The Carpenters hit No. 1 in 1970 with “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” but the song was originally a dud when it first surfaced in the 1960s.
The song was a huge hit for Karen and Richard Carpenter. It reached the top of the Billboard charts, where it stayed for four weeks.
By the time the brother-sister duo recorded the song, it was already seven years old and had been tried by Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield. However, the first person to record it was neither of those female vocal legends, but popular 1960s actor Richard Chamberlain.
According to the website UDiscoverMusic, the tune was released as a single by Chamberlain in 1963. However, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" didn't match the success of the 45's B-side, "Blue Guitar," which became a moderate hit.
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"(They Long to Be) Close to You" was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Before hitting number one with this song, the Carpenters had a moderate hit with a remake of The Beatles' "Ticket To Ride."
The song was the first of three number ones for the Carpenters. In 1973, they took the top spot with "Top of the World," and in 1975, they remade The Marvelettes' 1961 hit, "Please Mr. Postman" which also went to number one.
The early '70s were a time of great success for the Carpenters
According to Billboard, Karen and Richard Carpenter secured the number two spot on the charts with five different songs from 1970 through 1973. Despite not becoming number one hits, the songs "Yesterday Once More," "Hurting Each Other," "Superstar," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and "We've Only Just Begun" left an indelible mark on music fans.
Their remaining top 10 hits spanned from 1971 through 1975. "Sing," "For All We Know," "Only Yesterday," "Goodbye to Love" remain easy listening standards to this day.
By the late 1970s, the Carpenters' careers and personal lives were reportedly under tremendous strain. Karen’s struggle with anorexia nervosa had intensified by the late ’70s, and Richard battled an addiction to prescription sleeping pills.
On February 4, 1983, Karen Carpenter suffered heart failure caused by complications of anorexia. She was just 32 years old. Richard continues to keep the group's legacy alive and occasionally performs.
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