(They Long to Be) Close to You

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"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
Dutch 7-inch single
Single by The Carpenters
from the album Close to You
B-side "I Kept on Lovin' You"
Released May 15, 1970
Format 7" single
Recorded 1970
Genre Pop
Length 4:33 (LP version)
3:40 (7" single)
Label A&M 1183
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Jack Daugherty
Certification Gold (RIAA)
The Carpenters singles chronology
"Ticket to Ride"
(1969)		 "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
(1970)		 "We've Only Just Begun"
(1970)
Close to You track listing
Side one
  1. "We've Only Just Begun"
  2. "Love Is Surrender"
  3. "Maybe It's You"
  4. "Reason to Believe"
  5. "Help!"
  6. "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
Side two
  1. "Baby It's You"
  2. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
  3. "Crescent Noon"
  4. "Mr. Guder"
  5. "I Kept on Loving You"
  6. "Another Song"

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Background

The song was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You", without parentheses. However, only that single's flip side, "Blue Guitar", became a hit. The tune was also recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963 and re-recorded with a Burt Bacharach arrangement for her 1964 album Make Way for Dionne Warwick, and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single "Here I Am". Bacharach released his own version in 1968. But the version recorded by The Carpenters, with instrumental backing by L.A. studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew,[1] which became a hit in 1970, is the best known.

The first recorded duet of this song is attributed to Dinah Washington and Lionel Hampton, which can be found on YouTube.[2] The song can be found on Hampton's 1995 album Jazz Moods.[3] and on the 1996 compilation double-CD Dinah Wasshington, released in the Netherlandson the Bluenite label.[4] As Washington died in late 1963, this is believed to be one of the first recordings of this song.

The Carpenters version

In 1970, it was released by the Carpenters on their album Close to You, and it became their breakthrough hit. The song stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. This song was originally given to Herb Alpert as a follow up to his Number 1 hit, "This Guy's in Love with You", another Bacharach-David composition. Alpert was not thrilled with his version and shelved the recording. Looking for a follow-up to their first A&M Records/Billboard No. 54 recording Ticket to Ride, in 1969 Alpert decided to give it to the Carpenters (Alpert's version was released in 2005 on the Tijuana Brass album Lost Treasures 1963–1974). Richard had stated that when Alpert introduced the song to him back in early 1970, he was a bit apprehensive about the song.[citation needed] He and Alpert collaborated on the song, and the finished product was a 4-minute, 36-second long song. When A&M Records decided to 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 No. 2 song for 1970.[5]

With "(They Long to Be) Close to You", the Carpenters earned 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.

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."[6]

Personnel

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1970) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 1
Record World 1
Canadian Singles Chart 1
Oricon (Japanese) Singles Chart 71
Cash Box 1
UK Singles Chart 6

Other cover versions

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References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Close To You on YouTube
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Harry Connick Jr. Announces New Album Produced by Clive Davis, vintageguitar.com, July 30, 2009. Accessed 2009-08-13. Archived 2009-08-15.
  9. ↑ Harry Connick, Jr. - Your Songs, Barnes & Noble. Accessed 2009-08-13. Archived 2009-08-15.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Preceded by Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single (The Carpenters version)
July 11, 1970 (six weeks)		 Succeeded by
"I Just Can't Help Believing" by B.J. Thomas
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
July 25, 1970 (four weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Make It With You" by Bread
Preceded by RPM number-one single
August 8, 1970 (two weeks)		 Succeeded by
"As the Years Go By" by Mashmakhan
Preceded by Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
October 19, 1970 (three weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Lookin' Out My Back Door" / "Long as I Can See the Light" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
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