Happy Birthday Mr. Carpenter!

Happy Birthday today to Mr. Richard Carpenter, one half of the much beloved Carpenters musical group. He and sister Karen Carpenter created a distinctive sound and a very impressive string of hit A&M Records singles and albums on the Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World charts. 

They're beloved all over the world, but especially in Japan where Karen's long lost solo album is finally being released on vinyl in November. 

Every sha la la la still shines as we sing along to Yesterday Once More, Top of the World, Goodbye to Love, Only Yesterday and I Need to Be in Love- each one composed by Richard with longtime songwriting partner John Bettis. Of course, these are only the hits Richard wrote. They go on and on when you add songs like Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Superstar and Rainy Days and Mondays to the list. Rumor has it that a new website is being built. Perhaps there's a new compilation to reintroduce the world to the duo's incredible talents. 

My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:

Offering / Ticket to Ride
Close to You
Carpenters 
A Song for You 

Now & Then

The Singles 1969 - 1973

Live in Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

The Singles 1974 - 1978

Christmas Portrait

Karen Carpenter- The Solo Album

Music, Music, Music

Made in America (Part One)

Made in America (Part Two)

Voice of the Heart (Coming soon!)

My Initial Reviews of the albums:

Offering/Ticket to Ride

Close to You

Carpenters

A Song for You

Now & Then

The Singles 1969-1973

Live In Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

The Singles 1974-1978

Christmas Portrait

Made in America

Voice of the Heart

An Old Fashioned Christmas

Time (Richard Solo)

Lovelines

Karen Carpenter (Solo)

As Time Goes By

Karen Carpenter Solo Album Finally Released on Vinyl!

A&M Records is finally releasing the Karen Carpenter album on vinyl

I never thought I'd see the day, but here we are! News as of October 28- The image directly above is what the Japanese vinyl release will look like. Wow. Of course, I expected the original dismal looking graphic used in 1996. What a nice surprise.

Here is the translated product description:

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album! Karen Carpenter's only solo album, approved by Richard Carpenter, is finally being released on analog LP for the first time in the world.

Recorded between 1979 and 1980 but never released, Karen Carpenter's only solo album has long been talked about as a "legendary album." This historic work, first released on CD in 1996, is now appearing on analog LP for the first time in the world, with the approval of Richard Carpenter!

Produced by Phil Ramone. This album allows you to enjoy Karen's new charm and overwhelming vocals in a sophisticated sound different from that of the Carpenters.

As a work that had not been released on LP for over 40 years, this release is eagerly awaited by Carpenters fans around the world. As Karen's only solo work and the world's first official analog LP release, it is sure to be a collector's item of historical value and will generate a lot of buzz.

Featuring a brand-new 192kHz/24bit master transferred from the original US analog tapes

● World's first LP release

● 180g heavyweight black vinyl

● Liner notes by Toshikazu Kanazawa

● Includes lyrics and translations

(from manufacturer information)

Translation thanks to Simon KC1950 on the A&M Corner discussion boards.

You can order it from HMV Japan here.

A Bit of Thursday Humor

As a fan of Richard and Karen Carpenter, I found this car's license plate at a nearby coffee shop rather funny. I don't know who the owner is, but unless they are talking Kansas City, I found one more person who loves the music of Carpenters. Among millions all over the world.
 

Carpenters- A Kind of Hush, Alternative Cover Photo

Here's a rare alternative cover photo for Richard and Karen Carpenter's 1976 album cover, A Kind of Hush. This is not an AI photo. Not AI at all again I tell you. I had this shot decades ago, and I was going to use it for the third go around of reviewing each of their albums. (Don't worry, I have a few more rare images I've yet to share.)

At first glance it looks the same, but the horse on Richard's shirt is nowhere to be found on the cover. The logo for the album sits against his shirt. 

The music inside is way too soft, and the album was not a big hit. That said it does include some gems: I Need to Be in Love, One More Time, and Boat to Sail.

If you want to read the initial review, look here. If you want to see the much more extensive look at the album, the duo's history, and this collections chart success, look here.