05_LF
Active Member
Yes, one of the reasons I bought because I had feeling it was something unique. When I get a chance, I'll give it a spin. Very interested in the sound quality of this pressing.
A Song For You Japanese release?
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05_LF
Active Member
Will do!
05_LF
Active Member
So I finally figured out exactly what record I have! I took a little time to search it on Discogs and it comes back as a unofficial Taiwanese pressing from 1977. Apparently uses a very similar cover art as the Japanese version, which confused me. It seems like the record label Union would steal the cover art from Japanese and U.S copies and print them with their name on it. From what else I saw on Discogs, it mentions that this label catered to U.S soldiers in the 60s and 70's serving overseas. Anyways, I also played the record and despite some scratches and it being a bit warped, it sounds pretty decent! Gonna try to post the pictures if I can once again.
05_LF
Active Member
For anybody interested in the Discogs link: https://www.discogs.com/release/26795993-Carpenters-A-Song-For-You
Lynda
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much! ☺️I love your avatar Lynda! Sort of Julian Opie meets Carpenters - very, very cool.
Lynda
Well-Known Member
I've read that the matrix number on these records are the same as the Australian releases, which is even more interesting.So I finally figured out exactly what record I have! I took a little time to search it on Discogs and it comes back as a unofficial Taiwanese pressing from 1977. Apparently uses a very similar cover art as the Japanese version, which confused me. It seems like the record label Union would steal the cover art from Japanese and U.S copies and print them with their name on it. From what else I saw on Discogs, it mentions that this label catered to U.S soldiers in the 60s and 70's serving overseas. Anyways, I also played the record and despite some scratches and it being a bit warped, it sounds pretty decent! Gonna try to post the pictures if I can once again.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
Do you mean Taiwanese releases copied Australian matrix numbers? Sounds very unlikely. I have most of the Australian matrix numbers, if anyone wants to check.
A couple of compilations were released in Japan and Australia in the early to mid 70s with the same track listing but were not released in the US or UK. Also, ‘Top of the World’, (album version), was released as a single in Japan and Australia the year before the re-recorded / remixed version was released in the US, (spending four weeks at Number One in Australia). I do find it interesting that there was some correlation between Japanese and Australian releases. I’m sure they used different matrix numbers, though, as they were produced by entirely different companies in different countries, (although obviously both companies were linked to A&M).
Other than ‘Top of the World’, Australian single releases usually followed US releases - although the Australian ‘Superstar’ was backed with ‘Merry Christmas, Darling’ as a double ‘A’ side, probably because ‘Superstar’ had been a hit for local artist Colleen Hewett just before it had been released in the US, (interestingly, also with the ‘can hardly wait to be with you’ word change). There were a few unique Australian EPs and Richard had a unique solo single released in Australia and a couple of Asian countries. None of the Australian releases had picture sleeves, though, except the EPs and ‘Beechwood’.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Which track did they go with for Australia? I know it was 'Who Do You Love?' for Japan, with an odd single sleeve that looked like a fan just snapped a photo of him walking down the street...
I think Japan went with the right track as a single - it's probably the most commercial song on the album after 'Something In Your Eyes', and the one where he actually sounds good as a lead singer (mainly because he's singing in his lower range rather than higher and double tracked).
Lynda
Well-Known Member
No, not that the Taiwanese releases copied the Australian matrix numbers. The Taiwanese pressings are known to have been pressed using an original store-bought record as the "master" (one reason the sound is so horrible). Here's one article that makes reference to the process: From The Stacks: Vietnam Era Taiwanese Bootlegs
Why Australia and not other countries? Not too sure but I'm aware that in the 1970s, there was significant growth of trade between Taiwan and Australia. This is a very likely reason that any original records imported by Taiwan in the 1970s were from Australia.
I have a few Carpenters Taiwanese pressings that I can compare the matrix numbers with the Australian pressings just out of curiosity.
goodjeans
Well-Known Member
OMG. I love this pic.I'm not a fan - it's been airbrushed.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
Hi Newville Fan. The first single in Australia from ‘Time’ was Something In Your Eyes’. It got quite a bit of airplay on some radio stations but didn’t reach the charts.Which track did they go with for Australia? I know it was 'Who Do You Love?' for Japan, with an odd single sleeve that looked like a fan just snapped a photo of him walking down the street...
I think Japan went with the right track as a single - it's probably the most commercial song on the album after 'Something In Your Eyes', and the one where he actually sounds good as a lead singer (mainly because he's singing in his lower range rather than higher and double tracked).
The second single was ‘Calling Your Name Again’.
I agree that ‘Who Do You Love’ was the most commercial track on the album. That had been a (non-hit) single for Australian Mark Holden, who co-wrote it, a few years before Richard released it.
As discussed here previously, Richard also chose a number of hit singles by Australian artist John Farnham to record with artists that he was producing, around this time - ‘You’re the Voice’, ‘Pressure Down’ and ‘A Touch of Paradise’ - also a song by Mondo Rock, who had many hits in Australia.
John Farnham’s ‘You’re the Voice’ sold more than half a million copies in Australia and almost half a million in the UK. ‘Pressure Down’ was the 16th biggest hit in Australia for 1987. ‘A Touch of Paradise’ scraped into the Top 25 but the original version by Mondo Rock was on a Top 10 album and the John Farnham album from which his version came sold a couple of million.
Mark Holden’s original ‘Who Do You Love appears to have been released internationally but doesn’t seem to have reached any charts, anywhere.
Something that I’ve wondered is, was Richard watching smaller markets like Australia to find songs that had proved themselves by being big local hits but that were not known well in the US?
Another Son
Well-Known Member
Interesting!
I don’t think I would like to hear the crystal-clear Carpenters music and Karen’s beautiful voice muddied by a poor rip-off copy.
In a ‘Bootleg’ situation, I guess the illegal manufacturers might have grabbed their record to use as a master from wherever they could get it.
