A Song for You (The Carpenters album)

1972 studio album by The Carpenters

A Song for You

Studio album by

The Carpenters

Released| June 13, 1972
Studio| A&M (Hollywood)
Genre|

* Pop
* soft rock
* easy listening
* adult contemporary

Length| 36:57
Label| A&M
Producer| Jack Daugherty Productions
The Carpenters chronology
| Carpenters
(1971)  | A Song for You
(1972)  | Now & Then
(1973)

|
|

Singles from  A Song for You

1. "Bless the Beasts and Children"
Released: August 12, 1971
2. "Hurting Each Other"
Released: December 23, 1971
3. "It's Going to Take Some Time"
Released: April 13, 1972
4. "Goodbye to Love"
Released: June 19, 1972
5. "Top of the World"
Released: September 17, 1973
6. "I Won't Last a Day Without You"
Released: March 25, 1974

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
Rolling Stone| (Average)[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [3]

A Song for You is the fourth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on June 22, 1972. According to Richard Carpenter, A Song for You was intended to be a concept album (of sorts) with the title tune opening and closing the set and the bookended selections comprising the 'song'. "A Song for You" was written by songwriter Leon Russell.[4][5]

In Cash Box's Top 100 Albums of 1972, A Song for You was ranked number 26.[6]

Six songs were released as A-side singles internationally: "Hurting Each Other", "It's Going to Take Some Time", "Goodbye to Love", "Top of the World", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", and "Bless the Beasts and Children".

## Singles[edit]

"Hurting Each Other", a cover of an obscure Ruby & the Romantics tune, was the first single issued from A Song for You in early 1972, and reached number two, becoming the Carpenters' sixth straight gold single.[citation needed] A cover of Carole King's "It's Going to Take Some Time" followed and peaked at number 12, and was followed by the number seven hit "Goodbye to Love", which was refused airplay on some easy listening radio stations because of a fuzz guitar solo by Tony Peluso. The song had a significant impact on the power ballad songs which followed. The album also included the Carpenters' version of the Academy Award-nominated title song from the 1971 film Bless the Beasts and Children, which had already charted at number 67 on the Hot 100 as the flip side of the duo's version of "Superstar".[citation needed]

The album's biggest hit single, the number one song "Top of the World", was not issued until over a year after the album's release.[citation needed] According to Richard Carpenter, who co-wrote the song with John Bettis, the reason for the song's late release in the US was that he had misjudged the song's commercial appeal, but was proven wrong when the Carpenters' "Top of the World" became a hit in Japan in 1972 and Lynn Anderson's cover reached number 2 on the US country charts in 1973. The song went through a few minor revisions, including a slight remix, before it was finally released as a single in the US. The Carpenters' treatment of the much-covered Paul Williams/Roger Nichols composition "I Won't Last a Day Without You" also got a belated single release in 1974, and peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.[citation needed]

With the exception of "Bless the Beasts and Children", which peaked at number 26 on the AC chart, all of the album's charted singles made either number one ("Hurting Each Other", "I Won't Last a Day Without You") or number two on the Adult Contemporary chart. The album and its singles were also successful internationally; "Goodbye to Love" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You" made the top ten on the UK Singles Chart as a double A-side, and "Top of the World" made the Oricon singles chart in Japan on three occasions (number 21 in 1972, number 52 in 1973, and number 83 in 1996).[citation needed]

## Track listing[edit]

All lead vocals by Karen Carpenter, except where noted.

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "A Song for You"| Leon Russell| 4:42
2.| "Top of the World"|

* John Bettis
* Richard Carpenter

| 2:56
3.| "Hurting Each Other"|

* Gary Geld
* Peter Udell

| 2:46
4.| "It's Going to Take Some Time"|

* Carole King
* Toni Stern

| 2:55
5.| "Goodbye to Love"|

* Bettis
* R. Carpenter

| 3:50
6.| "Intermission" (lead vocals: K. and R. Carpenter)| R. Carpenter| 0:22

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

7.| "Bless the Beasts and Children"|

* Perry Botkin Jr.
* Barry DeVorzon

| 3:07
8.| "Flat Baroque" (instrumental)| R. Carpenter| 1:45
9.| "Piano Picker" (lead vocals: R. Carpenter)| Randy Edelman| 1:59
10.| "I Won't Last a Day Without You"|

* Roger Nichols
* Paul Williams

| 3:47
11.| "Crystal Lullaby" (lead vocals by K. and R. Carpenter)|

* Bettis
* R. Carpenter

| 3:53
12.| "Road Ode"|

* Gary Sims
* Dan Woodhams

| 3:50
13.| "A Song for You" (Reprise)| Russell| 0:53

## Personnel[edit]

* Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals, drums
* Richard Carpenter – lead and backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electronic piano, Hammond organ, celesta, orchestration
* Tony Peluso – lead guitar
* Louie Shelton – guitar
* Red Rhodes – steel guitar
* Buddy Emmons – pedal steel guitar on "Top of the World"
* Joe Osborn – bass guitar
* Hal Blaine – drums
* Earl Dumler – oboe, English horn
* Bob Messenger – tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute
* Tim Weisberg – bass flute on "It's Going to Take Some Time"
* Norm Herzberg – bassoon
* Gary Coleman – percussion on "Hurting Each Other"
* Bernie Grundman, Richard Carpenter – remastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering

## Charts[edit]

### Weekly charts[edit]

| Chart (1972-1974)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 6
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 5
Japanese Albums (Oricon[9] | 5
UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 13
US Billboard 200[11] | 4

### Year-end charts[edit]

| Chart (1972)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[12] | 78

## Certifications[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Japan (Oricon Charts)  | —  | 102,000[13]
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Gold  | 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[15] | 3× Platinum  | 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Eder, Bruce. The Carpenters - A Song for You (1972) album review, credits & releases at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
2. ^ Stephen, Holden (1972-12-12). "Carpenters: A Song for You: Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
3. ^ 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. "rolling stone carpenters album guide."
4. ^ A Song for You CD insert
5. ^ "Leon Russell - Best Of Leon (Vinyl, LP, Compilation) | Discogs". Discogs. February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
6. ^ Cash Box YE Pop Albums – 1972
7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
8. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4183". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
9. ^ "– Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) – Albums Chart Daijiten – Carpenters". a-カーペンターズ (in Japanese). 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2012-02-21.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
11. ^ "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
12. ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1972". billboard.biz. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
13. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
14. ^ "great britain's million sellers, 1973-74" (PDF). Cash Box. July 6, 1974. p. 8, Part II. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
15. ^ "American album certifications – Carpenters – A Song for You". Recording Industry Association of America.

## External links[edit]

* The Carpenters - A Song for You (1972) album releases & credits at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

The Carpenters

* Karen Carpenter
* Richard Carpenter

Studio albums|

* Offering (Ticket to Ride) (1969)
* Close to You (1970)
* Carpenters (1971)
* A Song for You (1972)
* Now & Then (1973)
* Horizon (1975)
* A Kind of Hush (1976)
* Passage (1977)
* Christmas Portrait (1978)
* Made in America (1981)
* Voice of the Heart (1983)
* An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984)
* Lovelines (1989)
* As Time Goes By (2001)

Live albums|

* Live in Japan (1975)
* Live at the Palladium (1976)

Compilation albums|

* The Singles: 1969–1973 (1973)
* The Singles: 1974–1978 (1978)
* The Very Best of the Carpenters (1982)
* Yesterday Once More (1984)
* Only Yesterday (1990)
* From the Top (1991)
* Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration (1995)
* Love Songs (1997)
* Reflections (1998)
* The Singles: 1969–1981 (2000)
* The Essential Collection: 1965–1997 (2002)
* Carpenters Perform Carpenter (2003)
* Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition (2004)
* The Ultimate Collection (2006)
* 40/40 (2009)
* Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)

Solo albums|

* Time (1987)
* Karen Carpenter (1996)
* Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor (1998)

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 Won'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"
* "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 Doesn't Love You Anymore"
* "Little Altar Boy"
* "Honolulu City Lights"
* "Something in Your Eyes"
* "If I Had You"
* "Ave Maria"
* "The Rainbow Connection"

Other songs|

* "Let Me Be the One"
* "A Song for You"
* "This Masquerade"
* "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
* "Can't Smile Without You"
* "I Just Fall in Love Again"
* "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"

Television series
and specials|

* Make Your Own Kind of Music (1971)
* Live at the BBC (1971)
* Very First TV Special (1976)
* Space Encounters (1978)
* A Christmas Portrait (1978)
* Music, Music, Music (1980)

Music video releases|

* Gold: Greatest Hits (1991 VHS / 2002 DVD)
* Interpretations (1995 VHS / 2003 DVD)

Documentaries|

* Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters (1998)
* Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007)

Related|

* Discography
* Songs
* John Bettis
* Tony Peluso
* If I Were a Carpenter
* Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
* The Karen Carpenter Story
* Classic Carpenters

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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