We've Only Just Begun

"We've Only Just Begun" is a classic song by the renowned American duo, the Carpenters. Written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics), the song initially gained traction as part of a wedding-themed advertisement. It later became a chart-topping single, securing its place as one of the Carpenters' signature tracks. The song was ranked at No. 414 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."^[3] It also remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks, reaching a peak position of No. 2.^[4]

"We've Only Just Begun"
Artwork for U.S. vinyl single
Single by Carpenters
from the album Close to You
B-side	"All of My Life"
Released	August 21, 1970
Recorded	1970
Genre	Soft rock[1][2]
Length	3:05
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Paul Williams; Roger Nichols
Producer(s)	Jack Daugherty
Carpenters singles chronology
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" (1970) "We've Only Just Begun" (1970) "Merry Christmas Darling" (1970)

History

Creation for advertising

The origins of We've Only Just Begun can be traced back to a 1970 television commercial for Crocker-Citizens National Bank in California.^[5] Facing challenges with name recognition and competition, the bank sought to connect with young customers starting their lives. Hal Riney, a creative force at the advertising agency Hal Riney & Partners, envisioned a new kind of commercial - one that told a story through music, rather than selling a product directly. Riney's team provided songwriters Paul Williams and Roger Nichols with the slogan, "You've got a long way to go. We'd like to help you get there," and explained that the commercial would highlight a couple's wedding and their journey ahead.^[6]

Williams and Nichols wrote the song in a single afternoon, matching the warmth and optimism Riney wanted. The resulting ad - set to wedding visuals and Williams's heartfelt vocal - intentionally left out direct references to the bank, making the message universal.^[6][7] The commercial's launch was an immediate hit: it resonated with younger customers, boosted brand recognition, and even led to a surge in requests to use the song for wedding and graduations. The unique approach of focusing on storytelling and customer experience, rather than bank products, helped set a new standard for advertising in the industry.^[6] However, the campaign ultimately attracted mostly young adults who did not yet have sufficient collateral for loans, which was not the bank's primary target demographic. As a result, Crocker-Citizens National Bank discontinued the commercial despite its popularity, though its impact on advertising and music endured.^[6][7]

Recording history

Before becoming a Carpenters classic, We've Only Just Begun was recorded by Smokey Roberds, a friend of Nichols, under the pseudonym "Freddie Allen". It was released in March 1970 but did not get significant airplay.^[7] Richard Carpenter encountered the song when he saw the commercial on television and immediately recognized Paul Williams' distinctive voice. Curious about the possibility of a full-length version, Carpenter approached Williams and Roger Nichols at A&M Records, where both parties were under contract, to ask if the song extend beyond what was featured in the ad.^[6][7] The TV version consisted of two verses with no bridge, but Williams assured Carpenter that a fuller version of the song had already been written.^[7]

According to Williams in the documentary Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters "We'd had some success with songs before, a few album cuts and some B-sides – but no singles. 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' rendition, featuring Karen Carpenter's melancholic lead vocals and Richard Carpenter's harmonies, seized significant commercial success upon its release in August 1970, three months after their hit "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was released. It became the group's second consecutive top-five single, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100^[4] and No. 1 on the Cash Box single chart.^[8] Furthermore, it spend seven weeks as the top song on the Adult Contemporary chart.^[9] This performance made it one of their most successful and celebrated tracks.

The Carpenters' version went on to win prestigious awards, contributing to their Grammy wins for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo or Group for their album Close to You in 1971.^[10] Additionally, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in recognition of its lasting historical and cultural significance.^[10]

Williams recorded his own version of the song for his 1971 album Just an Old Fashioned Love Song.

Cash Box described the song as having "delicious lyrics and a sparkling production."^[8]

For Williams, the song was a personal victory; it was his first collaboration with Nichols that resulted in a hit single, and it opened the door to many more thereafter. In 1998, the recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for recordings "of lasting quality or historical significance".^[10]

Legacy and Reception

Although it achieved only moderate success on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 28, the enduring charm of We've Only Just Begun ensured its legacy. UK listeners voted it the second-most loved Carpenters song in ITV's 2016 program The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song.^[11] For Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, the song represented a breakthrough, solidifying their careers as a songwriting team.^[3]

Music video

The music video for the song was shot in a red background with the letters for the word "you". Karen was sitting in the letter "u" while Richard was standing beside her. He also was not playing the piano as he usually did. The video was shot as part of the 1971 television series Make Your Own Kind of Music.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1970–71) Peak position Australia 6 Canada RPM Top Singles[12] 1 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[13] 1 Japan 71 Quebec (ADISQ)[14] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[15] 28 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[17] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[18] 1 US Cashbox Radio Active Airplay Singles 3

Year-end charts Chart (1970) Rank Australia 90 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 65 US Cash Box[20] 57 Canada[21] 16

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[23]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

• Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals
• Richard Carpenter – co-lead & backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electronic piano, orchestration
• Joe Osborn – bass
• Hal Blaine – drums
• Doug Strawn – clarinet
• Bob Messenger – woodwinds
• Jim Horn – woodwinds
• Uncredited – tambourine, trumpets

Carpenters compilation appearances

• 1973 – The Singles: 1969–1973 (1973 remix with intro)
• 1980 – Beautiful Moments
• 1985 – Yesterday Once More: Their Greatest Hits (1985 remix)
• 1989 – Anthology
• 1991 – From the Top (1991 remix)
• 1995 – Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Edition
• 1997 – Carpenters: Their Greatest Hits And Finest Performances
• 1998 – Love Songs
• 2000 – The Singles: 1969-1981
• 2002 – The Essential Collection
• 2004 – Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition
• 2009 – 40/40
• 2014 – Icon (as part of Universal Music's budget line compilation series)

Paul Williams version

Paul Williams, who had originally composed the song's lyrics, released a version of the song in 1971 on his album Just an Old Fashioned Love Song. It was also released as a single, with "Waking Up Alone" as the B-side. The 1971 version was a different recording from the version he had recorded for the original Crocker Bank ad.

Notable cover versions

• Bitty McLean, released as a single on June 5, 1995, and reached No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart^[24][25]

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1970 (U.S.)
• R. Coleman: The Carpenters: the Untold Story (New York, 1995)