Carpenters (read more)
1,723,411 plays scrobbled on Last.fm
With their light, airy melodies and meticulously crafted, clean arrangements, the Carpenters stood in direct contrast with the excessive, gaudy pop/rock of the ’70s; yet they became one of the most popular artists of the decade, scoring 12 Top Ten hits, including three number one singles.
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 of 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.
(read more)
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 of 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.
(read more)
Listen Now
| Track | Time | Listeners | Download | |
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Add this track to your playlist We've Only Just Begun full track | 3:05 | 29,631 | Buy mp3 |
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Add this track to your playlist Superstar full track | 3:52 | 25,321 | Buy mp3 |
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Add this track to your playlist Yesterday Once More full track | 3:51 | 23,520 | Buy mp3 |
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Add this track to your playlist Rainy Days and Mondays full track | 3:39 | 23,235 | Buy mp3 |
Radio (show all 10)
- Play Carpenters’s Similar Artists Including: Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Carole King, Bread, Linda Ronstadt and more
- Play Carpenters’s Top Listeners
- Play pop Tag Radio
- Play 70s Tag Radio
- Play female vocalists Tag Radio
- Play oldies Tag Radio
- Play easy listening Tag Radio
- Play folk Tag Radio
- Play classic rock Tag Radio
- Play rock Tag Radio
Videos (see all 200)
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Play
Carpenters - Goodbye To Love
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Play
The Carpenters - Please Mr. Postman
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Play
The Carpenters - Ticket To Ride
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Play
The Carpenters - Rainy Days And Mondays
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Play
Carpenters - Superstar 1971
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Play
The Carpenters-Close To You
Top Albums (see all)
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743 |
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670 | |
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616 | |
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582 | |
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Goodbye to Love
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369 |
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341 | |
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Ticket to Ride
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317 |
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Sing
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289 |
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191 |
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146 |
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