Rand, you're right in everything you said about Karen Carpenter. I didn't appreciate the songs at the time, I was more into heavy rock and wrote those songs off as corny or bubblegumish. As I got older I discovered her voice. When I was a teenager my older sister had all of the Carpenters albums. I didn't realize at the time that one of my favorite singer/songwriters Leon Russell had written several Carpenters songs, "Song For You", "Superstar" etc.

We had a thread some time ago featuring Karen singing "Superstar" in a video that brought a lot of response to her unique vocal. That song is my favorite but I still like the Rita Coolidge version from Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" just as well. I wish she were still here. Ben