Close to You ( the Carpenters album ) - wikipedia Close to You ( the Carpenters album ) Close to You Studio album by The Carpenters Released August 19, 1970 Recorded 1969 -- May 15, 1970 Genre Pop, easy listening Length 38 : 37 Label A&M Producer Jack Daugherty The Carpenters chronology Offering / Ticket to Ride ( 1969 ) Offering / Ticket to Ride 1969 Close to You ( 1970 ) Carpenters ( 1971 ) Carpenters 1971 Singles from Close to You `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' Released : May 15, 1970 `` We 've Only Just Begun '' Released : August 21, 1970 Close to You is the second studio album by American duo The Carpenters, released on August 19, 1970. In 2003, the album was ranked number 175 on Rolling Stone Magazine 's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album contains the hit singles `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' and `` We 've Only Just Begun ''. `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' was the duo 's song that gained the Carpenters an international reputation for a decade. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked at # 2 on the US Billboard albums chart. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, entering the top 50 of the official chart for 76 weeks during the first half of the 1970s. Contents 1 Song information 2 Critical reception 3 Track listing 4 Charts 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 4.3 Certifications 5 Personnel 6 References Song information `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' was the first Burt Bacharach / Hal David composition Carpenters covered. The song was recorded time and time again during the sixties, but did n't do well at all until the Carpenters version. It became Richard and Karen Carpenter 's first RIAA - certified Gold single, as well as their first Billboard Hot 100 single that reached the Top 10. It stayed at number 1 for 4 weeks, and became Carpenters ' iconic song. `` We 've Only Just Begun '' started out as a commercial for Crocker Citizen 's Bank in 1970, composed by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols. The commercial showed a couple getting married and starting their life together. In August 1970, it became the Carpenters ' second RIAA - certified Gold single. Richard regards this as the duo 's signature song. Originally written by Ralph Carmichael for the early contemporary Christian musical Tell It Like It Is, `` Love Is Surrender '' was a song Richard and Karen heard during their teen years. Several of the overtly Christian lyrics were changed for this version, notably from `` Without Him, love is not to be found '' to `` Without love you are not to be found '' and `` You must surrender to His will '' to `` You must surrender if you care. '' The arrangement is based on one recorded by Carmichael on his album, I Looked for Love. The original Carmichael recording was mid-tempo, but Richard recorded it up - tempo with extra percussion. The Carpenters ' recording is one of only two tracks on the album on which Richard Carpenter performs lead vocals. `` Maybe It 's You '' is a song written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis for their previous band, Spectrum. It 's a very low - key song, with an oboe solo by Doug Strawn. `` Reason to Believe '' is a song composed by Tim Hardin in the 1960s. Rod Stewart made a hit with it in 1971. Karen claimed in a live concert that the reason why they love the song is because it was one of the first songs they performed together as a group. `` Help ! '' is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in early 1965. Carpenters produced three Beatles covers ( `` Ticket to Ride '', `` Help '', and `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '', the last from Your Navy Presents ). `` Baby It 's You '' is a song composed by Burt Bacharach, Barney Williams, and Mack David. It was sung by Richard and Karen in 1970, and performed on their TV show, Make Your Own Kind of Music. `` I 'll Never Fall in Love Again '' is the third consecutive Burt Bacharach composition on the album. It was included on their medley the following year, on the album Carpenters. According to Tom Riddle of Your Navy Presents, there was a 29 vocal harmony on the song. Originally part of the score for Bacharach and David 's 1968 musical Promises, Promises, the song had provided a top - ten hit for Dionne Warwick in January 1970. Originally performed by Karen and Richard in the California State University, Long Beach choir in 1969, `` Crescent Noon '' is a song composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. `` Mr. Guder '' was dedicated to Richard Carpenter and John Bettis 's boss at Disneyland, Vic Guder. It was a bit of a last tease to the man who fired the duo. They were hired to play old - time music on piano and banjo at the park 's `` Coke Corner '' on Main Street, U.S.A., but they persisted in playing contemporary tunes that the patrons requested. The lyrics say : You 're everything a robot lives for : Walk in at nine, and roll out the door at five. You reflect the company image ; You maintain their rules to live by. Shine your shoes, let 's keep a neat haircut, Now that you 're wearing a coat and tie. Many of their later recordings that were composed in the late 1960s were written during their Disneyland career. `` I Kept on Loving You '', a song written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, features Richard on lead vocal and despite being uncredited in the album 's liner notes, a guitarist is playing on the song, possibly either Gary Sims or a Los Angeles - based session guitarist. `` Another Song '' was another Carpenter / Bettis creation that was very different from the typical Carpenters song and is essentially a suite in three movements : a pop section ( 0 : 00 -- 1 : 45 ), a medieval - influenced section ( 1 : 45 -- 2 : 28 ), and a jazz section ( 2 : 28 -- 4 : 22 ). The song opens with a short prelude based on the harmony and melodic contour of the accompanied recitative `` And, lo ! the angel of the Lord came upon them '' from Part I of George Frideric Handel 's oratorio Messiah ( 1742 ). Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic The Rolling Stone Album Guide Close to You was nominated for Album of the Year. AllMusic 's retrospective review deemed Close to You `` a surprisingly strong album '', particularly praising Richard Carpenter 's original compositions `` Maybe it 's You '', `` Crescent Noon '', and `` Mr. Guder '', describing them as superlative displays of both Karen Carpenter 's vocal work and Richard 's arranging talents. They also derided contemporary criticism against the album, insinuating that the negative reaction stemmed from Close to You being a successful pop record at a time of great political turmoil. Track listing Side one No. Title Writer ( s ) Lead singer ( s ) Length 1. `` We 've Only Just Begun '' Roger Nichols, Paul Williams Karen Carpenter ; brief lines by Richard Carpenter 3 : 04 2. `` Love Is Surrender '' Ralph Carmichael Karen & Richard Carpenter 1 : 59 3. `` Maybe It 's You '' John Bettis, Richard Carpenter Karen Carpenter 3 : 09 4. `` Reason to Believe '' Tim Hardin Karen Carpenter 3 : 02 5. `` Help '' John Lennon, Paul McCartney Karen Carpenter 3 : 02 6. `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' Burt Bacharach, Hal David Karen Carpenter 4 : 34 Side two No. Title Writer ( s ) Lead singer ( s ) Length 7. `` Baby It 's You '' Bacharach, Mack David, Barney Williams Karen Carpenter 2 : 50 8. `` I 'll Never Fall in Love Again '' Bacharach, H. David Karen Carpenter 2 : 56 9. `` Crescent Noon '' Bettis, Carpenter Karen Carpenter 4 : 09 10. `` Mr. Guder '' Bettis, Carpenter Karen Carpenter 3 : 17 11. `` I Kept On Loving You '' Nichols, P. Williams Richard Carpenter 2 : 13 12. `` Another Song '' Bettis, Carpenter Karen Carpenter 4 : 22 Charts Weekly charts Chart Position Australian Kent Music Report Chart 16 Canadian RPM Albums Chart Japanese Oricon LP Chart 53 UK Albums Chart 23 US Billboard 200 Year - end charts Chart ( 1971 ) Position US Billboard Pop Albums Certifications Region Certification United States ( RIAA ) 2 × Platinum Personnel Jack Daugherty -- producer Karen Carpenter -- vocals, drums Hal Blaine -- drums Richard Carpenter -- vocals, keyboards, arrangements and orchestration Joe Osborn -- bass Danny Woodhams -- bass Jim Horn -- woodwinds Bob Messenger -- woodwinds Doug Strawn -- woodwinds Ray Gerhardt -- engineer Dick Bogert -- engineer Tom Wilkes -- art direction Kessel / Brehm Photography -- photography References Jump up ^ 175 ) Close to You : Rolling Stone Jump up ^ Live in Budokan, 1972 ^ Jump up to : Eder, Bruce. Close to You at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 02. Jump up ^ Brackett, Nathan ; Christian Hoard ( 2004 ). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York : Simon and Schuster. p. 140. ISBN 0 - 7432 - 0169 - 8. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. St Ives, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Top Albums / CDs -- Volume 14, No. 19, December 26, 1970 ''. RPM. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ a-カーペンターズ `` -- Yamachan Land ( Archives of the Japanese record charts ) -- Albums Chart Daijiten -- Carpenters '' Check url = value ( help ) ( in Japanese ). 2007 - 12 - 30. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Chart Stats -- Carpenters -- Close to You ''. UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` allmusic ( ( ( Close to You > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ) ) ) ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 01. Jump up ^ 1971 Year - end Albums -- The Billboard Pop Albums. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` American album certifications -- Carpenters -- Close to You ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH Preceded by Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin Canadian RPM 100 number - one album December 5 -- 19, 1970 Succeeded by All Things Must Pass by George Harrison The Carpenters Karen Carpenter Richard Carpenter Albums Offering ( Ticket to Ride ) Close to You Carpenters A Song for You Now & Then Horizon A Kind of Hush Passage Made in America Voice of the Heart Lovelines As Time Goes By Live albums Live in Japan Live at the Palladium Compilation albums The Singles : 1969 -- 1973 The Singles : 1974 -- 1978 The Very Best of the Carpenters Yesterday Once More Only Yesterday From the Top Interpretations : A 25th Anniversary Celebration Love Songs Reflections The Singles : 1969 -- 1981 The Essential Collection : 1965 -- 1997 Carpenters Perform Carpenter Gold : 35th Anniversary Edition The Ultimate Collection 40 / 40 Other Christmas Portrait An Old - Fashioned Christmas Time ( Richard Carpenter ) Karen Carpenter ( album ) Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor ( Richard Carpenter ) Singles `` Looking for Love '' `` Ticket to Ride '' `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' `` We 've Only Just Begun '' `` Merry Christmas, Darling '' `` For All We Know '' `` Rainy Days and Mondays '' `` Superstar '' `` Bless the Beasts and Children '' `` Hurting Each Other '' `` It 's Going to Take Some Time '' `` Goodbye to Love '' `` Sing '' `` Yesterday Once More '' `` Top of the World '' `` Jambalaya ( On the Bayou ) '' `` I Wo n't Last a Day Without You '' `` Please Mr. Postman '' `` Santa Claus Is Comin ' to Town '' `` Only Yesterday '' `` Solitaire '' `` There 's a Kind of Hush ( All Over the World ) '' `` I Need to Be in Love '' `` Goofus '' `` Breaking Up Is Hard to Do '' `` All You Get from Love Is a Love Song '' `` Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft '' `` The Christmas Song ( Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire ) '' `` Sweet, Sweet Smile '' `` I Believe You '' `` Touch Me When We 're Dancing '' `` ( Want You ) Back in My Life Again '' `` Those Good Old Dreams '' `` Beechwood 4 - 5789 '' `` Make Believe It 's Your First Time '' `` Your Baby Does n't Love You Anymore '' `` Now '' `` Little Altar Boy '' `` Honolulu City Lights '' `` Something in Your Eyes '' `` If I Had You '' `` Let Me Be the One '' `` Tryin ' to Get the Feeling Again '' `` Ave Maria '' `` The Rainbow Connection '' TV series / specials Make Your Own Kind of Music Live at the BBC Very First TV Special Space Encounters A Christmas Portrait Music, Music, Music DVDs Gold : Greatest Hits Interpretations Close to You : Remembering the Carpenters Related articles Discography Songs John Bettis Joe Osborn Tony Peluso If I Were a Carpenter The Karen Carpenter Story Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Close_to_You_(The_Carpenters_album)&oldid=788973702 '' Categories : 1970 albums The Carpenters albums Albums produced by Jack Daugherty ( musician ) A&M Records albums English - language albums Hidden categories : Pages with URL errors CS1 Japanese - language sources ( ja ) Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017 Track listings with deprecated parameters Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents Help About Wikipedia Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 4 July 2017, at 15 : 37. 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Question: who wrote close to you by the carpenters
Answer: Burt Bacharach/Hal David