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
This Masquerade
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This lonely game we play?
Looking for the right words to say
Searching but not finding
Understanding anyhere
We're lost in this masquerade
Both afraid to say we're just too far away
We tried to talk it over
But the words got in the way
We're lost inside this lonely game we play
Thoughts of leaving disappear
Each time I see your eyes
And no matter how hard I try
To understand the reason
Why we carry on this way
We're lost in this masquerade
We tried to talk it over
But the words got in the way
We're lost inside this lonely game we play
Thoughts of leaving disappear
Each time I see your eyes
And no matter how hard I try
To understand the reason
Why we carry on this way
We're lost in a masquerade
We're lost in a masquerade
(And we're lost in a masquerade)
In this heartfelt song, the Carpenters reflect on the complexities of a relationship that has lost its way. Through pondering whether the couple is truly happy with the lonely game they play, the song touches on themes of isolation and a search for understanding that remain relevant across generations.
The lyrics suggest that while the couple may have started out distant, they have now become mired in the fear of expressing their true emotions for fear of exposing their vulnerability. This fear of vulnerability is aptly captured in the refrain "we're lost in this masquerade" which highlights the ways in which they have lost sight of their true feelings and are pretending to be someone they are not.
Despite their distance, the couple finds themselves unable to leave each other because of an unspoken bond. The singer indicates that when they look into their partner's eyes, thoughts of leaving dissipate which showcases the difficulties of breaking free from an unhealthy relationship.
Overall, "This Masquerade" reveals the emotional toll of a difficult and strained relationship, where the use of masks, and the fear of being honest can lead to a sense of unfulfillment and loneliness for both partners.
Line by Line Meaning
Are we really happy with
This lonely game we play?
Do we truly find joy in this solitary act we call a relationship?
Looking for the right words to say
Searching but not finding
Understanding anyhere
We're lost in this masquerade
We're attempting to communicate about our feelings, but we're failing to connect because we're hiding behind masks and not revealing our true selves.
Both afraid to say we're just too far away
From being close together from the start
We're apprehensive about admitting that we've never been close to each other from the beginning.
We tried to talk it over
But the words got in the way
We're lost inside this lonely game we play
We attempted to resolve our issues through dialogue, but our words are only contributing to our alienation from each other.
Thoughts of leaving disappear
Each time I see your eyes
And no matter how hard I try
To understand the reason
Why we carry on this way
We're lost in this masquerade
Whenever I'm on the brink of breaking things off, I remember your captivating gaze and can't bring myself to leave, despite my efforts to comprehend why we're continuing in this facade.
We're lost in a masquerade
(And we're lost in a masquerade)
We're both trapped in this guise, resorting to mere appearances rather than genuine expression to hide our insecurities and emotions from each other.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Leon Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HotRodBill99
Besides Karen's perfect pitch angelic voice, Richard's piano is absolutely amazing and his arrangements are brilliant. There is nothing today that compares to this. Pure magic!
@SUGAR_XYLER
Agree. I still remember the shock of her death 40 years ago on this day 💔
@dean3434
Yes indeed Richard was focused at all times. After a few years he was 'required' to be focused from the bosses.
@dean3434
Richard Carpenter I see is continuing his craft and I anticipate he will keep-on-keeping on to help others along the way.
@dean3434
Yes. Richard Carpenter is highly talented and he is one of the good guys still working and I'm sure introducing new talent and helping to produce new talent.
@guilhermecanaes7003
The beautyest piano solo ever, no words to describe...
@user-ny7my1wp4l
Aunque no le entiendo porque no hablo inglés su voz y su música es magnífica lastima que murió muy joven que maravillosa su voz desde México con cariño❤😢
@leisasheehan6672
Love, Love, Love this song. One of my all time favourites. The Carpenters still do it for me all these years later. ❤
@tishkerrville8942
🙏
@marcosaureliocarvalhodossa5249
Na minha humilde opinião, Karen Carpenter foi a voz feminina mais linda de todos os tempos 💘💘💘