As  a teenager the silky sound of the  Carpenters was just a little too smooth for me even though their songs were ubiquitous. As the years have unfolded, so has my appreciation of Karen and Richard.  Their ethereal vocals and mellifluous melodies have stood the rigorous test of time, leaving numerous classics of the pop era.

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The good news is that the Carpenters have a formidable canon of songs with most older people knowing not only all the songs,  but the words to all the songs too. The bad news is that Karen and Richard, and all around them were perfectionists. Before their first live concert tour in the US they hired the A&M soundstage  in Hollywood and rehearsed daily before they were happy with the live show.  Subsequently they had a knack of hiring the most talented session musicians for live recordings and touring. It is quite a challenge.

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They honed a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen’s contralto vocals with Richard’s harmonizing, arranging, and composition skills which spawned   three number-one singles and five number-two singles on the Billboard Hot 100. They  sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

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Carole Gordon has the daunting task of delivering Karen’s lead vocals, the Blue Jeans band provide the accompaniment for a two hour show. All the hits are played,   Bacharach , Beatles  and country music medleys scoop up less familiar nuggets.  Carole is no stranger to the Garrick as a regular lead vocalist with the Forever in Blue Jeans company previously with her late husband , producer and band member Bob Newman. She and Bob had toured with Tammy Wynette. Her Country roots make her  a natural story teller in delivering the songs

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The band are terrific, particularly the multitalented local Burntwod girl, Rachel Cantrill whose dad, Johnny, has also been a regular on the Garrick stage with Lichfield Operatic and Musical Society . Ray Walker dazzles on lead guitar, his previous credits involve work with Don Everly and Roy Orbison. Gordon Goodwin’s work on bass is a delight, he has previously worked with Jeff Skunk Baxter of Steely Dan and Doobie Bros fame whose talents post rock and pop have made him one of the worlds experts on inter- continental ballistic nuclear missiles ( strange but true!). MD  Martyn  Cooper’s keyboards and direction are superb and the presence of   a saxophonist/ flautist testimony to their determination to present a full authentic sound. And what a sound!

Myself and Rachel Cantrill

“Every sha-la-la-la/Every whoa-ooh-whoa/Still shines” for the entire evening it was indeed  “Yesterday Once More” as they rolled through the Carpenters back catalogue combining precision with sensitivity. The opening overture, an instrumental medley, set a punishing early standard of musicianship which they maintained throughout the show

They even tackled “ Calling occupants of interplanetary craft” a song so preposterous in its ambition that Yes or Genesis would have been laughed out of a prog rock recording studio, but here it makes perfect sense and is an unexpected highlight. Carole took the trouble to declare that the show was not a look alike, or sound alike invention, instead it is an homage to the music which she delivers in considerable style with her ensemble. It is a heart-warming, delightful night out which drew a  well- deserved standing ovation from the appreciative full house. Do not miss it.

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Voice of the Heart is touring at a mix of holiday resorts and theatres for the rest of the year, upcoming in Hungerford, Lowestoft, Skegness and Minehead. You could book your holidays around their tour!

https://www.thecarpenterstour.co.uk/tour-dates

Gary Longden