New information on Fall Carpenters releases

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Harry

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Yuko Ogura's latest email about upcoming Carpenters projects has some official news regarding this Fall's releases. These both have been mentioned by Scott B in an earlier thread on the Box Set, so this is sort of an official confirmation, and the dates are from his post.

MILLENNIUM SERIES - this will be a US-only release and not anywhere else in the world. Since we already know the pattern of these Universal releases, we can assume a 10 to 12-track Greatest Hits kind-of album with the standard silver-grey packaging. Release date Sept. 17.

4 CD Box Set "Essential Collection 1965-1997" - According to Yuko, this will essentially be a re-release of FROM THE TOP adding in the few commercial jingles that were included in the REMEMBERING DVD. No word yet on whether any AS TIME GOES BY track will be on this set. US will get first release, other countries will follow - no dates on those yet. Scheduled US release, Oct. 8.

Now the bad news:

Richard's Christmas album - scheduled release has been pushed to next year, 2003, so it won't be out there this year. We've heard it's been completed, but perhaps it's been postponed so as not to compete with the box set re-release.

The balance of Yuko's email mentions another appearance by Richard on a Japanese TV program, not on NHK. Also that Richard will not appear at a Roberta Flack concert that's part of the Richard Carpenter Signature Series in September, and that she has a former official-release rental copy of The Karen Carpenter Story on VHS to sell to the lucky first emailer to her.

Harry
...with the latest, online...
 
Thanks for the update... but it's kind of a downer.

Millennium Series...another Greatest Hits collection. Ho-hum.

The box set, as we feared, is probably just a retread of FROM THE TOP, not a brand-new collection. Sounds like we have to pay for 4 CDs just to get "From the Heart." :sad: Maybe RC will surprise us with several more rarities...keep hope alive.

No Christmas album?? Bummer. I wasn't all that excited about it to begin with, but at least it was something new to look forward to. :|

Thanks for all the cheer, Harry.
 
Well, that's really bad news, that the Christmas album is being postponed to next year. :sad:

But, you know, it doesn't suprise me, as the relrease of AS TIME GOES BY has been postponed again and again.

If I'll buy the new box set, I don't know yet. Only jingles are new on it? Hm..... :mad:
 
Thanks for the update Harry - I'm not so thrilled about the box set either - If it's another from the top collection - I'll probably not get it - just for the jingles - I don't think so but we'll see. If there's a couple new songs on ti then I'd buy it. I was looking forward the christmas album but at least I have something to HOPEFULLY look forward to for next year! Tim.
 
Harry,

All very disappointing with these releases compared to what could and should have been released by Universal :sad:

Given Universal's poor Carpenters program since taking over from Polygram , perhaps we should not be surprised at more lack of imagination by UNI.

Postponing Richard's Album is just economic lunancy and insults Richard as a music maker ..... :shock:
This Christmas Album must have costs of approx $500.000 to date , given Vivendi Universal's debts of $12.5 BILLION ,Album releases to such established and loyal Fans as Carpenters maintain revenue ......

No doubt Universal feel as Carpenters are such a profitable concern , why worry about Solo releases ? Persumably major campaigns are planned for 2003 Capenters Catolog :?:
If confirmed Box Set is a slight revamp of 1991 Set -why bother unless Universal plan to promote this release actively Worldwide , unlike Polygram :?:

From the conversations with Richard and David Alley at CPAC , relations are poor at present , these decisions must have widened the problems further... :confused:

Just hope both Carpenters and Solo current contracts are completed soon , Richard could move to better companies such as Disney ( ironic after Disneyland 1967) , Dreamworks , even EMI -Capitol who treat their Classic Artists ( Beatles, Beach Boys etc) with respect and support..... :) :)

Peter ....Dreaming for Carpenters Liberation .........
 
I'm reasonably sure that it was a "competitive" decision. With both a single disc release and a box set (regardless of what's on them), the record company likely feels that these would be more natural as gifts for the Christmas buying season. The fear is that three new titles out there (two admittedly "familar" product), the new Christmas album would likely be overlooked.

I know that for true fans like most of us, buying three new packages might seem normal (although I'm hearing some resistance to the box set if it's not got enough new stuff), but for the average fan out there, seeing three new Carpenters titles in a record store might be a bit much.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that the 20th Century Millennium disc actually sells pretty well. I've not seen any sales figures for these CD-lite releases, but they must be doing pretty well, or the series would have died off, but it seems that new titles are consistently added to the series.

If the box set only contains a few new jingles resurrected from the DVD, then I'd expect sales to tank on that one. Everyone who wanted a FROM THE TOP set already has one. If some of the AS TIME GOES by tracks are included, it might do better, selling to those who've not gone the import route.

Harry
...having a bad day at work, online...
 
Speaking on contracts, does anyone know when they are up? What about Richard going to Almo Sounds? Kind of a full-circle thing...
Mark
 
Almo Sounds is as defunct as A&M is...amounting to nothing more than a small office within Universal's corporate building and an ink logo on a CD. With so many well-known artists going independent, it would not surprise me to see Richard go to a smaller label. But then again, with Carpenters such a well-known entity, another major label would be stupid not to pick Richard up!

(But a major label not being stupid is somewhat of an oxymoron. :wink: )

-= N =-
 
Mark ,

Sadly Alpert & Moss 's label is now part of ......UNIVERSAL :shock:

Not sure if A&M would want to start up another record label with all the current problems in the Industry.....perhaps an internet site with rarities and info would be the next best thing...... :o

Richard should consider Carpenters.com for the future......


Peter....seeking Universal Exit.....
 
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