Official Review [Single]: 15. "PLEASE MR. POSTMAN"/"THIS MASQUERADE" (1646-S)

March 15, 1975, Record Mirror:
"Carpenters' Please Mr.Postman has sold in excess of 250,000 UK copies."

 

It is interesting, regards two Carpenters' singles,
Please Mr. Postman and the earlier Sing,
they being often maligned as being lightweight, if not inconsequential.
I am of opposite opposite in that regard.
To this day, I believe that these two singles
are brilliant in their execution:
That is, lead vocal...background vocals... arrangement.

 

I feel that Please Mr. Postman is one of their greatest songs and it can introduce a new comer to their oldies nostalgia selections where Karen is heard playing drums and singing lead and background vocals.

 

Mr Postman never did it for me. I don't consider it one of their best. Really shows the "fickleness" of the record buying public IMHO. How it can go to #1 and a GREAT song like All You Get From Love... can just languish on the charts is beyond me. I do like that Disneyland video (Karen is absolutely beautiful) and wouldn't trade that for the world.

 

My mom thinks Richard should put out a sequel to “Please Mr. Postman” that is updated to reflect email and the internet. I have told her how Alan Jackson did a quasi-sequel with www.memory.

 

Please Mr. Postman has a contagious element to it, begging to be played repeatedly. All You Get From Love Is A Love Song does not have the same feeling.

The original writer of Love Song has a relaxed laid back slap in the music that Richard removed on their version that took that playback feel from it. It is still a nice song and in some ways an improved version but whether it was single worthy is still questionable to me. It was realeased in the spring and it has a late summer, early fall feeling to it. I wish some of that laid back emotional feeling was kept however, for I feel it would have helped it.

Please Mr. Postman has a lot stuffed into that simple song of fun that adds to the musical quality. Nothing is wasted and it is tastefully accomplished in its presentation. Plus, it set a record in the record books for a number 1 Motown Song original and covered version both going to number 1 on the Billboard charts. Not many can claim that accomplishment and it was their last number 1 song.

I enjoy both songs for what they accomplished and for simply being a song where we get to hear Karen singing 2 different styles of music to perfection.

 

Yes, I love both songs ! As I love all things Passage....
Be that as it may, Carpenters' Please Mr. Postman is a brilliant update of that song !
All You Get From Love Song is special for many a reason, simply not as effective for a 'remake.'