📣 News Carpenters: "The Vinyl Collection"

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Not all new vinyl is quality vinyl and what masters are they creating this from? Japan or US? It will be expensive and if not done right would be a huge letdown.
Good point. There's recently been the discussion of the original Carpenters master tapes deteriorating over time, (now they're as deteriorated as you can get, having been barbecued in the fire - tragedy!!!!!), so master copies done at different times will be of different quality. I've just bought a set of CDs that have rare Australian singles on them. Most of these are by local artists who had one, two, three or four hits back in the 70s and then disappeared, (or some limped on into the current era). My point is that a lot of this material has never appeared on CD before. With it being mastered for CD when the original tapes were between 37 and 47 years old, you can really hear that the recordings have deteriorated. In most cases, the original scratched old singles sound better than these newly-released CD versions.
 
As I said before, there are also those of us who managed through the years to no longer have their vinyl originals (mine were sold in a garage sale without my knowledge), so getting vinyl again is great for me. Yes, I could buy them used, but that is risky in terms of quality (both record and packaging).

Totally makes sense that those of you who have originals in excellent condition, would find this less interesting (barring something new released with it).

I agree with the concern about the quality of the vinyl and hope, as SimonKC1950 says, that Richard has input and makes sure it's good quality. I also wonder what versions of the songs will be released on vinyl - I am assuming the original versions as recorded first time.
 
Does anyone realize just how expensive a vinyl box set like this would be to ship? Go get 12 of your LPs and feel the weight along with shipping container and packing from Japan that would be very pricey for US fans.
 
Does anyone realize just how expensive a vinyl box set like this would be to ship? Go get 12 of your LPs and feel the weight along with shipping container and packing from Japan that would be very pricey for US fans.
Now imagine if the set contains a book of rare photos and commentary from Richard, printed on thick glossy paper! Something like that could add a few more pounds to the shipping weight. Then add import taxes and brokerage fees, which could be substantial. I shudder at the thought!

Honestly, I wouldn't even consider purchasing this set (if it happens at all) unless it's a domestic release, that I could buy from Amazon, with free shipping. Even then, it would have to contain some previously unreleased material, or at least a big book of previously unseen photos, and the LPs would have to be pressed on premium grade vinyl, and sound better than the Remastered Classics CDs. I don't expect much, do I? :laugh:
 
Maybe this is not an exact measure but for kicks I went to CDJapan and although it's sold out it gives us some kind of idea what a vinyl box set might cost. The Beatles Mono Vinyl Box Set, 14 Lp's 180 gram, with hardcover book. This cost $504.74 US and the kicker is shipping...to the USA it costs shipping DHL $241.93, Fed Ex Priority $263.99, Fed Ex Econo $203.28 and EMS $142.21. So if I were to have wanted this back then I would have used EMS and the total cost for 14 LP's cover book and S/H total about $647.00

So how many of us have $650.00-$700.00 for this kind of Carpenters Vinyl Studio Box Set?
 
hi Rick,

I have the same concerns too, but it's Richard who is behind it... It is Richard the perfectionist!
I find it hard to believe he would let it be released as anything less than perfect.

Fingers crossed this will be the case. I hope Rich has input on the vinyl release and its quality. I might have to go out and get me a turn table!
 
Good point. There's recently been the discussion of the original Carpenters master tapes deteriorating over time, (now they're as deteriorated as you can get, having been barbecued in the fire - tragedy!!!!!), so master copies done at different times will be of different quality.

I was just reading over on the official website that, as of 2006 (Fans Ask Archive), Richard was mixing with both digital and analog copies, and then mastering them to analog. And with the recent PBS set, aside from the single version of Ticket and Parade, every other song is on digital tape somewhere and the digital copies are just one digital generation from the original analog 2-inch masters. (Richard mentioned using a 1-inch digital tape for remixing, which probably had enough room for 99 digital audio tracks).
 
(Richard mentioned using a 1-inch digital tape for remixing, which probably had enough room for 99 digital audio tracks).
Probably not 99 like Adobe Audition or Pro Tools can handle, but I see the Mitsubishi Prodigi could hold up to 32 tracks which would've been more than the 24 track analog masters.
 
Also remember that a lot of people who are into vinyl, rip there vinyl to wave files or mp3s so that they are readily available anywhere on the go. All of my vinyl is ripped to mp3s so I can listen to them on my laptop, iPad, iphone or car. CDs are great but vinyl just gives you that warmth you can't get from CDs. I can listen to an album of vinyl and not get any listening fatigue...some CDs I can't say the same.
Also some artists for new albums have gone vinyl for the young generation, since the younger generation finds that vinyl has a better sound than CD or MP3. Plus some albums come with download codes for iTunes or other sites. And in a few cases, the only CD release for an album is as part of the vinyl release.

Plus for indie groups, vinyl is cheaper to manufacture than pressed CD's (and CD-R's just don't give that official look).
 
I think this is an international release. I live in Britain and Richard told me about it knowing where I live. So that makes me presume it's going to be released in Britain so surely in America too. They are still very popular here, proof can be seen in that at the end of last year there was a TV show and cd called "The Nations Favourite Carpenters Songs". The album went to #2 on the album charts and #1 on the physical sales chart. And according to Richard the TV show attracted 2.5 million viewers on it's first airing.
 
Over here in the U.K. Vinyl is most definitely big big news once again, the sales of old turntables has gone through the roof expense wise. Here's an example- I used to own a turntable called a Linn Sondek LP12 with their own Ittok tonearm, I bought this turntable with a selection of Jazz Fusion albums for £300 in 1996 ( apparently when vinyl was on the way out ) , I kept this turntable for a year and sold it for what I had paid for it. If I still had this same turntable I could sell it and expect to get £1000 at least for it!!. Also older turntables from the 1950s which where thrown into skips in their hundreds in the 80s / 90s etc called Garrard 301 now command up to £2600 here In the U.K. !. A carpenters vinyl boxed set in any form would no doubt sell very very well indeed. I know it would , vinyl is massive not what it was but it most certainly is coming back bigger and bigger and is here to stay!. Many people prefer the sound of analogue I'm sure Richard himself may well agree that vinyl offers something more tangible that a cd ever could.
I would guess that the most a Carpenters vinyl set ( if it came out tomorrow ) would cost here in the U.K. Would be £180 on Amazon, that would be for all albums in a hard box with a lavish hardback book, I cannot envisage it being any more than that price as it would need to be competitive to sell and sell it would.
 
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I was under the impression all along that this was going to be released here in the USA. If not, I'd have to rethink it; depending on what's included, I might splurge anyway.
 
Better start savings your nickles and dimes (for our British friends, your pence and farthings...). This ain't gonna be cheap!:help:
 
Good to see, i have all my lp's still. including 3 copys of Time. but there in deep storage. mp3 or cd for me. vinyl is long past for me. i always prefered 8-tracks over vinyl(mind you i got into the c's about 1993/4) and i was 15 so $$$ was a problem,thrift stores are your friend!. no skips/pops or warping. ill never sell my vinyl. i need to display them on the wall. passage lp cover rocks!
 
If the album "As Time Goes By" was included in the vinyl box set....it would push me over the edge...the cover shot alone in LP size...oh my...:)
I hadn't thought of that! It really would be nice to have ATGB on vinyl, and it would help sales of the set among fans for sure. Now, if Karen's solo album was also included in the set, I'd have to pry my wallet open - even if it meant living on Ramen noodles for a couple months! :laugh:
 
I hadn't thought of that! It really would be nice to have ATGB on vinyl, and it would help sales of the set among fans for sure. Now, if Karen's solo album was also included in the set, I'd have to pry my wallet open - even if it meant living on Ramen noodles for a couple months! :laugh:
I'll one up you and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for life if Karen's solo album would appear in this box set. :laugh:
 
Hi,
I wrote to Richard in September. One thing I asked was are there any plans for the 50th. He replied to me a few weeks later. He said "At the moment there are no plans for the 50th but I'm certain that there will be in the next couple of years"
and here's the exciting part..
"A Vinyl box set containing all of our Studio Albums will be released in the near future"

this is huge news and very exciting. I have been waiting for 6 months now and still haven't heard any news. Does anyone have any news? Will "As Time Goes By" or the Solo albums be included"

*the quote is a section of the letter and is copied and not edited
This will be one helluva great collection !
 
Knowing myself as well as I do judging from lifelong collecting. I'll have 2 maybe 3 of these sets. My CarpenterS piggy bank is ready for this vinyl release. I'm also anticipating the 50th anniversary whatever that may look like. Although early, I just wonder if this important release is in fact the 50th shebang. Ideally it will be two separate events. Sure wish the label would hint at what interests me, you and the worldwide fan base.
 
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