Carpenters - The Complete Singles CD

[Alan71]

Apologies if there is already a thread about this. I tried a search and nothing specific came up, even though I thought I’d posted on the subject myself.

Today, I ordered The Complete Singles from Amazon (UK). I didn’t think this would ever be made more widely available so I’d given up on ever getting it. It appears to be selling out quite fast. When I ordered this morning, there were still three more left in stock. I’ve checked tonight and it’s now unavailable! Presumably eBay flippers are buying them up.

It was £41 but as, over three years ago during the first UK Covid lockdown, I bought the UK Yesterday Once More CD for £60, it seems like a bargain!

 

[Alan71]

This CD arrived today, thankfully undamaged (I’d read some reports on Amazon of damage in transit).

Not listened to all of it yet but I have heard Calling Occupants. I’d read that this was the single edit without the DJ, but to my surprise it’s also what I call the video version of the song! Has that ever had a CD release before? I don’t think it has in the UK anyway. I’ve always preferred the video version (possibly as that was the first one I heard, but it’s one of those songs that works well when shortened).

I’m still amazed to have this CD. It sold out on Amazon later in the day so I was lucky that my payday wasn’t any later!

 

[Harry]

The single version of "Calling Occupants" had only one CD release prior. It was on the special Japanese Single box. Many believe that was a needledrop from a 45. This version is from a tape source.

 

[Alan71]

The single version of "Calling Occupants" had only one CD release prior. It was on the special Japanese Single box. Many believe that was a needledrop from a 45. This version is from a tape source.

Ah, I had read something about a needle-drop. I wasn’t sure if that was on here but it’s good to know it’s from the master tape. It’s been a 35-year wait to have this version on CD. It was a showing of the Yesterday Once More VHS program on British TV in 1988 that got me into the Carpenters, so it was the video version of Calling Occupants that I first heard (I was already familiar with some well-known Carpenters singles, but not this one even though it had been quite a big UK hit).

It’s a slight pity that there are two album versions on this that are presumably in error, but otherwise this is an excellent collection. Having got the UK Yesterday Once More CD over three years ago, this one was top of my list.

 

[Carl]

I’ve got the complete singles cd but was unaware of this version of Calling Occupants. I’m going to check it out. This was the first Carpenters music video I saw when I first got into Carpenters music. I saw it on VH1 Classic. I remember being mesmerised to finally see a video of Karen Carpenter

 

[Alan71]

I’ve got the complete singles cd but was unaware of this version of Calling Occupants. I’m going to check it out. This was the first Carpenters music video I saw when I first got into Carpenters music. I saw it on VH1 Classic. I remember being mesmerised to finally see a video of Karen Carpenter

Even without the DJ bit, the album version is 6:11. This single/video edit is 4:09. It’s surprising it hasn’t turned up on previous compilations. The full album version, with the DJ, is seven minutes long so took up a lot of space on vinyl and CD. As much as I love the song, I’ve always found the album version to be a bit drawn-out.

A week ago I found a scan online from a TV listings magazine where the Yesterday Once More VHS program was shown. It was 3:10am on Monday 20 June 1988 (ITV Central region), though the time was really the early hours of Tuesday 21 June. My brother recorded it and we must have watched it the next day, so I finally have the date where I got into the Carpenters! Some of the songs in it I had never heard before, including Calling Occupants, which I hadn’t realised had been such a big UK hit.

 

[Alan71]

And here’s the scan!