"Goodbye to Love" is a song composed by
Richard Carpenter and
John Bettis
John Gregory Bettis (born October 24, 1946) is an American lyricist. He was originally part of the band Spectrum, which also featured Richard and Karen Carpenter. He wrote the lyrics for " Top of the World", a hit for both Lynn Anderson and Th ...
. It was released by
the Carpenters
The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...
in 1972. On the ''
Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters'' documentary,
Tony Peluso
Anthony F. Peluso (March 28, 1950 – June 5, 2010) was an American guitarist and record producer. He was lead guitarist for pop duo Carpenters from 1972 to 1983.
Peluso played the fuzz guitar solo on the Carpenters' song " Goodbye to Love". He ...
stated that this was one of the first
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romance (love), romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn m ...
s, if not the first, to have a
fuzz guitar
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly ...
solo. "Goodbye to Love" was the first Carpenters hit written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis.
Background
While visiting
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, Richard Carpenter watched a 1940
Bing Crosby film on The Late Movie called ''
Rhythm on the River
''Rhythm on the River'' is a 1940 musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby and Mary Martin as ghostwriters whose songs are credited to a composer played by Basil Rathbone. Crosby and Martin sang " Only Forever ...
''. Carpenter noticed that the characters kept referring to the struggling songwriter's greatest composition, "Goodbye to Love". Carpenter said, "You never hear it in the movie, they just keep referring to it", and he immediately envisioned the tune and lyrics, starting with:
: I'll say goodbye to love.
: No one ever cared if I should live or die.
: Time and time again, the chance for
: Love has passed me by...
He said that while the melody in his head kept going, the lyrics stopped "because I'm not a lyricist". He completed the rest of his arrangement upon his return to the United States.
While the Carpenters were working on the song, Carpenter decided that a
fuzz guitar
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly ...
solo should be included.
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was prais ...
called guitarist
Tony Peluso
Anthony F. Peluso (March 28, 1950 – June 5, 2010) was an American guitarist and record producer. He was lead guitarist for pop duo Carpenters from 1972 to 1983.
Peluso played the fuzz guitar solo on the Carpenters' song " Goodbye to Love". He ...
and asked him to play on the record. Tony remembers: "At first I didn't believe that it was actually Karen Carpenter on the phone but she repeated her name again. ... It was at this point that I realized it was really her and that I was speaking to one of my idols." She told him that she and Richard were working on a song called "Goodbye to Love", that they were familiar with Tony's work with a band called Instant Joy, and that he would be perfect for the sound they were looking for.
Peluso first played something soft and sweet, but then Richard Carpenter said:
"No, no, no! Play the melody for five bars and then burn it up! Soar off into the stratosphere! Go ahead! It'll be great!"
John Bettis has said that Richard Carpenter kept calling him, raving about the guitar solo. He was wondering why Richard was going on about the solo until he heard it. The lyricist said he cried when he first heard the song because he had never heard an electric guitar sound like that. He said Tony Peluso "had a certain almost
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...
sounding guitar growl that worked against the wonderful
melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly d ...
of that song". He went on to say the "way it growls at you, especially at the end" was unbelievable.
Release and reception
The finished product was released on June 19, 1972, and reached No. 7 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was the first song written by the songwriting team of Carpenter/Bettis to reach the US top ten. The Carpenters received
hate mail
Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwi ...
(claiming that the Carpenters had
sold out
"Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal ga ...
and gone
hard rock) because of Richard's idea for a fuzz guitar solo in a love ballad.
"Goodbye to Love" has been described as the prototypical
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romance (love), romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn m ...
.
''
Cash Box'' said that the "funky guitar adds spice to the most notable Jack Dougherty production."
In the UK, the song was originally released in 1972 as the B-side to "
I Won't Last a Day Without You
"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song by the Carpenters with lyrics written by Paul Williams and music composed by Roger Nichols. It was released in the U.K. in September 1972, paired with " Goodbye to Love" as a double-A side. The sing ...
". The sides were switched shortly after the record's release, and it reached No. 9 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming the duo's second top ten hit there (the first being "
(They Long to Be) Close to You
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The best-known version is that recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album '' Close to You'' (1970) and produced by Jack Daugherty. Rel ...
").
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Personnel
*
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was prais ...
lead and backing vocals
*
Richard Carpenterbacking vocals, piano,
Hammond organ,
Wurlitzer electronic piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptua ...
, orchestration
*
Joe Osbornbass guitar
*
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...
drums
*
Tony Peluso
Anthony F. Peluso (March 28, 1950 – June 5, 2010) was an American guitarist and record producer. He was lead guitarist for pop duo Carpenters from 1972 to 1983.
Peluso played the fuzz guitar solo on the Carpenters' song " Goodbye to Love". He ...
electric
fuzz guitar
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly ...
*Earl Dumleroboe
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Songs about heartache
Songs about parting
The Carpenters songs
1972 songs
1972 singles
Songs with lyrics by John Bettis
Rock ballads
Songs written by Richard Carpenter (musician)
1970s ballads
A&M Records singles