Carpenters, Solitaire | COVERS

In the 12^th edition of COVERS (2026), Carpenters delivers a compelling rendition of “Solitaire,” originally performed by Neil Sedaka. 

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician. COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established and lesser-known musicians. In the 12^th edition of COVERS (2026), Carpenters delivers a compelling rendition of “Solitaire”, originally performed by Neil Sedaka.

The legendary, Grammy-winning duo, the Carpenters, comprised of Karen Carpenter (1950 – 1983) and Richard Carpenter (b. 1946), had a knack for releasing hits.  The synergy between brother and sister was truly once-in-a-lifetime.  Even though Karen died tragically at just 32 years old, the musical catalog is marvelous and continues to endure.  One of those epic songs is a cover: “Solitaire”. Neil Sedaka (1939 – 2026) originally recorded this song about loneliness, which he wrote with Phil Cody. For the Carpenters,  “Solitaire” appeared as the sixth track on their 1975 platinum-certified album, Horizon. This earned the duo another pop hit; it peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Richard Carpenter produced their beloved rendition.

“Solitaire” begins with beautiful, peaceful piano playing by Richard Carpenter. Richard also plays other keyboards and orchestrates. This sets the tone.  Karen enters, delivering some of the most expressive, nuanced, and tender vocals you’ll ever hear. Her vocal performance is beautiful, haunting, pitch-perfect, and delivered with the utmost sincerity. The richness of her low register is divine; nothing short of amazing.  The talent that she possesses is almost unbelievable. Following a minimalist start, more instrumentation arrives: bass and lush strings.  With the arrival of the first chorus, Karen brings more power and punch.  Even so, she remains sophisticated, barely breaking a sweat.  The accompaniment grows beefier, with the groove growing more pronounced.

“And Solitaire’s the only game in town

And every road that takes him, takes him down

And by himself, it’s easy to pretend

He’ll never love again

And keeping to himself, he plays the game

Without her love, it always ends the same

While life goes on around him everywhere

He’s playing Solitaire.”

Karen masterfully brings those lyrics to life; it’s chilling. After ascending, the second verse brings things back down, with Karen singing in a calmer, cooler, and more collected tone, once again.  There is a clever timbral change, with Richard trading the acoustic piano sound for Rhodes piano. The orchestral touches grow more breathtaking, particularly the arrival of one of the most melancholy but expressive instruments, the oboe (Earl Dumler).  Adding to the decadent ear candy are background vocals during the second chorus, contrasting with the first.  As “Solitaire” continues, specifically the outro (an extension of the chorus), it continues to be powerful.  Neil Sedaka recorded “Solitaire” first and did a remarkable job with it.  But the Carpenters made this song their own, taking it to another level.  Listening to it truly leaves me speechless 😶.  There’s no need for words to describe it; just let the music speak for itself.

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Carpenters » Horizon » UMG Recordings, Inc. » 1975

Carpenters, Solitaire: Covers No. 12 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; UMG Recordings, Inc.; Alan Cordero, Flávia Vicentini from Pexels; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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