Carpenter created the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 with sister Karen and friend Wes Jacobs. Richard played the piano; Karen played the drums, and Wes played the tuba and bass.
In 1966, the Richard Carpenter Trio played "Iced Tea" and "The Girl from Ipanema" at the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands. They won the competition, and shortly after recorded three songs at RCA Studios: "Every Little Thing," "Strangers in the Night," and the Carpenter original, "Iced Tea." "Iced Tea" is the only recording that was officially released to the public.
Around 1967, Richard and Karen joined four other student musicians from Long Beach State to form a sextet, Spectrum, consisting of:
John Bettis
Richard Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Leslie Johnston
Gary Sims
Danny Woodhams
Although Spectrum played frequently at LA-area nightclubs such as Whisky A Go-Go, they met with an unenthusiastic response - their broad harmonies and avoidance of rock 'n roll limited the band's commercial potential. Yet Spectrum was fruitful in another way, providing the raw material of future success: Bettis went on to become a lyricist for Richard's original compositions, and all the other members except Leslie Johnston went on to become members of the Carpenters.
While Karen was suffering from the anorexia nervosa that ultimately claimed her life, Richard suffered from an addiction to quaaludes. They had been prescribed for him by his doctor as sleep aids, but his usage got out of hand. He eventually sought treatment for his addiction at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, checking into the clinic in 1979 for an eight-week treatment program, which proved successful.
Three days before his 37th birthday, the Carpenter family celebrated the unveiling of the Carpenters' new Hollywood Walk of Fame Star. He said in his speech 'this is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and I, My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts'.
He started recording a solo album on June 26, 1985 and finished the album on July 5, 1987. The album was called Time. It featured Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. Springfield sang "Something in Your Eyes," and Warwick sang "In Love Alone." Richard created a song dedicated to Karen called "When Time Was All We Had." It starts off as an a cappella, but then Richard's piano fades in, as well as Herb Alpert's flugelhorn. Lyrics included:
Our hearts were filled with music and laughter, Your voice will be the sweetest sound I'll ever hear and yet, We knew somehow the song would never end, When time was all we had to spend.
In 1996, at the suggestion of music writer Daniel Levitin, Carpenter recorded and released "Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor", which included reworkings of many Carpenters favorites, including hits and album tracks, and ends with "Karen's Theme", which Carpenter composed for the 1989 made for TV movie, "The Karen Carpenter Story".
In 1984, Richard married his first cousin Mary Rudolph (daughter of his mother's sister Bernice). Her brother, Mark Rudolph, was the Carpenters' road manager, as well as the radio call-in "contestant" in the [Oldies] "Medley" on the 1973 album, Now & Then. The couple had been dating since the late 1970s. A young Mary made a cameo appearance in the Carpenters promotional video for the song "I Need to be in Love." It should be noted that when Karen learned of the relationship she was completely mortified and shared her feelings with her brother on a number of occasions, leading to a final argument where Richard told his sister "We have had the tests done there will be no problem if we have children in the future. So let it drop!". Richard and Mary have five children: Kristi Lynn, Traci Tatum, Mindi Karen (named after his late sister), Colin Paul and Taylor Mary. The children and Richard sometimes perform music together at various Carpenter-related events. The family today resides in Thousand Oaks, California. He also funds an annual scholarship/talent show for people with artistic abilities that is held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.
Recently, Richard helped in the productions of the documentaries "Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters" (1997) and "Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story" (2007). He released the DVDs "Gold: Greatest Hits" and "Interpretations." Carpenter is also mastering a new Christmas album.
We
Richard Carpenter 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"
For only time will tell us so
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 song "We've Only Just Begun" by Richard Carpenter has been a staple in the wedding industry since its release in 1970, but the song "For All We Know" which was also sung by Richard Carpenter has its own special meaning in the world of love and relationships.
The song touches on the idea of two people coming together as strangers, and throughout the course of their lifetime together they grow to know each other well. The beginning lines, "Love, look at the two of us / Strangers in many ways," sets the tone for the song. It acknowledges that while the two people may share a deep love for one another, there are still aspects of their lives and personalities that are unknown to one another.
As the song continues, Richard Carpenter highlights that the two people have a lifetime to share and so much to say. He suggests that while the beginning of the relationship may be marked by a sense of uncertainty and mystery, there is a wealth of experiences and conversations yet to be had. Furthermore, "time alone will tell" whether or not the two people are meant to be together in the long run.
The refrain of the song, "let's take a lifetime to say / 'I knew you well'" emphasizes the importance of time and patience in relationships. The idea that it takes a lifetime to truly know someone may seem daunting at first, but it's ultimately a beautiful sentiment. The last lines of the song, "And love may grow / For all we know" express the idea that while a deep love for someone may already exist, there's no way to know what the future holds for the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, look at the two of us
Let's pause and appreciate ourselves.
Strangers in many ways
We are unique individuals with our personalities, perspectives and histories.
We've got a lifetime to share
We have an enormous amount of time ahead of us to live and experience life together.
So much to say
There are so many conversations to have, stories to share and emotions to express.
And as we go
As we journey through life together.
From day to day
From daily experiences.
I'll feel you close to me
We will feel connected and intimate with each other.
But time alone will tell
Only time can prove the depth and strength of our relationship.
Let's take a lifetime to say
We should spend a lifetime expressing our thoughts and feelings to each other.
"I knew you well"
We should aspire to understand and know each other as much as possible.
For only time will tell us so
Time will give us the knowledge and insights needed to truly know each other.
And love may grow
Through time and mutual understanding, our love may flourish and grow.
For all we know
We can't predict the future, but we can focus on building a strong and deep connection in the present.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Fred Karlin, James Arthur Griffin, Robert Wilson Royer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind