Library Rock's Backpages

AUDIO: The Carpenters' Richard Carpenter (1989)

John Tobler, Rock's Backpages audio, November 1989

Richard takes us, in depth, through the Carpenters' career: listening to pop radio as a kid, and learning piano; the family move from Connecticut to California; their first groups; signing to A&M, and first single 'Ticket to Ride'; co-writing first hot 'Close to You' with Burt Bacharach; the family vocal blend; the succession of hits, including 'We’ve Only Just Begun', 'Superstar', 'For All We Know' and 'Rainy Days and Mondays'; 'Goodbye to Love', and Tony Peluso's guitar solo; covering older songs; Karen qualities as a singer and drummer, her solo career, anorexia and death.

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