I Won't Last a Day Without You

"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song by The Carpenters with lyrics written by Paul Williams and music composed by Roger Nichols. It was released in the U.K. in September 1972, paired with "Goodbye to Love" as a double-A side. The single reached No. 9 and spent 14 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 and number one on the easy listening chart. It was the Carpenters' ninth No. 1 on the easy listening chart.

Background
In 1972, Richard Carpenter had learned of a new song by Williams and Nichols, who had already contributed "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays" to the Carpenters. He included it on their 1972 album A Song for You, but it would not be released as a single until 1974.

Personnel

 * Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals
 * Richard Carpenter – backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, orchestration
 * Joe Osborn – bass guitar
 * Tony Peluso – electric guitar
 * Hal Blaine – drums
 * Louie Shelton – electric guitar
 * Earl Dumler – English horn
 * Uncredited – tambourine

Other versions
Many artists have released other versions of "I Won't Last a Day Without You". Among the most notable are:
 * Bobby Darin recorded a cover that later appeared on a posthumous album titled Darin 1936-1973 released by Motown Records a year after his death.
 * Diana Ross included it on her 1973 album Touch Me in the Morning; she also made it the B side of the title track single release, which became a No. 1 hit.
 * Paul Williams, on the 1972 album Life Goes On, and as a single in 1973, but his rendition garnered only minor success (US No. 106).
 * Barbra Streisand included it in her 1974 album ButterFly.
 * 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).
 * Ringo Sheena covered the song on her 2002 cover album Utaite Myōri as a duet with Hikaru Utada, who appears as a featured vocalist.