Carpenters Singles 1969-1973 CD - Import

Personnel includes: Karen Carpenter (vocals, drums); Tim May, Tony Peluso (guitar); Jay Dee Maness, Buddy Emmons (pedal steel guitar); Bob Messenger (flute, tenor saxophone); Earle Dumler (oboe); Earle Dumler (English horn); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Chuck Findley (trumpet); David Duke (French horn); Tom Scott (tenor saxophone); Doug Strawn (baritone saxophone); Richard Carpenter (keyboards, background vocals); Joe Osborn (bass); Hal Blaine, Larrie Londin, Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon (drums); Gary Coleman (timpani); Julia Tillmar, Carlena Williams, Maxine Willard, Jimmy Joyce Children's Choir, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals).
Producers include: Jack Daugherty, Richard Carpenter.
Compilation producer: Richard Carpenter.
Engineers include: Ray Gerhardt, Roger Young.
Includes liner notes by Paul Grein.
Digitally remastered by Bernie Grundman (Bernie Grundman Mastering).
Singles (1969-1981) expands the popular Singles (1969-1973) album with more of the group's later hits, such as "Please Mr. Postman," "Only Yesterday," "Touch Me When We're Dancing," and "I Won't Last a Day Without You." "(They Long to Be) Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," "Superstar," and other '70s hits are still here, making this a definitive collection of their best-known songs. ~ Heather Phares
There's a certain inherent sadness listening to this concise 12-song collection of the Carpenters' early hits, especially as it opens with "We've Only Just Begun," with its hopeful, dreamy lyrics -- for it was never supposed to be definitive, just the first of at least two such collections. But changes in the public's taste and a slackening (though never a disappearance) of hits for the duo, and Karen Carpenter's death in 1983, made this the first and only real mass choice for a Carpenters collection. Ten of the duo's dozen Top Ten hits are present, from "Close to You" to "Top of the World," with their gorgeous and original slow ballad interpretation of "Ticket to Ride" and their cover of Carole King's "It's Going to Take Some Time" thrown in to offer a slightly wider perspective. Listening to this material, it's easy to accuse the Carpenters of being hopelessly retro even in their own time -- bear in mind that "We've Only Just Begun" and "Superstar" being contemporaneous with the Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East and Eat a Peach and you get the idea. But the lush melodies brought out in Richard Carpenter's arrangements and Karen's singing are justification in themselves. [The 1999 reissue in A&M's Remastered Classics series (#82839-3601-2) has a closer, toughened but warmer sound. Yes, the strings are brighter, to the point of glistening, but the rhythm section (Joe Osborn on bass, Hal Blaine on drums) has more impact as well. Moreover, the full original notes from the insert are now included, explaining how each song came to be discovered and recorded.] ~ Bruce Eder
Ever since their version of Bacharach-David song,"Close To You" hit the charts in 1970, the Carpenters have long seemed the epitome of anti-rock. Actually, Richard Carpenter revered the Beatles and Beach Boys just as much as Burt Bacharach. So there was more of a continuum with the '60s pop/rock tradition than appearances might suggest. Karen Carpenter is simply a singer of the first rank, comparable to pop divas like Patsy Cline and the Brazilian Elis Regina. On this classic (now remastered) singles collection, spanning hits from the early "Ticket To Ride" up until "Goodbye To Love," Karen's warm, sure voice, filled with an uncanny (and sad) grace, transforms smooth pop melodies and lyrics into something deep and abiding.

A&M. 2001.