Hurting Each Other
Encyclopedia
"Hurting Each Other" is a song popularized by the Carpenters
in 1972. It was originally written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell in 1965, and was recorded multiple times by artists from Ruby and the Romantics to Rosemary Clooney
.
and released in 1965 as a single on Mala Records
. According to Richard Carpenter, this version of "Hurting Each Other" had a very different feel from the Carpenters' product. However, listening to the piece, there are definite similarities in the vocal refrain.
Chad Allan & The Expressions, who later became The Guess Who
, also recorded the song in 1965 on their Canadian LP, "Hey Ho (What You Do To Me)." Released as a single, the song hit #19 on the Canadian charts in early 1966.
A version of "Hurting Each Other" also appeared on The Walker Brothers
' second album, Portrait
, which was released in 1966. However, the song was apparently not released as a single.
Ruth Lewis had a single release in 1966 of the song on RCA Records.
went to Karen and Richard Carpenter's house and interviewed them and their parents about their life.
It was released as a single in late 1971 from the album A Song for You. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100
and number one on the Easy Listening chart.
The Carpenters performed "Hurting Each Other" at many live concerts, including a shortened version from the "Live in Osaka" concert in 1974.
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
in 1972. It was originally written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell in 1965, and was recorded multiple times by artists from Ruby and the Romantics to Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
.
Previous versions
One early version of the song was recorded by Jimmy ClantonJimmy Clanton
Jimmy Clanton is an American singer who became known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just A Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number four on the Billboard chart and sold a million copies...
and released in 1965 as a single on Mala Records
Mala Records
Mala Records was a small record label founded as a Bell Records subsidiary in 1959. Beginning in 1967, albums by Mala recording artists were issued on the Bell label instead of Mala...
. According to Richard Carpenter, this version of "Hurting Each Other" had a very different feel from the Carpenters' product. However, listening to the piece, there are definite similarities in the vocal refrain.
Chad Allan & The Expressions, who later became The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
, also recorded the song in 1965 on their Canadian LP, "Hey Ho (What You Do To Me)." Released as a single, the song hit #19 on the Canadian charts in early 1966.
A version of "Hurting Each Other" also appeared on The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel , John Walker , and Gary Leeds...
' second album, Portrait
Portrait (The Walker Brothers album)
Portrait is the second album by The Walker Brothers, released in 1966. It was their most successful album.-Track listing:Side One# "In My Room" - 2:34# "Saturday's Child" - 2:07...
, which was released in 1966. However, the song was apparently not released as a single.
Ruth Lewis had a single release in 1966 of the song on RCA Records.
Carpenters' version
The Carpenters recorded "Hurting Each Other" towards the end of 1971. Some footage of Richard and Karen performing the backup vocals can be seen on "Jerry Dunphy Visits the Carpenters," when news anchor Jerry DunphyJerry Dunphy
Jerry Dunphy was an American television news anchor in the Los Angeles/Southern California media market. He was best known for his catchy intro "From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening."...
went to Karen and Richard Carpenter's house and interviewed them and their parents about their life.
It was released as a single in late 1971 from the album A Song for You. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number one on the Easy Listening chart.
The Carpenters performed "Hurting Each Other" at many live concerts, including a shortened version from the "Live in Osaka" concert in 1974.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Oricon (Japanese) Singles Chart | 56 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |