Song:We've Only Just Begun
Album:Singles 1969-1981
The Carpenters were the most popular pop group of the 70s. We've Only Just Begun wasn't their biggest hit but is considered their signature song. And it's also a very popular wedding song. The Carpenters faded in the late 70s due to health problems. And everyone knows that Karen Carpenter suffered from anorexia and tragically died in 1983. Richard Carpenter was born Oct, 15, 1946 and Karen Carpenter was born Mar. 2, 1950 in New Haven, CT. Richard learned to play piano as a child. The family moved to Downey, CA in 1963. Richard attended Long Beach State and met his future songwriting partner John Bettis in 1964. Karen learned to play drums in high school. So they formed The Richard Carpenter Trio with bassist Wes Jacobs. It appears they were mostly an instrumental group at the time. After winning a 1966 Battle Of The Bands, they recorded for RCA but nothing was released. Other attempts to record didn't work out. Karen even recorded a couple of solo singles that went nowhere. Finally their big break came when a demo landed in the hands of A & M Records owner Herb Alpert. He signed them up. Their 1969 debut album Offering didn't do well until their cover of The Beatles Ticket To Ride became a minor hit. A & M re-released the album as Ticket To Ride. But then they hit the jackpot when the Burt Bacharach/Hal David Song Close To You topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. We've Only Just Begun was the next single and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It solidified the Carpenters as chart toppers and We've Only Just Begun became popular at weddings. Richard did write some of the group's hits but he had a knack for song selection. We've Only Just Begun was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols and Richard heard it in a bank commercial. According to Williams, it wasn't a complete song and he stalled Richard while he wrote two more verses. The success continued with 12 top ten hits and three number one hits. The Carpenters faded in the late 70s with the rise of disco. But Richard was addicted to prescription drugs and sought treatment in 1979. Karen suffered from anorexia but refused treatment and eventually died on Feb. 4, 1983 at age 32. You can get all the Carpenters hits on this budget CD. Richard Carpenter hasn't done much on his own. He has released two solo albums but has produced several Carpenters projects. Here are Carpenters performing We've Only Just Begun on The Ed Sullivan Show 1970. I chose this because Karen is playing drums.
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