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The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of . EARLY LIFE Born in band. She soon taught herself to play and master the drums. Around this time, she also realized her singing ability. EARLY CAREER In the mid to late 1960s, the two attempted to launch a musical career but failed to gain a successful recording deal until the decade's end. In May 1966, Karen joined Richard in attending a late-night session in the garage studio of L.A. bassist Joe Osborn , where Richard was to accompany an auditioning trumpet player. Asked to sing, Karen performed and landed a short-lived recording contract as a solo artist with Osborn's fledgling Magic Lamp label. The resulting single included two of Richard's compositions, "Looking for Love" and "I'll Be Yours", but the label was soon defunct, bringing this promising start to a close. This single is now considered to be a rare collector's item. Only 500 were pressed at the time of release. Richard Carpenter owns five in near mint condition. During this period, the pair, joined by bassist friend Wes Jacobs , formed the Richard Carpenter Trio , a jazz instrumental group. Winning the Hollywood Bowl "Battle of the Bands" in 1966, the trio was picked up by the RCA label. The label chose not to release their songs however, and doubting their commercial potential, RCA soon dropped them. Richard and Karen next teamed with four other student musicians from Long Beach State to form the sextet Spectrum. Although the new group landed club dates at such venues as the Whisky A Go Go , no record deal was forthcoming. Nevertheless, the experience proved rewarding for the siblings, as Richard found a lyricist for his original compositions in fellow Spectrum member John Bettis . Richard and John were hired to play music at Disneyland , (at "Coca-Cola Corner" near the park's entrance), but they did not get along with their supervisor and were soon let go. The supervisor inspired the song: "Mr. Guder". After Spectrum disbanded, the Carpenters decided to continue as a duo, with Richard on keyboards and Karen on drums, and both contributing vocals. They sent out demo tapes and attracted the attention of A&M Records co-owner and trumpeter/vocalist Herb Alpert , who signed the duo in 1969. Their initial LP, titled ''Offering'', featured numerous selections that Richard had written or co-written during their Spectrum period. The most significant track on the album was a Ballad rendition of The Beatles ' hit " Ticket To Ride ", which soon became a minor hit, reaching #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 20 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. The resulting LP was subsequently repackaged and retitled ''Ticket to Ride'' with somewhat improved sales. Following the autumn release of ''Ticket to Ride'', their label arranged for the duo to perform at the film premieres of '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips '' and '' Hello, Dolly '' in December. CARPENTERS " on the first episode that aired on July 20 , 1971 .]] Richard and Karen finally broke through with the 1970 release of the Burt Bacharach - Hal David song " (They Long To Be) Close To You ", which rose to #1 and stayed atop the pop charts for four weeks. The Carpenters' version of " We've Only Just Begun " (written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols ) reached #2 on the Hot 100 - and spent 7 weeks at #1 Adult Contemporary - to become the duo's second major hit in the fall of 1970, and is considered by Richard Carpenter as the group's signature song (it has been commercially re-recorded over 100 times by other singers). Both songs were featured on the album '' Close To You '', which became a bestseller, earning Richard and Karen two Grammy Award s, including Best New Artist. The duo rounded out the year with a holiday release, "Merry Christmas Darling", which Richard co-wrote with Frank Pooler, who had been the duo's choral director at Long Beach State. The single scored high on the holiday charts in 1970 and made repeat appearances on the charts in subsequent years. A string of hit singles and albums kept the Carpenters on the charts through the early 1970s, including "'', topped the charts in the U.S. and the United Kingdom and became one of the best-selling albums of the decade, ultimately selling more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone. During the first half of the 1970s, the Carpenters' music was a staple of Top 40 playlists and middle-of-the-road, easy listening and adult contemporary radio. The duo produced a distinctive sound featuring Karen's expressive Contralto on lead vocals, with both siblings contributing background vocals that were overdubbed to create densely-layered harmonies. To his role as vocalist, keyboardist, and arranger, Richard added that of composer on numerous tracks. Several of his compositions with lyricist John Bettis became hit records, including "Goodbye to Love", "Yesterday Once More", and "Top of the World". Promotion '' in the summer of 1971.]] The Carpenters maintained a demanding schedule of concert tours and television appearances. Among their numerous television credits were appearances on such popular series as '' for President Richard Nixon and visiting West German chancellor Willy Brandt . The Carpenters' popularity often confounded critics. With their output focused on ballads and mid-tempo pop, the duo's music was often dismissed by critics as bland and "saccharine". The recording industry, however, bestowed awards on the duo, who won three Grammy Awards during their career (Best New Artist, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus, for "Close to You" in 1970; and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for the LP ''Carpenters'' in 1971). In 1973, the Carpenters were voted Best Band, Duo, or Group (Pop/Rock) at the first annual American Music Award s. Later 1970s Extensive touring in 1973–74 left the duo with little time for recording new material. As a result, the Carpenters did not issue a new album in 1974 . Instead, the pair released a single, the Williams-Nichols composition "I Won't Last A Day Without You". Originally recorded as an album track for 1972's '' A Song For You '' LP, the single version became the fifth and final selection from that album project to chart in the Top 20, reaching #11 on the U.S. charts in the summer of 1974. Also in 1974, the Carpenters achieved a massive international hit with an up-tempo remake of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya", which, while not released as a single in the US, reached the top 30 in Japan and sold well in United Kingdom , among other countries. In late 1974, a Christmas single followed, a jazz-influenced rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". '' in 1995.]] 1975 was another blockbuster year for the Carpenters, as they scaled the charts with a remake of The Marvelettes ' chart-topping Motown classic from 1961 " Please Mr. Postman ". Released in late 1974, the song soared to #1 on the US charts in January 1975, becoming the duo's third #1 pop single. It also earned Karen and Richard their record-setting 12th million-selling Gold single in America. Later that spring, the pair scored a final top ten pop hit with the Carpenter-Bettis song "Only Yesterday", which peaked at #4. 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. ''Horizon'' was certified platinum, but due to the disc's late release (after the second single was already dropping off the charts) it was their first album to fall short of multi-platinum status. The LP ''A Kind Of Hush'', released in 1976 , achieved Gold Status , but again due to its late release, became the first Carpenters album not to go platinum. Their singles releases in 1976 were successful, but Contemporary Hit Radio was moving forward at this time with changing musical styles. The duo's biggest pop single that year was a cover of Herman's Hermits ' "There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)", which peaked at number 12 pop. However, Karen and Richard still had the stranglehold on Adult Contemporary radio stations. "I Need To Be In Love" (Karen's favorite of all of the duo's singles) charted at number 25 on Billboard's Hot 100 and followed "A Kind Of Hush" to the top spot and became the duo's 14th #1 AC hit, which was far and away more than any other act in the history of the chart. 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, in which Karen looked fit and trim. There was a noticeable difference in her appearance for the video of "A Kind Of Hush" one year later. Karen and Richard were also featured in a People magazine cover story that year that discussed what later turned out to be Karen's battle with Anorexia Nervosa . The disco craze was in full swing by 1977, and adult-appeal " Easy Listening " artists like the Carpenters, John Denver , Helen Reddy , James Taylor , and Olivia Newton-John were getting somewhat less airplay. Their experimental album, ''Passage'', released in '' and '' Close Encounters Of The Third Kind ''), marked an attempt to broaden their appeal by venturing into other musical genres. The LP featured an unlikely mix of Latin rock, Calypso , and pop, and included several hits including "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song". The most notable tracks included Cover Version s of " Don't Cry For Me, Argentina " (from the Rock Opera '' Evita '') and Klaatu 's " Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft ", both complete with choral and orchestral accompaniment. Although the single release of "Calling Occupants" became a major hit in the UK, it peaked at number 32 on the U.S. pop charts, and for the first time a Carpenters album failed to cross the gold threshold of 500,000 copies sold in the United States. Richard has said that he felt another track from ''Passage'', "I Just Fall in Love Again", could have become a success had A&M decided to release it as a single. The song did become a double #1 AC and Country hit in 1979 for Anne Murray , proving Richard's feelings about the song's appeal. The Carpenters put out two more music videos (of "All You Get..." and "Occupants") for the ''Passage'' LP. Despite their somewhat disappointing performance on the domestic charts, the Carpenters continued to enjoy popularity. In early 1978, they scored a surprise Top 10 Country hit with the up-tempo, fiddle-sweetened "Sweet, Sweet Smile", written by future country and pop star Juice Newton (on the pop chart it came up just short of the Top 40, but hit the Top 10 of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart). A second ''Singles'' album (covering the years 1974–78) was released in the UK, while in the States, their 1978 holiday album, '' Christmas Portrait '', proved an exception to their faltering career at home and became a seasonal favorite, returning Karen and Richard to platinum status. Their television specials also garnered solid ratings and kept them in the public eye during the late 1970s. Karen dated such celebrities as Alan Osmond , Steve Martin and Mike Curb . By the mid-1970s, extensive touring and lengthy recording sessions had begun to take their toll on the duo and contributed to their professional difficulties during the latter half of the decade. Karen dieted obsessively and developed the disorder Anorexia Nervosa , which first manifested itself in 1975 when an exhausted Karen was forced to cancel concert tours in the UK and Japan . She looked noticeably thin - although not sickly - in the music video produced for the "Only Yesterday" single. 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. EARLY 1980S 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. The choice of more adult-oriented and disco/dance-tempo material represented an effort to retool her image. The resulting product met a tepid response from Richard and A&M executives in early 1980 , and Karen wavered in her dedication to the project. She abandoned the solo effort to launch a new LP with her brother, now recovered from his addiction. 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 the compilation 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! '', with guest stars Ella Fitzgerald and John Davidson . This event was filmed the same year Karen married Tom Burris and she had temporarily returned to a healthier weight. However, ABC was not at all happy with their special. It was just music from start to finish. ABC felt it was too much like a PBS program."Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters" Video Documentary The Carpenters' next LP as a duo, '' Made In America '' ( 1981 ), was a sales failure - selling only around 200,000 copies before Karen's death in early 1983. However it did spawn a final top 20 pop single, the romantic "Touch Me When We're Dancing", reaching #16 on the Hot 100. It also became their 15th #1 Adult Contemporary hit. As of 2007, no other act has surpassed the Carpenters' record, although Elton John has tied it. 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 . A new song performed by Karen at the ceremony, "Because We Are In Love," surfaced in 1981 on ''Made In America'' (and as the B-side of "Touch Me When We're Dancing"). 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. In 1982 , Karen sought therapy with noted psychotherapist Steven Levenkron in New York City for her disorder and returned to California in November of that year, determined to revive her professional career and finalize her divorce. 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. KAREN'S SUDDEN DEATH Karen Carpenter gained a total of 30 lbs. over a two-month stay in a New York hospital, but the sudden weight gain further strained her heart, which was already damaged by years of dieting and abuse. On the morning of Friday, February 4 , 1983 , at the age of 32, Karen suffered Cardiac Arrest at her parents' home in Downey and was taken to Downey Community Hospital,http://www.drmci.org) where she was pronounced dead twenty minutes later. Karen was planning to sign her divorce papers on the day she died. The autopsy stated that Karen's death was due to emetine Cardiotoxicity due to, or as a result of, anorexia nervosa. 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. Emetine cardiotoxicity implies that Karen abused Ipecac Syrup , an easily-obtained medicine that is intended to induce vomiting for people who have accidentally ingested a poison. However, there is no definite evidence that Karen did abuse ipecac. (Reference Ray Coleman's: ''The Carpenters, The Untold Story'', page 21-24). Her funeral service took place on Tuesday, February 8, 1983, at the Downey United Methodist Church. Karen Carpenter lay in an open white casket, dressed in Pink , as a thousand mourners paid their last respects, among them her friends Dorothy Hamill , Olivia Newton-John , Petula Clark , Cristina Ferrare and Dionne Warwick . Karen's estranged husband appeared at her funeral, and took off his wedding band and threw it into 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 .http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonytay/wof.htm Richard, Harold, and Agnes Carpenter attended the inauguration, as did many fans. 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 . Medical centers and hospitals began receiving increased contacts from people with these disorders. 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. AFTER CARPENTERS Following Karen's death, Richard Carpenter has continued to produce recordings of the duo's music, including several albums of previously unreleased material and numerous compilation albums. ''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. Voice of the Heart review It peaked at #46 and was certified Gold. Two singles were released. "Make Believe It's Your First Time", a second version of a song Karen had recorded for her solo album (and a song which had been a minor hit in 1979 for Bobby Vinton ), reached #7 Adult Contemporary but only got to #101 on the pop side. "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore" got to #12 AC, but failed to even "Bubble Under". Richard Carpenter married Mary Rudolf on May 19 , 1984 . Kristi was born on August 17 , 1987 , Traci on July 25 , 1989 , Mindi Karen (named after her late aunt) on July 7 , 1992 , followed by Colin and Taylor. In 1984 , using outtake material from the duo's first Christmas album (''A Christmas Portrait'') and recording new material around it, Richard constructed a "new" Carpenters Christmas album, '' An Old Fashioned Christmas ''. 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. In 1987, he intervened to limit the distribution of the '' (which used Barbie dolls to relate a perspective on Karen's untimely death). 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. A 1989 TV movie, ''The Karen Carpenter Story'', (with Cynthia Gibb ), produced with Richard's cooperation, gained favorable notices and reached a wide audience. In the first few weeks after the movie's airdate, many record stores sold out of their Carpenters stock. ''Karen Carpenter'', Karen's solo album, was released in October 1996 . 'Bootleg' copies of nine additional solo songs Karen Carpenter recorded between 1979 and 1980 are in the possession of many Carpenters fans, since there is no possibility of the recordings getting an official release. 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. Singles by non-Japanese artists typically do not sell well in Japan (although albums often do), but the Carpenters were an exception. Three of the Carpenters' singles ("Superstar", "Yesterday Once More", and the double-sided "I Need to Be in Love"/"Top of the World") made the top 10 on Japan's Oricon chart, and seven others reached the top 40. In 1995, a compilation assembled by Richard for the Japanese market, ''22 Hits of the Carpenters'', topped the charts and sold over two million copies, and received a tenth-anniversary re-release in 2005. Richard Carpenter lives with his wife Mary Rudolf-Carpenter and their four daughters and one son in 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". {Link without Title} LEGACY A critical reevaluation of the Carpenters occurred during the 1990s. 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 attracted many fans. Even '90s , covered the duo's career and personal lives. A tribute album, '' If I Were A Carpenter '', by contemporary artists such as Sonic Youth , Bettie Serveert , Shonen Knife , Grant Lee Buffalo , Matthew Sweet , and The Cranberries , also appeared that year and provided an alternative rock interpretation of Carpenters hits. Several of their songs have achieved the status of popular standards. In particular, " (They Long To Be) Close To You " is frequently sung in Karaoke bars. This song is heard in the film '' Parenthood '' and is used in two episodes of '' The Simpsons '' as well as the Simpsons movie. The duo's signature tune, " We've Only Just Begun ", is popular at weddings and receptions, and was memorably featured in the film version of '' Starsky & Hutch '' and '' 1408 ''. " Superstar " has been covered by numerous artists, with popular recordings from Luther Vandross and Ruben Studdard to Bette Midler and Sonic Youth . Clay Aiken performed "Solitaire" on '' American Idol '' and introduced the song to a new generation. Both have been honored with Grammy Hall Of Fame Awards for recordings of lasting quality or historical significance. ALBUMS Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations ''Note: non-U.S. compilations and identical re-releases are excluded.''
Richard Carpenter solo albums
Karen Carpenter solo album
SINGLES US chart positions courtesy the Hot 100 . The Carpenters placed a total of twelve songs in the US Top 10, including three number ones and five songs that hit number two. Carpenters singles Standard singles NOTE:
Christmas/Holiday Singles
GRAMMY AWARDS
SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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