"Yesterday Once More," written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, is a step back in time, filled with nostalgic memories of songs from the past. The song became their eighth domestic gold single and a top hit worldwide!
This song made its debut on their 1973 album, Now & Then, and was the intro to their eight-song Oldies Medley that included hits from the 60's. Fun fact: their lead guitarist, Tony Peluso, gave a solid performance as the DJ for the medley, introducing each of these hits! He is best know for his groundbreaking guitar solo towards the end of "Goodbye to Love."
The Carpenters are my, "yesterday once more," and I'm forever grateful for their contribution to the music of the 70's and 80's. Recording this song after being a fan for 20 years was incredibly nostalgic to reflect on my, "best memories." Here's how it all began in 2003:
I lived in the Pacific Northwest from age 12 to 25, and when I was 19, I volunteered at my local library to help kids sign up for the summer reading program. One day, after my shift was done, I was of course browsing through the CDs ( I wasn’t much of a reader at that point in my life). All of a sudden, I came across the Carpenters singles album
(1969-1981). What drew me to pick it up was the album cover with Karen's fun-loving goofy expression! So, I rented the CD, and burned a copy. That CD was then copied onto a cassette tape for my car at the time, a 1989 Toyota Corolla, until I upgraded to a CD player!
What started out as becoming the ultimate fan by buying music, watching all the documentaries, and reading a few biographies, continued with being the best vocal student Karen never knew she would have! I studied her vocals and inflections and wanted to emulate her performance. It was a pleasant surprise discovering that I could be a contralto like Karen (I can hit most of her low notes!). I was always convinced that I was a soprano, as that’s the part I sang in high school choir.
My musical journey with the Carpenters has become spiritual too. It's hard to describe, but whenever I sing their songs, I feel deeply connected to Karen's spirit and the joy she experienced when performing. It's as if we are singing together and she's close by. Despite her own struggles, the way she kept doing what she loved most, up until the very end, has been life-changing for me. I've recognized the duality of life in my own experience, that even in the midst of sorrow or struggle, I can keep singing and still shine my joy!
I believe the Carpenters chose the best collection of "oldies but goodies," to perform in the medley. Every time I listen to it, I am transported back to a time that was sweeter and more innocent. Although I've taken a bit of a hiatus from my blog for the past few months, I've kept busy recording several more Carpenters' covers. Two songs from the medley that I've been wanting to record for the past 20 years are, "Johnny Angel" and "The End of the World." Within the past month, I've recorded and shared both on my YouTube and decided to include links to both in this blog! (Click on the bolded song titles below to view)
The 1962 classic, "Johnny Angel," written by Lyn Duddy and Lee Pockriss, is a dreamy song about unrequited love. I enjoyed capturing the 60's and reviving the essence of Karen's vocal performance. I also tried something new with my music video: in Canva, I was able to erase the background of the video and replace it with 60's imagery!
The 1963 classic, "The End of the World," written by Sylvia Dee and Arthur Kent, is a breakup song. While this was definitely not a cheerful tune, I enjoyed digging into the melancholic vibe and performing the poetic lyrics. I was so thrilled to have found stock footage in Canva of the same character so I could tell a complete story in my music video!
I hope you enjoy this musical journey back in time, and feel inspired that even dreams from 20 years ago can still come true. It's never too late!
Shine on, friends!
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