Ticket 2 Ride

This week, I’m delving into some pop delights from The Carpenters, the sister and brother duo, whose sweet vocals and lush arrangements, monopolized AM radio in the first half of the 1970s.

“(They Long to Be) Close to You” (1970) was from The Carpenters second album, Close to You. This number one hit was written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David, seven years earlier. My favorite Carpenters song, loved it from the first time I heard it. There’s a poignancy that is owed to the writers, arranger and vocalists.

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. They were awarded another Grammy for Best New Artist of 1970.

“We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970) was also from the Close to You album. Written by Roger Nichols/Paul Williams climbed to number two on the Top 100. Originally written for a TV commercial for a bank, the songwriters added more to the song, and Richard Carpenter’s arrangement created a beautiful and heartfelt recording. This song was performed by school choral groups all over the country, including mine.

“For All We Know” (1971) with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Royer and James Griffin. The original version was the film Lovers and Other Stranger, won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The Carpenters version peaked at number 3 on the Top 100 chart.

“Superstar” (1971) from the album Carpenters, was written by Leon Russell/Bonnie Bramlett, with an uncredited contribution from Rita Coolidge, who performed the song on the Joe Cocker/Leon Russell “Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour”. The Carpenters version also peaked at number two and was perfect for Karen Carpenter’s voice. Richard’s arrangement was nominated for a Grammy Award.

“I Won’t Last a Day Without You” (1974) written by Paul Williams/Roger Nichols. The record just missed the Top Ten, reaching number 11. The song was recorded for the 1972 album, but not released as a single for two years. Another great Nichols/Williams composition.

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Final thoughts…

The Carpenters had a crazy number of charting singles, ten of which sold at least a million copies, and over a million records sold worldwide. I said earlier that The Carpenters were AM radio stars, but they had a lot of airplay on FM too. Karen and Richard had fans of all ages as their songs crossed over to different audiences.

Karen Carpenter had an indescribable voice, she wasn’t just a drummer who sang. She has one of the most defining voices of the 1970s. She was a contralto had a three-octave range, and had a unique ability to transition between her upper and her lower range, which she called her “basement,” was praised for its richness, warmth and intimacy.

Richard became the arranger and musical director for The Carpenters albums. His ability to arrange and rearrange songs, add orchestration and vocal parts, elevated the songs to very sophisticated recordings.

There are other songs I strongly considered for this list, and again, tough choices. That’s a great problem to have.