Carpenters were an award-winning brother/sister duo who helped define the dulcet soft pop/easy listening sound of the 70s. Richard and Karen Carpenter had numerous hits, with "Top of the World" being their second one. The song was covered by country singer Lynn Anderson and scored the #2 slot on the country charts. Karen decided they should release it as a single from their A Song for You album (1972) and it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two back-to-back weeks in 1973.
The song has the popular country pop sound that permeated the musical fabric of the 70s. Karen's ethereal, effortless voice lends a layer of innocence to the song that makes it that much more potent. The opening lyrics, "Such a feelin's comin' over me/There is wonder in 'most every thing I see," perfectly describe the tone of this song, pure. Though their ballads were sometimes described by critics as "saccharine," the public loved them. The Grammy winners were a hit-making machine during the 70s and toured extensively. They were indeed on top of the world
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About the Curator - Sonya Alexander
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.
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