Simon KC1950
Well-Known Member
Happy Saturday everyone,
I have been doing lots and lots of research into the UK charts - aside from the Official Charts which are easily accessible. I managed to find and record all Carpenters album chart placings and dates in Melody Maker. I also found some single placings in Melody Maker, NME and BMRB along with some very exiting Capital Radio Top 40 Weekly Countdowns (which is still going on today!)
Here are the chart placings and dates for the Carpenters albums in the Top 30 of Melody Maker from 1970-1979. (if anyone wants a specific date or individual chart placings then ask away)
Melody Maker UK Albums Top 30
Breaking that down, during the 1970's Karen and Richard Carpenter placed 11 albums inside the Melody Maker Top 30 with a combined total of 233 weeks including 23 weeks at #1 and 100 weeks in the Top 10
Below is Capital's weekly countdown which I don't think started until late 73/early 74 but continues to this day and is one of Britain' biggest stations. Karen went to the Capital studio in London during her 1978 visit (I have a recording of this on my Carpenters Facebook page here:
These are interesting as they do differ from the the other charts of the day, I believe this chart also took into account requests - the second entry left me gobsmacked!
Capital Radio Top 40 Weekly Countdown
*entry date is as a "Capital Climber"
Below are chart placings for a 5 early singles in Melody Maker, NME and BMRB (British Market Research Bureau). I also found that "Please Mr. Postman" was #1 on the NME chart dated 19/02/75
I have been doing lots and lots of research into the UK charts - aside from the Official Charts which are easily accessible. I managed to find and record all Carpenters album chart placings and dates in Melody Maker. I also found some single placings in Melody Maker, NME and BMRB along with some very exiting Capital Radio Top 40 Weekly Countdowns (which is still going on today!)
Here are the chart placings and dates for the Carpenters albums in the Top 30 of Melody Maker from 1970-1979. (if anyone wants a specific date or individual chart placings then ask away)
Melody Maker UK Albums Top 30
ALBUM TITLE | PEAK POSTION | WEEKS ON CHART | FIRST CHART ENTRY | LAST CHART ENTRY | WEEKS IN TOP 10 |
CLOSE TO YOU | 29 | 1 | 20/02/71 | 20/02/71 | 0 |
THE CARPENTERS | 10 | 17 | 30/10/71 | 08/04/71 | 1 |
TICKET TO RIDE | 27 | 3 | 15/04/72 | 29/04/72 | 0 |
A SONG FOR YOU | 15 | 11 | 04/11/72 | 05/01/74 | 0 |
NOW AND THEN | 1 (3 WEEKS) | 50 | 07/07/73 | 13/05/74 | 27 |
THE SINGLES 69-73 | 1 (18 WEEKS) | 99 | 26/01/74 | 10/01/76 | 51 |
HORIZON | 2 (5 WEEKS) | 21 | 28/06/75 | 15/11/75 | 18 |
A KIND OF HUSH | 6 | 11 | 03/07/76 | 11/09/76 | 4 |
LIVE AT THE PALLADIUM | 28 | 1 | 22/01/77 | 22/01/77 | 0 |
PASSAGE | 12 | 7 | 15/10/77 | 21/11/77 | 0 |
SINGLES 74-78 | 1 (2 WEEKS) | 12 | 09/12/78 | 24/02/79 | 8 |
Breaking that down, during the 1970's Karen and Richard Carpenter placed 11 albums inside the Melody Maker Top 30 with a combined total of 233 weeks including 23 weeks at #1 and 100 weeks in the Top 10
Below is Capital's weekly countdown which I don't think started until late 73/early 74 but continues to this day and is one of Britain' biggest stations. Karen went to the Capital studio in London during her 1978 visit (I have a recording of this on my Carpenters Facebook page here:
These are interesting as they do differ from the the other charts of the day, I believe this chart also took into account requests - the second entry left me gobsmacked!
Capital Radio Top 40 Weekly Countdown
TITLE | PEAK POSTION | WEEKS ON CHART | FIRST/LAST ENTRY DATE |
TOP OF THE WORLD | 35 (INCOMPLETE CHART) | 3 (INCOMPLETE CHART) | JAN '74 |
JAMBALAYA / MR GUDER | 1 | 9 | 16/02/74 - 20/04/74 |
I WON'T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU | 8 | 6 | 17/05/74 - 22/06/74 |
PLEASE MR POSTMAN | 2 | 15 | 30/11/74 - 22/03/75 |
ONLY YESTERDAY | 5 | 8 | 12/04/75 - 31/05/75 |
SOLITAIRE | 12 | 6 | 02/08/75* - 06/09/75 |
MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING / SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN | 13 | 4 | 29/11/75 - 20/12/75 |
THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH | 8 | 8 | 06/03/76* - 01/05/76 |
I NEED TO BE IN LOVE | 18 | 4 | 03/07/76* - 24/07/76 |
ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG | 22 | 4 | 28/05/77 - 18/06/76 |
CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT | 3 | 6 | 15/09/77 - 03/10/77 |
SWEET, SWEET SMILE | 10 | 7 | 07/01/78 - 18/02/78 |
CAPTAL RADIO MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF NOTE | TITLE | POSITION |
CAPITAL HALL OF FAME (24 MAY 1974) LISTENERS VOTES | (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU | 87 |
CAPITAL HALL OF FAME (24 MAY 1974) LISTENERS VOTES | GOODBYE TO LOVE | 91 |
PEOPLES CHOICE (29/11/75) | MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING / SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN | 1 |
CAPITAL'S COUNTDOWN OF '75 TOP ARTISTS | CARPENTERS | 2 |
CAPITAL'S COUNTDOWN OF '75 TOP SONGS | PLEASE MR. POSTMAN | 17 |
CAPITAL'S COUNTDOWN OF '75 TOP SONGS | ONLY YESTERDAY | 30 |
PEOPLES CHOICE (15/09/77) | CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT | 1 |
Below are chart placings for a 5 early singles in Melody Maker, NME and BMRB (British Market Research Bureau). I also found that "Please Mr. Postman" was #1 on the NME chart dated 19/02/75
TITLE | MELODY MAKER | WEEKS | NME | WEEKS | BMRB | WEEKS |
(THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU | 4 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN | 23 | 10 | 27 | 2 | 28 | 6 |
SUPERSTAR / FOR ALL WE KNOW | 18 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 18 | 10 |
GOODBYE TO LOVE | 8 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 12 |