Week #2: Favorite Carpenters Song/Album: 'CLOSE TO YOU'

[Chris May]

Time to kick off week #2 of our Carpenters poll. This week's featured album topic: 'Close To You'.

As hard as it may be to narrow your selection down to one song, please vote for your absolute most favorite track from the 'Close To You' album and why you voted for it. -Chris

All thumbnails provided by http://www.grantguerrero.com/carpenters/carindex.html

 

[Dave]

Obviously the title-track, "Close To You" gets my vote! It's the reason why I would buy this album.

Karen & Richard were obviously not "one-hit-wonders" (or "one-album-wonders") and they were definitely not another Punch. (See A&M Album SP 4307)

"Close To You" was a hit for them and inspired me to buy versions by a lot of other performers that still loom in my collection--like Gabor Szabo, Andy Williams, Claudine Longet, Liz Damon's Orient Express, Johnny Mathis & Tommy Roe.

My least favorite here would be "Reason To Believe"--there are so many versions out there better than their's and unfortunately, ones I can't stand (like Rod Stewart's!).

Dave

 

[Mark-T]

Many wonderful ones to choose from- BUT- "Begun" remains one of my all time favorites after 35 years!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It's hard to find a 2nd album with as much musical growth as this 2nd Carpenters album. Lots of favorites on this one, but the title tune, as Burt Bacharach has said "nails it."

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Chris, I love these polls.

This was very easy for me. I choose 'Love is Surrender"

I always loved this song & when I hear it on this album, it is usually played over & over again (backspace button on my Cd player)

I am a fan that is known for loving the non-hits more than the hit songs. That is one of the reasons why I love Voice of the Heart so much too. Oh man I don't even want to think of having to choose from that album.

But Love is Surrender is the best, the drums, knowing Karen is behind them, having a blast & how there vocals harmonize so cool & how they get louder toward the end and the tamborene. Oh man.

This song is one of the reason why I wanted the compilation from Japan Treasures so bad, the re-mix (with stronger drum kick) is hot stuff, love it.

I also have the memories from The Karen Carpenter Story that I can't get out of my head, of How Karen was singing this song on stage & out from the drums for the first time, during rehearsal & just having a ball. I want to think it was really like that & I can invision this in my mind & it's a good memory for me

 

[Rudy]

Chris, I love these polls.

I must like 'em too...somehow it's been mentioned on this site's home page!

I went with the title track myself--it was the breakthrough for them, and while it starts out rather low key, the song just sort of snowballs its way to the ending, very breezy and uplifting. The multitracked vocal harmonies are one of the many hooks in this song.

My #2 song would have to be "Love Is Surrender", followed closely by "We've Only Just Begun".

I'm going to have a tough time choosing when A Song For You is polled.

 

[Chris May]

Well, I have to admit that my first choice was not "Close To You", although the definite second.

I chose "Begun" because it is truly the song that is responsible for yanking me into the Carpenters' sound at the age of 12. I remember the part in the movie where Rich and Karen were working down the track to this song at A&M; How Richard remixed the track down to the bare bone to "recreate" that vibe as it happened in '70. It was a few months after I began watching that scene over and over again (my mom had a VHS copy of the movie straight from the T.V.). I was in the car with my aunt, and the song came on the radio. Mind you I was 12, a producer in the making I might add, but something about the multi-layered harmony that kicked in during the segue from verses 1 into 2 (..."we've only begun..."), mixed with all of this instrumentation that was NOT in that scene in the movie and somehow at that age for me, it all CLICKED! I understood what arranging and multi-tracking was just by the simple contrast between the sparse remix of the song in the flick, and the fully mixed version on the radio.

I made the decision at that exact time in my life that I was going to be a producer/arranger etc... and I didn't care what anybody thought about it. Nor might I add did I care what anyone else my age thought about my fascination with the Carpenters' sound. That's why I picked
this song. -Chris

 

[Only Yesterday]

Well, it's getting harder and harder and I must tell you what a great album we've got here.

We've Only is a classic...so rock and so lovely...
I like Love Is Surrender, though I have to admit I never tought much of it
Maybe It's You have such beautiful lyrics, I like it better but it's not a fav
Reason To Believe is so, so good...I love it..never heard another version and I don't need them... I love this one (actually I heard one once in Ally Mc Beal and Carpenters is much better...they rock baby)
Help is so edge...it REALLY rocks, I wish they did more songs like that...especially Karen way of singing with such strengh...amazing...
Close To You...well it's unique...there's only one Close To You and always will be only one Karen and C's ... gorgeous...tough never touch me much..
I'll Never Fall ...what a showcase of talent...again the best version I ever heard...love the harmonies...
Crescent Noon...the only song from that album I don't like...one of least favorites ever... I think is the only song when she sings low and I don't love...
Mr Guder...amazing...this song grew with me with time...just love it...the Karen sings it, especially the harmonies in the very begin...bahhh..aaaahhhaaahh..in the end she holds...aaauuuaaah....Geez...I feel in heaven...and it's nice not being a love song ... and the rhythm
I Kept On very nice..Richard on lead...some backing that I only got to heard with headphones...very nice beat
Another Song...a masterpiece...I just love it...amazing...Karen, Richard, Karen's lead, the backing vocal, the instruments, Karen's druming, the lyrics, the instrumental part of the end, the rock sound, the harmonies...I always turn up the stereo when I play it, did that today...

But my most very favorite song from thjs album has to be...Baby It's You...I get without words to tell how much this song moves me...the lyrics, the melody, Karen's singing, the harmonies, the rock edge, Karen's singing again...the sax solo, the drums, Karen's voice...many and many nights go by...I sit alone, in home I cry over you what can I do?....a classic...right from the time when shen didn't use to hold herself to sound softer...it came up naturally...I don' t know just love it and always will...can you understand me?

 

[kennyv]

Definitely "Close to you". Karen didn't have to pull anything here, she sang with authenticity and purity....calling out for angels to gather around her.

 

[engineer]

I know my opinion will probably not be very popular, but I'm frankly surprised at the number of people voting for "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close to You."

In my opinion, these songs are what pushed Karen and Richard away from the rough, edgy sound of the TICKET TO RIDE album, and ultimately ended up leading to the bland saccharine "easy listening" sound they fell into by the late '70s.

I will acknowledge that without these two songs, their career might never have taken off, and so these songs were important in propelling them forward. Without them, they might have been dropped by A&M, and might never have gone on to create some of the masterpieces that came after.

But so much of the CLOSE TO YOU album is dark and moody, and I ended up voting for "Another Song" as my favorite from the album. It has such a rough, improvisational style to it. This style was basically lost after the CLOSE TO YOU album.

It really surprises me after all the discussion of how much everyone loves TICKET TO RIDE, with its rough edges and eclectic mix of styles, that the sugary-sweetness of "Close to You" would be so many peoples' favorite...

Dan

 

[Murray]

I chose "Close to You". It's the first Carpenters song that I ever heard, on my little transistor radio when I was eight years old. While listening to that song for the first time, I fell in love with the voice of an angel, and it's the song that made me a lifelong fan.

I can't say that I have a least favorite. There really isn't a bad song on the album.

 

[Rudy]

Now that I think about it, "Close To You" was the first Carpenters record I ever owned--the 45 RPM single, not the album. (My folks had the album.) I don't even remember what was on the flip side of it anymore. The song gets another vote from me for being penned by Bacharach/David too. Interesting that if you play the album through, three of the songs were penned by Bacharach, and they all follow each other in the sequence.

 

[Mark-T]

Reading everyone's responses to this poll made me think-
I love the remix of "Reason to Believe", and the sax solo on "Baby Its You" smokes! It is the perfect complement to Karen's reading.

 

[Jeff]

The Christmas of 1970 my Aunt was gifted the CTY l.p. Played shortly after gift exchange the 7 y/o me was to grow into a full fledged listener. Day after X-mas I had my own copy. A copy that has a well-worn jacket and rests in my present collection as the star of the show. At the time I knew nothing of Ticket. Until a few days later. My vote is Close To You. This is the song that put me over and to this day remains my fave single followed by O. Yesterday. The song has special significance as I warbled it to each of my 3 neices at birth. The youngest of these children died of a heart deformity at three days. I gave a teary rendition of the song. Recently my sister gave me a nephew. His first song was CLOSE. It was Easter morning so I spun Judy and Fred's Easter Parade next. My personalized license plate reads CLOS2U. This expressing the sentiment of a most treasured tune.

Jeff

 

[Bruno]

WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN is a fantastic song, but as I often like the non-hits more than the hits, I voted for BABY IT'S YOU. The arrangement, the lyrics, Karen's vocals, the saxophon solo - just great! I prefer the remix.

I never understood, why CLOSE TO YOU was such a big hit. The SINGLES album was one of my very first Carpenters LPs. I heard CTY, but didn't play it often. So I was very surprised when I found out, that this single was their breakthrough. It's a nice song, but I could do without it.

Remember, Carpenters had their breakthrough in Germany with POSTMAN, so German radio played mostly Carpenters songs from HORIZON to PASSAGE, when I was a kid.

REASON TO BELIEVE is my second favorite from this album, and here I prefer the remix, too.

Bruno

 

[jfiedler17]

I went with "I Kept on Loving You." (My second and third picks would be the title track and "Love Is Surrender," respectively.) "IKOLY" is definitely one of the Carpenters "filler" cuts I most wish would've been an A-side. No special reason for liking it the best - I just think it's the most incessantly catchy song on the album and the one I'm least able to resist singing along to!

Jeff F.

 

[Rick]

Hi all, just thought I'd drop in here to one of my favorite forums for a visit. I voted "Crescent Noon" as my fave CTY song. "Maybe It's You", "Mr. guder" and "Baby It's You" are also favorites.

 

[Dave]

My very first Carpenters purchase WAS "We've Only Just Begun" B/W "For All We Know"--both of which have gotten an equal amount of listening.

"We've Only..." really is my second favorite song from the Close To You album. And I must have liked it enough if more than twenty years ago I bought it on a '45', which was the pink label Memories Series issue.

Dave

...well, I must have heard it a lot back then to have liked it that much...

 

[abbett]

i love mr. guder. i remember when i first heard it i thought it was one of the worst songs! but it's so catchy and it's irresistable in singing along with. i love cty and wojb, but mr. guder is one that always gets me going. when i hear it, i usually think about seeing karen playing the drums and making all those funny faces while playing it - and i love the harmonizing she and richard do in the song. i also love the flute or whatever instrument it is that is so central in the song.

as another poster commented, i love "i kept on loving you" a lot, too. those are my 2 faves on the album with "reason to believe" and "help" following closely behind. i've always loved ikoly from the first time i heard it. it's richard's best track out of all the ones he recorded (in my opinion).

loving the polls!
amanda

 

[Geographer]

I chose "Maybe It's You" as it has sentimental value to me. I live near a one of the most beautiful yet little known beach in the world (in my opinion) and love to listen to the song as I watch the waves crash against the rocks. Don't know why, but it creates a very special mood.

 

[cam89]

Hello All,
I chose CRESCENT NOON. I feel it is one of their most beautiful performances of this album, let alone of their career. She just tears thru this song with such a force and intensity. Her vocals are sublime, and all the background harmonies are gorgeous. This song would definately be one of those that were ahead of her years emotionally speaking. What a gift she had.

My thoughts,
Cameron

 

[Harry]

Joining in to the discussion and back from vacation and playing catchup, I had to choose "Close To You". It was the first Carpenters record I owned (the 45) and the album version with the extended ending was a real treat.

These polls often capture what we're thinking at the moment - I try to think back to when I was enjoying the LP all those years ago and I ask myself, "What track did I pick to listen to if I were only going to listen to one track?" For me, that was "Close To You," and what I voted for. These days, after having heard that recording so many times, I tend to gravitate toward the non-hits like many other longtime fans, and I'd listen to "Love Is Surrender" or "Crescent Noon" or one of the other Bacahrach tracks.

Now that I think about it, "Close To You" was the first Carpenters record I ever owned--the 45 RPM single, not the album. (My folks had the album.) I don't even remember what was on the flip side of it anymore.

The flip side was "I Kept On Lovin' You", the great Nichols/Williams compostion that Richard sang lead on. A great record, and one that I always wished would have made the record a double-sied hit. I believe that single is the only place to hear the song without the crossover fade from "Mr. Guder".

Harry
...back at the keyboard again, online...

 

[Rudy]

These polls often capture what we're thinking at the moment - I try to think back to when I was enjoying the LP all those years ago and I ask myself, "What track did I pick to listen to if I were only going to listen to one track?" For me, that was "Close To You," and what I voted for.

I just thought of something regarding these polls.

For some of us, we grew up (or got older) listening to these songs, and we were around when they were charting in Billboard. In other words, as music listeners, Carpenters were a current act for us. While I never followed singles or listened to the radio until I got into my teen years, without fail the latest Carpenters album would find its way into our home, and I pretty much grew up listening to all of their albums.

For another group of our visitors here, they've only known Carpenters as a group that recorded in the past. In other words, by the time they became Carpenters fans, KC had already passed and the performing unit (brother, sister and band) had already ceased to function.

I wonder how these two groups of us compare in their song selections in these polls. Do us "old timers" tend to lean toward the hits more than the younger listeners do? For some of us, we may have heard the buzz about a song on an album when it was new, or a song on the radio caught our ear. This could go two ways--1) we could be more fond of the hits and good memories associated with them, or; 2) we're tired of the hits and gravitate toward the album cuts in later years.

For others who discovered Carpenters at a later time, they may approach an album as a complete collection without that kind of bias. In other words, starting with a clean slate.

Just an interesting thought IMHO.

 

[jfiedler17]

Great observations, Rudy!
Being 25, I'm one of the younger ones who didn't get exposed to the Carpenters until after Karen's passing (though not by much; I still got into them when I was really, really young). And on all the polls so far, I've gone with non-singles ("I Kept on Loving You"- which SHOULD have been a single - on this thread, the "Bacharach/David" medley on the tan-album thread). (I'll most likely be picking songs that WERE singles for the next few polls, though.) My rationale for going with the non-singles for these first few polls is just that - until radio all but entirely ceased from playing Carpenters music (it HAS become harder to find on the dial) - I heard the singles on the radio so much that I got a bit tired of them, although I find that the later the single, the better it holds with me after repeated listens. The earliest singles (like "Close to You," "We've Only ...", "For All We Know," etc.) I just can't listen to nearly as often as, say, "Only Yesterday" or "All You Get from Love ..." or "Touch Me When ..."

 

[PJ]

Even more difficult with this classic album to select just one song / track :|

Decided to go with non-single favourite ....finally opted for Bacharcah/ David's I'll Never Fall in Love Again ....usually plump for Baby It's You ...both are great covers with wonderful arrangements , stacked multi -layered backing vocals and Karen's stunning tone and vocals

Other favs would be Richard's great lead on I Kept On Loving You , Maybe It's You , Crescent Noon & Mr Guder

Almost impossible to choose one song only

Peter