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
Make Believe It's Your First Time
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been around the game enough
To know the score
But then is then, and now is now
And now is all that matters anyhow
Make believe it's your first time
Leave your sadness behind
And I'll make believe it's mine
The door is closed
It's you and me
We'll take our time with love
The way it ought to be
This moment's ours
Tonight's the night
And if we fall in love
Well, that's all right
Make believe it's your first time
Leave your sadness behind
Make believe it's your first time
And I'll make believe it's mine
Make believe it's your first time
And I'll make belive it's mine
The lyrics of Carpenters’ song “Make Believe It’s Your First Time” talks about rekindling the flames of love. The song suggests that though the couple had been in love before and have experienced the ups and downs of relationships, it is possible to start over again with a fresh perspective. The line “We’ve tried our hand at love before, we’ve been around the game enough to know the score” serves as a reflection of their past and how they’ve learned from it. The line “But then is then, and now is now, and now all that matters anyhow” emphasizes the idea that the past should be forgotten and the present should be cherished.
As the song progresses, the singer encourages the other person to leave their sadness behind and to approach the situation as if it’s their first time falling in love. The line “Make believe it’s your first time, leave your sadness behind” is a reflection of the desire to forget about the past and focus on the present. The couple takes their time to love each other in the way they ought to be loved – without the rush and intensity of a new relationship.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer saying that if they fall in love again, that’s all right. The line “And if we fall in love, well, that’s all right” suggests that there is no need to worry about the future, and that they should let themselves fall in love without being afraid.
Overall, the song suggests that it is possible to start over again in a relationship, to leave behind the past and fall in love once again.
Line by Line Meaning
We've tried our hand at love before
We have had romantic relationships in the past
We've been around the game enough
We have enough experience in our romantic relationships
To know the score
To understand what to expect in a romantic relationship
But then is then, and now is now
Our past experiences are behind us and we live in the present
And now is all that matters anyhow
What is happening in our relationship now is the most important thing
Make believe it's your first time
Let's approach our romantic relationship as if it is brand new
Leave your sadness behind
Forget any negative feelings from past relationships
And I'll make believe it's mine
I will also forget my past relationships and focus on our current relationship
The door is closed
We are in a private setting
It's you and me
We are the only ones present in this moment
We'll take our time with love
We will not rush our romantic relationship
The way it ought to be
This is how a romantic relationship should proceed
This moment's ours
We have this time together to focus on our relationship
Tonight's the night
This is the perfect time for us to focus on our relationship
And if we fall in love
If we develop strong romantic feelings for each other
Well, that's all right
It's okay if we fall in love, that's a natural outcome of our time together
Make believe it's your first time
Let's continue to focus on our romantic relationship as if it is brand new
And I'll make believe it's mine
I will also continue to focus on our current relationship and not bring any negative feelings from past relationships
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB MORRISON, JOHNNY WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marccostanza6059
Does anyone else fill with tears and bawl when they hear this angel's voice?
@mosesMaimon1
hell yeah
@riverboat691
All the time...
@janetkempster4468
Yes i do, but this song is the one that gets me the most,
@chazrjr
Everytime, drunk, stoned, or SOBER, she has THAT ability
@bradbradley1121
Marc Costanza yes absolutely
@SarahSmith-fd5kp
Nobody can sing like her, so sad she's gone, but her music will last forever!!
@richardea4223
Amen💙
@seanbonella
....and no one will
@jimbotc2000
...forever...