CarpenterS record sales

[Jeff]

Hey everybody,

I read that K&R have sold well over 100,000,000 records worldwide. This was some time ago. Does anyone have the vital stats or any newer figures? I'm also curious to know what their current rate of sales may be. Any info on the sales volume of AS TIME GOES BY overseas? I would speculate that w/ATGB in wider release it just may show itself stateside one of these ol' days...I'm also interested to know how much K&R's contract paid them to record for A&M and what current sales royalties generate?

All things CarpenterS,

Jeff

 

[mr J.]

Jeff-Here's the sales figures for US albums,as of 2000:

SINGLES 1969-1973 7 million
CARPENTERS 4 million
A SONG FOR YOU 3 million
CLOSE TO YOU 3 million
NOW AND THEN 2 million
HORIZON 2 million
YESTERDAY ONCE MORE 2 million
CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT 2 million
A KIND OF HUSH 1 million
VOICE OF THE HEART 800,000
OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS 500,000+
LOVE SONGS 500,000+
TICKET TO RIDE 400,000
MADE IN AMERICA 400,000
PASSAGE 400,000
LOVELINES 300,000
KAREN CARPENTER (too embarrassing to reveal!)
Currently,the best selling albums are LOVE SONGS,CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT,CHRISTMAS COLLECTION and HORIZON.Sales figures for CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT include the "special edition"CD.

 

[Jeff]

...and worldwide sales figures? What burns me up is that "Karen Carpenter" received little promo, if any that I recall...This effort was tragically 'dismissed' upon its initial completion, and carelessly handled at its ultimate release. I think it's a fine album and a departure for Karen that would've re-introduced her to a whole new early 80's audience. This talk of the lp's "being shelved at karen's behest" I find a little difficult to believe. Didn't the Ray Coleman bio state that Karen invested $400,000 of her own money into the project? I can't help but wonder how this experience may have impacted Karen's over-all health and well-being. Phil Ramone has said that Karen was proud of the endeavor and was nearly destroyed at its rejection. I think that 'someone's brother' felt just a little insecure and perhaps saw his 'meal ticket' jumping ship!

Any thoughts?

Jeff

 

[Bruno]

I agree, Jeff.

Surely, the solo album isn't the best album of the world; but it could have been the beginning of an individual carreer for Karen- something, that would have improved her self-esteem, and at the same time would have frightened Richard to death. Cause: Without his sister, he is no star anymore. Great arranger- but no star. Karen was the star of the duo.

If those things would have happened to me - rejected work, failed marriage - it would have made me ill, too.


Bruno

sad online

 

[CraigGA]

Nice to know of the current success of Horizon. I have always felt that this project displays Karen's voice perfectly and the arrangements of these songs can fit into any generation.

Craig

 

[bste2003]

I have mentioned this before in another forum but wonder if anyone here has noticed a strange phenomenon in the "Lovelines" recording

On the Lovelines Album, towards the end of the "Lovelines" track, Karen can clearly be heard singing "Without A Song"

"Give me good times, the way that life should be" WITHOUT A SONG

It is especially clear when listening to the track through headphones. Is it possible that "Without A Song" was somehow used in the mix.

I can't find the same difference on the "Karen Carpenter" Version and although the 12CD Box Set id a different recording again, the flaw remains there.

Any Ideas

 

[PJ]

Official Record Sales are Long Out of Date , Variety listed 100 Million Sales in the 1980's and with Reissues , Remasters , Various Singles / Hits CD's etc Plus Only Yesterday (1990) with over 5 Million Worldwide Sales and Japanese 22 Hits at over 4 Million Sales , I believe Total Sales are nearer 150 Million


Peter

 

[mr J.]

I have no idea about worldwide sales figures.It would probably be impossible to add up all the totals from every country,but It would
definitely be more than 100 million,because U.S. sales alone are 30 million.As far as Karen's solo album,A&M released it in 1996 as a catalog album,not a new release.Half of the album had already appeared on previous releases,so it really wasn't a "new" album anyway.KAREN CARPENTER would have sold many more copies,if 4 of the tracks hadn't previously appeared on LOVELINES 7 years earlier.After the release of LOVELINES,the solo album lost it's mystery appeal.Everyone already knows what it sounds like!

 

[CraigGA]

Mr. J has a good point. However, the KC album has a different mood as a whole than the 4 chosen for Lovelines, but few know.

Craig