Tribute act will give voice to the music of Karen Carpenter at the Floral Pavilion Theatre

Aug 3 2011 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

WHAT would singer Karen Carpenter have done without her reliable brother Richard?

Without any brothers to recreate one of the world’s most famous musical duos, Carole Gordon has turned to her husband and nephew to both perform alongside her as she sings some of The Carpenters most famous numbers in Voice of the Heart.

The touring show is at the Floral Pavilion Theatre in New Brighton this Saturday, Aug 6.

As well as hits including Yesterday Once More, Goodbye to Love, Only Yesterday and Top of the World, they play lesser-known songs from the group’s albums.

Carole said: “They recorded lots of classic songs by great composers such as their lovely version of Solitaire by Neil Sedaka and some tracks by The Beatles.

“They are songs people will recognise but the versions The Carpenters did were nothing like the originals, they were quite quirky and very different.”

In her early career, the singer and her husband Bob Newman (the show’s producer) supported US country star Tammy Wynette on her UK tours and were voted Britain’s Most Popular Act by The British Country Music Association eight years on the run.

But her love of The Carpenters songs goes back even before this, when she used to sing along to their albums in the 70s.

“I think because I was quite young at the time and my voice was changing maybe it was trained that way,” she says of its similarity to Carpenter’s.

“It’s also a similar sort of pitch. I’ve got quite a low voice for a woman.”

Voice of the Heart isn’t a straight forward tribute show – Carole does not wear a long wig or speak in an American accent.

And, despite including stories of Carpenter’s life it doesn’t focus much on her struggle with anorexia and death of heart failure at the age of 32.

“It’s more of a tribute to her music than to her,” she explains. “The songs still sound just as good now as they did back then. They don’t sound old-fashioned.”

lTickets for Voice of the Heart – Karen Carpenter are £18 (concessions £17) from 666 0000 or www.floralpavilion.com