The Carpenters
Active: 1970–1993
21
Releases
24
Active Years
About The Carpenters
In the 1970s, perhaps no act embodied soft rock’s pristine sonics and sentimental bent more than the Carpenters.
The combination of Richard Carpenter’s meticulous arrangements and instrumentation and the mellifluous voice of his younger sister, Karen, led to a string of hits, starting in 1970 with the orchestra-kissed “(They Long To Be) Close To You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” The Connecticut-born siblings showed early aptitude for music: Richard started playing piano at age eight, and Karen was a talented drummer, leading to both of them studying music in college.
The duo soon turned professional, debuting in 1969 as Carpenters with a haunting cover of The Beatles’ “Ticket To Ride,” the first of many to highlight the low-reaching range of Karen’s rich contralto voice.
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Complete Discography
(THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU
Documented across 17 weeks
WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN
Documented across 7 weeks
SUPERSTAR/FOR ALL WE KNOW
Documented across 13 weeks
MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING
Documented across 1 week
I WON'T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU
Documented across 1 week
GOODBYE TO LOVE
Documented across 15 weeks
YESTERDAY ONCE MORE
Documented across 17 weeks
TOP OF THE WORLD
Documented across 17 weeks
JAMBALAYA
Documented across 11 weeks
I WON'T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU {1974}
Documented across 5 weeks
PLEASE MR POSTMAN
Documented across 12 weeks
ONLY YESTERDAY
Documented across 10 weeks
SOLITAIRE
Documented across 5 weeks
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
Documented across 2 weeks
THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH
Documented across 6 weeks
I NEED TO BE IN LOVE
Documented across 5 weeks
CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT
Documented across 9 weeks
SWEET SWEET SMILE
Documented across 4 weeks
MAKE BELIEVE IT'S THE FIRST TIME
Documented across 3 weeks
MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING/(THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU
Documented across 4 weeks
RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS
Documented across 2 weeks