Saturday 9 - Hurting Each Other

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Saturday 9: Hurting Each Other (1972)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song was written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell, who also wrote 1962's "Sealed with a Kiss." What was in the last envelope you sealed?  I think probably a birthday card.

2) In "Hurting Each Other," Karen Carpenter sings she wishes she and her lover could stop making each other cry. Have you most recently shed a tear in the last week, the last month, or longer ago than that? In the last week I've cried while watching a movie.  

3) One of the Carpenters' first records was a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride." Both Karen and Richard were huge fans and nervous about how the Beatles would react to their version. They were thrilled to learn that Paul McCartney responded by saying Karen had "one of the best female voices in the world." Tell us some news you received recently that brightened your day. I was invited to join a small crochet group starting next month.  I'm looking forward to it.

4) Karen died in 1983, but her musical partner and big brother Richard is still with us. He has said he grew up a big fan Top 40 radio, listening every morning as he got ready for school and every afternoon while doing homework. When you were a kid, did you like to study with music or the TV on? Or would you prefer quiet? I prefer quiet.  If music or the TV is on, I start listening on that and absolutely can not focus on my study.  The only kind of music I can listen to and study are songs that have no words or at least that I don't know the words.

5) Karen and Richard spent their teen years in Downey, California. It has the distinction of being home to the nation's oldest, still-operating McDonald's. It's been on the same site on Lakewood Blvd. since 1953. Tell us about a business in your neighborhood that seems to have always been right there, in that spot.  There's a shop in downtown Lebanon called Kay's Shoppe that has been there ever since I can remember. 

Photo from Internet

6) The siblings may have had a squeaky clean public image, but Richard did have a brush with the law while in Downey. The Carpenter family lived for a time in an apartment complex, and one of their neighbors -- a policeman -- objected to Richard "banging on the piano" at all hours. When did you most recently interact with an officer of the law? Last Sunday.  We were heading home and a cruiser pulled up in the lane next to us.  It was one of the officers that I had worked with for probably the 25 years of my career.  That was the first time I had seen him to say hi since I retired.  Of course, then the traffic light changed and we had to move on.

7) In 1972, when this song was popular, Mark Spitz was America's premier Olympian, winning seven Gold Medals. A poster of Spitz wearing his red, white and blue swim trunks and all seven medals was a top seller. Can you recall a poster that decorated your bedroom wall when you were a kid? My younger sister and I shared a bedroom for the last 10-15 years that I lived at home.  She collected posters of the old movie stars and modern day ones too.  They were plastered all over the walls of that room.  I owned a few of them such as Bogart and Lauren Bacall.  Most of the rest were hers and included Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler and many, many move.

8) Also in 1972, Liza Minnelli was encouraging us to "come to the cabaret." Without looking it up, do you know who Liza's famous parents were? Judy Garland was her mom.  I don't remember who her dad was.

9) Random question: Are you a better student or teacher? I've never been good at teaching, so I guess I would say student.

Thanks for visiting today.

Cathy