![]() ![]() The work takes up the entire B-side of the album. Composed in the key of E and as originally presented on the album, "Yesterday Once More" segues into a long medley, consisting of eight covers of 1960s tunes incorporated into a faux oldies radio program. See an interview with John Bettis at /music."Yesterday Once More", written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, is a hit song by the Carpenters from their 1973 album Now & Then. In partnership with Nashville Songwriters Association International, each week we will release a video interview with a songwriter about his or her work. Compiled by Dave Paulson, The Tennessean It was never any better than that, and the record really wasn't that much different. ![]() The record just kind of bloomed in front of me. It was one of those moments you live for, because she was so comfortable with us, and Richard could play so well that you could feel the arrangement. So we got it finished, and then she came back in and sang it. Well, then you did waste your time, and Karen pulled you back in the right direction. She didn't want it to be the names of things and stuff. We told her what we were working on in the verses and she said, "No, I hate that." (laughs) That was the only comment she ever made. She came in and said, "What have you got for me?" We said, "Well, it's not done." We played her the chorus and she, of course, loved it. She wouldn't bother us, but she'd make sure we weren't just fooling around. ![]() But Karen came in at one point from shopping. No you didn't because you made the right choice. Were we going to do one of those "Rock and Roll Heaven" things, referring to old records and artists like Buddy Holly, or were we not? We wasted four or five hours doing that. We couldn't figure out how to do the verses. I saw a circle, and it was "Yesterday Once More.". I showed up in his piano room and saw my sheets of paper all over the floor. So I went over there, and we had two or three days to write. There must have been 70 of them, and I got them over to Richard's house. I wrote maybe five pages of (song) titles. This is when (1973 movie) "American Graffiti" had just been out, so it made some commercial sense. So he called me and said, "We've really got to have an anthem." This is when "Grease" was getting the Tony (Award). But he knew he couldn't get away with that without an original song to hang it all together. We'd had "Goodbye to Love." Richard had no time to find any material, so he was going to do one side of an album as oldies. Richard and Karen were on the road a lot. ![]() She sang that way when she was 16.ĭo you remember the writing of "Yesterday Once More?"ĭistinctly. I've got to ask you (about) the first time you heard Karen sing a song.Įxactly like you'd (think). We'll get some other people from the music department here and make a band." Let's put a group together, the three of us. He asked me at one point, he said, "Look, I've got a sister who sings great and plays drums. (Richard and I) got to know each other, and we talked about girls and cars and stuff.Ĭal State at Long Beach. John Bettis: (Laughs) I remember them! The Carpenters were my garage band. Let me see, who were they? Karen and Richard Carpenter. Watch Video: The Story Behind the Song: 'Yesterday Once More'īart Herbison: It kind of started, you get out of college and you're in a band with a couple people. ![]()
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