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

Which side is your favorite?

  • Side A: "Sweet, Sweet Smile"

    Votes: 40 81.6%
  • Side B: "I Have You"

    Votes: 9 18.4%

  • Total voters
    49
Nice to see a pic of that extremely rare Carpenters Collection promo.
So, what happened to 2000 pressings ? Where are they ?
Are these vinyl promos rotting in a storage bin, or were they simply discarded in 1978 ?
I have never seen a copy offered for sale.
Knowing that Richard Carpenter did not create the "playful fiddle/banjo arrangement," (BBM interview),
perhaps that explains why he is not explicitly 'credited' on the vinyl promo as "arranger/orchestrator".
(So, too, with Jambalaya--Richard is not credited; the other two songs do credit him for such duties.)
 
Nice to see a pic of that extremely rare Carpenters Collection promo.
So, what happened to 2000 pressings ? Where are they ?
Are these vinyl promos rotting in a storage bin, or were they simply discarded in 1978 ?
I have never seen a copy offered for sale.
Knowing that Richard Carpenter did not create the "playful fiddle/banjo arrangement," (BBM interview),
perhaps that explains why he is not explicitly 'credited' on the vinyl promo as "arranger/orchestrator".
(So, too, with Jambalaya--Richard is not credited; the other two songs do credit him for such duties.)

he neither gave it its playful fiddle- and -banjo arrangement nor picked it as the single with the
thought of its crossing over."

this doesn't indicate he didn't create it, it indicates he did not specifically attempt to cross chart boundaries.
 
Nice to see a pic of that extremely rare Carpenters Collection promo.
So, what happened to 2000 pressings ? Where are they ?
Are these vinyl promos rotting in a storage bin, or were they simply discarded in 1978 ?
I have never seen a copy offered for sale.

I have a copy of this promo 7". Does anyone else besides Harry have one of these? I think I got it in the 1990's from a vendor that advertised in "Goldmine." Pre-Internet.
 
I don't have it. All I have is the pictures that someone sent to me years ago to post on the forum.
 
Ars Nova, is correct in the interpretation of the emboldened quote above (my post #52),
Richard did not see the chart potential of "crossing over chart boundaries," (i.e., pop to country charts).
As Richard says, "Karen found that one." (Reader's Digest Liner Notes).
I do remind folks of this--quoting Carpenters' Fan Club Newsletter:
"many of you have requested that Sweet, Sweet Smile be released as a single,
by the time you read this Newsletter #57 (Jan 1978) it should be in your music store."
I also note that the interview (Billboard Mag above) reminds us that
Richard Carpenter did not "give it its playful fiddle & banjo arrangement."
That was news to me---after all these years.
 
I also note that the interview (Billboard Mag above) reminds us that Richard Carpenter did not "give it its playful fiddle & banjo arrangement." That was news to me---after all these years.

I also didn’t know this but it doesn’t surprise me. He wrote and arranged a few songs with a country lilt such as Top Of The World but this is not his arranging style at all. Maybe that’s the reason for my aversion to it.
 
One of my favorite singles!!

Sweet Sweet Smile Promo Ad
Radio Records Mar 03, 1978


07cqe6h.png
 
As often noted here, we all have our different preferences. I don’t particularly like ‘Sweet, Sweet Smile’, either, (like a couple of others who have posted). It would be one of my least favourite singles. I would have had to have chosen the ‘B’ side as my favourite side, except that ‘I Have You’ is such a weak composition, especially lyrically, (but melody-wise, as well), and Karen gives it such a lack-lustre performances. Although I don’t really like the way she sounds on ‘Sweet, Sweet Smile’, (a little harsh in tone, in places), at least she sounds invested in the song and as if she’s not singing in her sleep, (unlike the ‘B’ side). The fiddle, banjo and piano also gives it life. I must say that Karen does put her own stamp on the song, though, interpreting it in quite a unique way.

I remember that the host of the American Country Top 40 radio program erroneously announced, when it was a hit, that Karen played fiddle on the recording. Another week, he also announced that when older bullies would pick on Richard at school, Karen would chase them away. Reminds me of what Herb Alpert later said - “This woman was no push-over”.

Believe it or not, when my class was given the chance to vote on songs that could be chosen for a 1979 school disco, I suggested ‘Sweet, Sweet Smile’. Needless to say, the suggestion was rejected. :)Now I much prefer the songs that were chosen, and I can remember some of them - Kiss’ ‘I Was Made For Loving You’, Rod Stewart’s ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’, Amii Stewart’s ‘Knock On Wood’, Wings’ ‘Goodnight Tonight’, Patrick Hernandez’ ‘Born To BeAlive’ - all much stronger and memorable recordings than ‘Sweet, Sweet Smile’ any way you look at it, I believe, disco or no disco.
 
One of the things that hurts the A-side is that Karen’s vocal isn’t clear and single tracked, she sounds like she does kind of on Back in My life Again (which I actually like more) - there’s a muffled distance to her voice that’s annoying. Not a favorite of mine but I do enjoy hearing it even if it doesn’t quite satisfy me like some of their other uptempo songs like Postman.

I Have You is lush and pretty but epitomizes the soul of blandness that characterizes the majority of the album. Could be a sleep aid, Karen herself sounds like she’d rather be doing anything else. Horizon wore them out.
 
The fact that country radio embraced this song, would of led to believe that maybe a country/pop album would of come out in the future. Sweet Sweet Smile, Reason To Believe, Top of The World. Does anyone think that the Carpenters would have enough songs in their catalog that could be reinterpreted into a collection of country tinged songs? Does anyone think this would be a worthy project? Could anything from RC or KC's solo albums be used?
 
The fact that country radio embraced this song, would of led to believe that maybe a country/pop album would of come out in the future. Sweet Sweet Smile, Reason To Believe, Top of The World. Do anyone think that the Carpenters would have enough songs in their catalog that could be reinterpreted into a collection of country tinged songs? Does anyone think this would be a worthy project? Could anything from RC or KC's solo albums be used?

I think that there is enough in their cannon to make a "Country" compilation album. Not sure there is a market for it, but enough material exists. Beyond the obvious ones you mentioned, there's also "Uninvited Guest," "Two Lives," "Those Good Ol' Dreams," and Karen's "All Because of You." Other candidates include "One More Time," and "Jambalaya," of course. I don't think anything on Richard's solo's would be appropriate.
 
I think that there is enough in their cannon to make a "Country" compilation album. Not sure there is a market for it, but enough material exists. Beyond the obvious ones you mentioned, there's also "Uninvited Guest," "Two Lives," "Those Good Ol' Dreams," and Karen's "All Because of You." Other candidates include "One More Time," and "Jambalaya," of course. I don't think anything on Richard's solo's would be appropriate.

Plus I was thinking some rerecording be done like in the RPO project. I was thinking "Still Crazy" from Karen's solo album also might translate.
Can anyone come up with the definitive 12 selections that might make a country/pop album? From any released or unreleased songs, just to make it more interesting, if appropriate.
 
I think Love In The Afternoon would fit, from Karen’s solo album. Guess I Just Lost My Head is more rhythm/blues pop but it would fit in: great harmonies!
 
“You’re Just In Love” has a country sound to it with the steel guitar.

Would you rather the above, or Those Good Old Dreams, as they both have a similar melody with different lyrics? Which set would make a better country lyric? Are we creating a new thread out of "Sweet Sweet Smile" without actually realizing it? lol
 

This is from the "closed" thread above from Rick-An Ordinary Fool. 3-14-2010
"Looking at these photos again from Warren, I wonder when this was released? It would have to be after 77. What I find interesting is that they are pushing this as Country Carpenters and not just from one particular album but from a variety of their albums. I wonder if this was ever played on country music stations."

The Sweet Sweet Smile 45 sleeve has a copyright date of 1978 on it. It entered the Hot 100 (at #89) week ending Feb. 4th of that year. It peaked at #44 the week ending April 15,1978. I do not have the country charts book anymore.

I would assume (The Country Collection) was released to "capitalize" or at least make aware that the Carpenters had done country tinged songs in the past. So 1978 would be a safe bet! I've had a copy of this for years which I mentioned in another thread. It's a cool and unique item in the USA A&M promo catalog.
 
I wonder if the Carpenters had ventured into Country music would they have been treated the way Olivia was treated when she won country awards and many country music artist said she was not country. Stella Parton even cut a single 45 about the story Olivia went through. “we don’t have the right to say that your not country”
 
OK, so far from the participants of interest in a Carpenters Country Collection, (totally fantasy of course) we've had the following suggestions.
Which of these would make yours? Richard are you listening? :wink:

Sweet Sweet Smile
Top Of The World
Jambalaya
Reason To Believe <Above 4 are on the 7" promo vinyl "Country Collection."
The Uninvited Guest
Two Lives
Those Good Old Dreams
All Because of You
Still Crazy After All These Years
One More Time
Making Love In The Afternoon
Guess I Just Lost My Head
You're Just in Love
 
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