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
Dead Man
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When an XKE pulled up on the right
He rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag
And challenged me then and there to a drag
I said "You're on buddy -- my mill's running fine
Let's come off the line now at Sunset and Vine
But I'll go you one better, if you've got the nerve
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
The street was deserted late Friday night
We were buggin' each other while we sat out the light
We both popped the clutch when the light turned green
You shoulda heard the whine from my screamin' machine!
I flew past La Brea, Schwab's and Crescent Heights
And all the Jag could see were my six taillights
He passed me at Doheny then I started to swerve
But I pulled her out and there we were - at Dead Man's Curve
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve... )
"Well, the last thing I remember, Doc
I started to swerve
And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight
I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right"
Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
The Carpenters' "Dead Man's Curve" tells a story of two drivers who engage in an illegal street race on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard. The singer, driving a Stingray, accepts the challenge of a Jaguar driver to a drag race. Instead of racing to a certain finish line, they decide to race all the way to the dangerous Dead Man's Curve—an infamous street where many drivers have had accidents and fatal crashes. The lyrics describe the adrenaline rush of the race, the speed at which they're traveling, and the singer's fear as he swerves out of control when trying to dodge another car. In the end, the Jaguar driver doesn't come back from the curve, while the singer survives to tell the tale and to warn others not to attempt such reckless behavior.
The lyrics are straightforward, telling a simple story about a reckless and ill-fated race, but the song itself has a catchy melody that belies the darker subject matter. It's an ode to the muscle cars that were popular in the 1960s and '70s and the speed culture that came with them. The song became a hit for Jan and Dean in 1964 before the Carpenters covered it in 1976, bringing it to a new generation of listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I was cruisin' in my Stingray late one night
I was driving around in my Chevrolet Stingray late at night
When an XKE pulled up on the right
When a Jaguar XKE pulled up alongside me
He rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag
He lowered the window of his new, shiny Jaguar
And challenged me then and there to a drag
And then challenged me to a drag race right then and there
I said "You're on buddy -- my mill's running fine
I accepted the challenge and boasted that my engine was running well
Let's come off the line now at Sunset and Vine
Let's begin the race immediately at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street
But I'll go you one better, if you've got the nerve
But I offered an even more daring idea if he was brave enough
Let's race all the way -- to Dead Man's Curve"
Let's race all the way to a dangerous and infamous stretch of road called Dead Man's Curve
(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
Dead Man's Curve is not a safe location to race or drive
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
It's best to avoid Dead Man's Curve altogether
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say
I can hear people warning against driving on Dead Man's Curve
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"
People won't return from Dead Man's Curve alive
The street was deserted late Friday night
The road was empty on a late Friday night
We were buggin' each other while we sat out the light
We were taunting each other while waiting for the traffic light to turn green
We both popped the clutch when the light turned green
We both released the clutch and accelerated when the traffic light turned green
You shoulda heard the whine from my screamin' machine!
My car's engine made a loud whining noise as it raced down the road
I flew past La Brea, Schwab's and Crescent Heights
I quickly drove past several streets such as La Brea Avenue, Schwab's Pharmacy, and Crescent Heights
And all the Jag could see were my six taillights
The Jaguar could only see my six red taillights disappearing into the distance
He passed me at Doheny then I started to swerve
The Jaguar overtook me at Doheny Drive, causing me to lose control and swerve
But I pulled her out and there we were - at Dead Man's Curve
I managed to regain control and found myself approaching Dead Man's Curve
"Well, the last thing I remember, Doc
The next thing I remember telling a doctor is
I started to swerve
I began to lose control of my car
And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve
Then I saw the Jaguar skid into Dead Man's Curve
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight
I will always remember that terrible scene
I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right"
I learned firsthand that the warnings about Dead Man's Curve were true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ARTIE KORNFELD, BRIAN DOUGLAS WILSON, JAN BERRY, ROGER VAL CHRISTIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Parker
on Happy
Wrong lyrics shown. Correct ones --- Happy by Carpenters
I've played the game of love before.
Too young to know
How hard the fall could be;
I never thought I'd try again.
Somehow you brought
The gambler out in me.
You can deal me in this time around.
Even though the odds are high,
We'll play them down.
You may be a chance I need to take,
And the hand I'm holdin' says it's no mistake.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.
If this is luck then let it ride.
If it's the starts,
They're surely on my side.
I've never been so safisfied
By love before;
For all the times I've tried.
These beginnings could mean more
Than the brief affair I bargained for.
Little did I know, when we began,
That my time had come to win a hand.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.
Please forgive me if I seem
To be walking through a waking dream.
Laughter never came so easily;
There's a freedom here that's new to me.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.