Carpenters
526 Shouts - 6,289,674 Scrobbles
Biography
With their light, airy melodies and meticulously crafted, clean arrangements, Carpenters stood in direct contrast with the excessive, gaudy pop rock of the '70s; yet they became one of the most popular artists of the decade, scoring 12 Top Ten hits, including three number one singles.
Read More...Karen Carpenter's calm, pretty voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. The duo's sound drew more from pre rock pop than rock, but that didn't prevent Carpenters from appealing to a variety of audiences, particularly Top 40, easy listening, and contemporary classical. While their popularity declined during the latter half of the '70s, they remained one of the most distinctive and recognizable acts of the decade produced.
Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, CA, after their family moved from their native New Haven, CT. Richard had played piano with a cocktail jazz trio in a handful of local Connecticut nightclubs. Once the family had moved to California, he began to study piano while he supported Karen in a trio that featured Wes Jacobs (tuba/bass). With Jacobs and Richard forming her backup band, Karen was signed to the local Californian record label Magic Lamp, who released two unsuccessful singles by the singer. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, which led to a record contract with RCA. Signing under the name The Richard Carpenter Trio, the group cut four songs that were never released. Jacobs left the band at the beginning of 1968.
Following Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with Richard's college friend John Bettis. Spectrum fell apart by the end of the year, but Carpenters continued performing as a duo. The pair recorded some demos at the house of Los Angeles session musician Joe Osborn; the tape was directed toward Herb Alpert, the head of A&M Records, who signed the duo to his record label in early 1969.
The Offering, Carpenters' first album, was released in November 1969. Neither The Offering nor the accompanying single, a cover of The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," made a big impression. However, Carpenters' fortunes changed with their second single, a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Taken from the album Close To You, the single became the group's first number one, spending four weeks on the top of the U.S. charts. "Close to You" became an international hit, beginning a five-year period where the duo was one of the most popular recording acts in the world. During that period Carpenters won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist of 1970, and had an impressive string of Top Ten hits, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "Goodbye to Love," "Yesterday Once More," and "Top of the World."
After 1975's number-four hit "Only Yesterday," the group's popularity began to decline. For the latter half of the '70s, the duo were plagued by personal problems. Richard had become addicted to prescription drugs; in 1978, he entered a recovery clinic, kicking his habit. Karen, meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life. On top of their health problems, the group's singles had stopped reaching the Top Ten and by 1978, they weren't even reaching the Top 40. Consequently, Karen decided to pursue a solo career, recording a solo album in 1979 with Phil Ramone; the record was never completed and she returned to Carpenters later that year. The reunited duo released their last album of new material, Made In America, in 1981. The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts. However, Karen's health continued to decline, forcing the duo out of the spotlight. On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in Downey; she died in the hospital that morning from a cardiac arrest, caused by her anorexia.
After Karen's death, Richard Carpenter concentrated on production work and assembling various compilations of Carpenters' recorded work. In 1987, he released a solo album called In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Merry Christmas Darling - (3:06) - 14,896 playsLyricsGreeting cards have all been sent
The Christmas rush is through
But I still have one wish to make
A special one for you
Merry Christmas darling
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Rainy Days And Mondays - (3:36) - 16,452 playsLyricsTalkin' to myself and feelin' old
Sometimes I'd like to quit, nothin' ever seems to fit
Hangin' around, nothin' to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
What I've got they used to call the blues
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Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - (3:55) - 12,371 playsLyricsChristmas future is far away
Christmas past is past
Christmas present is here today
Bringing joy that will last
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
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We've Only Just Begun - (3:04) - 16,997 playsLyricsWe've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
We've only begun
Before the risin' sun, we fly
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Sleigh Ride - (2:39) - 9,970 playsLyricsJust hear those sleigh bells Jing-a-ling
Ring-ting-tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling
- Superstar - (3:46) - 14,855 plays
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- (They Long To Be) Close To You - (4:36) - 15,993 plays
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- Yesterday Once More - (3:57) - 14,248 plays
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- Close To You - (3:24) - 13,457 plays
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- Top Of The World - (2:56) - 14,310 plays
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- Please Mr. Postman - (2:52) - 10,025 plays
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- I'll Be Home For Christmas - (3:50) - 5,245 plays
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- Christmas Waltz - (2:13) - 5,589 plays
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- Goodbye To Love - (3:58) - 7,286 plays
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- Sing - (3:17) - 6,195 plays
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- Carol Of The Bells - (1:39) - 4,118 plays
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- Hurting Each Other - (2:48) - 5,560 plays
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- I Won't Last A Day Without You - (4:29) - 5,484 plays
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- It's Going To Take Some Time - (2:55) - 5,011 plays
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- For All We Know - (2:39) - 5,412 plays
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From Radio.com
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Rock Flashback: Karen Carpenter
February 7, 2012






Karen Carpenter
Barbra Streisand
Barry Manilow
Olivia Newton-John
Bread
Air Supply
Captain & Tennille
Dionne Warwick
Carly Simon
Anne Murray