In a roundabout way, The Beatles are responsible for Karen and Richard Carpenter's career-launching 1970 LP Close to You. Composer Burt Bacharach was impressed by the siblings’ cover of the Fab Four’s “Ticket to Ride” and enlisted the duo to open a benefit show with a medley of his hits. While arranging the songs, Richard caught wind of a Bacharach/Hal David tune that didn’t quite fit the concert but did suit the Carpenters: a wistful tune christened “(They Long to Be) Close to You."
That song ended up becoming the group’s first U.S. No. 1 hit, thanks to its contemplative piano, Karen’s lilting vocals, and the luxurious orchestral accents provided by session musicians from the famed Wrecking Crew. Wisely, the rest of Close to You followed that hit’s sonic lead, highlighted by the sentimental “We’ve Only Just Begun”—a song that originated as a TV commercial for a bank, of all things—and its crisp horns and heavenly overdubbed harmonies. Elsewhere, “Love Is Surrender” is a brisk bossa nova; the Tim Hardin-penned “Reason to Believe” is gentle folk-pop; and a spin on The Beatles’ “Help” that hews toward bubblegum-pop psychedelia.
But if the manicured pop of Close to You is rightfully praised for its role in kick-starting the ’70s soft-rock movement, the album isn’t without its rougher edges. For example, Richard Carpenter and collaborator John Bettis co-wrote the anti-corporate-job anthem “Mr. Guder” about their former boss at Disneyland, who didn’t take kindly to the pair’s poor attitudes. Close to You resonated not just because it’s gorgeous but also because the Carpenters’ relatable storytelling and guileless honesty shone through.