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 The World Needs Now Is Love
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It*s the only thing that there*s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone.
Lord we don*t need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
it*s the only thing that theres just too little of,
what the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone
Lord, we dont need another meadow,
there are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow,
there are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine,
oh listen Lord, if you want to know
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
what the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some, oh but just for every every everyone.
what the world (whoa whoa) needs now,
is love (is love) sweet love
what the world ( oh oh) needs now
is love (is love) sweet love
what the world (whoa whoa) needs now
is love (is love) sweet love
The lyrics to the Carpenters song "What the World Needs Now Is Love" convey a message that is both simple and profound. The song suggests that the answer to the world's problems is love - not just for some people, but for everyone. The lyrics underline the fact that there is an abundance of material wealth in this world - mountains, rivers, oceans, corn fields, and wheat fields - but there is a shortage of something much more important: love. The verses serve as a reminder that humanity has plenty of resources, but the lack of love is what is holding us back.
The first verse of the song is particularly powerful. It communicates the idea that love is something that is in short supply. The message here is that love is not just important - it is essential. Without love, humanity will always be facing an uphill struggle. The second verse touches on the idea that there is no need for more material wealth. There is enough already in the world. But what we need is love. The line "oh listen Lord, if you want to know" is an acknowledgment that the solution to the world's problems is not something that we can acquire through material means. It is something that we need to work on internally.
Line by Line Meaning
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
The world is lacking in love, and love is what is required to heal it.
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.
Nothing else is in such short supply as love.
No not just for some but for everyone.
Love should not be exclusive, but inclusive, and should be shared by all.
Lord we don't need another mountain,
The world already has enough challenges to overcome, we do not need any more obstacles.
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,
There are already plenty of challenges and obstacles to overcome in life.
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross,
Life already provides enough struggles to endure, and does not need anymore.
Enough to last until the end of time
Life already has enough struggles to last for all eternity.
Lord, we don't need another meadow,
The world has enough natural beauty and scenery, and does not need anymore.
There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow,
There is already enough natural abundance to provide for the people of the world.
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine,
Nature provides enough light and energy for the world to thrive.
Oh listen Lord, if you want to know
To truly understand what is needed in the world, one must listen to the voice of the divine.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
Once again emphasizing that love is the solution to the world's problems.
Its the only thing that there's just too little of.
Reinforcing the fact that love is in short supply and needs to be spread.
No not just for some, oh but just for every every everyone.
Love should be available to everyone, not just a select few.
What the world (whoa whoa) needs now,
The final call for love to be shared throughout the world.
is love (is love) sweet love
The specific type of love needed is one that is pure and selfless.
what the world ( oh oh) needs now
Repeating the urgency and importance of love for the world.
is love (is love) sweet love
Once again emphasizing that the type of love needed is pure and selfless.
what the world (whoa whoa) needs now
Final repetition of the message that the world is in dire need of love.
is love (is love) sweet love
Final emphasis on the fact that it is sweet, selfless love that is so desperately needed.
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@baizarosiem
I’m 83 and I love this song cause the world is going the wrong way. Haven’t we learned anything. Love and caring is so easy, smile makes people feel good.
@marciadealbuquerque7134
Olá! A senhora tinha 23/24 anos quando essa música foi lançada. ❤ Brasil 🇧🇷
@Ivanlois383
When was world going the right way? 😅
@TiffanyErin
Perhaps we are head8ng towards healing. A wound must release its infection before it heals. ❤❤❤❤ everything is okay.
@lindapoplin4473
SO so true. 😢
@masonresnick5105
RIP, Burt. This is more than a pop song. It's a prayer.
@mattsmith8901
Yes!!!!!! You are so right.
@billhill4929
Mason you’re so right, it’s more of a prayer. Seriously now than any time I’ve ever known do we need this.
This might be the end of times with all of tension between China and Russia and the USA and Australia and the UK it’s not a good time. What the world needs now is love.
@lindahill4218
I need more than people who are close, I need their love and don't know why I don't have more friends.
@ginogina4589
@@lindahill4218 We love you sweetheart.