Songwriter Roger Nichols, who died this month, will always be remembered for the classic hits he helped create for The Carpenters — the first of which owed a lot to pure luck.
We've Only Just Begun was written by Nichols with lyricist Paul Williams, and originally recorded by singer Smokey Roberds under the alias of Freddie Allen.
That version was released as a single in March 1970. But it was a different version that caught the ear of Richard Carpenter — the other half of the duo fronted by his sister and lead vocalist Karen Carpenter.
What Richard Carpenter heard was a short version of We've Only Just Begun, sung by lyricist Paul Williams and featured in a TV ad for US bank Crocker.
Due to both Williams and The Carpenters being signed to A&M Records, Richard Carpenter identified Williams’ voice on the TV ad.
When the two men met by chance at A&M’s base in Los Angeles, Carpenter asked if there was a full version of the song.
As Williams later recalled in the documentary Close To You: Remembering The Carpenters: “This was a major break, a chance to get an A-side and maybe even a hit, so we would have absolutely lied through our teeth if there wasn't a full song.”
The Carpenters’ version of We've Only Just Begun was released in the summer of 1970 and reached No.2 on the US Billboard chart.
Six months later, another Nichols/Williams composition, Rainy Days And Mondays, gave The Carpenters another No.2 hit.
“Richard and Karen gave our songs a life,” Williams said.
Before these successes, Nichols recorded an album in 1968 under the name Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends.
He made other albums under this name in later life.
In a long career, Nichols’ songs were hits for a wide variety of artists, including Three Dog Night, Art Garfunkel and Barbra Streisand.
He also wrote the theme to the hit TV series Hart To Hart.
Following Nichols’ death aged 84, Paul Williams posted on Instagram: “The first song, Roger Nichols and I wrote was called It’s Hard To Say Goodbye…
“Sadly, we hit the nail on the head.”
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