I expect most people will pick the Carpenters.

Captain & Tennille debuted and became big in 1975, the last really sucessful year for the Carpenters.

"Love will keep us together" is a fun, bouncy song!
The Carpenters had too many ballads for my liking.

It will always be The Carpenters for me.

Carpenters...no question!

The good Captain and his missus were a little too saccharine...

Carpenters, hands down.

Not to knock Captain and Tennille, who had a few decent hits.  They just seem to be in a different league.

It has to be The Carpenters... :)

I like the Captain and Tennille, but The Carpenters were the far better group. 

Their 1981 release 'Made in America', which was the last album they released while Karen was still alive, was an absolute masterpiece.  It had 4 US chart hits, the sole top 40 being Touch Me When We're Dancing

Toni Tennille's voice is no where near as pure as Karen Carpenter's. Don't me  wrong I like the Capt'n & Tennille but  I love the Carpenters.

I chose the Carpenters. Karen's voice was so beautiful and could reach heart aching highs and lows. Captain & Tennille are also good, but they just didn't have the same hit making melodies as the Carpenters. They were almost like a novelty act. Yet, I found Daryl Dragon really hot in that Captain hat of his.

Mmmm, that's what I'm talking about...  ;D
http://captainandtennille.net/images/ct_cd_ume_millennium_cvr_01.jpg

His eyes are kind of creepy.....

I like creepy eyes I suppose - the maniacal look  :D

I like them both, but I think the Carpenters are much better.

Hard for me to admit this but, The Carpenters without question.

I'd always dismissed the Carpenters as so much elevator fluff when I was much younger, but really, if you look and listen to both the songwriting and the lyrics, these guys were very talented. There is a lot more going on than the easy going harmony that most of us heard...
So much so, that they made it look so effortless that they were considered a non-entity when songwriting talent was discussed. Yet, there is no modern contemporary that could, or does write melodies that simple and yet so strong and magical like they did. Seriously, a lost art that will never be touched upon again today with the likes of B. Spears and her ilk. ::)

The Captain and Tennille, while noteworthy, were not even on the same level, thought I did love their TV show.
(The Bionic Watermelon used to make me laugh so hard when I was a kid  ;D )...other than that, "Muskrat Love" and others, very sweet, but a novelty act.

I would kind of hate to choose the Carpenters, because I feel bad for Captain & Tennille. The Carpenters were considered to be the epitome of lame for a long time, but they seem to looked at fondly now. C&T are seen as a joke. But I actually think they are alot more fun than the Carpenters. While I like the Carpenters, thier music can be depressing and dreary to my ears. But even C&T's slow songs seem bright and friendly to me. And it's nice how AMG.com takes C&T's albums seriously. They've given them all thorough reviews, and seem to like them....

BTW, I'm happy that no one's said anything along the lines of "yuck! they both suck!" yet.

We've only just begun...

Well, both of these groups have their merits.

  Karen Carpenter had an amazing instrument in her voice. It was like an effortless thing. Contrast her voice and delivery with the majority of Top 40 females today. Today they screech a lot and over-emote and people go nuts and say "She's got pipes, man... she can blow." Sounds a bunch like screeching to me... it's a totally different aesthetic nowadays. I love voices like Karen's, Toni's, or Roberta Flack's. "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close To You" are examples of beautiful, well-played and well-crafted pop and still sound great over 30 yrs. later.

  The C & T were very talented too and contrary to what a couple of people have said were most definitely NOT a novelty group. Yes, they were often cutesy and fun ("Goin' Bananas") but check out their cover of "Song Of Joy" or the cover of Dennis Wilson's "Cuddle Up." Nuthin' silly or goofy 'bout those tunes. And D. Dragon was a whiz on the keys. No one can deny that and claim to know a lot about music. As someone mentioned earlier C & T are getting better critical appreciation as the years roll along.

  Both groups suffered from a HUGE backlash after hitting the top. But that happens all the time to groups and styles that get super popular. And to a lot of young people growing up in the early to mid 70s, they probably suffered by comparison to other emerging groups and styles. They were having hits around the same time that Alice Cooper, MC5, Led Zep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Vanilla Fudge, The Who, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and other "heavy groups" were doin' their things. If you were into that stuff then of course you'll say"wimp rock" when C & T, The Carpenters, Bread, America, etc. are mentioned.

  I can't choose. I have always liked them both.

Captain and Tenille were ok, but I really enjoyed the Carpenters. Good memories :)

But this is a good comparison!

In lieu of option 3, a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I'll go with the Carpenters!
:P

Well, both of these groups have their merits.

  Karen Carpenter had an amazing instrument in her voice. It was like an effortless thing. Contrast her voice and delivery with the majority of Top 40 females today. Today they screech a lot and over-emote and people go nuts and say "She's got pipes, man... she can blow." Sounds a bunch like screeching to me... it's a totally different aesthetic nowadays. I love voices like Karen's, Toni's, or Roberta Flack's. "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close To You" are examples of beautiful, well-played and well-crafted pop and still sound great over 30 yrs. later.

  The C & T were very talented too and contrary to what a couple of people have said were most definitely NOT a novelty group. Yes, they were often cutesy and fun ("Goin' Bananas") but check out their cover of "Song Of Joy" or the cover of Dennis Wilson's "Cuddle Up." Nuthin' silly or goofy 'bout those tunes. And D. Dragon was a whiz on the keys. No one can deny that and claim to know a lot about music. As someone mentioned earlier C & T are getting better critical appreciation as the years roll along.

  Both groups suffered from a HUGE backlash after hitting the top. But that happens all the time to groups and styles that get super popular. And to a lot of young people growing up in the early to mid 70s, they probably suffered by comparison to other emerging groups and styles. They were having hits around the same time that Alice Cooper, MC5, Led Zep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Vanilla Fudge, The Who, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and other "heavy groups" were doin' their things. If you were into that stuff then of course you'll say"wimp rock" when C & T, The Carpenters, Bread, America, etc. are mentioned.

  I can't choose. I have always liked them both.
Does anyone knew of a good clip of "Song of Joy" I can hear?

Karen is the far superior singer, however, i hold the Cap and T's tv show in high esteem.