rhythm guitar. Over a period of several months, he, Karen, and Richard conducted informal auditions to complete the group. Gary Sims lived in Downey and, like Karen, was still attending high school when the group originated. â He used to perform with an acoustic guitar, like a folk singer,â recalled Bettis, who went with Richard to catch Simsâs act. âHe had this great baritone voice and joined the group as a guitar player.â The final recruit was Dan Woodhams, a tenor vocalist enlisted to sing and play bass guitar, although he âdidnât have a clue how to play the bass,â according to Bettis. âHe played violin, so Richard actually taught him how to play the bass. Danny was the final member. That was the original Spectrum.â
The addition of Leslie âTootsâ Johnston in the fall of 1967 made the group a sextet. âJohnny Bettis and Gary Sims were friends of mine,â Johnston recalls. âGary was the Carpentersâ neighbor, and they were looking for another girl to add to the group. They listened to me, and I had a good pop voice style. Richard was looking for someone who could blend with Karen, which I did very well.â A member of the college choir, Johnston sat next to Karen in the alto section during the daily afternoon rehearsals. âWe threw jokes back and forth and got along really well,â she says. âKaren was such a great musician but didnât read music as well as I did, so she listened to me for the part. We struck up a friendship. She had a dry sense of humor and was funny. She thought I was funny, too. She didnât have a lot of girlfriends, so I think Karen enjoyed having another female around.â
Spectrum rehearsed in the garage at the house on Fidler, where there was never a shortage of Agnes Carpenterâs famous iced teaâthe perfect blend of Lipton instant tea and frozen lemonade. âThere had to be a jug of that on the table for every rehearsal,â Johnston recalls. âThat was
the drink
!â
K AREN BECAME increasingly mindful of her appearance during her first year of college. She had been chubby as a kid. In fact, Richard often called her Fatso (to which she would reply, âFour eyes!â). It was the type of teasing
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