🎵 AotW AOTW: CARPENTERS (A&M SP 4289)

[LPJim]

CARPENTERS
Carpenters
SP 4289 (Later SP 3502)

"SP 4289" was the original catalog number for the album better known as the third and self-titled Carpenters album, SP 3502. Its most distinct characteristic is the fold-open plain beige cover with a brown 'Carpenters' logo across the top.

Side One: Rainy Days & Mondays 3:40 (#2)/ Saturday 1:20/ Let Me Be the One 2:25/ (A Place to) Hideaway 3:40/ For All We Know 2:34 (#3).

Side Two: Superstar 3:49 (#2)/ Druscilla Penny 2:18/ One Love 3:23/ Bacharach-David Medley 5:25: includes (a) Knowing When to Leave, (b) Make it Easy on Yourself, (c) There's Always Something There to Remind Me , (d) I'll Never Fall in Love Again, (e) Walk On By, (f) Do You Know the Way to San Jose/ Sometimes 2:52.

Arranged and orchestrated by Richard Carpenter/ Engineered by Ray Gerhardt and Dick Bogert/ Assistant Norm Kinney/ All vocals by Karen & Richard Carpenter/ Keyboards by Richard Carpenter/ Bass: Joe Osborne and Bob Messenger/ Reeds: Bob Messenger, Douglas Strawn and Jim Horn/ Drums: Hal Blaine and Karen Carpenter/ Wurlitzer Electric Piano and Ludwig Drums used/ Album concept and design by Craig Braun Inc./ Jackets mfg. by Sound Packaging Corp./ Art Direction by Roland Young/ Photography by Guy Webster/ Produced by Jack Daugherty Productions.


Whitburn's "Top Pop Albums" says CARPENTERS entered the Top 200 on 6/5/71, charted 59 weeks and peaked for two weeks at #2.

CD reissue: I'm sure there are others, but I have the 1993 German import version on Spectrum label (550 063 2).

JB

 

[Rudy]

Oh my gosh...are we up to this one already?? Wow...the time has flown.

I have a very nice vinyl copy, and the "Remastered Classics" CD reissue that sounds just like the vinyl. A short album, but a good one. "Sometimes" is actually a favorite since it was penned by Henry Mancini. His daughter (can't remember if it was Monica or her twin sister Felice) had written Hank and his wife a little poem of appreciation. Hank was moved enough to set it to music. Very touching song!

IMHO, "Let Me Be The One" should have been released as a single. "Superstar" is a classic, too.

 

[LPJim]

Felice Mancini is credited for writing the lyrics of "Sometimes."

As many of us know, BURT BACHARACH exists as both SPX 4290 and SP 3501, and Michel Columbier's WINGS can be found as either SPX 4281 or SP 3503.
I've never found an actual "SP 4289" and wonder if anyone else has ever seen this configuration.
JB

 

[Rudy]

Pardon me if it's slipped my middle-aged mind, but was there a reason a series of albums were renumbered in the 3000's at some point? Was it a pricing/stock issue?

 

[Harry]

Well, you learn something new every day. I was unaware of the SP-4289 designation -- I can't imagine that it was ever actually issued with that number, right? I'm sure I bought it the moment it came out, and my "envelope" cover is an SP-3502. It seems that this must've been the time that the 4000 series began to fade away, taken over by the 3500 series, yes? Answers -- we need answers, oh lord of the SP numbers!

I guess I liked this album - I own at least five copies: two LPs and three CDs. The first CD is the US-issued CD 3502 with a DX 836 number along with it. My recollection is that it was one of the LAST Carpenters CDs to be issued as CDs came out on the label in the mid '80s.

Next came the Spectrum label issue (5500632), which is a division of the German label Karussell. It has a 1993 date on it. Other than the cover having a picture on it, it's identical to the US issue, particularly sonically.

Finally there's the US-issued Remastered Classic, 82839 3502 2. This one features the clear tray with the series covers printed underneath. It also has the name of the album misspelled on the CD face itself as CAREPENTERS. (More like CARE-less).

The first LP has the flap, and I believe is the first LP on which the now-famous CarpenterS logo appeared. The innersleeve I have on the flap version is the Ansel Adams "Preserve The Sound Outside" edition, but I'm not sure if it's original. I've swapped defective innersleeves with less favored albums, so anything's possible.

As for recorded versions, the LPs and Remastered Classics disc have the original recordings, while the early US CD and the German CD have remixed versions of "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar."

A lot of people claim to not care too much for "Saturday" and "Drucilla Penny", the two Richard-lead tracks and both home-grown Carpenter-Bettis compositions. I think they're fine, and love the way the almost segue into their surrounding tracks. I can't imagine hearing "Saturday" without hearing "Let Me Be The One" following, or "Drucilla Penny" without "One Love" next. They all belong right where they are. This album is perfectly sequenced.

The three big hits, Williams and Nichols' "Rainy Days And Mondays", Russell-Bramlett's "Superstar", and Karlin-Wilson-James' "For All We Know" fit in perfectly with the early Carpenters hits. With these three huge records, it seemed like there was nothing to stop Karen and Richard from churning out hits, and indeed, the succeeding album was full of them. And I always thought that "Let Me Be The One" could;ve been a big hit too had it been released.

My memory tells me that "For All We Know" preceeded the album's release, and I recall listening thoroughly to the album when it came out. "Rainy Days' was the single at the time of the album's release, and I was one of the ones who just knew that "Superstar" was something special.

Great album, no matter WHAT the cataolg number.

Harry
NP: Carpenters, Carpenters

 

[Mike Blakesley]

An excellent album, although with a couple of weak spots (I have always sorta disliked the "Bacharach David Medley" and "Drucilla Penny").

This album always seemed a little abbreviated to me, and I'm sure it was because they were expected to follow up the big hit CLOSE TO YOU very quickly, while touring, so the album feels a little rushed in spots. However, the three hits are all classics and I agree that "Let Me Be the One" feels like a hit single. I also really like "Saturday," although it hasn't aged as well as the hits.

I never liked the cover. The outside is bland, and the inside picture is just too precious. The thing it has going for it is the logo, which really fits them, for some reason I can't pin down. Richard Carpenter's beefs with the CLOSE TO YOU cover are well-known, so I'd bet the art department put this together so he wouldn't have another smiling-mug cover. In fact, the Carpenters didn't smile again on a front cover until A KIND OF HUSH, and not much smiling was done inside either.

 

[Harry]

An excellent album, although with a couple of weak spots (I have always sorta disliked the "Bacharach David Medley" and "Drucilla Penny").

I have to admit that "Drucilla Penny" sounds a bit dated with the harpsicord accompaniment, but the lyrics make it a perfect pair with "Superstar", almost as if Karen's playing the role of Drucilla Penny while singing "Superstar". Richard's playing the 'long-haired rock and roller superstar' that this groupie is chasing around after.

I always loved the arrangement on the "Bacharach-David Medley" though if anything is 'rushed', it's the tempo on this medley. I suspect it was done that way to cram in more songs and still keep it under six minutes. The live version on Anthology and the Readers Digest set is a bit better paced and features a few more tunes as well as slightly longer versions of a couple.

Harry
NP: Carpenters

 

[Ed Bishop]

It's a nice little album, and the cover concept--the cover as invitation--is pretty cool. Of course, no album with "Superstar," "For All We Know" and "Rainy Days And Mondays" can be readily dismissed. If it isn't as consistent as A SONG FOR YOU, it's still a nice listen, and the lighter tracks are genuinely welcome; a breezy, summery album.

I confess I haven't seen a copy of the 4000 serial number version.

ED

 

[Jeff]

I remember sitting in my Grandmother's easy chair in 1971 with Rainy Days and Mondays spinning on her OLD phonograph and thinking how its emotion,intonation, etc...riveted me to the seat for several consecutive listens. I was mesmorized and transfixed by the voice and the arrangement only further solidified me as a CarpenterS enthusiast. All that at eight years old! I've always had an ear for beautiful music!

with fond memories,

Jeff

 

[Tim Neely]

I don't even have SP-4289 listed in my Standard Catalog of American Records. I suspect that it was originally assigned this number, then when A&M started issuing some LPs with a $5.98 list price, a dollar higher than the standard $4.98, they re-assigned this to SP-3502 and never actually released the 4289 version.

Skipping ahead, SP-4290 was assigned to Burt Bacharach. But it was released as SP-3501. Again, I don't have 4290 listed in the Standard Catalog.

 

[Mr Bill]

All my files show that selected mainline LPs (the mainline being the SP 4100 series) were redesignated to the 3500 series around this time (1973?) if A&M thought they could be marketed at the dollar higher rate. Some time later (1974?) the mainline series was completely abandoned in the early 4400s for the 3600 series. Many LPs at 4400 to 4425 were either reissued with new 3600 (some 3500) numbers or soon cut out. SOme (Hoyt Axton's Life Machine for example) even got new covers in the "number shuffle" This move was shortlived as A&M brought back the mainline series with SP4500 in early 1975...

--Mr Bill
Hoping LPJim will be able to confirm or lock in the dates of these changes which drove us "number-holics" crazy

 

[Tim Neely]

The first LP issued in the SP-3600 series ($6.98 list) was SP-3601, The Singles 1969-1973 by the Carpenters in late 1973. That's about the time that many other labels were beginning to raise some of its albums by "name" artists to that level. Columbia, for example, started its "PC" prefix in late 1973, which originally indicated a $6.98 LP compared to the "KC" prefix for $5.98 LPs and the "C" prefix for $4.98.

A&M also started an SP-3700 series in 1973, which had a list price of $7.98. The first one in that series was SP-3701, Eat It by Humble Pie, which was a two-record set.

I'm pretty sure that the SP-3500 series began to exist in 1971, and not in 1973. Here are some more examples from the series, and I follow them with the date they entered the Billboard LP charts (by the way, in every one of these cases, Joel Whitburn lists the 3500-series number as the original number):

3501: Burt Bacharach (June 19, 1971)
3502: Carpenters (June 5, 1971)
3503: Wings: Michel Colombier (did not chart)
3504: Booker T. and Priscilla (2 LPs) (August 14, 1971)
3505: A Song for You: Bill Medley (did not chart)
3506: Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore: Humble Pie (2 LPs) (Nov. 6, 1971)
3507: I Wrote a Simple Song: Billy Preston (Jan. 22, 1972)
3508: Ray Stinett (did not chart)
3509: Chilliwack (did not chart)
3510: Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death: Original Cast (did not chart)
3511: A Song for You: Carpenters (July 8, 1972)
3512: Bill Medley (did not chart)
3513: Lost and Found: Humble Pie (2 LPs) (Sept. 30, 1972)
3514: Tyrannosaurus Rex (A Beginning): T. Rex (2 LPs) (Oct. 7, 1972)
3515: An Evening with Groucho: Groucho Marx (2 LPs) (Nov. 25, 1972)
3516: Music Is My Life: Billy Preston (Dec. 23, 1972)

That takes us to the end of 1972.

 

[W.B.]

An interesting factoid about Carpenters. As Johnny Carson would've said, "I did not know that!"

Conversely, SP-3506 was supposed to have been the original catalogue number for Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat before: a) it was switched to SP-4313 in the "4100" series, and b) SP-3506 was applied to the aforementioned Humble Pie Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore double-LP. (Speaking of which: What catalogue number was that Pie album supposed to have been originally?)

That this original scenario was to have been the case, was put for all to see on Mr. Stevens's "Moon Shadow" single (AM-1265-S) which clearly stated the following: "(From the A&M Album SP-3506)."

As for Mr. Preston's Music Is My Life: That date cited must've been when it entered Billboard's charts, as based upon the text font used on Columbia-Pitman pressed copies (6 point Permanent Bold Condensed), it may well have been released in late September-early October of '72.

Columbia, for example, started its "PC" prefix in late 1973, which originally indicated a $6.98 LP compared to the "KC" prefix for $5.98 LPs and the "C" prefix for $4.98.

Being as I had more than once been to Columbia's vaults (remember, I'd written a discography of Columbia's pop singles from 1939 to '74), I found something interesting: that Blood, Sweat & Tears's 3rd album, issued as KC 30090 on July 1, 1970, was originally scheduled to be issued earlier in the year as CS 9954, but apparently was cancelled as such. The "XSM" numbers on both sides were a clue as to its dating. The card for CS 9954 had nothing but a note that simply said: "Cancelled - See KC 30090."

 

[W.B.]

I always thought that "Let Me Be The One" could;ve been a big hit too had it been released.

I think it was a minor hit as a single -- by Anne Murray, on Capitol. Lite-FM in New York used to play Ms. Murray's version frequently -- but I don't think that they played the Carpenters'.

My memory tells me that "For All We Know" preceeded the album's release, and I recall listening thoroughly to the album when it came out. "Rainy Days' was the single at the time of the album's release, and I was one of the ones who just knew that "Superstar" was something special.

Something about "For All We Know": The original publisher was Pamco Music, Inc. (BMI). It was one of a group of publishers that comprised the publishing arm of ABC/Dunhill Records. (I.I.N.M., ABC Pictures produced Lovers and Other Strangers.) The other publishing companies were another BMI-licensed firm, Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc., which was originally founded as part of Lou Adler's Dunhill entity; and two ASCAP-licensed publishers, ABC's Ampco Music, Inc., and Dunhill's Wingate Music Corp. In 1973, during a reorganization, the two BMI-licensed publishers -- plus two other publishing companies, Westpar and Porgie (apparently having come in to the picture upon ABC/Dunhill's 1972 acquisition of Duke/Peacock) -- were consolidated into one single publisher, ABC/Dunhill Music, Inc.; while the two ASCAP publishers were folded into American Broadcasting Music, Inc. It was because of this reorganization that the publisher of "For All We Know" was listed on The Singles 1969-1973 and all other compilations up to the 1980's as ABC/Dunhill Music, Inc.

As for "Rainy Days And Mondays": The first pressings of single AM-1260-S, on both sides, carried the credit "Arranged and Orchestrated by Richard Carpenter" on the label. Later pressings deleted the "and Orchestrated" part.

 

[Ed Bishop]

Funny Columbia should turn up in this thread...interesting that, when Columbia went to the 30000 series, they changed the label from that cool 360 Sound label to the dull, generic one they would use for the next 20 years. Canada didn't get the message right away--bless 'em--and into at least the spring of 1971 were still using the 360 label! I don't know how long that lasted, but I dug that they kept the old label longer than in the U.S. Columbia's 360 was a corporate label, true, but the next one was just lousy--so corporate it had no visual meaning. Labels could be a work of art on their own, like the austere A&M label was for so many years.

ED

 

[Rudy]

I have long wanted to do a label gallery here in the Corner, or elsewhere. Columbia's labels on 78 shellac was rather plain--same red, but just a gold "Columbia" and a round "seal" (or logo) at the top. I think the most visually exciting was the 6-eye, in both its red and "Masterworks" grey configuration. "360 Sound" was also cool. If anything, the older LP labels gave a strong company identity.

 

[Tim Neely]

Conversely, SP-3506 was supposed to have been the original catalogue number for Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat before: a) it was switched to SP-4313 in the "4100" series, and b) SP-3506 was applied to the aforementioned Humble Pie Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore double-LP. (Speaking of which: What catalogue number was that Pie album supposed to have been originally?)

That this original scenario was to have been the case, was put for all to see on Mr. Stevens's "Moon Shadow" single (AM-1265-S) which clearly stated the following: "(From the A&M Album SP-3506)."

I wonder if someone at Island Records in the UK, from which A&M licensed Cat Stevens' material, or Cat Stevens himself, had an objection to the higher price for the LP in the States. Perhaps there was some fear of "parallel imports" of the UK version of the LP. My recollection is that imports used to cost about a dollar or two more than the US edition of the album when stores carried both, and if the UK version had a dollar lower list price than the US version, then the two would sell for about the same price in the US!

I can't find any evidence that the Humble Pie LP was assigned to anything other than SP-3506, at least not until it was reissued around 1979 as SP-6008.

Consider:
"Moonshadow" first made the singles charts for the week ending June 26, 1971.
Teaser and the Firecat first charted on the week ending Oct. 9, 1971.
Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore didn't chart until Nov. 6, 1971.

"Moonshadow" was released as a single several months before its LP came out -- plenty of time for record execs to change the catalog number and pretend the first one never existed. Call it Eight Arms To Hold You Syndrome.

 

[Bruno]

When I became a Carpenters fan in 1981, I searched every record store in town to get a copy of the vinyl LP CARPENTERS, but it was out of print here in Germany back then. In the summer of 1983 however, some months after Karen's death, all the early albums were re-released in Germany, too. So I bought the vinyl LP. It didn't have the original cover, but that horrible picture of Karen and Richard on the front.

At first, I was a little disappointed, because this album is very short (about 30 minutes only). But there are ofcourse SUPERSTAR, RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS and FOR ALL WE KNOW.

The best non-single song for me on this album is ONE LOVE. This is perhaps my favorite Carpenters song; I especially like the lyrics "Few are the choices we are given, the sands of time pass quickly by." Chill factor.

I also like HIDEAWAY and SATURDAY. DRUSCILLA PENNY is the worst song on this album , but I like the cembalo on this one, even though it doesn't fit the lyrics. LET ME BE THE ONE I always found boring; but Matthew Sweet's interpretation of this song on the album IF I WERE A CARPENTER is great. The Medley isn't very interesting, and SOMETIMES is only fascinating because of Richard's piano playing, forget the lyrics.

The CD of this album I bought sometime in 1989, I guess. It's an US import, it has the original cover art and contains Remixes of SUPERSTAR and RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS.

So, even though this is not my favorite Carpenters album, it contains great songs!

Bruno

long ago and also far away.....

 

[Mr Bill]

I have long wanted to do a label gallery here in the Corner, or elsewhere.

I have more or less completed one for the generic A&M labels as well as inner sleeves and 45 sleeves by era. Just a little html tweakage and it can be uploaded. Just another task among the hundreds of cover scans I've uploaded or are preparing to upload!

--Mr Bill
noting that creating the silver era generic label was quite a chore (generic meaning "no text")...

 

[W.B.]

I have long wanted to do a label gallery here in the Corner, or elsewhere.

Which reminds me . . . about all those 45 labels ("9 o'clock" 1963-73 ochres, Almo International, Ode, even a "silver" A&M label) I forwarded last year, just asking when we'd see those online.

 

[Rudy]

Given my current schedule, not much is going to happen until this autumn at the earliest--I spend nearly entire days away from the computer these days. Nothing fun either! I do need to do these as part of a database however, since I try not to work w/ HTML on my sites anymore, as it is too difficult to maintain and update. Nothing has been forgotten though--all the scans are here, safe and sound. I just need another "Me" to catch up on everything.

Maybe I'll debut "Version 5.0" of the Corner around Thanksgiving this year...

 

[Mr Bill]

Just an update to add aotw image...

--Mr Bill