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've Only Just Begun
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
(We've only begun)
Before the risin' sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watchin the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watchin' the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
And yes, we've just begun
The lyrics to "We've Only Just Begun" by Carpenters speaks about the beginning of a new journey in life, specifically a romantic relationship. The first verse narrates the moment when the couple begins to embark on their journey together, with promises of a bright future filled with love (white lace and promises) and good luck (a kiss for luck). The phrase "we've only just begun" is repeated twice to emphasize that the couple is at the start of something exciting and new.
In the second verse, the couple prepares to face the challenges and uncertainties of the road ahead. The lyrics mention the rising of the sun, signifying the start of a new day and a new journey. The couple has many roads to choose from, but they start with baby steps and gradually learn to run. The phrase "And yes, we've just begun" is repeated again to reinforce their position at the beginning of their journey.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of the couple working together, talking things through and watching out for signs along the way. They're experiencing new horizons together, finding a place to grow and appreciating the life ahead of them.
Overall, the song expresses hope, positivity, and the idea that anything is possible when you are young and in love. It is a message of unity, encouragement and support between two people who are on a journey towards a better, happier future.
Line by Line Meaning
We've only just begun to live
We are just starting our life journey together
White lace and promises
We are dressed in fine attire and anticipating the future with hope
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
We give each other blessings and embark on our journey together
(We've only begun)
We are just starting our life journey together
Before the risin' sun, we fly
We start our journey early in the morning
So many roads to choose
We have many options and possibilities ahead of us
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
We will take it slow at first, but eventually gain momentum
(And yes, we've just begun)
We are just starting our life journey together
Sharing horizons that are new to us
We are experiencing new experiences together
Watchin the signs along the way
We are paying attention to the subtle cues that guide us
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
We confide in each other and work through things together
Workin' together day to day
We collaborate and support each other every day
Together
We are united and committed to each other
And when the evening comes, we smile
We are happy and content with our progress
So much of life ahead
We have a lot of life left to live and experience
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
We will find a place where we can develop and expand our lives
And yes, we've just begun
We are just starting our life journey together
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Williams, Roger Nichols
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