The Carpenters: Music, Music, Music

This ABC television special is what its title claims: "Music, Music, Music." There was very little conversation, so a maximum amount of music was performed in the limited amount of time available. Guests were Ella Fitzgerald, John Davidson, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. John Davidson's musical talent may be overlooked, but he was able to sing quite well. He was upstaged, of course, by two of the best singers of the Twentieth Century. Ella Fitzgerald fans will appreciate seeing her perform an equal amount of time as Karen Carpenter, and she sang a wonderful duet of old standards with Karen as well. Richard and Karen did not rely on the early hits for this musical outing, but they did briefly touch on them toward the end. Some newer songs chosen for this presentation may not be familiar to those people looking for The Carpenters' best known hits, but this performance is still captivating.

This rich and musically moving special that quietly aired in the spring of 1980 if one is fortunate to see it today still fascinates, puzzles, and frustrates many old and new fans of the Carpenters who can't understand how Karen at the age of 32 left this world on February 4, 1983. She is a beautiful, warm and talented woman with a great love for music who enjoyed sharing it with others. Her brother, Richard really cared, loved and protected her. Anorexia nervosa is still a very serious problem today and is often untreated, misunderstood, nor easily detected. I believe this special has a deeper hidden reason for Karen to make it and that's why it's so sharp, spiritual, and musically focused to the point you want to cry at times as you watch it.