“(They Long to Be) Close to You” is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as “They Long to Be Close to You”, without parentheses. However, it was the single’s flip side, “Blue Guitar”, that became a hit. Although Richard Chamberlain recorded the first version, the tune was also recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963 and re-recorded with a Burt Bacharach arrangement for her 1964 album Make Way for Dionne Warwick, and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single “Here I Am.” Bacharach released his own version in 1968. But the version recorded by The Carpenters is the best known, which became a hit in 1970.
In 1970, it was released by Karen and Richard Carpenter on their album Close to You, and it became their breakthrough hit. The song stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. This song was originally given to Herb Alpert as a follow up to his Number 1 hit, “This Guys In Love with You”. Herb was not thrilled with his version and shelved the recording. He decided to give it to the new act he had signed to A & M Records, The Carpenters. Herb’s version finally saw an official release in 2005 on a new Tijuana Brass release called Lost Treasures 1963-1974. Richard had stated that when Herb Alpert introduced the song to him back in early 1970, he was a bit apprehensive about the song, and didn’t have confidence in it. He and Alpert collaborated on the song, and the finished product was a 4-minute, 36-second long song. When A&M Records decided to release it in May 1970, it became A&M’s biggest hit since Alpert’s “This Guy’s in Love with You” from 1968.
With “(They Long to Be) Close to You”, The Carpenters earned a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers.
This song is Homer and Marge’s love song on The Simpsons, and is played numerous times in the series, as well as in the movie.

Allmusic’s retrospective review deemed Close to You “a surprisingly strong album”, particularly praising Richard Carpenter’s original compositions “Maybe it’s You”, “Crescent Noon”, and “Mr. Guder”, describing them as superlative displays of both Karen Carpenter’s vocal work and Richard’s arranging talents. They also derided contemporary criticism against the album, insinuating that the negative reaction stemmed from Close to You being a successful pop record at a time of great political turmoil.

By Carpenters

Lyrics