The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Carpenters was the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. 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. During a period in the 1970s when louder and wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a distinctively soft musical style that made them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
The Carpenters' melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, and they became leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary genres. Carpenters had three #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Chart (see the Carpenters discography). In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles (including their #1 hits). To date, Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.
During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 11 albums, five of which contained top 10 singles ( Close to You , Carpenters , A Song for You , Now & Then and Horizon ), thirty-one singles, five television specials, and one short-lived television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career ended with Karen's death in 1983 from cardiac arrest due to complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders.
Pre-Carpenters
Childhood (1946–1964)
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. Richard was a quiet child who spent most of his time in the house listening to records and playing the piano. Karen, on the other hand, seemed to be friendly and outgoing; she liked to play sports, including softball with the neighborhood kids, but she also spent a lot of time listening to music.
In June 1963, the Carpenter family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California. In the fall of 1964, Richard enrolled at California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State), where he met future songwriting partner John Bettis, with whom he would write classics like "Top of the World", "Goodbye to Love", and "Only Yesterday"; Wesley Jacobs, a friend who played the bass and tuba for the Richard Carpenter Trio; and Frank Pooler, with whom Richard would collaborate to create the Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1966.
That same fall, Karen enrolled at Downey High School, where she found a knack for playing the drums. When Karen joined the marching band, band teacher Bruce Gifford - who had taught Richard in 1963 - assigned Karen a glockenspiel, a quiet instrument that Karen highly disliked. 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.... It's always a quarter-step sharp to the band, which used to drive me crazy!
Shortly after, though, friend and fellow band member Frankie Chavez inspired Carpenter to play the drums. Karen would often borrow Chavez's drum kit when he taught her. "She and Frankie ... must have worked down the rudiments, the cadences, and the press-rolls for hours", recalls Richard. 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".
The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum (1965–1968)
By 1965, Karen had been practicing the drums for a year, and Richard was refining his piano techniques with teacher Frank Pooler. The two started a jazz trio in late 1965 with their friend Wes Jacobs, who played bass and tuba.
The Richard Carpenter Trio signed up for the annual Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands in mid-1966, where they played an instrumental version of "The Girl from Ipanema" and their own "Iced Tea". The trio won the Battle of the Bands on June 24, 1966, and they were signed up by RCA Records. They recorded songs such as The Beatles' "Every Little Thing" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" for RCA. However, these recordings were never released (although some tracks were released decades later as part of a boxed set of Carpenters material.)
Karen joined John later in 1966 at a late-night session in the garage studio of Los Angeles bassist Joe Osborn, where Richard was to accompany an auditioning trumpet player. Asked to sing, Karen performed for Osborn, who was taken with her voice. Osborn's fledgling label, Magic Lamp Records, signed Karen as a singer, and the label put out a single featuring two of Richard's compositions, "Looking for Love" and "I'll Be Yours." The single was a not a hit and the label soon became defunct. However, Osborn let Karen and Richard continue to use his studio to record demo tapes until 1969, when they finally got an offer from A&M Records.
In 1967, Richard and Karen teamed up with four other student musicians from Long Beach State to form a band called "Spectrum". The group often performed at the Whisky a Go Go. Spectrum member John Bettis worked with the Carpenters until Karen's death in 1983, composing many songs with Richard.
In 1968, Spectrum disbanded, and the Richard Carpenter Trio's Wes Jacobs left for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Jacobs, who played both the bass and the tuba, would eventually become the symphony's Principal Tubist in 1970. Richard and Karen received an offer to be on the television program, Your All American College Show in mid-1968. Their June 22, 1968 performance was Richard's and Karen's first television appearance.
Richard and Karen sent their demo tapes to many record labels until A&M Records' co-owner and trumpeter/vocalist Herb Alpert (who happened to be a friend of a friend of their mother's) became attracted to their distinct sound. Alpert was Richard's and Karen's lucky break, and his decision would change their lives forever.
Carpenters (1969–1983)
Richard and Karen Carpenter signed to A&M Records on April 22, 1969, under the name " Carpenters ". Because Karen was technically underage (she was 19 at the time), her parents had to co-sign for her. Richard and Karen had decided to sign as "Carpenters", without the definite article. 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.)
Offering : A Commercial Dud (1969)
When Richard and Karen Carpenter signed to A&M Records, they were given carte blanche in the recording studio. Their debut album, entitled Offering released in 1969, featured a number of songs that Richard had written or co-written during their Spectrum period. However, the most significant track on the album was a ballad rendition of The Beatles hit "Ticket to Ride", which soon became a minor hit for Carpenters, peaking at #54 on the 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.
Close To You : "Overnight Success" (1970)
Despite the lukewarm chart performance of "Ticket To Ride", Richard and Karen persevered and finally achieved success with the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "(They Long To Be) Close To You", which was released in 1970. It debuted at #56, the highest debut of the week ending June 20, 1970. It rose to #1 on July 25, 1970, and stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
Three months after "(They Long To Be) Close To You" reached #1, Carpenters' version of "We've Only Just Begun" reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song is considered by Richard Carpenter to be the group's "signature tune." Paul Williams and Roger 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 television. "We've Only Just Begun" became the first hit single for Williams and Nichols.
"Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun" became RIAA Certified Gold Singles and were featured on the best-selling album Close To You , which is placed #175 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The duo rounded out the year with the holiday release of "Merry Christmas Darling". The single scored high on the holiday charts in 1970 and made repeated appearances on the holiday charts in subsequent years.
Carpenters and A Song for You : A String of Hits (1971-1972)
A string of hit singles and albums kept Carpenters on the charts through the early 1970s. Their 1971 hit "For All We Know" was originally recorded for a wedding scene in the movie "Lovers and Other Strangers" in 1970 by Larry Meredith. Upon hearing it in the movie theatre, Richard realized its potential, and subsequently recorded it in the autumn of 19
BassLine Series : DJdepot, DJ Equipment, Karaoke, Speakers, Light ...
... PA Equipment Lighting Stands Karaoke Equipment Karaoke ... Karaoke Box Sets; Karaoke Hits Party CDG; Legends. BassLine Series ... Chumbawamba Drugs Don't Work Verve Pipe Barbie Girl ...
Musical Instruments - eToys.com
Building Sets & Blocks; Collectibles; Dolls & Stuffed ... Thomas & Friends Tin Drum Price: $14.99 ... Karaoke & Dance. Barbie Sing With Me CD Karaoke Machine
4 Pad Digital Drum - U.S. Music - Toys "R" Us
Buy 4 Pad Digital Drum - 4 drum pads with lighting guide. ... Bakugan Barbie Batman Club Penguin Disney Fairies Disney Princess ... Singing Machine DVD Karaoke Accessory Pack
The Beatles: Rock Band | Video Game Review | Lego Games & Toy Reviews ...
The newest toys from Lego, Barbie and more. Learn about Hot Wheels new toy sets, Learning ... out the bands’ biggest hits together karaoke ... finish and vintage model Beatles kick drum ...
Barbie Musical Toys at BizRate - Shop online for Toys & Games. Compare ...
Find deals on Barbie Jamwithme Karaoke Keyboard - Barbie Jam With Me Rock Star Guitar. ... Drum Set, Kids Microphone, Children Musical Keyboard, Toy Piano, Toddler Drum Set ...
Karaoke Machines with Toyswards.com
... singing, cymbals, music and drum mode ... Barbie Karaoke Cam Music Cartridge Favorite Hits ... Hello Kitty Karaoke Play Set
Gift Idea: Barbie "Jam With Me" Karaoke Guitar
Toys & Games » Barbie "Jam With Me" Karaoke Guitar ... Camp Rock Electronic Drum Set
Square Drum company on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures ...
MySpaceID Sites; Schools; Top Blogs; IM; Mobile; Comedy; Karaoke ... They easily integrate winto traditional round drum sets . ... "GODDESS OF HOTNESS" BARBIE DOLL
First Act Electronic Drum Pad - First Act - Toys "R" Us
Bakugan Barbie Batman Club Penguin Disney Fairies Disney ... Big beats in a deluxe digital drum set! This digital drum set has ... Music Video Karaoke System with Built-in Camera
Toys Games Boys Toys Girls Toys Barbie Dolls Building Sets RC Toys
Toys Games Boys Toys Girls Toys Barbie Dolls Building Sets RC Toys ... Tomy Dance Beat Drum $11.50: Lego Team Transport ... E-KARA PRO HEADSET REAL KARAOKE : Out Of Stock $8.99