Beautiful Moments

[Bruno]

I just found a website, which is listing all German No.1 LPs for the last decades.

And you know what?

Carpenters had their only No.1 LP in Germany in 1980 with a compilation called BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS!

This is no longer available, but I once owned it as a cassette. I remember, that on this cassette I heard REASON TO BELIEVE for the very first time.

You can see again, that Carpenters had their high time in Germany when in the US their fame was already fading.

Interesting sidenote: Neil Diamond had two No.1 LPs in Germany (Serenade, 1975, and Beautiful Noise, 1977). Barry Manilow had none.

Strange, those Germans

Bruno
off to bed

 

[Bruno]

While Carpenters were at the top of the German LP charts in 1980 for one week with BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS, there were other international stars (beside some German stars) on the No.1 spot:

XANADU (Soundtrack, 1 week)
ABBA: SUPER TROOPER (2 weeks)
HOT CHOCOLATE: 20 GREATEST HITS (7 weeks)
and
PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (17 weeks!)

I owned the XANADU LP, and there were some nice songs on this album (Xanadu, Magic, Suddenly). I didn't own the Carpenters' LP, because I discovered them not before 1981.

So, you see, tough competition for Karen and Richard back then, and yet they made it!

Bruno
who was 16 years young in 1980 - long ago, long ago!

 

[Harry]

Here's a copy of that compilation currently selling through eBay:




It's interesting that a KTel disc could top the charts.

Harry

 

[Murray]

It's interesting that a KTel disc could top the charts.

KTel was a CANADIAN company, so I find it strange that they would release a Carpenters compilation in Germany, but not in Canada. Must have been problems licensing the music for release here?

Murray
...who remembers seeing a KTel Herb Alpert & TJB album long long ago, but I didn't buy it (hits head against wall)...

 

[Dave]

I saw that K-Tel Herb Alpert & TjB album years ago, too. I could'a bought it, myself.

There are so many K-Tel multi-artist releases and a few on single artists such as these. I'm sure you can do a websearch and come up with a lotta different albums that just sort'a creep up on you.

Dave

 

[Bruno]

K-Tel sold many LPs in Germany in the 70s and 80s, so I always thought it was a German company.

I think, one of the reasons for BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS to top the charts was, that K-Tel albums always were promoted heavily on German tv and radio. I think, if GOLD would have gotten the same promotion, it would have sold much better in Germany than it did! Look at ULTIMATE MANILOW, which went straight to No.3 in the US charts in 2002! This was heavily promtoted on US tv, too.

Thanks for the cover, Harry. I remember it very well( as I said, I bought the cassette of this album around 1983). I was surprised, that there was no picture of Karen and Richard on the cover. But then again, most Germans perhaps thought, as I did in the 70s while listening to their songs on the radio, that Carpenters were a choir( because of the overdubbed vocals)! It was not until 1981 that I discovered, that there were only two of them. And the next thing which surprised me, was the fact, that Karen and Richard were a brother and sister duo, not husband and wife.

Bruno

 

[Murray]

K-Tel International was founded by Mr. Phillip Kives (the K in K-Tel) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1962. He later branched out by opening an American office in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and offices in Europe. The original company went bankrupt in 1986, but the Kives family still owns the K-Tel name, and has used it for various business ventures since then. Currently, they operate an internet pharmacy K-TelDrugMart out of Winnipeg.

I found this paragraph on the net:

K-telDrugMart
K-tel International is the original pioneer of the advertising success of today’s infomercial. In 1962, K-tel was one of the first ever to sell quality household products via television. By 1966, compilation music albums were added to the millions of products sold worldwide through the wonders of K-tel’s TV advertising. The rest is history. K-tel has remained a leader in bringing its customers innovative and affordable quality products. All prescription drugs are approved by Health Canada, and are dispensed and shipped direct to you from our licensed pharmacy in Canada.

Murray

 

[Bruno]

I ordered XANADU by amazon.de, and today the postman delivered it.

This will be a nostalgic evening.....

Bruno

 

[PJ]

Surprising that Carpenters had only one #1 German album ...and this was TV advertised compilation

Considering their German tours / live popularity and some major singles success -none of their studio albums 1970 >1977 topped the charts

Was Singles 1974-1978 set ever issued in Germany ? Original 1969-1973 issued during 1974 European tour ?

How did Made in America & Voice of The Heart progress after Beautiful Moments huge success

Peter

 

[Bruno]

I searched the internet again and found a website, which does not only list No.1 albums, but gives detailed informations about the German charts of the last decades.

The result surprises me:
Carpenters had indeed only one album, which was successful overe here, and it is BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS.

Their most successful singles in Germany were:

Yesterday Once More (1973, Peak:21)
Top of The World (1974, 38 )
Jambalaya (1974, 50)
Only Yesterday (1975, 43)
Please Mr.Postman (1975, 10)
Sweet Sweet Smile (1978, 22)

Both Singles albums were released in Germany, but they didn't chart so well as BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS did.

Barry Manilow, by the way, had only three single hits in Germany: Mandy, Copacabana, You're Looking Hot Tonight. And no album at all!

Neil Diamond had many single hits, and several album bestsellers over here.

As I said before: Strange, those Germans.....

Bruno

 

[PJ]

Bruno -what a surprise re : Singles & Album's success ....is there only one chart ? or several different charts over the decades

UK Music Week / Top Of The Pops chart is the most used in UK ....however Carpenters have never achieved UK #1 single on this chart ....whereas on other charts ...Carpenters have several !

Still Carpenters always toured Germany in 1970's as key market ....perhaps as with USA ....chart positions are average ....whereas sales are consistent / huge for most releases ....this maintains Carpenters catalogue position and enduring success for Universal / A&M and keeps Richard very happy

Peter

 

[Bruno]

Peter,

the website can be found:

http://www.charts-surfer.de/index.htm

I think, the German charts are based on how many copies a single or an album sold.

I'm really surprised myself, that Carpenters didn't chart better. Although I discovered the duo for myself not before 1981, I had always listened to their songs on German radio as a kid and a teen, but without knowing, who sang those tunes.

I remember German radio playing especially: Yesterday Once More, Top of the World, Postman, Hush, Happy, and Smile.

Did Carpenters really do many concerts in Germany? I know, that Achim from Neuss has seen Carpenters live in Düsseldorf, but I don't remember which year.

I always found it strange, that both Carpenters and Manilow were/are very successful (outside the USA) in the UK and in the Netherlands, while in Germany they are almost forgotten. JAMBALAYA was a number one hit in the Netherlands for them, if I remember this right.

I watched Manilow live in concert in Germany three times (1988 Mainz, 1994 Bonn and some days later Essen), and the halls were only half full. When I was in London in 2002 to see him perform at two shows, the Wembley Arena was packed with people! Diamond I saw two times (1989 Dortmund, 1998 Cologne), and the halls were sold out!

Bruno

 

[PJ]

Bruno-thanks for charts link -some interesting information and even more fascinating omissions .....clearly either Germans music buyers have specific likes / dislikes even for the same artists / groups or the chart datea was limited / less accurate for key releases in 1970 > 1990 period

Peter