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
I Just Fall In Love Again
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or am I really lyin' here with you
Baby, you take me in your arms
And though I'm wide awake
I know my dream is comin' true
And, oh, I just fall in love again
And there I go I just fall in love again, and when I do
Can't help myself, I fall in love with you
Magic, it must be magic
The way I hold you and the night just seems to fly
Easy, for you to take me to a star
Heaven is that moment when I look into your eyes
And, oh, I just fall in love again
Just one touch and then it happens every time
And there I go I just fall in love again, and when I do
Can't help myself, I fall in love with you
And, oh, I just fall in love again
Just one touch and then it happens every time
And there I go I just fall in love again, and when I do
Can't help myself, I fall in love with you
Can't help myself, I fall in love with you
The Carpenters' "I Just Fall in Love Again" is a lovely ballad that speaks to the feelings of falling in love over and over again with the same person. The song begins with the singer in disbelief, wondering if they are truly in love with their partner or if it's just a dream. However, their partner's presence and touch quickly convince them that this reality is indeed true, and they fall deeper in love.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I just fall in love again" several times, emphasizing the cyclical nature of love. With just one touch or look from their partner, the singer finds themselves falling head over heels in love over and over again. The last line, "Can't help myself, I fall in love with you," suggests that this love is beyond their control, and they are completely helpless to resist it.
Overall, the song paints a beautiful picture of love as a magical and essential force in one's life. The cyclical nature of the lyrics emphasizes the idea that love is not just a one-time occurrence, but something that can be experienced over and over again with the same person.
Line by Line Meaning
Dreamin', I must be dreamin'
I can't believe this is happening, it feels like a dream.
Or am I really lyin' here with you
Is this actually happening, am I really here with you?
Baby, you take me in your arms
You hold me tightly and make me feel safe.
And though I'm wide awake
I know this is real, even though it feels like a dream.
I know my dream is comin' true
Being with you is everything I've ever wanted and dreamed of.
And, oh, I just fall in love again
Every time I'm with you, I fall in love all over again.
Just one touch and then it happens every time
All it takes is one touch from you to make me fall in love again.
And there I go I just fall in love again, and when I do
Every time I fall in love with you, I can't help but feel overwhelmed.
Can't help myself, I fall in love with you
I can't control my feelings, I just fall in love with you over and over again.
Magic, it must be magic
Being with you feels like there's something magical happening.
The way I hold you and the night just seems to fly
Time goes by so fast when I'm with you because I'm so caught up in the moment.
Easy, for you to take me to a star
You make it so easy for me to feel like I'm on top of the world.
Heaven is that moment when I look into your eyes
Looking into your eyes makes me feel like I'm in heaven.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLORIA SKLEROV, HARRY LLOYD, LARRY W. HERBSTRITT, STEPHEN HARTLEY DORFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan
Dreaming, I must be dreaming
Or am I really lying here with you?
Baby, you take me in your arms
And though I'm wide awake I know my dream is coming true
And oh I just fall in love again
Just one touch and then it happens every time
And there I go, I /just fall in love again
And when I do, can't help myself,
I fall in love with you
Magic, it must be magic
The way I hold you and the night just seems to fly
Easy for you to take me to a star
Heaven is that moment when I look into your eyes
And oh I just fall in love again
Just one touch and then it happens every time
And there I go, I / just fall in love again
And when I do, can't help myself,
I fall in love with you
And oh I just fall in love again
Just one touch and then it happens every time
And there I go, I just fall in love again
And when I do, can't help myself,
I fall in love with you
Can't help myself,
I fall in love with you
Irenee Shubert
Anne Murray's version is most known, but Karen Carpenter takes it to a level that gives you goosebumps.
mikey3800
I've heard the covers by Dusty and Anne....still think KCs got them beat
Chris Whatley
Yes it does. There's just something about the way she sings this song especially at the three minute mark when the song goes from the key of B-Flat to the key of C. When she starts singing in that key I can really feel what a sweet loving lady she was. I really feel a sense of mission to be the kind of person she was.
WJWinston Oficial
I completely agree with you
Grace Weber
@Chris Whatley Agree. She sang the high notes flawlessly.
Beloved DJs
Truest ... Karen Carpenter is really amazingly beautiful in this song rendition.
Stephen heliodor
This Lady's voice was a short lived gift to the world .
Many impersonators and hopefuls ......but never surpassed.
R.I.P Karen Carpenter
Christopher Koenig
This is pure and flawless..the orchestration and crescendo are incomparable...
RCKC forever
I think this song is one of the best song they made. Especially the part which modulates from B-flat major to C major is extraordinary. It easily "takes me to the star".
VincentTPackhorse
Such rich timbre whether singing piano (soft) or strong (forte). Her voice is what ears were created for. We are privileged to have heard her serenade us.