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
Dancing In The Street
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the streets
There'll be dancing in Chicago
Down in New Orleans
Of the New York City
All we need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swingin', swayin' and records playin'
Dancing in the street
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere, around the world
There'll be dancing
They're dancing in the street
Way down in L.A.
Every day they're dancing in the street
Let's form a big long line, get in time
We're dancing in the street
Across the ocean blue, me and you
We're dancing' in the street
The Carpenters' song "Dancing In The Street" is a funky, upbeat tune that invites people from all over the world to join in the celebration of summer and music. The chorus of the song emphasizes this point, where the lyrics suggest that all people need is music and a space to dance their hearts out. The verses of the song further expand on this idea, emphasizing that people from different cities and countries can all come together to enjoy a universal love for music and dance.
The song references various cities in America where people can be seen dancing in the streets, such as Chicago, New Orleans, and New York City. However, the chorus of the song emphasizes that the love for music and dance is not limited to these cities; it is a global phenomenon that transcends all boundaries. The song is an invitation for people to come together and celebrate the joy of summertime and the power of music to unite people from all over the world.
Overall, "Dancing in the Street" can be seen as a celebration of the universal love for music and dance. It is a call for people to come together and celebrate the power of music to transcend all boundaries and unite people from all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Callin' out around the world
Asking everyone around the globe
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Are you prepared for a new musical style?
Summer's here and the time is right
It's summertime, the perfect moment
For dancing in the streets
To hit the road to dance together
There'll be dancing in Chicago
Chicago will be full of dancers
Down in New Orleans
New Orleans will be full of dancers
Of the New York City
New York City will be full of dancers
All we need is music, sweet music
All everyone needs is soft, pleasant music
There'll be music everywhere
Music will be spread throughout the air
There'll be swingin', swayin' and records playin'
We're going to swing and sway, with DJ's playing records
Dancing in the street
The street is made for dancing
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear
Your apparel doesn’t matter
Just as long as you are there
As long as you participate
So come on every guy, grab a girl
Joining every man and woman together
Everywhere, around the world
All across the globe
There'll be dancing
Dancing will occur
They're dancing in the street
People are currently dancing in the street
Way down in L.A.
L.A. has gone wild with dancing
Everyday they're dancing in the street
People dance every day in the street
Let's form a big long line, get in time
Let’s all line up in step
We're dancing in the street
We're enjoying ourselves while dancing in the street
Across the ocean blue, me and you
You and me, over the blue sea
We're dancing' in the street
Dancing on the street like nobody’s watching
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, Ivy Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sergio covelo moreira
Playing drums and singing at the same time is a super power.
anggungunara
Not really, thousands of people do it. Being supergood at both, like Karen, is
Matteo Viola
@anggungunara not easy though
PureHeaven
As a drummer I can tell you it takes a massive amount of concentration to do it at this level
nick112211
@PureHeaven It’s farrrr easier if you started playing drums and singing at the same time. Many people who seem like naturals at it started both at the same time. I know I’m saying the obvious, all you do naturally is separate your breathing from certain body actions. A lot of players, like guitar players like me, hold their breathe in specific ways when they play. And they reinforce that over time. People who do breathe work at the same time as playing, separate the two. And some people just have the pure luck of doing that when they were young. Jimi Hendrix said he sang because everyone else was singing. Who knows the reasons, but people who sing and play the same time don’t have a superpower, it’s more that others don’t realize the abilities they have if they change their perception of their normal body engagement.
DJL
@PureHeaven I don’t think that’s the case for her. I can easily sing and play drums. I know amazing drummers that have played for decades and can’t bring it to themselves to do it. You either can or can’t type of thing
Hoovy Tube
Never underestimate a guitar/bass player who looks like a programmer from the early 2000s.
Walt Gekko
@Jackson B This as noted was June of 1968.
Vilk Hunter
@Jackson B not what he said
Lynne Huff
@Vilk Hunter Yup