(They Long To Be) Close To You/ I Kept On Loving You

Here's a beautiful copy of the song that launched a thousand voices (that's about how many Richard Carpenter layered into each vocal track). :-) It wasn't their first single, but it was their first hit. Interestingly, the B side features Richard doing lead vocals on a decidedly upbeat, sunshine-pop style number. 'Course, when the layering starts, I can hear several dozen Karens in the lineup. :-) My wife says she likes it better than the hit side. Interestingly, this single is specially edited from a 4:34 album track. Note: This 45 record comes in a vintage A&M Records factory sleeve. It has very nearly Mint labels, and the vinyl (styrene) looks untouched. The amazing audio is also Near Mint, but no distortion.