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The Carpenters and The MonaLisa Twins
Probably the single most similar musical act to the MonaLisa Twins are the Carpenters. The fact that they are so dissimilar points to how unique the MonaLisa Twins actually are!
Like the Twins, the Carpenters are a sibling act where one of the siblings started out playing drums before moving forward. I’m not sure if Karen was in the same league with Mona as a drummer. I don’t think she ever played drums on any of their studio recordings but she certainly loved being a drummer.
And you’ll never guess the first hit song the Carpenters ever had was: it was a Beatles cover of Ticket to Ride, slowed down as a ballad to emphasize Karen’s vocals. It’s very lush but I actually love it. If I’m not mistaken the Twins have covered a few Beatles songs themselves. Ticket to Ride was a very minor hit but it may have been just enough to keep them under contract until they broke big with– Close to You.
So yes, the Twins answered with their own song with this title. They have very few similarities beyond the title but I love both songs.
One very significant similarity is that both the Carpenters and the MonaLisa Twins go against the norm for female acts and simply don’t sale sex. Yes, the Carpenters were known for being out of touch and very uncool and I’m sure it would have been difficult to dress Karen up to make her more sexy- although, she was certainly a lovely woman. With the Twins, Mona and Lisa are gorgeous and could be objectified without any trouble. It’s such a testament to who they are and how they were raised that their entire focus is on making songs and videos that emphasize the power and beauty of their music!
Another similarity is their music is very successful yet out of sorts with their era. Both emphasize melody over rhythm and the vocals are extraordinarily beautiful with both.
Of course the Carpenters had a very short period of massive success but even during that time they were despised by many and made fun of in a cruel fashion. Because of the tragedy of Karen’s death, it’s no longer cool to make fun of the Carpenters.
The harmonies by the Twins rank quite a bit higher to me as I’m just not a fan of Richard’s contributions vocally to the Carpenters. Karen’s solo voice probably outstrips either Mona or Lisa though certainly not if you include versatility and the ability to sing all kinds of music. I can’t imagine Karen rocking out and doing Revolution or Mercedes Benz. Still for a few songs like Rainy Days and Mondays and Superstar, Karen’s voice is among the very best of her generation.
Just a few thoughts that came my way this morning. I hope I haven’t bored you to tears.
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