Found GOLD

[Harry]

Well it appears that the new cover for Carpenters GOLD is out there. I found one today while browsing around. It's funny, because just last week, I saw a couple with the old cover re-appearing after an absence from a local Borders.

This is likely a replacement for the original black-with-gold logo, that looked much like the classic ABBA GOLD cover.

The liner notes look like they read the same, at least with the track by track commentary - I'll have to do a comparison later when I get home. There is for sure one new paragraph from Richard:

In February 2004, A&M Records released Carpenters Gold, this two CD compilation commemorated the thirty-five years that had elapsed since Karen and I were signed to the label. Of course, I am gratified to know that after all these years our music remains so popular worldwide and that A&M has requested this new release. What is saddening and sobering, however, is the realization that we lost Karen twenty-two years ago, and just how quickly the years can pass; the most recent of Karen's vocals in this set having been recorded in 1980.

Richard's notes are dated June 2005. I'll have to compare them with the older GOLD notes.

The discs sound identical on first listen, but have the newer GOLD style that others in this Universal series have adopted - a dull gold color on disc one with the squared off top allowing the CD's natural silver color to show through. Disc two is styled the same way, but is a charcoal black color instead.

There's one problem with this package that I've found - the outer sticker is wrong. It proudly states "42 Digitally Remastered Hits", when there are only 40 tracks on this package. And before you ask, yes, I checked for hidden bonus tracks, listening all the way through track 20 on each disc.

The back cover and the discs themselves have a (P)2004 and a (C)2005 date on them.

I don't know - I like the picture, but somehow the old cover looked classier:

The new cover is now showing on the amazon.com website, and I've linked the top picture to that set, in case anyone wants to order it online.

Harry
NP: Carpenters GOLD

 

[Chris May]

Great job on the post, Harry!

 

[Harry]

I wonder if the old black-and-gold set will someday increase in value, as it was really only in production for something like 20 months.

It makes me glad I got that numbered and autographed one from eBay last year.

Harry

 

[rmos]

I'm looking at the photo used for the GOLD cover, that's been posted here, and it appears to me that it's been flopped.

Or are my eyes deceiving me?

 

[Harry]

I thought that too when I first saw it used on AS TIME GOES BY. My reasoning was that Richard looks like he's driving on the right side of the car. But if you compare it with the front cover of AS TIME GOES BY:

...you can see that Richard's hair is parted on the same side in this other picture from the same Annie Leibovitz photo session.

I concluded that in the photo in question, Richard is properly on the left-hand drivers seat, with Karen sitting on the edge of that very seat, facing out of the car, or she's kneeling or crouching into the photo frame.

Harry

[edited to add:] Actually, that picture from the new GOLD was used as the back cover photo on the LOVE SONGS album. I recall the classy foil coloration on that one.

 

[Dave60640]

Kinda off the subject (nothing new for me) but does anyone know if there have been any other photo's released from this shoot. I love the warm tones and subtlety. K & R both look great!
I would love to see what else Annie was able to capture.

 

[Chris May]

Yes Dave here are a few, all taken at the Carpenters' home in Downey for Rolling Stone; July 4, 1974 edition (most were shot in the garage):

 

[DAN BOLTON]

Now, for the obvious question...what kind of car are they sitting in? Looks like a mid-'60's Chrysler product, to me...



Dan

 

[Chris May]

It's a 1965 Plymouth Satellite:

http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/Auto-01 1965 Plymouth Satellite.htm

 

[Harry]

Now that I've had a chance to compare the new GOLD with the old GOLD (Why do I feel like I'm talking about cigarettes here?), here are some facts.

The booklet is laid out exactly the same way with the following exceptions. The new booklet obviously has a new front page, and the back page is a plain gold metallic color, with no track listing as found on the older booklet. The inside of the new booklet uses a flat *gold* color instead of the metallic gold color on the older booklet. In the new booklet the pages are numbered, and on the song-by-song description pages, there is a slight speckling to the light tan backing color that wasn't there on the older set. On the credits page, the new booklet eliminates the universalchronicles.com website address as well as the "UTV Records designation. The new booket adds the richardandkarencarpenter.com address, a 2005 copyright date, and a "BK02" designation after the catalog number.

Speaking of which, the catalog number remains the same, B000177-02, which means that if you ordered this right now over the Internet, the seller might still have old stock. At this point it would be a crapshoot as to which version you'd get.

All of the booklet pictures remain as they were, with the exception of the flat gold color framing them instead of the metallic gold color.

Other differences: the new printed tracklisting on the back insert doesn't have track timings, and the track titles aren't printed on the new discs.

Harry
...with the differences, online...