SWEET MEMORY JAPAN 6 CD Set

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This set is extremely limited, mail order and out of print. If anyone is interested, there is a listing now available. I highly recomend this set for anyone who wants the most complete Carpenters CD set available. It's a massive collection and a few hidden gems tucked inside.




I picked this set up a while ago and I am really impressed with this collection. It has quickly become my most favorite collection I have ever purchased including all past box sets. It left so much of an impression on me that since I had some free time, I decided to "create" my own personal 2 extra CD's to really complete the collection of all songs released up to Lovelines.

I thought this might be a perfect time to show off my creation. I am by no means an artist and it's not perfect....but I am pretty impressed with how this all turned out. To clear things up, the first pic shows all 8 CD's the 6 in the back are from the 6 CD set, the 2 in the front CD #7 and #8 are what I created to complete the set. I created the artwork even down to the back cover art with serial #'s and logo's. I knew what songs were left over so I arranged them the way I wanted them to appear on my homemade disc 7 & 8. Disc 7 I decided to call..."Yesterday" and Disc 8 decided to call..."All The Rest" (thanks to Harry for that catchy phrase).

Comments are welcome

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

The photos used are from the original artist, Goro, of which he has a website online and seem to match well to the California scene. I just used photoshop to add the logos and titles.

 

[Chris Mills]

Stunning..... work of art. How did you decide what tracks to use for each CD? (Yesterday & All The Rest)

 

[Harry]

Looks like someone grabbed the set from eBay.

I too am rather impressed with the SWEET MEMORY set. Years ago when I learned of the remix of "Another Song" (thanks David Grant!), I knew I had to have this set. Having never seen it on eBay, I figured my only hope was Yuka Ogura. I contacted her via email and she had a set available, so I bought it from her.

Strangely enough, after listening to and delighting in "Another Song" as a remix, I kind of filed the set away, never actually sitting down to listen to the whole thing. I'd skimmed through parts of it, and listened to all of the tracks individually as I was preparing the Carpenters Recording Resource, but I never just listened for listenings sake.

When Chris was inquiring about it privately, I decided to make a disc for car listening out of SWEET MEMORY, and while I've only listened in short spurts driving around, I find it quite interesting as to which songs are gathered together in the six themed discs, and in the order in which they are presented. We've all gotten used to certain songs following others when we listen to a particular album, but this set jumbles them up in a way that makes you sit up and take notice.

Hopefully someone from here saw Chris' notice of the one on eBay and grabbed it. It was a great price from an honorable seller of Japanese music.

And congrats to Chris on following through with an idea I'd hatched ages ago but never got around to. And you can see the loving detail he put into the creation of those last two add-on discs.

Harry

 

[newvillefan]

Hopefully someone from here saw Chris' notice of the one on eBay and grabbed it. It was a great price from an honorable seller of Japanese music.

Hi Harry

I don't mind telling you that it was me that managed to grab it - and thanks to Chris for the flag, because I've been after this set since around 2000. It took me around 8 years - going from having never heard Karen's voice through to collecting all the standard UK/US releases - to realise there was a whole other import market out there, particularly in Japan. I've wanted this set for years. And today a dream came true

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Stunning..... work of art. How did you decide what tracks to use for each CD? (Yesterday & All The Rest)

That was probably the hardest part because as I mentioned it's not perfect and this is not what Richard would have picked for the track listings but since this was just for my own collection..it was fun to pick and choose. Since Richard was involved in this special 6 CD set, I decided to make a list of what tracks were left off up to Lovelines. I actually did it the hard way because I went album by album to make my list...later I found that Harry had really already talked about this in a really old thread posted on the forum and he made a list, so comparing our lists together I knew what the correct missing tracks were. It just so happened that disc 1-6 had either 15 or 16 tracks on each disc, the total tracks for all 6 discs is 91 songs. The missing tracks came in at 32, that left me to include 16 tracks for disc 7 and 16 for disc 8 which closely matched to the other discs. I decided to include the Karen solo tracks because they were originally included on Lovelines and since this is a "complete" set up to Lovelines it just made sense in my mind to include them.

This really was a labor of love because I just giggle when I look at the finished product and say to myself did I really do that? It's hard to show in pics but the color of the San Francisco bridge background is sorta light blue and I tried to mimic that for the back cover, same goes for "yesterday" theme.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Hi Harry

I don't mind telling you that it was me that managed to grab it - and thanks to Chris for the flag, because I've been after this set since around 2000. It took me around 8 years - going from having never heard Karen's voice through to collecting all the standard UK/US releases - to realise there was a whole other import market out there, particularly in Japan. I've wanted this set for year. And today a dream came true

Wow, awesome!! I can't say enough that this price is amazing too. I paid just about this price as well. This seller is very trustworthly and you will be very happy, please let us know Stephen what you think when you can hold theses and have a listen.

 

[newvillefan]

Wow, awesome!! I can't say enough that this price is amazing too. I paid just about this price as well. This seller is very trustworthly and you will be very happy, please let us know Stephen what you think when you can hold theses and have a listen.

I'm over the moon and will report back. Any chance you can send me copies of the 2 missing discs, competitive price offered

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Amazing work, Chris! Wow!

Ed

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Thanks everyone!!

There is another neat suprise about this set, the track "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" a track that I don't think has ever appeared on any compilation. Richard suprises us by removing the count in...when I first heard it, again I am so programed to know what songs come after the next and what is should sound like...when this appeared without the count in, I said wait where's the count in. LOL It reminded me what Richard did with "I Kept on Loving You" from the Singles Box, pleasantly suprised. I've found that even something minor like this kinda gives a different take on an old familar track.

 

[Chris Mills]

What did Richard change with "I Kept On Loving You" from the Singles Box, was it remixed like "Love Is Surrender"? Also, apart from removing the count in on "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", did Richard make any other changes to this song for the Sweet Memory compilation?

Always amazed at how much work Richard put into remixing Carpenter songs for the Japanese market, they are so lucky.

 

[newvillefan]

What did Richard change with "I Kept On Loving You" from the Singles Box, was it remixed like "Love Is Surrender"?

It wasn't remixed but it had a clean opening, so you couldn't hear the last seconds of 'Mr Guder' that it was segued with on the 'Close To You' album

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Also, apart from removing the count in on "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", did Richard make any other changes to this song for the Sweet Memory compilation?
Always amazed at how much work Richard put into remixing Carpenter songs for the Japanese market, they are so lucky.

I agree that the Japanese market always appear to get the "good stuff". It's probably because they have embraced their music over the years and Karen and Richard knew there was a special bond from the very start.....so it makes sense in that respect.

Regarding Clancy....I always felt like this was sorta a demo track from the start...I guess that's because of the count in and I'm so use to it....although it appeared on a studio album...it just has always left me with a feeling that it was a demo...even though it is not. However comparing the song from Sweet Memory and to my 80's CD and the Japan 35th Box set versions....I believe Richard did something...it may not be warranted as a remix (although with the count in removed to some it could) but it sounds like the song has been cleaned up a bit, it just sounds brighter and cleaner to me. As I mentioned before, with the count in now removed, it leaves me with a feeling of a "true studio track", even though the original was as well. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Seems like more Japanese fans embrace artists for the long haul, and even casual fans continue to buy new releases in good quantities...whereas in the US most people tend to buy a few albums and then quit, with only the biggest fans buying the ongoing repackages of their favorites. I wonder why this is?

 

[bste2003]

Wow Chris - your additional discs are great - fit in really well with the other CDs in the set.

I have this set too and agree its a good collection. My CDs are all housed in a 'Sweet Memory' box that opens like an envelope and is very much like a brown cardboard box in colour - do others have this too ?

Stephen

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Stephen, the box you mention....I saw one for sale on ebay just a few days before I bought mine and it was a "sealed" 6 CD set with box you mentioned and it sold for $599.00. I could not believe it.

Then a week later I saw my set, used and without the box for such a great price that I grabbed it. I was even willing to shell out $100.00 for a used set (which I think is still a great price). My set was graded very good overall but once I received it...I feel it was under graded because it was in excellent shape in my opinion. I paid about $75.00 plus $15.00 to ship so I was over the same moon as the other Stephen.

 

[Nikifor Blavatsky]

Seems like more Japanese fans embrace artists for the long haul, and even casual fans continue to buy new releases in good quantities...whereas in the US most people tend to buy a few albums and then quit, with only the biggest fans buying the ongoing repackages of their favorites. I wonder why this is?

They have more artists who to buy of?

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Well..if you still have not been able to find this set..this may be the time...I noticed this set is available again...if I didn't already own it I would grab this one...5 of the 6 discs are sealed copies and the price is excellent in my opinion.

 

[motownboy]

I was very lucky to find this 6-CD set at the Amoeba Record Store in Los Angeles last year, used for $48... 6 x $7.99 per disc... I don't think the store new just how rare and coveted they were. If I am not mistaken, the six discs originally came in an outer sleeve that says "Sweet Memory." There was no sleeve with the discs and they were not bundled together, but in the bin as individual discs. I was fortunate to find all six and the discs, cases, and inserts were in very good shape. ...I think it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time...and at the right price!

 

[Harry]

Looks like someone bought it, @Chris-An Ordinary Fool !

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wow that was fast...someone will be very happy with this one. I hope if it's someone here they will report back a review.

 

[Harry]

Did we ever hear from newvillefan about this set? Did it arrive?

Harry