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
What Are You Doing New Year
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You received
Aah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?
Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You received
Aah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?
The Carpenters song "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" is a melancholic tune that contemplates the start of a new year and the accompanying uncertainty it brings. The song's lyrics are straightforward and direct, as the singer muses about what the person they're singing to will be doing as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. The first verse acknowledges that it might be too early to ask, but the singer does so anyway, further emphasizing the importance of the question.
The second verse takes a more wistful tone, as the singer wonders who will be holding the person they're addressing when the new year begins. There's a sense of longing and even jealousy in this verse, as the singer reflects on the many invitations the person likely received and the possibility they won't be the chosen companion for the evening. Nonetheless, they bravely pose the question anyway, hoping against hope that they might have a chance at bringing in the new year together.
The repetition of the last line of each verse, "What are you doing New Year's Eve?", ties the song together thematically and emphasizes the central message of the lyrics. The song is a timeless classic that captures the bittersweet feeling of new beginnings and the lingering hope that comes with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe it's much too early in the game
I understand that it may still be too early to ask, but I thought I'd ask anyway
Aah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
Even though it may be early, I still want to know your plans for New Year's Eve
What are you doing New Year's New Year's Eve?
Can you tell me what you have planned for New Year's Eve?
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
I am curious about who you will be spending New Year's Eve with
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
At the exact moment when the clock strikes midnight
Welcoming in the New Year New Year's Eve
Bringing in the New Year on New Year's Eve
Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I understand that I may be foolish for thinking this way
I'd ever be the one you chose
That you would choose to spend New Year's Eve with me
Out of a thousand invitations you received
Given all of the invitations you may have received, I understand that I may not be your first choice
Aah, but in case I stand one little chance
Although it may be unlikely, there is still a small possibility
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
I am about to ask the most important question
What are you doing New Year's New Year's Eve?
Can you please tell me what your plans are for New Year's Eve?
Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
Again, I understand that I may be foolish for hoping to spend New Year's Eve with you
I'd ever be the one you chose
But I am still hopeful that you will choose to spend it with me
Out of a thousand invitations you received
Even with all the other invitations you may have received, I hope that you will choose me
Aah, but in case I stand one little chance
In the off-chance that I do have a shot
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
I am about to ask the most important question once again
What are you doing New Year's New Year's Eve?
Will you please share your New Year's Eve plans with me?
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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.