Carpenters Gold: Greatest Hits

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In 2007 and 2009, the current owners of the former Carpenter family home on Newville Avenue, Downey, obtained city permits to tear down the existing buildings to make room for newer and larger structures, despite protests from fans. In February 2008, the campaign was covered in the Los Angeles Times. At that time an adjacent house that had once served as the band's headquarters and recording studio had already been demolished and the main house was on the verge of being demolished. The original house was featured on the cover of Now & Then and was where Karen had died. In the words of one fan, "this was our version of Graceland." [184] The duo's fourth gold single, " Rainy Days and Mondays", became Williams' and Nichols' second major single with the Carpenters. The demo was written by Williams about his mother, which led to the line, "Talking to myself and feeling old". Richard rearranged the song to include a saxophone solo, played by Bob Messenger. The single peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100. [69] The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters [a]) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition skills. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.

Industry Mourns Death Of Singer Karen Carpenter". Cash Box. February 19, 1983. p.30. ISSN 0008-7289 . Retrieved October 10, 2017. German Chart" (in German). Charts.de GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014 . Retrieved 2014-09-21. dutchcharts.nl - Carpenters -Yesterday Once More - De Nederlandse Singles Collectie" . Retrieved 2008-07-03.

Bless The Beasts and Children peaked at #67 on 1/15/71 as an A-side, following 13 weeks listed as the B-side of "Superstar". a b c "North Augusta Student Meets The Carpenters". Aiken Standard. December 5, 1972. p.6. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017 . Retrieved October 11, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Holiday 100: The week of January 10, 2015". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018 . Retrieved 7 March 2019. a b c "American certifications – Carpenters_ The". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 2011-08-17.

International Dateline". Cash Box. January 16, 1982. p.19. ISSN 0008-7289 . Retrieved October 10, 2017. Holiday 100 (Week of December 25, 2021)". Billboard. December 25, 2021 . Retrieved 21 December 2021. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdfed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. Carpenters – Top of the World – Live 1981". YouTube. France: RoadOde.com . Retrieved February 7, 2020. The Burt Bacharach Orchestra The Carpenters". Cash Box: 24. June 13, 1970. ISSN 0008-7289 . Retrieved October 10, 2017.

In mid-1966, the Richard Carpenter Trio entered the Hollywood Bowl annual Battle of the Bands competition. They played an instrumental version of " The Girl from Ipanema" and their own piece, "Iced Tea". They won the competition on June 24 and were signed by RCA Records. [24] They recorded songs such as the Beatles' " Every Little Thing" and Frank Sinatra's " Strangers in the Night". A committee reviewed their recordings and chose not to produce them, so the trio were released from RCA. [25] [b] In June 1963, the Carpenter family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey hoping that it would mean better musical opportunities for Richard. [8] [9] [10] He was asked to be the organist for weddings and services at the local Methodist church; instead of playing traditional hymns, he would sometimes rearrange contemporary Beatles songs in a "church" style. [11] In late 1964, Richard enrolled at California State College at Long Beach where he met future songwriting partner John Bettis, Wesley Jacobs, a friend who played the bass and tuba for the Richard Carpenter Trio, and choral director Frank Pooler, who co-wrote the Christmas standard " Merry Christmas Darling" in 1966. [12] a b "Holiday 100: The week of December 12, 2015". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018 . Retrieved 7 March 2019.

Rolling Stone Magazine: 500 Greatest Albums". Rolling Stone. November 18, 2003. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012 . Retrieved March 8, 2009. Amidst their illustrious discography, certain gems shine brighter than stars in the night sky. Let’s delve into the 10 best songs by The Carpenters that have truly stood the test of time. At the zenith of this harmonious constellation lies “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” This soulful serenade catapulted the duo into the spotlight, painting the canvas of love’s longing with tender strokes of Karen’s voice. Following closely, “We’ve Only Just Begun” unfurls as a timeless anthem of new beginnings, a melody that effortlessly encapsulates the euphoria of embarking on life’s journey hand in hand. The Carpenters’ musical odyssey reaches its crescendo with “Rainy Days and Mondays,” a melancholic masterpiece that artfully captures the human experience of introspection and vulnerability.

Hoerburger, Rob (October 6, 1996). "Karen Carpenter's Second Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015 . Retrieved August 4, 2015. [I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.