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(They Long to Be) Close to You

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mgquebec (talk | contribs) at 02:29, 24 July 2019 (→‎Other notable versions: added a cover version from the television show Glee). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other uses, see Close to You (disambiguation).
"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
File:They Long to Be Close to You by The Carpenters 7-inch US vinyl single.jpg
A-side label of U.S. 7-inch single
Single by The Carpenters
from the album Close to You
B-side"I Kept on Lovin' You"
ReleasedMay 15, 1970
Recorded1970
Genre
Length
  • 4:33 (LP)
  • 3:40 (single)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jack Daugherty
The Carpenters singles chronology
"Ticket to Ride"
(1969) 		"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
(1970) 		"We've Only Just Begun"
(1970)

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album Close to You (1970). It was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and produced by Jack Daugherty.

Released on May 15, 1970, the song topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It also reached the top of the Canadian and Australian charts, and peaked at number six on the charts of both the UK and Ireland.

The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 1970.

Background

The song was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You".[1] However, while the single's B-side, "Blue Guitar", became a hit, the A-side did not.[2][3] The tune was also recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963 and re-recorded with a Burt Bacharach arrangement for her album Make Way for Dionne Warwick (1964), and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single "Here I Am". Dusty Springfield recorded the song in August 1964, but her version was not released commercially until it appeared on her album Where Am I Going? (1967). Bacharach released his own version in 1971. But the version recorded by Carpenters with instrumental backing by L.A. studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew,[4] which became a hit in 1970, is the best known.

Carpenters version

Karen and Richard Carpenter recorded the most commercially successful version of the song

In 1970, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" was released by the Carpenters on their album Close to You (1970), and became their breakthrough hit. The song stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.

Bacharach and David gave Herb Alpert the song after he scored a number one hit in 1968 with "This Guy's in Love with You", which the duo had also written. Alpert recorded the song, but was displeased with the recording and did not release it. After The Carpenters achieved their first chart success with "Ticket to Ride" in 1969, Alpert convinced them to record their version of the song, believing it was a "good fit" for them.[5]

Carpenter and Alpert collaborated on the song, and the finished product was a 4-minute, 36-second long song. When A&M Records decided to remove the extended coda and release it as a 3-minute, 40-second long single in May 1970, it became A&M's biggest hit since Alpert's "This Guy's in Love with You" from 1968. Billboard ranked it as the number two song for 1970.[6]

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" earned the Carpenters a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers.[7] The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 12, 1970.[8]

Composition

Richard had originally written the flugelhorn solo part for Herb Alpert, but when he was unavailable, Chuck Findley was brought in. Richard later commented: "Chuck didn't play it that way at first, but I worked with him and he nailed it. A lot of people thought it was Herb – Bacharach thought so, too. But it's the way Findley is playing it."[9]

Personnel

Chart performance

Other notable versions

References

  1. ^ "Richard Chamberlain – They Long To Be Close To You (Song)". Hung Medien. 1963. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Hot 100 - Billboard". Billboard. 1963. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Adult Contemporary Chart - Billboard". Billboard. 1963. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  5. ^ "Carpenters Close To You (Album 1970) Karen Carpenter". leadsister.com. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  6. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970
  7. ^ "GRAMMY Award Results for Carpenters". The Recording Academy. Retrieved May 20, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "The Carpenters - (They Long to Be) Close to You - RIAA Gold Certification". RIAA. August 12, 1970. Retrieved June 11, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Randy L. Schmidt (2012). Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader. Chicago Review Press. p. 303.
  10. ^ Schmidt, Randy L. (13 August 2017). "Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader". Chicago Review Press. Retrieved 13 August 2017 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1970-08-15. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – (They Long to Be) Close to You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  13. ^ "Dutch Single Top 100". Single Top 100. September 9, 1970. Retrieved June 1, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Carpenters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  15. ^ "Carpenters Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  16. ^ "Carpenters Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 8/08/70". Tropicalglen.com. 1970-08-08. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  18. ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  21. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1970". Tropicalglen.com. 1970-12-26. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  22. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  23. ^ "They Long to Be Close to You". Glee TV Show Wiki. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  24. ^ "She Was Pretty: Episode 1 » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps". Dramabeans. 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
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