| For other uses, see Carpenter (disambiguation).For the band, see The Carpenters.Carpenters is the third studio album by the Carpenters.Track listing
2 Singles
3 EPs
4 Track information
4.Carpenter)
"One Love" (J.It was released as a single and charted well in the United States."Rainy Days and Mondays".The song talks about how joyful Saturday is, and how happy Richard is for Friday to be done.In 1973 on the TV program Robert Young with the Young, Richard and Karen perform "Saturday" and talk about its meaning.Let Me Be the One
"Let Me Be the One" has a runtime of 2:25.The 1991 remix of "Let Me Be the One" can only be found on the From The Top box set.The fadeout is also removed.Westwood, Los Angeles, California.Sparks had played "(A Place To) Hideaway" for the duo.The Carpenters performed it on their television series, " Make Your Own Kind of Music" on August 10, 1971 on a set where Karen wears a white and red ensemble with a dark blue background with a big letter "K"."For All We Know" had been written for the film Lovers and Other Strangers.The Carpenters released their version as a single in January of 1971.Later that year, the Carpenters performed it on the Andy Williams Show, with Karen in a lacey outfit with a blue background.Billboard Hot 100, it still remains a favorite amongst many Carpenters fans."Superstar" was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell.The Carpenters' version, released as a single in 1971, became an international hit for them.In the liner notes for "Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition", Richard notes that he was home one night when he saw Bette Midler singing the song on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and felt that the lyrics would be perfect for Karen's voice.Karen's poignant, yet haunting vocals makes this song a classic Carpenters tune.It was originally called "Candy".On the television series, "Make Your Own Kind of Music," both Karen and Richard perform the song.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.See Copyrights for details.For other uses, see Carpenter (disambiguation).The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter.Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and press materials is simply "Carpenters", without the definite article.Adult Contemporary Singles Charts.It has been estimated that the Carpenters' album and single sales total to more than 100 million units.Then and Horizon), thirty one singles, five television specials, and one television series.The Carpenter siblings were both born in New Haven, Connecticut.Richard Lynn was born on October 15, 1946 and Karen Anne followed on March 2, 1950.Karen, on the other hand, seemed to be friendly, outgoing, and liked to play sports.In autumn of 1963, Richard attended Downey High School, and he first learned that he could switch from physical education to band, which would later affect Karen's decision to switch out of physical education.Music teacher Bruce Gifford realized Richard's talent as a pianist when Richard was asked to play "Rhapsody in Blue".To circumvent physical education, she asked Richard, who was by then attending the California State Long Beach, to elicit some of his previous teachers to help Karen transfer from physical education to the marching band, as he had also done.When Karen was in the band, teacher Bruce Gifford, who had taught Richard in 1963, assigned Karen a glockenspiel, a quiet instrument which Karen did not like.In an interview, Karen stated:
I didn't really like it (the glockenspiel) because it's not a very convenient instrument to play, and it's hard to carry....Karen would often borrow Chavez's drum kit when he taught her.When Karen finally got a Ludwig drum kit from her parents in late 1964, she was able to play it professionally, in what Richard had described in their documentary, "Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters" as "exotic time signatures".Wes Jacobs, and we hit it off immediately," claims Richard.In late 1965, Wes Jacobs, Richard Carpenter and sister Karen formed the Richard Carpenter Trio, an instrumental jazz group.There, they recorded songs such as The Beatles' "Every Little Thing" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night".Los Angeles bassist Joe Osborn, where Richard was to accompany an auditioning trumpet player.The resulting single included two of Richard's compositions, "Looking for Love" and "I'll Be Yours", but the label soon became defunct, bringing their promising start to a close.In 1967, Richard and Karen next teamed up with four other student musicians from the California State University at Long Beach to form a sextet called "The Summerchimes".The Summerchimes was shortlived though, and they soon changed their name to "Spectra", and finally "Spectrum".The group often performed at The Jolly Knight Steak House as well as the Whisky a Go Go.Because Jacobs had left earlier that year, Richard and Karen needed a bass player to play the Martha and the Vandellas classic "Dancing in the Street", so they then held auditions for a bass player.Finally, they chose Bill Sissyoev to play exclusively for their TV debut appearance.The new, yet temporary lineup for The Richard Carpenter Trio debuted on television on June 22, 1969.That performance was the first television performance of Richard and Karen's.After their television appearance, The Richard Carpenter Trio disbanded permanently, waiting to be picked up by a record label.However, Richard and Karen still persevered.Herb Alpert became attracted to their softer sound.Alpert was Richard and Karen's lucky break, and his decision would change their lives forever.In the album notes for their 2004 release, Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition, Richard stated:
After much thought, we decided to name the act "Carpenters" (No "the"; we thought it sounded hipper without it, like Buffalo Springfield or Jefferson Airplane.Records, they were given carte blanche in the recording studio.Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 20 of the Adult Contemporary chart.In an effort to cash in on the success of that track, Offering was repackaged with a different cover under the name Ticket to Ride in 1970.July 22, 1970, and stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.Williams and Nichols had written the song for a television commercial for Crocker National Bank earlier that year, and Richard Carpenter realized the song's potential when he heard it on the television."We've Only Just Begun" became the first hit single for Williams and Nichols.Frank Pooler, who had been the duo's choral director at the University at Long Beach.Carpenters on the charts through the early 1970s.It became the Carpenters' third gold single."Rainy Days and Mondays" became Paul Williams and Roger Nichols' second major single with the Carpenters.According to Coleman, "Rainy Days and Mondays" is arguably one of the Carpenters' most popular tracks.Their eponymous album, entitled Carpenters was released in 1971.RIAA certification for platinum four times.It won a Grammy Award for the Carpenters, as well as three nominations.In 1972, Richard decided to reinvent the power ballad, and was arguably the creator of pop ballads with electric guitar solos.The movie, made in 1940, had a song writer, played by Basil Rathbone, who was well known for writing the most beautiful song in history: "Goodbye to Love".Peluso would be a part of the Carpenters until their end in 1983.However, not all fans were happy with an electric guitar solo on a Carpenters record.Some fans were so angry at the Carpenters, they sent in hate mail to the Carpenters for doing so.Anderson released her version in early 1973, and the Carpenters debated as to whether or not they should release their version on a single.Song for You album already (Hurting Each Other, Goodbye to Love, It's Going to Take Some Time, and later, I Won't Last a Day Without You).Regardless, the Carpenters released a single for "Top of the World" in May of 1973 due to the heavy public demand.The public's response to "Top of the World" was enormous.It contained the Sesame Street tune "Sing", and the reminiscent "Yesterday Once More".As of today, it is certified as going platinum seven times.The Carpenters did not release a new album in 1974.In Richard's words, "there was simply no time to make one.Roger Nichols composition called "I Won't Last a Day Without You".Originally recorded as an album track for their 1972 LP, A Song For You, the Carpenters decided to retouch the song.Billboard Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1974.Both singles appeared on their 1975 LP Horizon, which also included covers of The Eagles' "Desperado" and Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire", which became a moderate hit for the duo that year.Their subsequent album A Kind Of Hush, released on June 11, 1976, achieved gold status, but again due to its late release, became the first Carpenters album not to become a platinum certified record since Ticket to Ride from seven years earlier.Their singles releases in 1976 were successful, but at this time, contemporary hit radio was moving forward with changing musical styles, which ultimately made the careers of most "soft" groups like the Carpenters suffer.Although not fairly credited for it, the Carpenters were also among the first American recording acts to produce music videos to promote their records.In early 1975, they filmed an amusing performance of "Please Mr.Postman" at Disneyland as well as "Only Yesterday" at the Huntington Gardens, in which Karen looked fit and trim.The Carpenters at Christmas TV special, which aired on December 9, 1977.It was and undoubtedly partially inspired by the science fiction craze of the late 1970s, like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, both of which were from 1977.AC and Country hit in 1979 for Anne Murray, proving Richard's feelings about the song's appeal.The Carpenters' music videos of "All You Get from Love is a Love Song" and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" for the Passage album can be seen on the DVD Gold: Greatest Hits.Despite their somewhat disappointing performance on the domestic charts, the Carpenters continued to enjoy popularity."Sweet, Sweet Smile", written by future country and pop star Juice Newton (on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart it came up just short of the Top 40, but hit the Top 10 of the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Country charts).Richard sought treatment for his addiction at a Topeka, Kansas facility during 1979.Karen decided to pursue a solo album project with renowned producer Phil Ramone in New York.Karen eventually wavered in her dedication to the project.The solo LP, Karen Carpenter, remained unreleased until October 1996, although Karen's fans got a taste of the album in 1989 when four of its tracks, "Lovelines", "If We Try", "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night" and "If I Had You", turned up, albeit remixed, on their second posthumous album Lovelines."If I Had You" was released as a single and reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.The Carpenters produced a final television special in 1980 called Music, Music, Music!However, ABC was not at all happy with their special.The Carpenters' next LP as a duo, Made in America, was released on June 16, 1981.Personal troubles dimmed the prospects of this modest return to the charts.After a whirlwind romance, Karen married real estate developer Thomas James Burris in a lavish wedding held in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel on August 31, 1980.Karen's physical appearance had changed drastically since her wedding a year earlier.The music videos produced to promote the Made In America album were ample evidence that Karen was now seriously ill.The marriage turned out to be a disaster, and the couple separated at the end of 1981.Karen, who had a normal thyroid, was found to be taking ten times the normal daily dose of thyroid medication in order to speed up her metabolism.This, combined with large amounts of laxatives (between 90 to 100 a day), weakened her heart.Under the anatomical summary, the first item was heart failure, with anorexia as second.The third finding was cachexia, which is extremely low weight and weakness and general body decline associated with chronic disease.Her funeral service took place on Tuesday, February 8, 1983, at the Downey United Methodist Church.Karen's estranged husband appeared at her funeral, and took off his wedding band and placed it in the casket (according to the Ray Coleman Book The Carpenters: the Untold Story).On October 12, 1983, the Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a few yards from the Kodak Theater.Karen's death brought lasting media attention to anorexia nervosa and also to bulimia.Karen's death encouraged celebrities to go public about their eating disorders, among them Tracey Gold and Diana, Princess of Wales.The general public had little knowledge of anorexia and bulimia prior to her death, making the conditions difficult to identify and treat.In December 2003, the remains of Karen and her parents were exhumed from Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Cypress, California and reinterred in Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California.The Carpenters' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Voice of the Heart, an album that included some finished tracks left out of Made In America and earlier LPs, was released in late 1983.Two singles were released.Richard Carpenter married Mary Rudolf on May 19, 1984.The cover to Richard Carpenter's 1987 solo album, Time.In 1987, Richard released his first solo album, Time, which generated one hit single, "Something in Your Eyes", sung by Dusty Springfield.His dedication to protecting the Carpenters' image and recording legacy has sparked criticism, as Richard has insisted on substantial project oversight in any documentary or drama about them.Although critics found Karen's portrayal sympathetic, the film depicted the Carpenter family in an unflattering light, and Richard prevailed in pulling the film from distribution on the basis that Carpenters' tracks were used without permission.The collection of songs on the CD covers a wide range of musical styles, from rock ("Making Love in the Afternoon" with guest vocalist Peter Cetera) to blues ("Last One Singing the Blues").In 1997, Richard recorded and released an album that displayed his talents as a pianist, arranger, and composer, aptly titled Pianist Arranger Composer Conductor.In Japan, the Carpenters' popularity reached large proportions and continued after Karen's death.Japanese artists typically do not sell well in Japan (although albums often do), but the Carpenters were an exception.Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation in memory of Karen Carpenter.The first annual "Richard Carpenter Scholarship Competition Award Show" was held at the Civic Arts Plaza on September 20, 2006.Richard is affiliated with the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at California State University, Long Beach.In 2001, he was a guest on the "Petula Clark: A Sign of the Times" concert in Norfolk, Virginia and portions were recorded for CD and DVD release and for a PBS special.In 2002, he introduced Clark at the Carpenter Center and appeared on her Ultimate Collection CD.In 2007, Chinese radio show China Drive invited listeners to name the first English song they ever heard.Well over fifty percent of listeners responded by naming "Yesterday Once More".Musical and lyrical style
The music of the Carpenters was distinct because Karen's register was relatively low for a female singer.Richard's voice was very complementary to Karen's voice.There is no comparison in terms of richness in sound, so I wasn't about to highlight the upper voice," states Richard in the "Fans Ask" section of the Carpenters' official website.Because Karen's magic was in the "basement", Richard always rearranged cover songs and his own songs in a key that would suit her.Many of the Carpenters' songs are located in the keys of D ("You", "There's a Kind of Hush"), E ("Yesterday Once More"), F ("I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Top of the World"), and G ("And When He Smiles", "Reason to Believe", "For All We Know", "You'll Love Me").Karen, being a drummer as well as a singer, often played drums on the songs before 1974.By the A Kind of Hush album in 1976, Karen did not play the drums at all.The ambience of the Carpenters' songs is very soft.Although on the surface, the songs may seem quite simple, in reality, the songs' lyrics can be quite complex.Richard often arranged the Carpenters' music, and many praise his arranging skills.Acclaimed music critic Daniel Levitin described in Electronic Musician that "one of the most gifted arrangers to emerge in popular music is Richard Carpenter."The Make Your Own Kind of Music television series on August 10, 1971.Even though the Carpenters had a rough start in 1969 with the lukewarm reviews of their first album, Offering, they tried to promote themselves by being Burt Bacharach's opening performance.Burt Bacharach walked up to us, and he asked us if we would like to open the show for him at another dinner that he was going to be doing later on in the year.And he asked us to do something that turned out to be very, very special for us.Then, Richard took over, and said:
He wanted us to put together a medley of his songs; any tunes of his that we wanted to do, and it took a couple of months.The medley eventually was abridged and released on their eponymous album, Carpenters in 1971.The song was shortened from almost 13 minutes to only 5 minutes.The band maintained a demanding schedule of concert tours and television appearances.In 1971, the duo appeared in a television special on the BBC where they performed songs "live."Both Karen and Richard would later state in a 1980 radio interview that were often taken advantage of in their dealings with television during the early Seventies and wanted more control in the production of future projects.In May of 1973, the Carpenters accepted an invitation to perform at the White House for President Richard Nixon and visiting West German chancellor Willy Brandt.Richard has said that he regrets the six and seven day work schedules of that period, adding that had he known then what he knows now he wouldn't have agreed to it.Richard developed an addiction to quaaludes, which began to affect his performance in the late 1970s and led to the end of the duo's live concert appearances in 1978.The "Pepsodent image"
The Carpenters' popularity often confounded critics.In many interviews, Richard would state that many critics usually judge them to "drink milk, eat apple pie and take showers."Not that we're totally opposite from that, we're not.THAT's for the people who believe in apple pie!THAT's for people who believe in the American flag!The Carpenters stand for that, and I'm taking them to my bosom!"And boom, we got tagged with that label.Television specials
Their television specials also garnered solid ratings and kept them in the public eye during the late 1970s.They had a total of five television specials, all of which aired from 1976 to 1980.Their TV specials usually contained "schticks," which Richard highly disliked.However, Karen seemed to enjoy it, and her personality shone on camera.As evidenced on the Carpenters' official website, five of the fifteen songs on As Time Goes By were from Music, Music, Music!.However, ABC wasn't satisfied with the Carpenters' decision to go purely musical.On their documentary, Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters, Richard quotes them, saying: "What the hell do they think this is?Carpenters occurred during the 1990s and 2000s with the making of several documentaries produced in the United States, Japan, and Great Britain, like "Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters" (United States), "The Sayonara" (Japan), and "Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story" (Great Britain).The superior technical quality of the recordings, the sorrowful undercurrents in many of their songs and the pain in Karen's voice as well as her life have attracted many fans.Boyz II Men list the Carpenters among their influences.Despite some criticism that their sound was "too soft", major campaigns and petitions exist toward inducting the Carpenters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Several of their songs have achieved the status of popular standards.The Simpsons as well as The Simpsons Movie."Superstar" has been covered by numerous artists, with popular recordings from Luther Vandross and Ruben Studdard to Bette Midler and Sonic Youth.Both "We've Only Just Begun" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You" have been honored with Grammy Hall of Fame awards for recordings of lasting quality or historical significance.Blige, Alicia Keys, Leann Rimes, Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, Johnny Borrell of Razorlight, Jo O'Meara from S Club and Madonna have stated Karen Carpenter as a huge influence on their careers.Carpenter won the Philanthropists of the Year Award of Ventura Country in 2007.Albums and singles
For a complete list, see The Carpenters discography and List of songs by the Carpenters.Album notes for The Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition by The Carpenters.The Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition at MusicBrainz.Edwards, Ralph (Executive Producer).Richard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter.Album notes for Ticket to Ride by The Carpenters.Ticket to Ride at MusicBrainz.Cy Howard (Director), David Susskind (Producer).RIAA Official Home Page.Recording Industry Association of America.The Carpenters Official Website.Album notes for A Kind of Hush by The Carpenters.Arranging Master Class: Richard Carpenter.Ed Sullivan, The Carpenters.The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.London, England: Octopus Books Limited.Carpenters: Ticket to Ride (1969) Album Notes.Levitin, Daniel (May 1995).Arranging Master Class: Richard Carpenter.This page was last modified 02:15, 6 January 2008.Cannon Boiler Works, Inc.This site is dedicated to the music of the Carpenters and to the memory of Karen.Thank you again for your visit.Use fewer keywords to find more results.Track your recent orders.Visit our Help department.The Carpenters Arms is dedicated to serving you simple, fresh, locally produced food and drink in a small traditional pub.The Carpenters Arms is perfectly placed to lunch, dine or just simply enjoy some of our award winning ales.The Carpenters story is one that is filled with the joy of overwhelming success and
the sadness of a life cut short.It was in that basement that the Carpenter siblings first heard the sounds of Les Paul and Mary Ford, Spike Jones, and Patti Page, all figures that played a huge role in the development of the Carpenters' sound, nearly 20 years later.Initially, it was Richard who took an interest in music.She laughed recalling these early ambitions, saying, "One, I can't stand the sight of blood; two, if I fly one more mile...!"The Carpenter family moved from their New Haven home to suburban Downey, California in June 1963.Hollywood and such surroundings would surely aid in establishing the career in music he dreamed of.While Karen loved sports and other outdoor activities, she hated Gym class at Downey High.With Richard's help, she was allowed to substitute Band for Gym, and ultimately joined the school's choir to avoid Geometry.Downey Band, Frankie Chavez, helped Karen with the rudiments of drumming and she was soon showing off on her own set of Ludwigs."Boy, could she play 'em!""Luckily, drumming came naturally," Karen said in a 1981 interview.Richard entered California State University as a music major in the fall of 1964.Growing accustomed to playing for dances and weddings, the trio reached the finals of the prestigious talent contest "The Battle of the Bands" at the Hollywood Bowl.The trio was signed to the label and cut 11 tracks, but the deal was soon dissolved with no commercial release.With a pressing of 500 records, a lack of distribution is blamed for the unsuccessful release.Alpert liked what he heard and in April of 1969, signed "The Carpenters" to the label.During that period, the 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."Karen , meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life.The record was never completed and she returned to the Carpenters later that year.The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts.She had an extreme case of anorexia and she fought to over come the disease throughout the last two years of her life.Her body couldn't take anymore.She'd been starving herself for seven years, using laxatives, drinking water with lemon, taking dozens of thyroid pills daily, and even throwing up.On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in New Haven; she died in the hospital that morning from a cardiac arrest, which was caused by her anorexia.Since then, Richard has remained active, releasing a solo album, "TIME", in 1987,
which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick.In 1989, Richard served as executive producer for the TV movie "The Karen Carpenter Story," which painted a stark and honest picture of the duo's personal lives and Karen's struggle with anorexia.At the height of their popularity, The Carpenters became one of the most popular groups in history, selling nearly 100 million units worldwide.Karen's voice is considered by many to be the finest and most expressive in popular music.The Carpenters were awarded eight Gold albums, five Platinum albums, and ten Gold singles in America.American group between 1970 and 1980.In their first year, from July 1970 to June 1971, the Carpenters had four Top 5 hits , twice the number of any other artist during that period.Hits": Carpenters had five, while Elvis Presley had six.I'll Be Yours" (Karen's solo with Magic Lamp Records)
1969: "Ticket To Ride",
1970: "Close To You", "We've Only Just Begun", "Merry Christmas, Darling",
1971: "For All We Know", "Rainy Days And Mondays", "Superstar", "Hurting Each Other",
1972: "It's Going To Take Some Time", "Goodbye To Love",
1973: "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", "Top Of The World",
1974: "I Won't Last A Day Without You", "Please Mr.Carpenters were one of the most popular musical duos of the 1970s.This website is dedicated to both Richard and Karen Carpenter
and their musical legacy.Happy Birthday Richard Carpenter !Richard Carpenter turns 61 years old.The Carpenters Newville Home To be Remodeled, Perhaps Demolished?!Carpenters former home in Downey, California.For more information, check out
the forums on LeadSister.Downey City Council and
the Downey Patriot Newspaper.Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center.This section also includes links to all the
song lyrics for each individual song.Richard and Karen Carpenter.Pods and stereos, for listening to
your favorite Carpenters songs.The Carpenters, and
is not affiliated with the Carpenter family or publicists. |
