Karen Carpenter's calm, often somber voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. The duo's sound drew more from pre-rock pop than rock & roll, but that didn't prevent the Carpenters from appealing to a variety of audiences, particularly Top 40, easy listening, and adult contemporary. While their popularity declined during the latter half of the '70s, they remained one of the most distinctive and recognizable acts the decade produced.
The Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, CA, after their family moved from their native New Haven, CT. Richard had played piano with a cocktail jazz trio in a handful of local Connecticut nightclubs. Once the family had moved to California, he began to study piano while he supported Karen in a trio that featured Wes Jacobs (tuba/bass). With Jacobs and Richard forming her backup band, Karen was signed to the local Californian record label Magic Lamp, who released two unsuccessful singles by the singer. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, which led to a record contract with RCA. Signing under the name The Richard Carpenter Trio, the group cut four songs that were never released. Jacobs left the band at the beginning of 1968.
Following Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with Richard's college friend John Bettis. Spectrum fell apart by the end of the year, but the Carpenters continued performing as a duo. The pair recorded some demos at the house of Los Angeles session musician Joe Osborn; the tape was directed toward Herb Alpert, the head of A&M Records, who signed the duo to his record label in early 1969.
Offering, the Carpenters' first album, was released in November 1969. Neither Offering or the accompanying single, a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," made a big impression. However, the Carpenters' fortunes changed with their second single, a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Taken from the album Close to You, the single became the group's first number one, spending four weeks on the top of the U.S. charts. "Close to You" became an international hit, beginning a five-year period where the duo was one of the most popular recording acts in the world. 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."
After 1975's number-four hit "Only Yesterday," the group's popularity began to decline. For the latter half of the '70s, the duo were plagued by personal problems. Richard had become addicted to prescription drugs; in 1978, he entered a recovery clinic, kicking his habit. Karen, meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life. On top of their health problems, the group's singles had stopped reaching the Top Ten and by 1978, they weren't even reaching the Top 40. Consequently, Karen decided to pursue a solo career, recording a solo album in 1979 with Phil Ramone. The record was not completed at that time (though it would be released in 1996), and she returned to the Carpenters later that year. The reunited duo released their last album of new material, Made in America, in 1981. The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts. However, Karen's health continued to decline, forcing the duo out of the spotlight. On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in Downey; she died in the hospital shortly after due to cardiac arrest, which was later due to the strain on her heart caused by years of crash dieting caused by anorexia nervosa.
After Karen's death, Richard Carpenter concentrated on production work and assembling various compilations of the Carpenters' recorded work. In 1987, he released a solo album called Time, which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
from http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=1607403&contenttype=artistsongs
All Of My Life
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For just one boy
And all of my life I have been waiting
For all the joy of having
(*) someone that I can call my own
Who'll come to my side when I am all alone
And now you are here and I've found a whole new world
Has opened for me
A world filled with joy
A world filled with all your love
Eternally
(**) for you say you're mine
You'll love me all the time
Night and day
Come what may, and all of my life
You'll be my own
I just want
Repeat (*)
Repeat (*
All Of My Life is a love song by The Carpenters that expresses the desire for love and companionship. The song talks about how the singer has been waiting for the perfect boy to come in her life, and how the arrival of that person has changed everything for her, creating a new world filled with love and happiness. The chorus of the song repeats the singer's desire to find someone who will love her unconditionally, be with her through thick and thin, and make her feel complete.
The song's opening lines express the longing and anticipation of finding love that the singer has felt throughout her life. She has been waiting for someone to come into her life, to give her love and companionship. The song then moves on to talk about the joy and happiness that comes with finding that person. The singer is thrilled to have found the perfect guy who has transformed her life, and she thanks him for bringing her out of her loneliness and sadness.
The chorus of the song is the highlight of the whole composition, as it is a beautiful portrayal of a love that is true, eternal and unconditional. The lines, "For you say you're mine, You'll love me all the time, Night and day, Come what may, and all of my life, You'll be my own" perfectly capture the essence of love and the emotions that come with it. The Carpenters' rendition of the song is touching, and the lyrics speak volumes about the beauty of finding the right person in life.
Line by Line Meaning
All of my life I have been waiting
Throughout my entire existence, I have anticipated a specific occurrence
For just one boy
I have been desiring the companionship of a particular male individual
And all of my life I have been waiting
Twice I have emphasized that I have been anticipating this moment for a long time
For all the joy of having
I have been yearning for all of the happiness and pleasure that comes with
someone that I can call my own
Possessing an individual whom I have exclusive rights to and affectionately refer to as mine
Who'll come to my side when I am all alone
When I am by myself, I desire someone who will comfort and support me
And now you are here and I've found a whole new world
Due to your arrival, I have gained new experiences and perspectives
Has opened for me
This new reality has made previously unknown possibilities available to me
A world filled with joy
The world I now live in is overflowing with happiness and bliss
A world filled with all your love
Your love has permeated my entire world and filled it with affection
Eternally
This joy and love will last forever
for you say you're mine
You have declared yourself to be in a committed relationship with me
You'll love me all the time
You will shower me with affection constantly and without limit
Night and day
During every moment of the day and night
Come what may, and all of my life
Regardless of what happens in the future, throughout my entire existence
You'll be my own
You will continue to be my exclusive partner and companion
I just want
All I desire is
Repeat (*)
Repeatedly expressing my longing for a companion and all the joy that comes along with it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD LYNN CARPENTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Evelyn6825
All of my life I have been waiting
For just one boy
And all of my life I have been waiting
For all the joy of having
someone that I can call my own
Who'll come to my side when I am all alone
And now you are here and I've found a whole new world
Has opened for me
A world filled with joy
A world filled with all your love
Eternally
for you say you're mine
You'll love me all the time
Night and day
Come what may, and all of my life
You'll be my own
I just want
Joe Tyria
Not only is Karen playing the drums and singing on this track, she's also playing the electric bass. Talented lady, sorely missed.
MsRadar23
and only 19 in this recording
mary young
Yes talented just like her brother Richard. She was my father's favourite singer and I love her voice also!
John Browneyes
Their early recordings are absolute gems. 1966 - 70.
Wolfsky9
This is another absolute gem, from their 1st album. when I bought it, got back to my place & listened, I was just stunned. This song-------so perfectly showing karen's gorgeous----hauntingly gorgeous--------alto-contralto. ---------I was in love ; an angle had appeared ---------for an all-too brief time. --------------------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
Bru Schmidt
👍yes! How are you holding up, Mr Wolfski?
B. H.
Such a beautiful song sung by one of the best voices ever. You left us way too soon Karen, I miss your beautiful voice. RIP.
britecho
Ladies and gents, you can look long and you can look hard, but you'll never find a voice sweeter than that! Just beautiful!
Cimarron Hopper
britecho and god said i will create the most heart stopping female vocalist of all time and the result was this angel never again will we anyone exactly like her
M Pa
She's the best.