(They Long To Be)   CLOSE TO YOU  

Music by Burt Bacharach

Lyrics by Hal David

Burt Bacharach had heard our version of “Ticket To Ride” not long after its release and had mentioned to Jerry Moss that he liked it.  Jerry told Burt that the artists also recorded for A&M.  This led to our being asked by Burt to arrange a medley of some of his tunes and open the show at a benefit for which he would be performing.  The benefit performance – for the Reiss-Davis Clinic – took place on February 26 of 1970.  During the time I was selecting tunes for the medley, Herb Alpert asked me if I was familiar with a little-known Bacharach/David song named “They Long To Be Close To You.”   I was not.  Herb gave me a lead sheet of the song, and after working up an arrangement, I decided against it for the medley.  With some subsequent urging from Herb, however, we decided to record the song on its own.  Several recordings were made until everyone concerned felt it was right.  We were all quite proud of the final result, but realized it was different than anything else of its time.  Prior to its release on May 15 of 1970, Herb asked us how we thought the recording would go over.  I remember answering it would either hit Number One or “stiff” completely.  No in-between.  (“Ticket…” had peaked nationally at #54.) Thankfully, the former proved to be true, and the release of “Close To You” (I had presumptuously taken it upon myself to shorten the original title) marked the turning point in our career.

New Hidden Valley Music administered by WB Music Corp. / Casa David (ASCAP)

Produced by Jack Daugherty

Arranged by Richard Carpenter

Lead Vocal: Karen Carpenter

Backing Vocals: Karen and Richard Carpenter

Keyboards: Richard Carpenter

Bass: Joe Osborn

Drums: Hal Blaine

Trumpets: Chuck Findley

Engineers: Ray Gerhardt and Dick Bogert

From the album Close To You (1970)

Last Updated June 4, 2008

May 2004  © Richard Carpenter

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