Release date for ticket to ride song3/7/2024 As an unathletic teen, music was my life, and this bus driver had turned me on to Los Angeles' 93 KHJ radio by having it on every afternoon. I always sat as far to the front as I could. Seventh grade, sitting on the bus by myself (of course) and being patient for it to take off for the ride home. The Fall of 1970 would change everything. I knew more Rhythm and Blues and Pop songs by black artists to such large a degree that I was only slightly aware of the multitudes of hits by that little English band named the Beatles. They loved everything released by the Supremes, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder. The great hits of Motown were songs I knew by heart, as I would happily spend long lazy summers at my grandmother's house with my two teenaged aunts. Why even bother making friends when you knew you were going to move to another school anyway? Besides, I had the music to keep me company. Eventually, we settled into a pretty nice home, backyard pool included. Overall, we lived in 21 places before I was 18, with just 3 different homes from 7th to 12th grade. I loved everything about Southern California and totally embraced the lifestyle, although we moved constantly from one apartment to the next as my Dad got his career going and didn't always have money to pay the rent. (For you Disney fans, The Haunted Mansion had just opened in August 1969, only a few years after a New Tomorrowland and the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean.) "I'll give it a 75 because I can dance to it" was as common of phrase as me discussing Disneyland's next "E Ticket" at the dining room table. Dick Clark and American Bandstand were clearly my Mom's favorites. My folks were young and young at heart, less then two decades older than me, and music was a part of our home as long as I can remember. The beach was close enough to me that I'd spend quite a bit of time there, and Disneyland was actually the first destination I learned to reach once I was behind the wheel of a car. Growing up in Orange County, California, I was living in Garden Grove when I first became aware of Karen and Richard Carpenter. It was 1971, and several months earlier, I had purchased the duo's smash album mainly on the enduring strength of its second single, We've Only Just Begun. That question went round in my head the first time I discovered the Ticket to Ride LP in Wallich's Music City. "The Carpenters had an album out before Close to You?" Now for a fresh look at the incredible music of Carpenters! All this leads me to the point of reassessing my look at each album as we approach the 50th Anniversary of the duo's recording career. but from the people on the boards, I discovered a brand new appreciation for those selections I'd previously overlooked, changing my perspective and "Top Ten" lists over time. Īs with most fans of the duo, I was passionate about their music and had my favorite discs and songs. Like so many folks on those boards, I particularly enjoyed sharing the opinions and facts surrounding Karen's ill-fated solo album and Richard's own solo career after her passing. Reading the memories of concerts seen and television specials watched was delightful. Over the course of my interaction with these wonderful folks and the equally great moderators on the discussion board, I found I truly enjoyed wide range of perspectives regarding each album, song, and single and why this collection or that one was a success or failure. Fans of Karen and Richard, from many varied backgrounds and experiences, each with differing tastes, each with stories about how the duo and the music had impacted their lives. When I discovered the A&M Corner, it was an eye opener: seemingly there was hundreds of hard core fans on this site. This includes finally meeting my musical heroes. The articles also told the story of my life. As the reviews continued one album after another, one day I realized as I was also telling the story of life in sunny Southern California in the 70's, more specifically Orange County. When the blog first began many years ago, eventually I decided I'd review each album, beginning with Ticket to Ride. As you can tell, Carpenters music was woven into my life. Karen's untimely death occurred right before our very first wedding anniversary, with Voice of the Heart debuting just before our first child was born. As a young adult, their last album, Made in America came out while I was dating my wife. Many times their long playing albums and 45 RPM singles would be played on the entertainment center in my parent's living room. During my teen years, the music of Karen and Richard Carpenter was easily found on Top 40 Radio or spinning on my turntable (or later in the 8-Track player in my car).
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