40/40 chart

[SakuraSYayoi]

I have kept watching our national CD survey since the release date of "Carpenters 40/40 The best selection".
According to Yahoo JP news, this compilation recorded the highest debut CD of all the Carpenters albums.

"Carpenters 40/40 The best selection" had debut at
No.2 on Oricon Album Daily Ranking - 2009/04/22
No.3 on Oricon Album Weekly Ranking - 2009/05/04
No.1 on Oricon Album Weekly Ranking by Foreign Artists - 2009/05/04.

Now at
No.5 on Oricon Album Weekly Ranking - 2009/05/11
No.1 on Oricon Album Weekly Ranking by by Foreign Artists - 2009/05/11.

Oricon Album Weekly Sales
2009/05/04 22,425 copies
2009/05/11 19,231 copies

(The highest position of Karen's solo album was at No. 19. And it was sold over 100,000 copies in 2 weeks, according to Yuka's mook. Did it mean shipped over 100,000?)

Album Daily Ranking
090422 #2 (7032 copies)
090423 #2 (3563)
090424 #3
090425 #5
090426 #4
090427 #4
090428 #8
090429 #6
090430 #3 (2939)
090501 #3 (2771)
090502 #5
090503 #3 (3382)
090504 #6
090505 #3 (3417)
090506 #4
090507 #4

Japanese article at oricon site
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/65843/

Yahoo.JP news

【オリコン】カーペンターズ、40年の歴史ではじめて初登場トップ3入り
4月28日6時30分配信 オリコン

アメリカの兄妹デュオ、カーペンターズの結成40周年記念ベストアルバム『カーペンターズ 40/40 ～ベスト・セレクション』が、発売1週目で2.2万枚を売上げ、5/4付アルバムランキングで3位に初登場。カーペンターズにとってTOP3入りは、TBS系ドラマ『未成年』の主題歌に「青春の輝き」が起用された1996年3/25付で、ベストアルバム『青春の輝き～ベスト・オブ・カーペンターズ』（発売日：1995/11/10）が3位を記録して以来、13年1ヵ月ぶり。自身40年のキャリアで、初登場でのTOP3入りは初めてのこと。

来日時のリチャード・カーペンター（4月21日、東京・銀座　山野楽器）※中段に掲載

　カーペンターズは、同作でアルバムTOP10入り作品数が13作目となり、アルバムトップ10獲得枚数では、マドンナ（18作）、ザ・ビートルズ（17作）に次ぐ洋楽アーティスト歴代3位タイに。13作3位タイ記録のほかのアーティストは、ポール・マッカートニー、クイーン、ザ・ローリング・ストーンズ。

　今回のアルバムは、日本のファン選曲による2枚組ベストアルバムで、ファン投票1位に輝いた「イエスタディ・ワンス・モア」、2位の「青春の輝き」、3位の「トップ・オブ・ザ・ワールド」などの全40曲が高音質で収録されている。

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090427-00000013-oric-ent

( I'm not sure if this works, translation;
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translat...00013-oric-ent&lp=ja_en&.intl=us&fr=yfp-t-501 )

Richard,
Congratulations on great debut of "40/40"!!
Thank you very much for promotion!!

Sakura

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

40/40 [UICY91346 only] at
Billboard-Japan Album Weekly Ranking

No.4 - 2009/05/04
No.6 - 2009/05/11
http://www.billboard-japan.com/top_02.html

 

[PJ]

Sakura & All,

Great news .....remarkable that Carpenters STILL maintain this success after nearly 40 years since first Japanese visit & concerts

Peter UK

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Yes and what's more amazing is that this is a compilation, the Carpenters still have a huge fan base dedicated to the legacy.

Thanks Sakura for the info.

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Thank you for your messages, Peter and Chris!

Thanks to Richard's promotion and huge campaign by Universal Music Japan!!

If UTV Records will release "40/40" and promote it on TV in the U.S., it must sell like 35th GOLD or more.


The latest;
090508 #2 (2700 copies)

Sakura
- EDIT -
It's Mother's Day! Universal Music should promote "40/40" for present for mother!!
My daughter sent email, saying that she'd like to give the 40th anniversary tote bag to me as Mother's Day Present, to Tokyo FM and won the tote bag!!

 

[goodjeans]

EDIT -
It's Mother's Day! Universal Music should promote "40/40" for present for mother!!
My daughter sent email, saying that she'd like to give the 40th anniversary tote bag to me as Mother's Day Present, to Tokyo FM and won the tote bag!!

I am sitting here feeling thrilled that Sakura won the tote bag. Seems to me like Mom and daughter are keen people.

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

090509 #2 (3825)

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

From the article that Steve posted;

On April 23rd, 2009, literally 24 hours after its release, Carpenters (no "the") had their highest charting record of their careers in Japan. In that territory, 40/40 The Best Selection was released the day before to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Carpenter's signing with Herb Alpert's and Jerry Moss' independent label, A&M Records. The string of this brother and sister act's now classic hits--including "(They Long To Be) Close To You," "We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," "Rainy Days And Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "It's Going To Take Some Time," "Goodbye To Love," "Sing," "Yesterday Once More," "Top Of The World," "I Won't Last A Day Without You," "Only Yesterday," and "Solitaire"--set a new standard of elegance and sophistication for a new "Adult Contemporary" sound (also branded by the oxymoron "soft rock"), and it was integral for A&M's early seventies financial success and eventual conquering of the pop and rock markets. Albums such as Close To You, Carpenters, A Song For You, Now And Then, and The Singles 1969-1973 were as essential to record collections as LPs by The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Carole King, and Simon & Garfunkel. The duo's music effortlessly bridged the gap between generations by offering progressive vocal and orchestral arrangements, undeniably good songs (from composers such as Leon Russell, Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, and Tim Hardin), and enough unique production elements to engage listeners of all ages.


RC: It debuted at #3 on their domestic chart, it's the highest debut of our career in Japan. 40/40 is a new compilation for their SHM (Super High Material) CD format. It's got forty tracks celebrating forty years with A&M Records. After all these years, the music Karen and I made is doing really well!

MR: There are many countries around the world, especially England and Germany, that still go nuts over Carpenters collections. Carpenters Gold is a modern classic in many European countries, and the U.S. version sold incredibly well. What in the creative process of this compilation differentiates it from the others?

RC: The project's concept was put out to the fans, the Japanese people, and they would vote on their favorite tracks. Obviously, it had to have core titles included.

MR: I imagine you had to help decide what made the final cut.

RC: Sure, because it had the subtitle, The Best Selection. Of course, if I had it to do over again, I'm like most artists who wouldn't have done over 50% of what they did. I really believe that. So, there are certain recordings like "There's A Kind Of Hush" that are very well made, but pop fluff. Love the song, but we never should have made it.

MR: Beyond the quality of the music and the love your fans still feel towards you and Karen being at the heart of its success, how did Universal Japan market the package?

RC: As far as promotion, they absolutely wanted me over there by April 22nd, the date we signed with A&M. So I flew over and did some really big TV specials. Some of the biggest ones hadn't even aired by the time the album came out. I visited record stores and met the fans. It was really marvelous, and the next day, it was #3. [/b]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emhuffpost-exclusiveem-th_b_201408.html

Sakura

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

I haven't post this yet, I found before.
chart_watch by Paul Grein on new.music.yahoo.com

Small World: A Carpenters 40th anniversary compilation appears in the top 10 on the pop album chart for the second week in a row. In Japan. Sometimes, it seems, foreign audiences are more loyal to American artists than American audiences are. Six Carpenters albums (including the hit compilations Yesterday Once More and Love Songs) have made the U.S. chart since Karen died in 1983, but Karen and Richard haven't had a top 10 album in their home country since 1974.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/33561/week-ending-may-3-2009-age-is-just-a-number/


090510 #3 (4081)

 

[Song4uman]

I wish their music would make a big comeback in US...not just with the loyal fans who will buy everything....but with the mainstream audience.....

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Many new Japanese artists' albums were released and 40/40 is at Oricon Daily Ranking
090511 #2 (1880 copies)
090512 #9

Oricon Weekly Ranking
090504 Week #3 (22,425 copies)
090511 Week #5 (19,231 copies)
090518 Week #3 (21,226 copies)

Oricon Weekly Ranking by foreign artists
090504 Week #1
090511 Week #1
090518 Week #1


40/40 [UICY91346 only] at
Billboard-Japan Album Weekly Ranking
No.4 - 2009/05/04
No.6 - 2009/05/11
No.4 - 2009/05/18

Some members are interested, how many limited copies were released. I don't have the answer, but Billboard Japan's count is only for the limited edition. So at least the limited edition could sell for 3 weeks, although it had been sold out at many shops.

Sakura

 

[no1kandrfan]

I've been notified by the USPS that my copy has arrived from Japan! I'm picking it up this afternoon; can't wait!!