Box Set Tracklist Posted!!

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scottb

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From CD Universe:

Scott B

DISC 1:
1.
Caravan
2.
Parting Of Our Ways, The
3.
Looking For Love
4.
I'll Be Yours
5.
Iced Tea
6.
You'll Love Me
7.
All I Can Do
8.
Don't Be Afraid
9.
Invocation
10.
Your Wonderful Parade
11.
All Of My Life
12.
Eve
13.
Ticket To Ride
14.
Get Together
15.
Interview
16.
Love Is Surrender
17.
Maybe It's You
18.
Close To You, (They Long To Be)
19.
Mr. Guder
20.
We've Only Just Begun
21.
Merry Christmas Darling
22.
For All We Know (from "Lovers And Other Strangers")
DISC 2:
1.
Rainy Days And Mondays
2.
Superstar
3.
Let Me Be The One
4.
Bless The Beasts And Children (from "Bless The Beasts And Children")
5.
Hurting Each Other
6.
It's Going To Take Some Time
7.
I Won't Last A Day Without You
8.
Song For You, A
9.
Top Of The World
10.
Goodbye To Love
11.
This Masquerade
12.
Sing
13.
Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
14.
Yesterday Once More
15.
Oldies Medley: Fun, Fun, Fun / End Of The World, The / Da Doo Ron Ron /
Deadman's Curve / Johnny Angel / Night Has A Thousand Eyes, The / Our
Day Will Come / One Fine Day
16.
Yesterday Once More (Reprise)
17.
Radio Contest Outtakes
DISC 3:
1.
Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial
2.
Please Mr. Postman
3.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
4.
Only Yesterday
5.
Solitaire
6.
Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again
7.
Good Friends Are For Keeps
8.
Ordinary Fool
9.
Sandy
10.
There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)
11.
I Need To Be In Love
12.
From This Moment On
13.
Suntory Pop Jingle #1
14.
Suntory Pop Jingle #2
15.
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
16.
Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem Of
World Contact Day)
17.
Sweet, Sweet Smile
18.
Christ Is Born
19.
White Christmas
20.
Little Altar Boy
21.
Ave Maria
DISC 4:
1.
Where Do I Go From Here
2.
Little Girl Blue
3.
I Believe You
4.
If I Had You
5.
Karen/Ella Medley: This Masquerade / My Funny Valentine / I'll Be Seeing
You / Someone To Watch Over Me / As Time Goes By / Don't Get Around
Much Any More / I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
6.
1980 Medley: Sing / Knowing When To Leave / Make It Easy On Yourself /
Someday / We've Only Just Begun
7.
Make Believe It's Your First Time
8.
Touch Me When We're Dancing
9.
When It's Gone
10.
Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)
11.
Those Good Old Dreams
12.
Now
13.
Karen's Theme
 
Ok so I'm replying to myself:) I'm pretty impressed with the tracklist. While it doesn't have any real rare gems I think this is much more of a definitive set than "From The Top" which didn't take full advantage of the CD's capacity time wise. Also I'm sure this set will be newly remastered and even thought FTT sounded very good remastering techniques have improved by about 1000% since then.

Like I really need an excuse to buy another Carpenters set!!

Scott B
 
I'm pretty impressed with the tracklist. While it doesn't have any real rare gems I think this is much more of a definitive set than "From The Top" which didn't take full advantage of the CD's capacity time wise.

Frankly, I'm not the slightest bit impressed. This is just a rehash of From The Top, with a few tracks added (all of which have been previously released), and absolutely NOTHING new... NADA, ZILCH, ZERO! :mad: Geez, you'd think that RC could at least have given the fans something, perhaps an alternate take of Close To You, Can't Buy Me Love, a live recording or two, "Love Making Love To You", the duet with John Denver...

Yes, remastering techniques may have improved since FTT was released, but that alone is not enough to convince me to spend at least $80 CDN (that's what I paid for FTT when it was first released) for material that I already have.

Now, if someone were to give me a set for Christmas... :wink:

Murray
 
I just wonder if this set will even be a good seller. Consider this: most of the diehard fans already own From The Top. These are the ones the box set is targeted to. They will see that there are few new tracks on the set (which, from the sound of it, looks like the "new" tracks included here are available on other Carps CDs). A few new folks will buy the set, no doubt, but unless it's sold at some incredible bargain price, this one could be a "stiff."

I bought From The Top several years ago, used, for just over $20 U.S. (Certainly wasn't more than $24.) For anyone patient enough to wait, that may be a good way to acquire it. Don't know if the sound would be all that improved--From The Top, as it stands, sounds pretty good as is!

One thought: I wish they'd put the original 45RPM version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" on the set. The original sax solo was a lot more interesting than the re-recorded version!

-= N =-
 
Well Guys,

I, for one, am greatly disappointed at the news of track list info. This is basically FTT w/ a little Interpretations thrown in. Where is the collection that we've been waiting so patiently for these last 2 decades? I will buy it simply because my collection demands it of me, but, c'mon folks, give us something that'll stick to our ribs. Will we EVER see "Coming Through The Rye" or some of K's solo outtakes mastered and released?

Jeff, hot-headed w/ a frown...
 
This looks to me to be another example of Richard's "tinkering" -- he's done some fine-tuning to FROM THE TOP to make it a bit better. It's not a new project, it's just a re-working of an old project.

We've seen this before, most notably with INTERPRETATIONS. The original European version of that CD was re-worked before the American release, with some minor changes, new remixes, etc.

Richard likes to keep working on things, as we know from the repeated new remixes of the same songs. Did we really think this new box set would be different?

MAYBE if we're really, really lucky, some of the tracks on this collection will be the original single mixes (like "Ticket to Ride," "Please Mr. Postman," "Santa Claus," and so on). But I'm not holding my breath!

Yes, this set is a disappointment to the die-hard fans. But it looks to me to be obviously intended to replace FROM THE TOP in the marketplace, just as THE SINGLES: 1969-1981 replaced THE SINGLES: 1969-1973 in the American market. Just a newer, better (to Richard, at least) version.

Guess we'll have to wait a few more years for something NEW. <sigh>

David
 
Well I guess I'm not nearly as upset as most people because this is what I was expecting. I too would love a *Real* new box set started from scratch but the folks at UMG are just plain lazy and it's easier for them to use the FTT template and add a few tracks in the hopes it may sell better. Many retailers don't even carry FTT anymore and to them a so called new box set would be more attractive.

I'll get the set just because I'm crazy when it comes to Carpenters and I'm a bit of an audiophile so hopefully it will sound better than FTT which sounds very good but not nearly as good as "Bye Request" of the recent Uk "Gold" CD.

Maybe just maybe Richard will surprise us with a few remixes or twists but I'm not holding my breath.

I for one would rather see a 2 CD set like "Treasures" which focuses on album cuts released. Treasures is great but that came out in 1987 and really doesn't sound that great compared with later releases.

Scott B
 
Yes, a real disapointment. "From the Top" was sorely lacking. Now here again was the opportunity to do a boxed set right for the Carpenters, and it was not taken advantage of. I was not expecting much from this set considering how things in the past have gone, but this is a really uninteresting collection for the fans.

The tracks could at least have been changed around more from the last boxed set. I agree that this is just basically a reissue of From The Top with a couple of additions. Well, let's hope that someone will one day give future Carpenter releases the attention and material they deserve.
 
I have to agree with David. This appears to be a tweaking of the FROM THE TOP set, adding in all of the hits that were excluded the first time around.

I examined the track list posted and compared it to FROM THE TOP, and the results are as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONGS THAT WERE ON FROM THE TOP, EXCLUDED FROM THE NEW SET:

Goodnight
My Body Keeps Changin' My Mind
<added to post>Still Crazy After All These Years

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONGS ADDED TO THE NEW SET:

Love Is Surrender
Mr. Guder
It's Going To Take Some Time
I Won't Last A Day Without You
A Song For You
Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial
Tryin' To Get The Feelin' Again
There's A Kind Of Hush
Sweet, Sweet Smile
I Believe You
Karen/Ella Medley
Make Believe It's Your First Time
Those Good Old Dreams
Karen's Theme

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's quite a few additions, and most of them could be considered in the hit/ single vein, and none of them were included on FROM THE TOP.

If you think back to the status quo back around 1990/1991 when FROM THE TOP was issued, there were already a number of Carpenters hit CDs out on the market. The thought behind FROM THE TOP was to include some older rarities and newer favorites.

But Richard, "tweaker" that he is, probably realized that a box set should be more than just that, and the new title "ESSENTIAL" reflects that. These are ESSENTIAL Carpenters recordings, both the familiar hit tracks and the older rare garage days, plus some TV medleys.

The songs that were eliminated (likely for time), were two fairly unimpressive tracks, a college choir rendition of a Beatles track, and a disco-fied track from the (at the time unissued) solo album. I'm also unsure about "Sing". On the FROM THE TOP set, the Spanish "Canta" was issued. This one lists "Sing", so it's likely the English version.

The hits and favored album tracks added were in some cases very big in other countries ("Mr. Guder" in Japan, "Jambalaya" in England), and this new set, though scheduled for US release, could hold up well with an international release.

I'll just bet that some of these might be new remixes, and I'll be eager to hear them. It's funny -- initially, I wasn't all that excited about a FROM THE TOP warm-over, but now that the track list is available, I think it might make a worthy replacement of that older set.

Harry
...suddenly looking forward to ESSENTIAL, online...
 
Harry said:
The songs that were eliminated (likely for time), were two fairly unimpressive tracks, a college choir rendition of a Beatles track, and a disco-fied track from the (at the time unissued) solo album. I'm also unsure about "Sing". On the FROM THE TOP set, the Spanish "Canta" was issued. This one lists "Sing", so it's likely the English version.

That would be an improvement, IMHO. Then again, leaving off "Sing" completely would be the biggest improvement! Even back in my childhood Sesame Street days, i hated that song!

However, I'm more concerned with how From The Top, to use one example, left on the fade-out portion of "Let Me Be The One", along with a corny ending. That's one of my favorite Carpenter songs...that just spoils the mood of it for me. That would have been better to take the last 30 seconds or so, and put it in a section of outtakes.

This is a set that I don't have an interest in purchasing, mainly because I've been a big fan of the original albums, and I have all of those already. Nothing against the set (if I had no Carpenters at all, I'd definitely consider it, especially with the enhanced track list), but around here, From The Top rarely gets played....in fact, I've only used it when I've needed a good-sounding version of a track to put on a compilation (like the two Christmas tracks).

-= N =-
NP: "ScaryfeetscaryfeetscaryfeetscaryfeetWHOOPS the kid's awake!"
 
Well, I liked GOODNIGHT. The sound quality was ofcourse bad, but the song itself and Karen's interpretation is very nice, a warm lullaby.

I also liked MY BODY KEEPS CHANGING MY MIND. When FROM THE TOP was released eleven years ago, this was the song I played over and over again. It's a very catchy tune, and this remix is much better than the original version on the solo album.
 
It is an inclusive list of the Carpenters' sound with choice songs that well represent their carreer. Any new fan will have a gem of a collection.
 
Hey, I like "Goodnight" too, as well as virtuallty everything ever released by the duo over the years.

But there has to be limitations on what's included in a box set intended for the masses. It would be unrealistic to expect that every favorite for every fan is included in a box set.

My point was that "Goodnight" was a non-professional track included on FROM THE TOP -- a Cal State choir recording, that doesn't really qualify as an "ESSENTIAL" Carpenters recording. It's been released once, we've all heard it, yes it's soothing and pleasant, but does it really belong on a box set of ESSENTIAL recordings inplace of something else. If I were compiling the set, I might included "Goodnight" and left off "Iced Tea", but that song is at least a great showcase of Karen's drumming and Richard's piano abilities in the early days.

The whole point of including "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind" on FROM THE TOP was that we'd never heard it at all before. It was a rarity from the then unreleased solo album. Today we have that album, and it's placement on a box set is no longer necessary, at least that must be the current thinking. I neglected it in my list, but it looks like "Still Crazy After All These Years" has also been given the boot, likely for the same reason.

I suppose some of us would have liked more variance from the older box set, but when you compile them chronologically, the order is gonna be pretty much the same.

Harry
...looking forward to the new set, online...
 
Just a few initial thoughts, I will expand on my return from leave next week :

This seems to be a Universal Box Set rather than Richard's original ideas discussed in January 2002.

Somewhere in 2002 Richard and Universal have changed their intentions and this is the result.

Where are the bulk of the As Time Goes By tracks , only the Karen / Ella Medley is included as planned back in 1991 :o

There could be some alternate versions , for instance Single Edits , Santa Claus original recording , Love is Surrender from Your Navy Presents etc :)

I will probably wait until Christmas / New Year sales to purchase at salea prices.

Hopefully the Liner notes have been expanded , improved and more credits / photos included ?

Peter.....still considering this odd release...........
 
One "essential" question that I hinted at earlier: if you were not a Carpenters fan or collector, and owned nothing by them but wanted a nice, complete career retrospective, would this box set look more attractive? Or would you think of a lot of it to be "excess baggage" and instead go for one of the two-CD hits compilations?

If I owned no Carpenters at all, I seriously would consider this box set. With the holiday season only three months away, it's obvious this turned into a gift purchase opportunity. Thing is, with From The Top and the other compilations still out there, it may be diluting the set's value. (I haven't checked but I assume From The Top is now discontinued, and probably has been for awhile so all of the old sets are flushed out of the retail channels.)

The set is also attractive to someone who might own a 1- or 2-CD compilation, and wants to step up without having to purchase more albums. I've done that with a few artists, most recently the Doobie Brothers. Their box set, for me, replaced both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of their Best Of CDs (which were originally LP-based albums put on CD), including all but one of the tunes from the older CDs, and adding plenty of new ones since the full 70+ minutes of the CDs are utilized.

But to amplify what Harry said: with any limited box set, you're always going to disappoint someone. I'm certain some of my Carpenter favorites aren't on the set (I'd have to look more closely at it), and the "extras" (outtakes, unfinished/unreleased tracks, commercials, etc.) are something that many people (myself included) really have no interest in listening to, other than a curiosity once or twice. Which makes a good point for putting such rarities on a separate disc in the set.

On the other hand, an unlimited box set, along the lines of "The Complete A&M Recordings of The Carpenters", would include everything...but would be prohibitively expensive, and few would buy it.

My only concern about this set is that Universal is going to give it top-gouge pricing. I've noticed recently that they're pretty much giving all of their single CDs full list pricing ($18.98 ). Other than their crappy "Millenium" series and other cheap knock-offs, it appears that "midline" is a concept they're now unfamiliar with. I'd be curious to know what list price Universal puts on this set.

-= N =-
 
The list price is $64.00. I have seen the set online for as low as $42.00.
Let's just hope a collectors box set is in the near future.

It's too bad Richard does have have an organized official web site like so many other classic bands. Then he could offer CD's of rare versions or unreleased songs that are only for die hard fans. Many groups who are no longer on a major label provide this for fans. I think the fact that Richard & The Carpenters are still with A&M/Universal, it limits what can escape.

Jeff
 
JAZZ4JEFF said:
I think the fact that Richard & The Carpenters are still with A&M/Universal, it limits what can escape.

No doubt...and who knows when the Universal agreement will expire. They've proven to be too "bottom line" conscious to do the fans a favor.

-= N =-
 
Rudy said:
Thing is, with From The Top and the other compilations still out there, it may be diluting the set's value. (I haven't checked but I assume From The Top is now discontinued, and probably has been for awhile so all of the old sets are flushed out of the retail channels.)

Not as of right now, anyway. From The Top is still floating around out there on the online sites. I haven't looked for it in a store for a while. One telling sign that it may be headed for extinction is a note on the CD Connection site, where they list the item for sale, but it's non-cancellable or returnable, just like their notes on imports. It may indicate that their stock is leftover and they're unwilling to take it back.

Harry
NP: From The Top
 
Just to add my two cents. I'm also somewhat disappointed with the track list. Although I will end up purchasing it.

I have to disagree with Rudy on his statements about "Sing". "Sing" is so much more than just a kiddie's song from Sesame Street. It's a very powerful song with a strong message about hope and optimism. Karen's voice and Richard's arrangement are both spectacular.
 
this revised track listing was designed to correct the errors and omissions on FROM THE TOP and make the boxed set as it should have been in 1991.THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION was not intended to be a "new" boxed set.{why would the Carpenters need 2 boxed sets,when they only released 13 albums in their whole career?}.Also,as this is an anthology of "essential" recordings,it would have been inappropriate to include any half-finished outtakes.(clearly,there are no more outtakes that are worthy of release-as Richard once stated-the KAREN/ELLA MEDLEY,originally intended for release on FROM THE TOP, was held up only because of contractual negotiations with Ella's representatives.THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION,containing all the hit singles,much of their jazz-related material(ordinary fool,little girl blue,etc) and the early magic lamp/spectrum sides,would undoubtably be considered their most definitive compilation.(my only objection is the exclusion of a few broadway and torch standards-dont cry for me argentina,i can dream,cant i,when i fall in love-this is some of their best work.)
 
Mr. J, I got to agree with you that "I Can Dream Can't I" and "Argentina" should have been included in the Essential Collection. Those are two of Karen's best and most amazing performances ever. It always disapoints me that "I Can Dream Can't I" is never included in any of the compilations, except once in "Treasures". Whenever I play 'I Can Dream' for people who've never heard it before, they're always very taken with it. Has Karen ever sounded more gorgeous?
 
I think a lot of people, myself included, heard the words "new box set" and immediately had visions of grandeur regarding what might be on it. Recall that As Time Goes By hasn't gotten a US release, so it seemed likely that many of the tracks from that which didn't cause contractual problems might get a release in the US that way.

But it wasn't to be. With the exception of the "Karen/Ella Medley", none of the other tracks from that album will be featured. This might be good news -- perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope that one day whatever contractual barriers exist might be worked out, and As Time Goes By might get a proper release in Carpenters' homeland.

As for the need for two box sets, well, I certainly could have lived without this one. Nevertheless, having perused the track list, I can see why it was tweaked, and will proudly add it to my collection of Carpenters recordings. If you consider three or four-disc sets as a "box set", then we international fans have not only From The Top, but the four-disc Anthology collection from Japan, and the three-disc US release from Readers Digest. And, since A&M once threw two Tijuana Brass Greatest Hits CDs together into a bundled package and called it a "Fan Box Set", then one might also consider both Yesterday Once More releases, as well as the various A&M Gold Series two-disc sets, the Classics Volume 2 set, and the marvelous two-disc Treasures from Japan as other examples of Carpenters' box sets. And I've not even mentioned the various times that all of their albums have been bundled together in both the UK and Japan. All of which serves to remind us that there is no shortage of re-releases of Carpenters material. Again, I really feel that this set is simply a tweaking of From The Top with a new name that finally gathers together what Richard feels are the 'Essential' recordings placed in a nice chronological order.

I can see the logic in wanting both "I Can Dream, Can't I" and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" on this Essential Collection, and I would certainly liked to have seen both of those in the track list. Perhaps they were excluded because of time. We'll have to see just how 'full' these discs are when we get them in late October.

Harry
NP: early morning silence
 
FYI: In my catalog (which is updated weekly), FROM THE TOP is still listed as available with no cut-out date listed (yet.)

Also my big disappointment with the new set is, again, they mixed the Christmas songs in with the "regular" tunes. This time it's even worse...before, they were at least at the ends of the disks! Chronologial order is very over-rated on these box sets, I'm afraid.

Disk 3 has got to have the strangest opening ever put on CD....a commercial, then a '60s oldie remake, and then "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town"????

So much for casual listenability. This set is begging to be ripped and resequenced!
 
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