1970 Hit Track, First Recorded by a Hollywood Actor, Became a No. 1 Career-Defining Love Ballad
Recording a cover song has often led to breakout and career-defining hits, and it was no different for American duo The Carpenters. Shortly after signing with a record label in 1969, Karen and Richard Carpenter released their second album, with a track that went No.1 and earned them their first Grammy win.
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" is considered a soft pop ballad that was originally released years earlier in 1963. It was first sung and released by Hollywood star George Chamberlain, who started as a teen heartthrob leading the show Dr. Kildare. He became known for hits like Centennial, Shōgun, the Three Musketeers trilogy, and the first to portray Jason Bourne.
Chamberlain's version had moderate success and was written by Burt Bacharach and his songwriting partner Hal David. It wasn't until the Carpenters released the track that it gained critical acclaim. According to American Songwriter, the song was shopped around to a few artists, including Herb Alpert, after his success with the 1968 track "This Guy's in Love With You."
Alpert ended up recording the track, but was displeased with it and never actually released it. It was said that he felt uncomfortable singing some of the lyrics, and instead passed it on to The Carpenters for consideration. Alpert felt they were better suited for the track after their hit "Ticket to Ride" entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Richard was then told by Bacharach that he could change the song anyway he wanted, as long as he kept the piano riff at the end of the bridge.
Along with some music changes, Richard felt the title was too long and was the one who added the parentheses around "They Long to Be." The ballad about longing love was soon released and dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 1 for four weeks, with a total of 17 weeks on the charts.
For the Carpenters, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" became their career-defining and breakthrough hit. It earned the music duo their first of three Grammy awards for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and was later certified gold. Having been released in early May, the song was also tagged as the best of the summer of 1971.
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" would also become a pop culture sensation that became a plot device in the 1989 film Parenthood, and was used in The Simpsons Movie. It would play a key part in the animated series during emotional moments between Homer and Marge.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 1:26 PM.