Re: RIP

On 2025-05-23, CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

On 2025-05-23 2:46 p.m., % wrote:

.
 
Roger Nichols, the composer behind some of Carpenters’ greatest hits,
has died at the age of 84. The songwriter was a composer and songwriter
who was behind Carpenters’ biggest hits We’ve Only Just Begun and Rainy
Days and Mondays, and was a frequent collaborator. It was announced that
he died on May 17, but the news was only just made public. Paul
Williams, his songwriting partner of many years, confirmed the news in a
post (Picture: AnythingGoes)

>
A composer of some of the prettiest and most memorable songs of the 20th
century. He will be missed.

From Wikipedia, interesting story about how "We've Only Just Begun" become a
hit. It was originally written as a jingle for a Crocker Bank ad.

   Nichols' collaborations with Paul Williams include "We've Only Just
   Begun" (performed by The Carpenters), which was originally written for a
   Crocker Bank commercial. They were commissioned to write a jingle after a
   bank executive heard Nichols' album, and it was composed in a matter of
   hours on the last day before the deadline. The commercial (sung by
   Williams) was heard on TV by Richard Carpenter, who believed it had hit
   potential. According to the documentary Close to You: Remembering The
   Carpenters, Williams reported that his label-mate Richard called him up
   and asked if there was a complete song. Williams replied, "We had an
   additional verse and a bridge, but if we didn't I'd have lied through my
   teeth. This was a chance to get a Carpenters record which was a big deal
   in those days. Richard and Karen gave our songs a life."
  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97X9huy7pHQ
   
Richard Carpenter didn't have his sister's voice, but he was pretty creative
himself.

A&M Records, founded by Herb Albert (The Tijuana Brass) and partner, Jerry
Moss, is also an interesting story.

--
Jesus sat with sinners: He didn't sin
with them. Know the difference.