Hurting Each Other - The Carpenters (1972) 3/20/22

Until The Carpenters recorded and released today's "Great Song of 1972," it had a long history of failure...with one exception.

When Jimmy Clanton released the original version of "Hurting Each Other" in 1965, nothing happened.

In 1966, separate versions by Ruth Lewis and The Walker Brothers were released. Nada to both.

In 1969, Ruby & The Romantics took a crack at it. Radio silence.

The one exception came in early 1966, when the Canadian group, Chad Allan and The Expressions, (which later morphed into The Guess Who), took "Hurting Each Other" to #19 on the Canadian Top 40.

I've mentioned several times that Richard Carpenter had a knack for finding songs that would fit Karen's voice, and after listening to virtually all of the released versions of the song, (including one by Rosemary Clooney), The Carpenters went into the studio, and came out with a winner!

Their version of "Hurting Each Other" went to #1 on Billboard's Easy Listening Chart and #2 on the Hot 100. In Canada, the matching numbers were #3 & #2, respectively. The song also reached #4 in Australia.

Overall, it became a staple at Carpenters concerts, and will always be a prime example of how matching a song to a voice--and a voice to a song--can make a good song, a "GREAT" one!

The Carpenters (1972):

Chad Allan and The Expressions (1966):