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"We've Only Just Begun" is The Carpenters' signature song. Although it was recorded in early 1970,...

"We've Only Just Begun" is The Carpenters' signature song. Although it was recorded in early 1970, it is still much in demand as a wedding anthem. Written by the songwriting team of Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics), the song originally debuted in a commercial for Crocker National Bank in California in 1970, with Williams providing the vocals. Williams has said they left out a direct reference to the bank in part to make it salable as a pop song, and also because they couldn't conceive a reasonable rhyme for "Crocker." It is ranked #405 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song was originally recorded by Smokey Roberds, a friend of Nichols, under the name Freddie Allen (his Christian names). Although fairly successful in California, it made no impact nationally, which Roberds attributed to promotion and distribution problems. Believing that the song had hit potential, Richard Carpenter selected the composition for the duo's third single and included it on the LP Close to You. Released in the late summer of 1970, the single featured his sister Karen's lead vocals and the overdubbed harmonies of both siblings. Following