I Won't Last a Day Without You

The song was written by Paul Williams (lyrics) and Roger Nichols (music) who also wrote two previous hits for Carpenters – "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays". Williams said that the song was originally written with just two verses and a chorus, and a demo was submitted to Carpenters in 1971. However, just before the song was due to be recorded, a request was sent to the songwriters for an additional bridge and a third verse to be added. The songwriters managed to comply with this last-minute request, and they recorded a demo the day before the recording, to the displeasure of Carpenters who felt the song was not sent to them soon enough. Richard Carpenter also changed the bridge and chord structure, changes Williams felt detracted from the song and he believed that Carpenters would have greater success if they had recorded the song unchanged. The song was recorded as a track for Carpenters' album A Song for You, and was released two years later as a single in the US. Williams himself later recorded the song as it was written, as did Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. ==Release==

The song was released in the UK in September 1972, paired with "Goodbye to Love" as a double-A side single for A Song for You. The single reached No. 9 and spent 15 weeks on the chart. It was later released in the U.S. and became a hit single for them in 1974, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart No. 1 one on the Easy Listening chart, the ninth No. 1 for Carpenters. ==Chart performance==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Personnel==

• Karen Carpenterlead and backing vocals • Richard Carpenterbacking vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, orchestration • Joe Osbornbass guitar • Tony Pelusoelectric guitar • Hal Blainedrums • Louie Sheltonelectric guitar • Earl DumlerEnglish horn • Uncreditedtambourine ==Other versions==

Many artists have released other versions of "I Won't Last a Day Without You". Among the most notable are: • Paul Williams, the lyricist for the song, recorded the song for the 1972 album Life Goes On. It was released as a single in 1973, but his rendition garnered only minor success, reaching 106 on the Bubbling Under chart and No. 40 on the Adult Contemporary chart. • Maureen McGovern released it as a single in 1973 (and included it on her album The Morning After), reaching No. 89 Billboard, No. 72 Cash Box and No. 14 Adult Contemporary. In Canada, her version reached No. 12 AC. The Carpenters released their single the following year. • Al Wilson created a medley of "I Won't Last a Day Without You" with another Nichols/Williams composition "Let Me Be The One" for his 1974 album La La Peace Song. The medley was issued as a single in December 1974 and went to No. 18 on the R&B chart in Billboard magazine; it crossed over to both Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart (No. 39), and to the mainstream Pop chart the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 70). • Vince and Dianne Hatfield recorded a version which reached No. 83 on the Country chart. ==See also==