The Carpenters -- Rainy Days and Mondays

 

For this week's Reminiscings of Youth, perhaps I should have done this one a few days ago since it was indeed a rainy Monday, but what's done is done. In any case, the Carpenters' "Rainy Days and Mondays" can still hit me pretty hard depending on my mood after all these years, although when I first heard it as a kid on the radio, it was the melody and Karen's incredible voice that got into my head without knowing the lyrics.

Created by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols as Karen and Richard's April 1971 single, "Rainy Days and Mondays" zoomed up the Billboard singles charts to reach No. 2, just behind Carole King's "It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move", itself no slouch in the legendary pop song category. In Canada, it peaked at No. 3, although on the Adult Contemporary charts for both the US and my country, the song did reach No. 1. Of course, along with Karen's vocals, it was the harmonica, the sax solo and those famous Carpenters harmonies that have stayed with me despite the theme of sadness and loneliness.

Who were some of the winners at the Japan Record Awards in that year of 1971?

Grand Prize: Kiyohiko Ozaki -- Mata Au Hi Made （また逢う日まで）

Best New Artist: Rumiko Koyanagi -- Watashi no Joukamachi (わたしの城下町）

Best Performance: Hiroshi Itsuki -- Yokohama Tasogare（よこはま・たそがれ）