Carpenters "The Nation's Favourites" compilation coming in the UK

That back cover really irked me when I saw a copy in a record store and picked it up to have a look. The word "you" in I Won't Last A Day Without You" is on a line of its own, which looks like a sloppy formatting error to me.

Good catch! It does look kind of sloppy.

The thing I noticed is that the apostrophes used on the track listing on the back cover are not consistent. Some are straight and some are curly. But I think 99.99% of the people who buy this would not notice this, only typography geeks like me, lol.
 
I am happy to say that my copy of Favourites arrived today! I am quite pleased with it, despite very little in the way of singles versions (which I prefer). Yet I can get my singles version fix with the terrific PBS 3-CD set (its claim to fame being all singles versions and B-sides). However, most songs in Favourites are the original album mixes, with a few remixes thrown into the "mix."

At this point, I wish to thank Harry for providing such specific detail on the versions at the Complete Recording Source (The Nation’s Favourite Carpenters Songs (UK) »)!

The liner notes are exceptional, including the interview with Richard and his descriptions of some of the songs. Finally, Richard is asked: "What are you currently working on?" Richard replies, "I am currently finishing the arrangements for some new songs and will be recording them soon." Is this not breaking news?!?! (If someone else already mentioned this, I apologize for not spotting it.) Bottom line: to hear that Richard is recording new songs is a welcome bonus! :)
 
Here's the album cover once again, but this time with the "proper" Carpenters logo!

nations-favourite.jpg
 
Reviewed Today:
Album review: The Nation’s Favourite Carpenters Songs
By CarolineKay | Posted: September 30, 2016


"Anyone who missed ITV's fabulous programme The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song,
fear not, you can treat yourself to the CD which has been released to coincide with the show.
It's hard to believe that it's 33 years since songbird Karen Carpenter died and in the year which her brother,
Richard Carpenter, reaches his 70th birthday, Universal Music has released The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Songs.
It features all 20 tracks from the TV special and I have to say it is up there as one of my all time favourite albums –
and so Karen and Richard are my companions while I am driving.
Because I am of an age when I remember The Carpenters being constantly played on Radio 2 back in the 70s and 80s,
and it is simply sublime to hear Karen Carpenter's soulful voice, for the first time in a long time."

Source:
Album review: The Nation’s Favourite Carpenters Songs »
 
Eventually received my copy yesterday, i was having it sent with anothe release ( phil collins - the singles ) so as to save postage.
I really like this disc, except for one track which i wish was not the remix version - I wont last a day without you. I like the slow version, i like the single guitar added but i DON'T like the reverb on the vocals. It's just smothered in it, epecially at the beginning.
The album version of close to you, has those clear , pure, natural, real vocals coming at you. it's mastered very well this album, i thought solitaire sounded quite clear .
However, for ONCE we have the album version of it's going to take some time, and not the remix with that OTT piano intro that loses setting up the the sense of delicacy and fragility of the track and lyrics.
Top of the world album also has a fresh, sincere and poignant feel to it, it's more 'country' to me and i think it works really well. It's not massively polished and perfect, if you know what i mean.
It's a good album and Richard has some very nice replies in the question section too.
I'll be playing this one a lot.
Pity rainy days isnt the remix actually as the album version gets a bit distorted at times.
 
I was in HMV yesterday and I have not seen so many carpenters albums on the racks in recent years, the show must have awakened interest in people.
I counted 6 albums on there.
 
I'm glad I'm not alone in this. The

'I Won't Last a Day Without
You'

thing really annoyed me too. How do these things ever go to print without being properly checked?
 
I've just given 'I Won't Last a Day Without You' from this compilation a listen as I don't think I've heard it before and have to agree about the reverb overload. Because so many remixes appear on the various compilations, I often forget how different some of the original versions sounded, although personally I think the 1974 single version is the best remix of this track.

The ending piano coda seems very random too - doesn't really add anything... Wonder why they chose this version for a generic compilation album. It's neither the original nor the hit single version, but something else entirely.
 
The ending piano coda seems very random too - doesn't really add anything... Wonder why they chose this version for a generic compilation album. It's neither the original nor the hit single version, but something else entirely.

This particular remix was from '91, and the tag you're referring to was originally intended as an interlude out of this song, into (They Long To Be) Close To You. This was taken from The Singles, 1969-1981 compilation with the idea of creating a similar feel of that given to the original Singles comp from '73. Additionally the objective was to transition from the key of "D" on Won't Last A Day to the opening four chord on Close To You (keyed in "G").

Hope this makes sense! :)
 
That back cover really irked me when I saw a copy in a record store and picked it up to have a look. The word "you" in I Won't Last A Day Without You" is on a line of its own, which looks like a sloppy formatting error to me.

I'm quoting myself to confirm they've fixed that annoying formatting glitch on the back cover. Here is the photo taken by another member on its release and one of a couple of sets I purchased just this weekend (apologies for the grainy image, taken on a mobile phone):

carpenters-nations-favourite-IMG_0282.jpg


tzm4KGDgUt8kaa2z-hE6m8HpGC1wR_HB_sF_HIuM7MM
 
I wonder if the record company has been pleased with the compilation's sales. Granted it entered at #2, but it hasn't re-entered the Top 100 so far over the Christmas period, so its overall sales are probably still below or only just around the 60,000 mark (the threshold for silver certification). Maybe they've just released too many compilations in the UK for each new one to still be able to rack up strong sales each time.
 
Maybe they've just released too many compilations in the UK for each new one to still be able to rack up strong sales each time.

It's a fair point - I think the UK has been swamped with compilations in recent years with not much to differentiate one from another. Gold was released in different formats but didn't vary drastically from the 1990 hits compilation or the Nation's Favourite one either.

Between 1985 and 1995 there were three main releases once every 5 years, which seemed to pick up a swell of new listeners each time. Since then it does feel like they've been a lot more regular which dilutes the impact of each successive release.

Still there's no taking away from them the fact this one hit the #2 spot, helped in no small part by an accompanying TV documentary :)
 
I cannot see the second picture. Is anyone else seeing it?
 
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