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
Overture: Happy Holiday / The First Noel / March of the Toys / Little Jesus / I Saw Mommy Kissing Sa
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu che sei tanto buono
Fammi questo piacer
Lascia una volta il cielo
E vieni a giocar
A giocare con me
Ed io non ho giocattoli
Sono un babino buono
Come lo fosti tu
Vedrai, pero, se vieni
Noi ci divertiremo
Anche senza balocchi
Vieni, bambin Gesu
The Carpenters' Overture: Happy Holiday / The First Noel / March of the Toys / Little Jesus / I Saw Mommy Kissing Sa is a medley of various holiday songs, which includes "Little Jesus," a popular Italian carol. The lyrics of "Little Jesus" describe a young child inviting baby Jesus to come play with him. The child acknowledges that his father is poor, and he has no toys to play with, but he promises that they will have fun even without them.
The song's lyrics show the innocence of a child's faith and how they invite God into their lives by showing that they can connect with God while playing or having fun. The child's invitation to Jesus to leave heaven to come play with him is a powerful image of the closeness that can exist between a person and God. The lyrics also reflect the importance of faith in everyday life and how it can be found in the simplest of activities, such as playing.
Overall, the Carpenters' Overture: Happy Holiday / The First Noel / March of the Toys / Little Jesus / I Saw Mommy Kissing Sa is a joyful medley of Christmas songs that captures the holiday spirit in a light-hearted way. It reminds listeners of the importance of spreading love, joy, and kindness during the festive season.
Line by Line Meaning
Caro Gesu bambino
Dear baby Jesus
Tu che sei tanto buono
You who are so good
Fammi questo piacer
Grant me this favor
Lascia una volta il cielo
Leave heaven for once
E vieni a giocar
And come play
A giocare con me
To play with me
Lo sai, il babbo e povero
You know, my father is poor
Ed io non ho giocattoli
And I have no toys
Sono un babino buono
I am a good baby
Come lo fosti tu
Just like you were
Vedrai, pero, se vieni
But you will see, if you come
Noi ci divertiremo
We will have fun
Anche senza balocchi
Even without toys
Vieni, bambin Gesu
Come, baby Jesus
Writer(s): thomas conner, traditional, irving berlin, victor herbert, p. brooks, j. redner, pietro yon
Contributed by Nolan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.