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
From This Moment On
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only two for tea dear from this moment on
From this happy day no more blue songs
Only hoopty-do songs from this moment on
For you got the love I need so much
Got the skin I love to touch
Got the arms to hold me tight
You got the sweet lips to kiss me good night
We'll be riding high babe
Every care is gone
From this moment on
The song "From This Moment On" by Carpenters is a love song that describes a sense of happiness that comes with finding true love. The lyrics start with a phrase that indicates the beginning of a new journey for the singer and the person they love. The line "From this moment on you and me dear" shows that they have decided to be together, and it is only the two of them - "Only two for tea dear."
The lyrics further express that there will be no more sad and melancholic songs, but only happy songs. The line "From this happy day, no more blue songs, only hoopty-do songs from this moment on" mirrors the shift in emotions from sadness to happiness.
The second stanza reaffirms the singer's love for their partner, describing how they have everything that the singer needs. The presence of their partner gives them joy and takes all their cares away. The final line "From this moment on, you and I babe, we'll be riding high babe, every care is gone from this moment on" beautifully encapsulates the sense of joy and freedom that comes with finding true love.
Line by Line Meaning
From this moment on you and me dear
Starting now, it's only you and me, dear
Only two for tea dear from this moment on
We'll be spending more time together, just the two of us, from now on
From this happy day no more blue songs
We won't be singing sad songs anymore, now that we're together
Only hoopty-do songs from this moment on
We'll be singing cheerful and optimistic songs
For you got the love I need so much
You have the kind of love that I truly need and desire
Got the skin I love to touch
Your skin is something I love to feel and touch
Got the arms to hold me tight
Your embrace is something I cherish, as it makes me feel secure and loved
You got the sweet lips to kiss me good night
Your lips are the ones I want to kiss me goodnight, as they're so sweet and caring
From this moment on, you and I babe
Starting from now, it's all about 'you' and 'me', my love
We'll be riding high babe
We'll be on top of the world, together
Every care is gone
All our worries and problems have vanished
From this moment on
This is the beginning of an amazing journey, where we'll support each other and face everything together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carrie
Her contralto voice was literally an instrument. I cant get over how over the top superb she was in this performance. She has 100% control over her vocal cords. Amazing!
victor janusz
The arrangement by Fred & Mitzi Welch showcases the best in these two exquisite talents. She does the opening versing walking in from the wings… as if she’s doing nothing more challenging than breathing. Amazing!!!
harvey1954
This is the direction The Carpenters should have headed. Really innovative. Their sound was sounding from a saminess at this point and they needed to strike out in a new direction.
nicolas ocampo
Just how awesome an arranger and pianist is Richard Carpenter? he took a Bach Prelude (No.2 in C Minor) and turned it into a perfect complement to Karen's angelic voice!
M H
Happier times
Dawn Fallon
Plus he must surely have transposed it up a third? I am sure Karen comes in on an E below middle C which would make the key of the Prelude E minor? Amazing!
Silvia Sokolovsky
What do you get from mixing a Cole Porter song and a Bach tune?
This musical gem.
Ginger Haydon/Piano
Exquisite!
Olive Faivre
chef d'oeuvre !