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
We
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strangers in many ways
We've got a lifetime to share
So much to say and as we go from day to day
I'll feel you close to me
But time alone will tell
Let's take a lifetime to say
I knew you well
And love may grow for all we know
Love, look at the two of us
Strangers in many ways
Let's take a lifetime to say
I knew you well
For only time will tell us so
And love may grow for all we know
The Carpenters’ song “For All We Know” is an intimate, expressive ballad that speaks of two people coming together, even though they may be strangers in many ways. The lyrics express the hope that the two of them will love and become close as time goes on. The song opens with the words “Love, look at the two of us, strangers in many ways,” indicating that the two people in question may not know each other well yet, but are willing to take the time to get to know each other.
As the song progresses, the chorus acknowledges that only time will tell whether their love will grow, but suggests that the two of them have a lifetime to figure it out. Throughout the lyrics, the song paints a picture of two people who are willing to take things slow and get to know each other before jumping into any kind of commitment. The words “I’ll feel you close to me, but time alone will tell” suggest that they are both willing to be patient and let the love between them grow naturally.
In short, “For All We Know” is a poignant and introspective song about two people who are willing to take a chance on love, even though they are strangers to each other in many ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, look at the two of us
Love, let's take a step back and examine ourselves as a pair
Strangers in many ways
Although we've spent time together, we still have much to learn about each other
We've got a lifetime to share
We have endless opportunities to be with each other
So much to say and as we go from day to day
Every day we're together, we'll find more things to talk about
I'll feel you close to me
I'll be emotionally near to you
But time alone will tell
Only time can reveal what lies ahead for us
Let's take a lifetime to say
We should take as long as we need to express our feelings and understand each other
I knew you well
I've gained a deep understanding of who you are
For only time will tell us so
We'll only discover the truth about each other over time
And love may grow for all we know
There's no telling what our love will become, but we'll grow together and find out
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Fred Karlin, James Arthur Griffin, Robert Wilson Royer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tiareggie
Who still Listening to Karen Carpenter in 2023! This song always bring me to tears. We sung this song at my 8th grade Graduation May1980. As a 58 year old BW all music was played back in our day. Karen Carpenter just hit different😔.......I Love Karen Carpenter❤
@addressunknown7903
2024
@michaelhamer8666
Absolutely love Karen Carpenter! A golden voice like non other!❤
@tonikimpel7891
2024
@Adirondack842
8th grade graduation in May 1980 also! Good stuff...
@obinnaorji3756
February 2024
@russellstone9056
The '70s, '80s and even '90s seem like another lifetime.
@blobcity3591
gather ye rosebuds while you may
@user-zm4pu2zi8n
It feels like we were on a different planet. So weird.
@joegibbskins
They literally were another lifetime ago