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
White Christmas
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you listening
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Here to stay is a new bird
He songs a love song
As we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say are you married?
We'll say no man
But you can do the job
While you're in town
Later on we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Silver Bells
Silver Bells
Hear them ring
Silver Bells
City sidewalks
Busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver Bells
Silver Bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ting-a-ling
Ting-a-ling
Hear them ring
Hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas Day
The sun is shining; the grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway
There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills L. A.
But it's December the 24th and I'm longing to be up north
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten and Children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And my all your Christmases be white
The opening lines of the Carpenters' song "White Christmas" set the scene of sunny Beverly Hills California on December 24th. The contrast between the sunny weather and the desire for a white Christmas is palpable. The singer is longing for the Christmases of their past where it actually snowed and the tree tops glistened with snow instead of sunlight. This sets the tone of the song as nostalgic and dreamy, with the singer reminiscing on Christmas memories of the past.
The chorus of the song reinforces the singer's desire for a white Christmas. They are dreaming of it, and want it to be just like it used to be. The mention of sleigh bells in the snow conjures up images of classic Christmas scenes, and the singer wants to relive those memories. The final line of the chorus "May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white" is a traditional Christmas sentiment, but it takes on new meaning in the context of the song. The singer is not just wishing the listener a happy holiday, but is also hoping to fulfill their own nostalgic longing.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet feeling that often accompanies the holidays. The excitement and warmth of Christmas is coupled with a sense of longing for the way things used to be. The desire for a white Christmas represents a longing for the past, and the singer envisions a future where those memories can be recreated.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is shining; the grass is green
The weather is pleasant and nature is at its best
The orange and palm trees sway
The trees are swaying in the pleasant breeze
There's never been such a day in Beverly hills l. a.
The current weather is unusual for the Beverly Hills area
But it's December the 24th and I'm longing to be up north
Despite the pleasant weather, the singer desires to be in the colder, northern regions
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
The singer wishes for a snowy Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
The singer desires a Christmas similar to those experienced in the past
Where the tree tops glisten and children listen
The singer recalls a picturesque Christmas scene where tree tops sparkle and children eagerly await the sound of sleigh bells
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
The sound of sleigh bells ringing in the snow creates a magical atmosphere
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Reiteration of the singer's desire for snow on Christmas day
With every Christmas card I write
The singer thinks of others during the holiday season by sending out Christmas cards
May your days be merry and bright
The singer wishes for the recipient to have a happy and festive holiday season
And my all your Christmases be white
The singer hopes that the recipient's future Christmases will be filled with snow and joy
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dianna M
Her voice was just amazing so relaxing and just the tone was angelic and crystal clear.
2lefrancois lefrancois
il y a un lรฉger voile dans sa voix , trรจs douce , trรจs apaisante , mais ne peut รชtre qualifiรฉe de cristal
IK IK
My mom used to play this album in the car every November - damn I really miss being a kid in Christmas season.
IK IK
Maria Marinucci - I gotta remember to play this album again for 2020
Maria Marinucci
I play this every year as well. It doesn't feel like Christmas without the Carpenters!
Roberto Laguatan
When I hear these songs, my mind goes back to the sweet memories of my childhood
old65rocker
I would go along with that but mine is the 50,s. Big problem we just can't turn the clock back to those better day's YET!!!
Berry Barfield
Yes,this music does it to me every time!!
Candy S
I heard this song while out shopping today and I teared with nostalgia - such a pretty voice to sing this lovely song.ย Your images are lovely.
Bob Silvestri
Thank you Candy. Hope the shopping went well. Enjoy the nostalgia for awhile.