Close To You

About

In a roundabout way, The Beatles are responsible for Karen and Richard Carpenter's career-launching 1970 LP <i>Close to You</i>. Composer Burt Bacharach was impressed by the siblings’ cover of the Fab Four’s “Ticket to Ride” and enlisted the duo to open a benefit show with a medley of his hits. While arranging the songs, Richard caught wind of a Bacharach/Hal David tune that didn’t quite fit the concert but did suit the Carpenters: a wistful tune christened “(They Long to Be) Close to You." That song ended up becoming the group’s first U.S. No. 1 hit, thanks to its contemplative piano, Karen’s lilting vocals, and the luxurious orchestral accents provided by session musicians from the famed Wrecking Crew. Wisely, the rest of <i>Close to You</i> followed that hit’s sonic lead, highlighted by the sentimental “We’ve Only Just Begun”—a song that originated as a TV commercial for a bank, of all things—and its crisp horns and heavenly overdubbed harmonies. Elsewhere, “Love Is Surrender” is a brisk bossa nova; the Tim Hardin-penned “Reason to Believe” is gentle folk-pop; and a spin on The Beatles’ “Help” that hews toward bubblegum-pop psychedelia. But if the manicured pop of <i>Close to You</i> is rightfully praised for its role in kick-starting the ’70s soft-rock movement, the album isn’t without its rougher edges. For example, Richard Carpenter and collaborator John Bettis co-wrote the anti-corporate-job anthem “Mr. Guder” about their former boss at Disneyland, who didn’t take kindly to the pair’s poor attitudes. <i>Close to You</i> resonated not just because it’s gorgeous but also because the Carpenters’ relatable storytelling and guileless honesty shone through.

via Apple Music