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The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen"s contralto vocals with Richard"s harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.



The duo toured continually during the 1970s, which put them under increased strain; Richard took a year off in 1979 after he had become addicted to Quaalude, while Karen suffered from anorexia nervosa. The duo ended in 1983 when Karen died from heart failure brought on by complications of anorexia. Her death triggered widespread coverage and research into eating disorders. Their music continues to attract critical acclaim and commercial success. With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, Carpenters are among the best-selling music artists of all time.



◎Close to You◎
Despite the poor showing of Offering, A&M retained the Carpenters and decided they should record a hit single instead. In December 1969, they met Burt Bacharach, who was impressed by their work and invited the duo to open for him at a charity concert, which should include them performing a medley of Bacharach / Hal David songs.Herb Alpert asked Richard to re-work a Bacharach/David song "(They Long to Be) Close to You"



◎Carpenters and A Song for You◎
The Carpenters had a string of hit singles and albums through the early 1970s. Their 1971 song "For All We Know" was recorded the previous year by members of the pop group Bread for a wedding scene in the movie Lovers and Other Strangers. Richard saw the song"s potential for the Carpenters and recorded it in the autumn of 1970. The track became the duo"s third gold single, and later won an Oscar for "Best Original Song"



◎Post-Carpenters◎
Following Karen"s death, Richard has continued to produce recordings of the duo"s music, including several albums of previously unreleased material and numerous compilations. The posthumous Voice of the Heart was released in late 1983 and included some tracks left off Made in America and earlier albums.It peaked at No. 46 and was certified gold.Two singles were released, "Make Believe It"s Your First Time", a second version of a song Karen had recorded for her solo album, and "Your Baby Doesn"t Love You Anymore".



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