In a time when hard rock was all the rage, The Carpenters were bringing a softer sound to the airwaves of the 1970s. While many artists churned out new music constantly, they took a different approach. They waited for a great song with a great sound to come together, only putting out a new song when they were sure they were putting out a hit.

Siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter sat down with Wink Martindale in 1970 during the success of Close To You. The duo shared an intimate look at what went into the process of creating music and discuss their security in creating easy listening songs.