⭐ Official Review [Single]: 25. "SWEET, SWEET SMILE"/"I HAVE YOU" (2008-S)

[GaryAlan]

Record World Singles Picks, 1/22/1978:
"CARPENTERS-A&M 2008 SWEET, SWEET SMILE (prod. by Richard Carpenter) (writers: Newton -Young) (Sterling/Addison Street, ASCAP) (2:54).
The Carpenters go country? Karen's voice adapts well to this tightly arranged Juice Newton tune, and the result could be a multi -format hit. "

RW 2/18/1978:
" This week the Carpenters are breaking big in country markets with new adds at KNEW, WPLO, KKYX, WPNX, WSLC, KWJJ, WSDS, WHK, WDAF,
WKDA, WSLR, WIVK, WWVA, WPIK, WVOJ, WPNX."

 

[Harry]

There were thousands on promo lps sent out too. It looked the same as the regular album, no gold stamp, but a sticker instead saying it. The label the same, but PROMOTIONAL COPY NOT FOR SALE in the musical note part of it, and sticker.

This confuses me. I was working in radio and the moment this came into the station, I grabbed a copy. Of the two LPs I have now, one is a Pittman pressing and the other a Monarch. Both have no indication of "promo" anywhere, yet I know that one I received was in fact a promo sent to the radio station. I guess they sent standard stock copies to us.

I also have the first CD issue, CD 3199/DX 787 with smooth jewel case, and the 1998 Remastered Classic, along with the copies in box sets.

 

[GaryAlan]

Radio & Records reports December 15, 1978:
In 1978 Carpenters Sweet, Sweet Smile Peaked at #4 on April 21, 1978.
Here:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/70s/78/RR-1978-12-15-OCR-Page-0080.pdf#search=%22carpenters%22

Carpenters TV Special Space Encounters finished at #15 for week ending May21.
Here:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/70s/78/RR-1978-06-02-OCR-Page-0004.pdf#search=%22carpenters%22

 

[Mark-T]

SSS was the only new song on Passage that I instantly loved.

 

[Someday]

I'm thinking this has been discussed before ... but is it possible that the TV Specials (particularly Space Encounters) did Carpenters more harm than good? They are certainly at odds with R&K being serious musicians. Watching today I feel they are really belittled by the material, when in fact the records are quite brilliant. I guess you have to take into consideration that 1970s TV was often this way, yet it does nothing to solve the image problem and it really wouldn't encourage me to by their records. I see RC's pov.

 

[CraigGA]

It was good in that it offered a “live concert view” into the songs on Passage, along with the introduction of a few others. What’s not good is all the “robot” and outer space concepts. The latter distracted from the former. It just was not believable enough to use the “robot” look. Whoever wrote the script did not write for the movies. So, it’s good and bad. But, this was for the fans and they are forgiving of the concept. I think this was out of the minds of the buyers in 1981. Maybe not the song Calling Occupants and it’s possible leftover damage, but I feel airplay was the biggest issue and that voices were added to K and R’s vocal stack. There were many early 70’s acts that had lost wide public appeal by 1981 so maybe it was simply timing with little airplay support and had nothing to do with the overall music or poor script of attempted comedy. (Internal camp life struggles did not help things either). Like the Backstreet Boys, who continued to have international success, never regained the days of their early years nationally. Maybe it’s just that everyone has their turn.

 

[GaryAlan]

^^I was surely surprised to see that The Carpenters' 1977 ABC Christmas Special came in at #26,
whereas their 1978 Space Encounters came in at #15 !

Source:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/70s/77/RR-1977-12-23b-OCR-Page-0006.pdf#search=%22carpenters%20christmas%22