Week #33: "Carpenter/Bettis", Pt. II

[Chris May]

This week's poll is part 2 of this series dedicated to the incredible songwriting team "Carpenter/Bettis".

Please vote for your favorite song and tell us why you picked it. -Chris

 

[andywithaz]

I voted for Goodbye To Love because it has always been my favorite and probably will be forever.

 

[Dave]

Hadda go with "Top Of The World"; mom loved it and bought it on a '45' and even wrote down the lyrics to it... Forgot what was on the other side of the single; it was the Yellow & Green-label "Forget Me (K)Nots"!

A definitive song and The Carpenters made the definitive version--the teacher in the movie, LEAN ON ME was driving to the school grounds to it...

Jerry Vale and The Ray Conniff Singers- (...La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la-la-la-la, la, La...) -made good versions of it, too...

And my "Second Fav-" goes to the nostalgia of "Yesterday Once More"... Richard & Karen really nail it, but I like how Ray Conniff made good use of it, too... (...Shoo-Be-Doo-La-Day...)


Dave

 

[Harry]

The magnificent "Only Yesterday" - but "Yesterday Once More" is a close second.

In my mind, "Only Yesterday" was the last GREAT single by the duo. After that, though the music was nice to listen to and Karen's vocals were as sublime as always, there just wasn't anything as magical as the early stuff.

Harry

 

[Chris May]

I went with "GOODBYE TO LOVE". I think this is a fantastic lyric and the melody compliments it best. -Chris

 

[Murray]

I voted for "Yesterday Once More". The bittersweet feelings of nostalgia that Karen so perfectly expresses in the song, are the same feelings that are invoked in the listener upon hearing it. This is an extremely well-crafted song.

"Only Yesterday" is my second favourite in this group, and probably the most radio-friendly, production-wise, of all the Carpenters singles.

Murray

 

[PHIL]

Has to be " One Love". Classic performance from Karen, and as this was from the first album of theirs that I got to know, has extra meaning. Also contains the received wisdom of " Few are the choices we are given, the sands of time pass quickly by". Unforgettable.

 

[Chris May]

Has to be " One Love". Classic performance from Karen, and as this was from the first album of theirs that I got to know, has extra meaning. Also contains the received wisdom of " Few are the choices we are given, the sands of time pass quickly by". Unforgettable.

Did you know that this song was originally entitled "CANDY", I believe named after a girl that worked at Coke Corner at Disneyland when Richard and John [Bettis] were employed
there. -Chris

 

[aaflyer98]

I voted for "Yesterday Once More" although it was a very tough call and almost voted for "Only Yesterday". Both songs are fantastic, but had to give a slight edge to YOM.

 

[Rudy]

Tough call...on any given day, I'd choose "Only Yesterday" OR "Goodbye To Love" as my favorite Carpenter/Bettis song. I chose the former, but both IMHO would be tied for first.

I'm probably the unpopular opinion on these next two, but even if they're just album tracks, I've always liked "Saturday" and the "Aurora/Eventide" tracks, enough that they'd be #3 and #4 on my list with these titles.

 

[jfiedler17]

As many top-notch songs as there are on this list to pick from, this is still an easy pick for me: "Only Yesterday" (my all-around favorite Carpenters song, period). "Yesterday Once More" would definitely be my second choice, and "Saturday" my third [it may be just an album track (and a very short one, at that), but it's an excellent one, and it was actually the song that first got me interested in the Carpenters, so I gotta rank it up there near the top!].

Jeff F.

 

[Jeff]

OMG in wherever ya are.

Only Yesterday has been a favorite for 30...God help me, 30 years. Still, this song stands tall today. I remember the 1st time I heard it. It played over my Grandpa's old console. Dut Da Dut Dut Dut Da Dut Dut Dut, After long enough..

Here again the HORIZON sessions shine with Karen's rich and enticing lower register. RC's arrangement and the overdubs here are probably, no are my fave of all CarpenterS recordings.
The recent SACD's OY has the dynamic overdubs clear as crystal. I've shopped and bought countless different formats and imports of this song looking for this very listening experience.

Of course Close To You ranks as my all time sentimental favorite but production wise this effort encapsultes my C's fascination.

Jeff

 

[Bruno]

Difficult decision, but I voted for ONE LOVE.

Bruno
Few are the choices we are given, the sands of time pass quickly by.....

 

[thestitch]

This is a real toughie, but I went with Top o/t World for #1, Goodbye to Love for #2 and Crystal Lullaby for #3. Whenever I hear TOTW I can visualize the video of this song, of which I am very fond. Tony's guitar is absolutely perfect in the 2nd choice. Crystal Lullaby often has me wondering the "how" and "why" of its being written. It's just so "different".

Marilyn

 

[Mark-T]

"Only Yesterday" continues to amaze me to this day. On every level.

 

[nc-mediafan]

What a tough choice!! Although I really love "Yesterday Once More" and "Only Yesterday", I had to select "One Love". The melody is beautiful and the lyrics are poetic. And Karen sings it flawlessly.

 

[enigma]

"Only Yesterday" continues to amaze me to this day. On every level.

I agree 100% love this song obviously got my vote.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This is a really hard choice, 3 are really tops for me:

Goodbye to Love
Only Yesterday
Yesterday Once More

But I think for lyrics and just the way the whole song turned out as a whole I have to go with Goodbye to Love.

What's so fantastic about these two writer/arranger's is the fact that these songs work as well back in the 70's as they do in 2005.

 

[PJ]

Leaving aside Carpenter / Bettis classic singles -Goodbye... / Yesterday..../ Only Yesterday ....

Considered other album favs : One Love / Crystal Lullaby ....but selected fav from Horizon album :

HAPPY ....

Karen's great vocal plus Richard's arrangement / production mark this track as another Carpenters development ....this ideally was Summer Single of 1975 ...sadly chosen only as B side ...that woulfd have lit up Radio & pushed Horizon into USA #5 minumum ...

Peter