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
Medley: Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you listening
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Here to stay is a new bird
He songs a love song
As we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say are you married?
We'll say no man
But you can do the job
While you're in town
Later on we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Silver Bells
Silver Bells
Hear them ring
Silver Bells
City sidewalks
Busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver Bells
Silver Bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ting-a-ling
Ting-a-ling
Hear them ring
Hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas Day
The sun is shining; the grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway
There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills L. A.
But it's December the 24th and I'm longing to be up north
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten and Children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And my all your Christmases be white
The lyrics to Carpenters' song Medley: Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas offer a poetic description of the beauty and magic of winter and the Christmas season. The song begins by painting a picture of a snow-covered landscape, with sleigh bells ringing in the background. The chorus expresses joy and happiness at being able to enjoy the wonderland. The second verse describes building a snowman in the meadow while pretending to be Parson Brown. The final verse talks about sitting by the fire, dreaming about plans for the future while enjoying the beauty of winter.
The second part of the Medley is focused on the hustle and bustle of the city during Christmas time. People are busy and the air is filled with the excitement of the holiday spirit. The lyrics describe the sounds of the "Silver Bells" ringing in the city, creating a magical feeling in the air. The song transitions to the final part, "White Christmas," which speaks of longing for the traditional imagery of Christmas, with snow, decorated trees, and the sound of sleigh bells ringing. The song ends with a wish for everyone to have a merry and happy Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring
The sound of sleigh bells fills the air
Are you listening
Can you hear them too?
In the lane
We're walking down the snowy path
Snow is glistening
The snow sparkles in the moonlight
A beautiful sight
Everything looks magical
We're happy tonight
The joy of the season has taken over us
Walking in a winter wonderland
We're enjoying the beauty of the winter season
Gone away is the blue bird
The blue bird of happiness has migrated somewhere else for the season
Here to stay is a new bird
A new bird has come to sing a song of love
He songs a love song
The new bird sings a song of love
As we go along
While we continue walking
Walking in a winter wonderland
We're still taking in the beauty of the winter season
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Let's build a snowman in the open field
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
We'll imagine the snowman as a reverend
He'll say are you married?
The snowman will ask if we're wed
We'll say no man
We'll tell the snowman we're not married
But you can do the job
But he can still perform the ceremony
While you're in town
While he's still in the area
Later on we'll conspire
Later we'll plan in secret
As we dream by the fire
As we wish upon the warm embers of the fireplace
To face unafraid
We'll be brave in confronting
The plans that we made
The schemes we've devised
Walking in a winter wonderland
While still enjoying the winter season
Silver Bells
The sound of silver bells
Hear them ring
We can hear them ringing
City sidewalks
We're walking in the busy city
Busy sidewalks
The sidewalks are crowded with people
Dressed in holiday style
Everyone is wearing festive attire
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
There's a sense of excitement and anticipation for the holiday
Children laughing
Kids are having fun
People passing
Strangers are crossing paths
Meeting smile after smile
Everyone is radiating joy and happiness
And on every street corner you hear
The sound of silver bells is heard throughout the city
It's Christmas time in the city
The city is in full holiday mode
Ting-a-ling
The bells are jingling
Ting-a-ling
The bells are jingling
Hear them ring
We can hear the bells ringing
Soon it will be Christmas Day
The special day is quickly approaching
The sun is shining; the grass is green
The weather is beautiful in Beverly Hills
The orange and palm trees sway
The trees are moving with the gentle breeze
There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills L.A.
It's an extraordinary day in California
But it's December the 24th and I'm longing to be up north
Despite the wonderful weather, I still wish to be up north for Christmas
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
I yearn for a Christmas surrounded by snow
Just like the ones I used to know
Like how it was when I was younger
Where the tree tops glisten and Children listen
Where the trees are covered in snow and kids are eagerly waiting for Santa
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
To listen to the sound of bells as the sleigh travels through the snow
With every Christmas card I write
With each holiday card I send
May your days be merry and bright
Wishing you joy and happiness
And my all your Christmases be white
May every Christmas be filled with snow and completeness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard
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.