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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 19, 2003 23:31:14 GMT -5
The first Carpenters song I ever heard was "We've Only Just Begun". It was during a family vacation in early 1971. My dad's friend played the 8-track of "Close To You", which of course is started with WOJB. My recollection of this event is dim so I can't remember details of what I thought. but I do remember my dad's friend mentioning, that they're both (referring to K&R) millionaires already.
the next time I heard them was a few months later when my best friend in school played "Bless The Beasts And Children" for my from the flipside of "Superstar". I remember it sounded so dreamy and I loved it instantly. That's when I connected with The Carpenters and a few months later when "A Song For You" was released I bought that album.
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Post by smoothie2 on Nov 20, 2003 0:05:18 GMT -5
:)hi Rick...A radio or tv was almost always on as I was growing up. Since our favorites had their first song released I guess in the 60's then I probably heard that one, but I don't recall. What I do recall was that I was about 10 or so and on the farm in the yard with my portable radio on , and I recall Close to You. I still had a swing set in the back and everybody else was in the house at the time. I was either sitting in or standing by the swing, I just was so hooked right then by that beautiful harmony and of course the lyrics no doubt spurred my thoughts of what it must be like to be in love and etc. My sister at that time was already married and my bro. was dating all the time.
So..I guess I started having some grown up feelings..due to those love songs. And I was a more serious minded child than others since I was mostly like an only child growing up and my parents were almost middle aged then.
My dad and especially his brothers growing up were very musically talented. Every Christmas Eve, he and his 4 brothers and one sister would have their guitars going and sometimes church song books and they would play almost half the nite away while all the kids went on to sleep in the nearest bedroom, and the wives would sit and chat and then just sit and listen. It was a great tradition which had gone on yrs. before I was born.
One of my uncles was part of a group called The West Tx. Doughboys...( they advertised for Pillsbury or some other kind of flour)..
well, there I go again ..boring some of you out there!!
smoothie
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Post by Federico Cruz on Nov 20, 2003 17:04:51 GMT -5
Oh no, no, Smoothie, yours is an interesting story!
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Post by Boat2Sail on Nov 20, 2003 21:41:22 GMT -5
I have to go along with ederico, your story was real interesting Smoothie.
I'm sure I first heard The Carpenters in 1970 with close To You. But the first time I remember hearing them and being impacted by them was in 1971 with Rainy Days And Mondays. I was totally in awe of the song. I heard it on the radio and waited for the next time it came on and recorded it on my portable cassette player and listened to it over and over again, maybe a dozen times or more in one sitting.
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Post by smoothie2 on Nov 21, 2003 0:07:15 GMT -5
:)Thanks Federico and Boats2..glad you liked what I had to say..Rainy Days really struck home also with me when I first heard it..I was at that awkward age between puberty and childhood...I was somewhat of a loner and so that's why so many could relate to it. Everyone always wants to fit in and even though I enjoy the happier tunes..rainy days surely hits a nerve with us all. The up side to that song is that there is someone she could run to to make her feel better..and sometimes, that's the case with us in life and other times not.
Many songs both happy and sad have come along through throughout the yrs. by many different artists..."Raindrops keep fallin' on My Head" (B.J. Thomas) "I Love the Rainy Nights" (Eddie Rabbit) something about Smoky Mtn. rain by R. Millsap
Rainmaker (make her come back to me..D. Cassidy and the Partridge Family)...
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Post by Federico Cruz on Nov 21, 2003 17:55:12 GMT -5
I remember, in the last days of 1972 and after the lunch time, that I would lie in bed to hear a special radio program. The DJ played a song every day that he no named it (A Song For You).
I disliked that song a little and I skipped it for a moment.
But some time later, in the house of a girl friend, she played in her turntable an amazing song that she invited me to dance. I didn't ask its name(but it was Superstar).
Next year, in a friends party, I listened a beautiful song and I went to see its atractive cover with two gatefolds. I was hooked with the song and the performers(Yesterday Once More from the Now and Then album). Later, I learned that were K&R the performers of all those songs.
Since that time, I'm a fan forever.
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Post by Rick Henry on Nov 21, 2003 21:27:04 GMT -5
The first Carpenters song I ever heard was "We've Only Just Begun". It was during a family vacation in early 1971. My dad's friend played the 8-track of "Close To You", which of course is started with WOJB. My recollection of this event is dim so I can't remember details of what I thought. but I do remember my dad's friend mentioning, that they're both (referring to K&R) millionaires already. the next time I heard them was a few months later when my best friend in school played "Bless The Beasts And Children" for my from the flipside of "Superstar". I remember it sounded so dreamy and I loved it instantly. That's when I connected with The Carpenters and a few months later when "A Song For You" was released I bought that album. Before I bought "A Song For You", we ("we" being my family) received in the mail the "Close To You" album in late 1971. My parents were part of the Columbia House music club and "Close To You" was the album of the month. So by the time I bought "A Song For You", I already knew CTY very well. I don't think I purchased "Carpenters" (tan album) until around 1973 or 1974. |
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Post by smoothie2 on Nov 21, 2003 23:40:01 GMT -5
:)I think this is an interesting thread of thoughts you started Rick, I mainly guess because it makes us think back on when we were young and then how the Carps. did influence how we felt as we grew. I think I first heard "A Song For You" from the title of the album of the same name while at my best friend's house. We were familiar with R. and K. , but they were just then making a big impact on the world. I was probably about 14 at that time. It struck me as a sad and kind of haunting in a way, song. I tried miserably to imitate Karen's voice. My friend and I both loved our records. She played the piano. She also played clarinet and I played nothing , but we had fun.
It was only a few yrs. ago that I finally bought the cd for A Song for You and the tan album Carpenters, and Love Songs, and a few others.
On a cd, you can really appreciate their music and their great vocal ranges. It's just a million miles away from what's on an LP.
smoothie
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Post by Moe on Nov 23, 2003 1:11:26 GMT -5
The Carpenters' music has always been in my life, so I really don't know what was the first song I heard. My older sister had their records in the early 70's, so their songs were always playing. I do remember rollar skating in the basement of our house in Michigan and listening to the radio and hearing songs like "Seasons in the sun" and "Top of the World." That was pretty exciting at the time! While riding the school bus when we lived in Indianapolis, in the mid 70's, the hit songs from Horizon were always playing on the radio. For Christmas in 1977, while living in Oklahoma, I received "Passage" and played it the rest of the day! A lot of fun memories from childhood with Karen and Richard's songs!
take care-
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Post by ThomB on Dec 17, 2003 21:52:28 GMT -5
Wow, that was so long ago, it probably was Close To You. But the first time I really remember acknowledging the Carpenters was with For All We Know, only because we were watching the academy awards and the song won and I remember my older brother making the comment isn't that the song the Carpenters sing and then I heardit the next day on the school bus.
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Post by Superstargal on Dec 19, 2003 18:36:49 GMT -5
Wow! Some great little stories and thoughts here!  The first time I ever heard the Carpenters was when I was probably about 3 years old. First song? I was so young, I don't even remember, but I sure remember the albums! The first Carpenters songs I ever heard were from the "Close To You" 8-track that my parents had, the "Now & Then" album, and the "Singles" album. The songs I remember from a young age the most are: "We've Only Just Begun." "Yesterday Once More." "Top Of The World." "Help" "Another Song" etc, etc.  |
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Post by Alan on Jan 4, 2004 21:27:30 GMT -5
I'm old enough that it had to be Close to You! That was the summer before my sophomore year in high school. I mean after all, it was number one nationally for like six weeks wasn't it? So you know it was played often everywhere. And Karen made such a splash as she was a drummer. If you listened to the radio at all back then you couldn't get away from it! I remember liking it at the time, but over the years it has become my least favorite of their hits, as much as I adore them.
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Post by Rick Henry on Jan 4, 2004 22:08:40 GMT -5
I'm the same way I loved "Close To You" tremendously in the early 70's, but since then the Carps have come up with so much excellent music, that now "Close to You" is relegated to a secondary favorite. My primary Carpenters favorites are; "Two Sides", "Boat to Sail", "Superstar", "maybe It's You","This Masquerade", "I Can't Make Music", "Solitaire", "Road Ode", "Prime Time Love", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", " Desperado", "I Can Dream Can't I", "B'wana She No Home", "There's A Kind Of Hush", "Rainy Days And Mondays", "Baby It's You", "Please Mr. Postman" and "Only Yesterday".
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