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
Looking For Love
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in my life, I said the word a thousand times
Looking around I can see lovers, lost in a world that's all their own
Though people say love is everywhere,
I live my live growing from day to day
Hoping I'll fined someone who cares
Though people say love is everywhere,
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there
The Carpenters' song "Looking For Love" is a beautiful melancholic ballad that speaks about the search for love, its pervasive presence in our lives and how elusive it can be. The opening line "Always have said there is a thing called love" sets the underlying theme of the song, as if to say that love is a noun, an object that can exist but can also be absent from our lives. The second line "And in my life, I said the word a thousand times" suggests that the idea of love is not just an abstract concept but something that has been part of the singer's vocabulary, a word that has been uttered many times.
The chorus "Looking around I can see lovers, lost in a world that's all their own / Though people say love is everywhere, / I'm looking for love, but it's just not there" showcases the singer's search for love in a world where it seems like everyone else has found it. The contrast between the existence of love around and within us and the feeling of its absence in the singer's life creates a poignant resonance that is relatable to many listeners.
The second verse "I live my life growing from day to day / Hoping I'll find someone who cares" conveys the longing and yearning for someone to share life's moments with. The repeated line "I'm looking for love, but it's just not there" serves as a reminder that despite the hope and effort to find love, it may not always be within reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Always have said there is a thing called love
Throughout my life, I have always acknowledged and believed in the existence of love.
And in my life, I said the word a thousand times
Love is a word that I have frequently used to describe my feelings towards someone or something.
Looking around I can see lovers, lost in a world that's all their own
Despite observing many couples who are deeply in love, I still feel alone and isolated in my search for the same connection.
Though people say love is everywhere,
Others often tell me that love can be found in all aspects of life,
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there
But despite this advice, I have yet to find the love that I seek.
I live my live growing from day to day
I continue to live my life, growing and evolving with each passing day.
Hoping I'll find someone who cares
My hope is that one day I will find someone who cares for me as deeply as I care for them.
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there
Unfortunately, my search for love continues to be fruitless and unfulfilling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BEN WATT, TRACEY THORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@keithmoon3190
Lyrics: Always have said there is a thing called love.
And in my life, I said the word a thousand times.
Looking around I can see lovers, lost in a world that's all their own.
Though people say love is everywhere,
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there.
I live my live growing from day to day
Hoping I'll find someone who cares
Though people say love is everywhere,
I'm looking for love, but it's just not there.
I'm looking for love, but it's just not theeeeeeeeeeeere......
@deansacca781
How can an such amazing song get through the radar and not be recognized? I just don't get it. Her voice and incredible rhythmic music are freaking amazing.
@bruschmidt9943
All while drumming & age 16 to boot 🍃🤓
@jimpierce3138
Herb Alpert had a ear for music. He signed both the Carpenters & Gino Vannelli soon after listening to them. Thank you Mr. Alpert. R.I.P. Karen, you're sorely missed.
@obhuicoksetyaetse1
Joe Osborne discovered them not Herb Alpert
@Lisa-di1wi
This song should have been their first hit! This is such a really great song!
@danielsims3173
No one had a voice like that should have been a star long before she was and long after she was
@BennettsCastle1978
wow and first recording has been found. amazing..
@devydu
"Some people say that love is everywhere.... I'm looking for love, but it's just not there." Even on this very first record of Karen Carpenter's, this song sets the stage of her successful singing career of melancholic love songs with words we can all relate to, but sadly, as much as she sings of lost love, she was never able to attain the desired true love she sought all her life. Hence, she left this world with a broken (and weak, due to cardiac arrest) heart.
@consumerwarrior1267
The irony to the fact that The Carpenters were really the ones who started the whole soft rock craze in the early 1970s was that psychedelic and heavy metal rock-and-roll was blossoming everywhere in the mid-1960s when The Carpenters first appeared on the music scene. This trend initially presented a setback for them. However, they kept working hard to put out good music and eventually it all paid off by 1970 when their songs could be heard on radio stations everywhere in the United States of America. This brother-and-sister duo became an inspiration for many young artists to keep striving to get their music known and heard. There will never be other musicians quite like them.
@veronikanadtochii2844
Not only in America. I was born in the 80th in Soviet Union. Loved them. Still do