Carpenters - Collected

Richard and Karen Carpenter's journey began in New Haven before taking shape in the creative heart of Southern California. From their early days as the award-winning Richard Carpenter Trio to the harmony-rich pop of Spectrum, the siblings steadily refined the sound that would soon captivate the world. Their breakthrough came after a homemade demo reached Herb Alpert, leading to a signing with A&M Records in 1969.

What followed was an extraordinary run of timeless hits. (They Long to Be) Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Superstar, Rainy Days And Mondays, Top of the World, and Yesterday Once More became defining songs of an era, each shaped by Richard's meticulous arrangements and Karen's warm, unmistakable voice. Next to these iconic songs, there are two solo tracks included, Karen's Still Crazy After All These Years and Karen's Theme by Richard, who dedicated this song to Karen after her tragical passing in 1983.

During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 11 albums, 31 singles, five television specials, and a short-lived television series. The Carpenters had three No. 1 singles and five No. 2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen No. 1 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles. To date, the Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.