Hate mail.  That is what the Carpenters received on the release of their next single.  People felt that they had "sold out" to hard rock, since this song has an extended fuzz guitar solo.  Some Adult Contemporary radio stations wouldn't play it.  It reached #7 on the Billboard chart.  It was released on June 19, 1972 and peaked on July 15.  It is considered by some to be the first "power ballad".  It is also the first Carpenter/Bettis song to reach the top ten. The week that it peaked, the #1 song was "Brandy" by Looking Glass.  The "b" side is a great album track from the same album.

 

The title and opening lyrics came to Richard after he watch an old Bing Crosby movie, in which his character is writing a song entitled "Goodbye to Love".  It is talked about, but never heard.

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I never get tired of this song.

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