Wikipedia

(They Long to Be) Close to You

"(They Long to Be) Close to You"is a song written byBurt BacharachandHal Davidwith sections of the early version written by Cathy Steeves. The best-known version is that recorded by American duothe Carpentersfor their second studio albumClose to You(1970) and produced byJack Daugherty.Released on May 14, 1970, the single topped both the USBillboardHot 100andAdult Contemporarycharts. 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 record was certifiedgoldby theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA) in August 1970.

"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
Side A of the Irish single
Singlebythe Carpenters
from the albumClose to You
B-side"I Kept on Lovin' You"
ReleasedMay 14, 1970
Genre
Length
  • 4:33(LP)
  • 3:40 (single)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jack Daugherty
The Carpenterssingles chronology
"Ticket to Ride"
(1969) 		"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
(1970) 		"We've Only Just Begun"
(1970)
Official audio
"[They Long To Be] Close To You"onYouTube

Early versions

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The song was first recorded byRichard Chamberlainand released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You" (without parentheses).[4]However, while the single's otherside,"Blue Guitar",became a hit," They Long to Be Close to You "did not.[5][6]The tune was also recorded as a demo byDionne Warwickin 1963, was re-recorded with aBurt Bacharacharrangement for her albumMake Way for Dionne Warwick(1964), and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single "Here I Am".Dusty Springfieldrecorded the song in August 1964, but her version was not released commercially until it appeared on her albumWhere Am I Going?(1967). Bacharach released his own version in 1971. But the version recorded byCarpenterswith instrumental backing by L.A. studio musicians from theWrecking Crew,[7]which became a hit in 1970, was the most successful.[8]

Carpenters version

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

In 1970, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was released by the Carpenters on their albumClose to You(1970) and became their breakthrough hit. Believing the original title to be too long, Richard Carpenter added parentheses around "They Long to Be".[9]The song charted on theBillboardHot 100for 17 weeks, including four at number one.[10]In 2018,Billboardranked "Close to You" the top single of the summer of 1970.[11]

Bacharach and David gaveHerb Alpertthe 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 he 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 well-suited for them.[12]

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 extendedcodaand 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.Billboardranked it as the number two song for 1970.[13]

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" earned the Carpenters aGrammy AwardforBest Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorusin 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers.[14]The song was certifiedgoldby theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA) on August 12, 1970.[15]Reaching number six on theUK Singles Chartin 1970, in a UK television special onITVin 2016 it was voted fourth in "The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song".[16]

Composition

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Richard had originally written theflugelhornsolo part forHerb Alpertbut when he was unavailable at the time of recording,Chuck Findleywas hired in his stead. 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."[17]

The arrangement was completely different from the version Bacharach cut with Richard Chamberlain, with one exception. When Richard Carpenter asked Bacharach for permission (as a courtesy) to redo the song, Bacharach requested that he keep the two "quintuplets"(five note groupings" (piano ornaments) at the end of the first bridge. Bacharach recalled his initial reaction on hearing the finished product: "Man, this is just great! I completely blew it with Richard Chamberlain but now someone else has come along and made a record so much better than mine."[18]

Use in other media

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The song plays a key part throughout the animated television showThe Simpsons,being used prominently during emotional moments betweenHomerandMarge Simpsonover the course of the series. It is first used in the second season episode "The Way We Was",a flashback episode detailing how the couple met; Homer is first shown listening to the song in the car, and it later plays when he sees Marge for the first time inhigh school detention,and throughout the rest of the episode. It is also the tune of the doorbell that won't stop in the episode "Maximum Homerdrive".It later features inThe Simpsons Movie(2007), as Homer tearfully watches a videotape left behind by Marge inAlaskacontaining the couple'sfirst danceto the song, and subsequently collapses onto a broken heart-shaped iceberg in anguish.[19]

Reception

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Billboardhighlighted "Close to You" in its "Spotlight Singles" section on May 30, 1970, commenting about the song: "Performance is exceptional."[20]

In a 1995New York Times Magazinestory about love songs released in summers,Stephan Taltydescribed "Close to You" as a "hushed love song" that "[set] the tone for a generation's soft ballads" in 1970.[21]

In 2014, Rob Hoerburger ofThe New York Timesobserved that the song "highlights both Karen’s aching alto and Richard’s deft piano playing and elegantSatie-like arrangement. "[22]

Personnel

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Chart performance

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[39] Gold 1,000,000^

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Gwen Guthrie version

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"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
SinglebyGwen Guthrie
from the albumGood to Go Lover
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1986
GenreR&B
Length5:33
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Producer(s)Gwen Guthrie, David Conley, Jerome Gasper
Gwen Guthriesingles chronology
"Good to Go Lover"
(1986) 		"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
(1986) 		"Friends & Lovers"
(1987)

In 1986,Gwen Guthriereleased her version of the song, which could only partially build on the success of her hit "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On but the Rent".Compared to the original, this version is very synthesizer-heavy and is adapted to the time.

Music video

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In the music video, Gwen Guthrie sings the song on a stage while the crowd dances and papparazi crowd the stage.[40]

Track listing

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12 "Maxi

  1. "(They Long To Be) Close To You" - 7:14
  2. "You Touched My Life" - 5:07
  3. "Save Your Love For Me" - 4:50

Charts

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Chart (1986–87) Peak
position
UK Singles(OCC)[41] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42] 9
Ireland (IRMA) 19
USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs(Billboard)[43] 69

References

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  1. ^Smith, Troy L. (14 December 2021)."Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best".Cleveland.com.Retrieved30 January2023.
  2. ^DeMain, Bill (1997). "Burt Bacharach". In Jones, Dylan (ed.).Ultra Lounge: The Lexicon of Easy Listening.New York:Universe Publishing.p. 33.
  3. ^Harcourt, Nic (2005). "Brothers and Sisters".Music Lust.Seattle:Sasquatch Books.p. 29.ISBN1570614377.
  4. ^"Richard Chamberlain – They Long To Be Close To You (Song)".Hung Medien.1963.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
  5. ^"Hot 100 - Billboard".Billboard.1963.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
  6. ^"Adult Contemporary Chart - Billboard".Billboard.1963.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
  7. ^Hartman, Kent (2012).The Wrecking Crew.St. Martin's Griffin.pp.261–263.ISBN978-1-250-03046-7.
  8. ^McCormick, Scott (2019-09-04)."Fifth time's the charm: The Carpenter's smash hit," Close to You "".Disc Makers.
  9. ^Bronson, Fred (2003).The Billboard Book of Number One Hits.New York: Billboard Books. p. 278.ISBN9780823076772– via Google Books.
  10. ^"Carpenters".Billboard.RetrievedOctober 31,2024.
  11. ^Billboard Staff (June 6, 2018)."Summer Songs 1958-2018: The Top 10 Tunes of Each Summer".Billboard.Archived fromthe originalon December 7, 2019.RetrievedOctober 31,2024.
  12. ^"Carpenters Close To You (Album 1970) Karen Carpenter".leadsister.com.RetrievedMay 1,2016.
  13. ^BillboardYear-End Hot 100 singles of 1970
  14. ^"GRAMMY Award Results for Carpenters".The Recording Academy.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  15. ^"The Carpenters - (They Long to Be) Close to You - RIAA Gold Certification".RIAA.August 12, 1970.RetrievedJune 11,2019.
  16. ^"The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song".ITV.Retrieved25 May2020.[dead link]
  17. ^Schmidt, Randy L. (2012).Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader.Chicago Review Press.p. 303.ISBN9781613744147.
  18. ^Bacharach, Burt (2013).Anyone Who Had a Heart.HarperCollins.ISBN978-0-06-220606-0.
  19. ^Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Scully, Mike; Silverman, David; Castellaneta, Dan; Smith, Yeardley (2007).Audio commentary(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  20. ^"Spotlight Singles"(PDF).Billboard.Vol. 82, no. 22. May 30, 1970. p. 76.RetrievedOctober 30,2024– via World Radio History.
  21. ^Talty, Stephen (August 13, 1995)."The No. 1 Summer Song of Love".The New York Times Magazine.p. 37.RetrievedOctober 30,2024.
  22. ^Hoerburger, Rob (January 7, 2014)."Karen Carpenter: Voice of a Lifetime".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 30,2024.
  23. ^Schmidt, Randy L. (13 August 2017).Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader.Chicago Review Press.ISBN9781613744178.Retrieved13 August2017– via Google Books.
  24. ^"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".Collectionscanada.gc.ca.1970-08-15.Retrieved2018-03-25.
  25. ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – (They Long to Be) Close to You ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  26. ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Carpenters "(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.
  27. ^"Carpenters – (They Long To Be) Close To You "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.
  28. ^"Carpenters: Artist Chart History".Official Charts Company.Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  29. ^"Carpenters Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  30. ^"Carpenters Chart History (Adult Contemporary)".Billboard.Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  31. ^"Cash Box Top 100 8/08/70".Tropicalglen.com.1970-08-08. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-06-08.Retrieved2016-10-03.
  32. ^"Australian Chart Book".Austchartbook.com.au.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-05.Retrieved2016-10-03.
  33. ^"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".collectionscanada.gc.ca.17 July 2013.
  34. ^"Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970".Musicoutfitters.com.Retrieved2016-10-03.
  35. ^"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1970".Tropicalglen.com.1970-12-26. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-07-22.Retrieved2016-10-03.
  36. ^"Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".Billboard.RetrievedMay 9,2019.
  37. ^"Aussie Success"(PDF).Cash Box.Vol. 33, no. 51. June 10, 1972. p. 33.RetrievedJanuary 29,2020– via American Radio History.
  38. ^"British single certifications – Carpenters – (They Long to Be) Close to You".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedOctober 6,2024.
  39. ^"American single certifications – Carpenters – Close to you".Recording Industry Association of America.RetrievedJanuary 29,2020.
  40. ^[1],Music video at youtube.com
  41. ^Chartsurfer.de
  42. ^charts.nz
  43. ^"Gwen Guthrie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)".Billboard.
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