We've Only Just Begun | CarpentersCollection

We've Only Just Begun / All of My Life - 1970

After the success of "Close to You", the Carpenters followed it up with another huge hit. The song had it's beginnings as a California bank commercial with the background music being sung by the composer, Paul Williams. Richard heard it on tv and and thought the singer might be Paul Williams. He ran into Paul on the A&M lot and asked him if there was a complete song. There was. They recorded it and the rest is history. This is their first single to be given a picture sleeve. The "b" side is taken from their first album, Ticket to Ride.

We've Only Just Begun is ranked at #405 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" . In 1998 it was inducted in to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song was released on August 21, 1970 and peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart on September 12. It was kept out of the #1 spot by "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5 and "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family. It did reach #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and also #1 on the Cashbox chart. In the U.K. and Japan, it reached #28 and #71, respectively and made the top 100 for the Billboard year-end chart. The single is the same version that is on the album and this song is featured on over 40 albums/compilations.

The "37" on the single is probably due to a person cataloging their own collection. I purchased this single on eBay a few years ago.