⭐ Official Review [Video]: "YESTERDAY ONCE MORE"

WHICH CARPENTERS MUSIC VIDEO IS YOUR FAVORITE?

  • 1.) We've Only Just Begun 4:09 (Williams/Nichols)

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • 2.) Those Good Old Dreams 4:21 (Carpenter/Bettis

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3.) Superstar 3:31 (Russell/Bramlett)

    Votes: 8 12.5%
  • 4.) Rainy Days and Mondays 3:40 (Williams/Nichols)

    Votes: 6 9.4%
  • 5.) All You Get From Love Is A Love Song 3:46 (Eaton)

    Votes: 13 20.3%
  • 6.) Top Of The World 2:58 (Carpenter/Bettis)

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • 7.) Ticket To Ride 4:09 (Lennon/McCartney)

    Votes: 6 9.4%
  • 8.) Only Yesterday 3:46 (Carpenter/Bettis)

    Votes: 15 23.4%
  • 9.) Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft 7:07 (Klatuu)

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • 10.) Beechwood 4-5789 3:06 (Stevenson/Gaye/Gordy)

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • 11.) Touch Me When We're Dancing 3:19 (Skinner/Wallace/Bell)

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • 12.) I Need To Be In Love [DVD Release Only] 3:47 (Carpenter/Bettis/Hammond)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 13.) Hurting Each Other 2:48 (Udell/Geld)

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • 14.) Please Mr. Postman 2:50 (Garrett/Holland/Gorman/Dobbins/Bateman)

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • 15.) There's A Kind Of Hush 2:57 (Reed/Stephens)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 16.) (They Long To Be) Close To You 3:42 (Bacharach/David)

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • Total voters
    64
Here is a pretty cool article by Paul Grein on the Yesterday Once More album and video collection posted above, this ran in Billboard May 18, 1985. So was this the first collection on CD? Richard mentions that hiss had to be removed from pre-dolby and transferred from 16 to 24 track and piano redid in dolby....seems like Richard put a lot of work into this set.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Hits%20Resurfacing%20Paul%20Grein%20May%2018%201985.png~original
 
My favorite video is Please Mister Postman. Karen's in her happy place and she looks like she is truly having fun. Richard, not so much, lol.

My second favorite is All You Get From Love Is A Love Song. I like how Karen is groovin' to the tune in her hoodie. I also like how she turns to Bob Messenger, smiles and runs her hand through her hair as she seems to be really digging his saxophone solo. Richard also looks like he's having a blast. (By the way, I think the stereo channels on this video are reversed compared to all the copies of this song I own.)

Another favorite is Hurting Each Other. I really like the camera angles in this one. They really look like a cohesive group in this video. I think even Richard himself has stated that he likes this video.

And of course, Only Yesterday. I love how it starts out in the studio, with Karen in the sound booth and Richard in total command of the control booth. I know it's just a reenactment (the VU meters should not go into the red like that) but it gives us a tiny peek at how this dynamic duel expertly crafted their wonderful music for us to treasure and enjoy.

I think all the ones I've mentioned were shot on film. I wish someone would take these and restore them. Properly done, they would look as good (if not better) than when they were first created. I've seen movies that were shot in the 50's, 60's and 70's that, after restoration, looked like they could have been filmed just yesterday.

I also wish that the Carpenters had done a promotional film for Top Of The World and Yesterday Once More. What we have for Top Of The World was shot over 3 years later, on video, for their TV special. I wish they had done one back in '73, when the single was first released. I guess they were too busy touring at that point. But I am happy with what we do have.
 
Here is a pretty cool article by Paul Grein on the Yesterday Once More album and video collection posted above, this ran in Billboard May 18, 1985. So was this the first collection on CD? Richard mentions that hiss had to be removed from pre-dolby and transferred from 16 to 24 track and piano redid in dolby....seems like Richard put a lot of work into this set.

Billboard%20Carpenters%20Hits%20Resurfacing%20Paul%20Grein%20May%2018%201985.png~original
I have always liked Paul Grein's reviewsof them. I feel they have a refreshing optimism with a picturesque quality in his writing structure.

Craig
 
One odd thing that I've found between the album and video, whether it be the VHS/Beta/Laserdisc or GOLD DVD, is why Beechwood was not included on the album. If A&M were promoting the two together, it would make more sense to have all the songs on both. I know that Beechwood was on the 84 version, and maybe it was on early listings at A&M of track order, but for whatever reason (maybe time?) it got removed from the 85 set.
 
“YESTERDAY ONCE MORE”

yesterdaydvd.jpg

Year of Release: 1985
Medium: VHS/Laser Disc/DVD

Track Listing:

1.) We've Only Just Begun 4:09 (Williams/Nichols)
2.) Those Good Old Dreams 4:21 (Carpenter/Bettis)
3.) Superstar 3:31 (Russell/Bramlett)
4.) Rainy Days and Mondays 3:40 (Williams/Nichols)
5.) All You Get From Love Is A Love Song 3:46 (Eaton)
6.) Top Of The World 2:58 (Carpenter/Bettis)
7.) Ticket To Ride 4:09 (Lennon/McCartney)
8.) Only Yesterday 3:46 (Carpenter/Bettis)
9.) Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft 7:07 (Klatuu)
10.) Beechwood 4-5789 3:06 (Stevenson/Gaye/Gordy)
11.) Touch Me When We're Dancing 3:19 (Skinner/Wallace/Bell)
12.) I Need To Be In Love [DVD Release Only] 3:47 (Carpenter/Bettis/Hammond)
13.) Hurting Each Other 2:48 (Udell/Geld)
14.) Please Mr. Postman 2:50 (Garrett/Holland/Gorman/Dobbins/Bateman)
15.) There's A Kind Of Hush 2:57 (Reed/Stephens)
16.) (They Long To Be) Close To You 3:42 (Bacharach/David)


Produced by Paul Surratt and Fred Paskiewicz
While I have the VHS of this, I never knew it was released on DVD as well. I have Gold, but it is missing INTBIL
 
CD Japan has this DVD listed as a limited low-priced edition to be released next month on March 8th:

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UIBY-75057

The track listing shows 18 tracks, whereas mine has only 15 tracks. I think this version has the video for I Need To Be in Love, which might make it worthwhile for fans to pick up if they don't already have this on DVD. I did a Google Translation of the track list and it gave me this:

  1. prologue
  2. Prelude of Love
  3. Distant memories
  4. Super star
  5. On rainy days and Mondays
  6. Our Love Song
  7. Top of the World
  8. Tear ticket
  9. Only yesterday
  10. Love in the starry sky
  11. Koi no Beachwood
  12. Touch me
  13. Sparkle of youth
  14. HARTING · ITS · OTHER
  15. Please Mr. Postman
  16. Staring at love
  17. Far away Shadow
  18. epilogue

Track 13 is "Sparkle of Youth". I went to the 40/40 BEST SELECTION CD page and did a Google Translation of I Need To Be in Love, and it gives me the same translation: "Sparkle of Youth".

Indeed, the Japanese characters for Track 13 on the YESTERDAY ONCE MORE DVD and for I Need To Be In Love on the 40/40 BEST SELECTION CD appear to be the same:

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE DVD:

dvd.png


40/40 BEST SELECTION CD:

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I think I will be ordering this DVD because I am missing I Need To Be In Love from my video collection. I hope the DVD will come with Richard's commentary for each song. I know the disc is Region 2, but thankfully my computer is region-free and will be able to play the disc.
 
I'm new here. I've chosen calling occupants because it was the first carpenters music video I saw. When I got gold on DVD I loved all the videos but always have a soft spot for calling occupants.
 
I chose "Ticket to Ride". Hey, maybe it is dated, but I love it! The snow is an interesting backdrop, but I do love the fact that it was recorded on Karen's birthday (20th, I believe).
 
I chose "Ticket to Ride". Hey, maybe it is dated, but I love it! The snow is an interesting backdrop, but I do love the fact that it was recorded on Karen's birthday (20th, I believe).

They reinvented the song (it's much, much better than The Beatles version) and brought the resigned lyrical sadness to the forefront; the surrounding bitter cold of snow reflecting the words as it contrasts with the comforting warmth of Karen's voice. Beautiful.
 
I voted for Hurting Each Other. Karen is just so beautiful and vibrant. Her look in this is what we remember when we think of Karen in her prime...
 
Rainy Days and Monday, The beginning gets me teary eyed showing pictures ending on the haunting photo of Karen from the Horizon era. Also she's in her elements at the drums
 
I also went with Rainy Days & Mondays, although Hurting Each Other was very, very close. I had to watch them a couple times. As Sheena says, the tipping point for me was Karen on drums.
 
I found this article really interesting mostly because Richard himself is quoted and lends credence to it's validity. The Yesterday Once More video when it was released was truly a special time for me...I still have my original VHS copy and when I got it thought I had hit a goldmine. It was a different era when it was hard to find Carpenters information let alone official videos to watch at your leisure.

Richard has stated that there was never an official video shot for Yesterday Once More or even performed on any tv show. It's really so hard to understand why a single of this magnitude could have been over looked for consideration, especially since so many other videos had been shot. What could have been the reason for this? What is also interesting about this article is that when they uncovered the videos they were going to put together that the video and audio was still in pretty great shape. However it says that Richard wanted to improve certain things in the mix bringing the audio in level with the albums. It makes me wonder what did the audio sound like from these original videos before Richard enhanced them or mixed them?

I also found it interesting that although I knew the videos did not flow in chronological order I never really knew why and this article tells us why. Richard wanted them to flow by sound and keys and that sounds exactly how he created some of the songs to flow on the albums such as the Singles 69-73. I love reading about this stuff.
 
I love reading about this stuff.

Me too. Thanks for finding and reposting the article.

I think I've got that video program on a number of formats and with varying titles. I still have the VHS, I have a Japanese LaserDisc, an Asian VCD called ONLY YESTERDAY, and several copies on DVD called GOLD.
 
Richard has stated that there was never an official video shot for Yesterday Once More or even performed on any tv show. It's really so hard to understand why a single of this magnitude could have been over looked for consideration, especially since so many other videos had been shot. What could have been the reason for this?

I also find it difficult to believe that with all the dozens and dozens of TV appearances they did in 1973 and beyond, that they were never asked to perform the song at all on any show. It certainly would have been better than yet another performance of From This Moment On.
 
Ah - OK. This doesn't surprise me at all. When video compilations were compiled, they only had access to what existed. BEechwood, not being a big hit, didn't make it into the CD track lists, but the video did, simply because it existed.
But still, it's odd in that the video, from ads that I've seen for the 85 YOM seem to indicate that the videos on the video tape are for songs on the album. Also, Beechwood 4-5789 was clearly a much bigger hit than Make Believe It's Your First Time---it had managed to crack the Top 75 in the US and in New Zealand had made it into the Top 10. And aside from I Believe You, all the other 1981 singles from Made In America made it onto YOM.
 
But still, it's odd in that the video, from ads that I've seen for the 85 YOM seem to indicate that the videos on the video tape are for songs on the album. Also, Beechwood 4-5789 was clearly a much bigger hit than Make Believe It's Your First Time---it had managed to crack the Top 75 in the US and in New Zealand had made it into the Top 10. And aside from I Believe You, all the other 1981 singles from Made In America made it onto YOM.

You're perfectly welcome to think of a song's inclusion or exclusion is "odd", but that happens all of the time in the music world. You can look at almost any "Greatest Hits" compilation for a great many artists and find that a certain hit that YOU liked is excluded. Which is another reason that these compilation albums are issued over and over again in different configurations - to hopefully catch everyone somewhere along the line.

As for charting numbers, you're only looking at the Top 100. I'd be willing to bet that "Make Believe It's Your First Time" charted much better in the Adult Contemporary charts than "BEechwood..." ever did.
 
As for charting numbers, you're only looking at the Top 100. I'd be willing to bet that "Make Believe It's Your First Time" charted much better in the Adult Contemporary charts than "BEechwood..." ever did.

Not that much better. Both were Top 20 AC hits (which, by the way is a lot better than Those Good Old Dreams which only hit #21 on the AC chart, with Make Believe hitting #7 and Beechwood #18). And it's surprising that Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore, which was a #12 AC hit in 1984, wasn't on the album; in 1985, "Your Baby" would've been the Carpenters most recent charting single.
 
Billboard Album Review on May 04, 1985 for Yesterday Once More

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There is a four track 7" that came out for radio promoting the YOM collection. It's on the red A&M 80's label with small hole, plays 33 1/3 and has a sleeve addressed to "Dear Radio Programmer........etc." Is this rare like the "Country Collection" one from 1978? Thanks. :)
 
There is a four track 7" that came out for radio promoting the YOM collection. It's on the red A&M 80's label with small hole, plays 33 1/3 and has a sleeve addressed to "Dear Radio Programmer........etc." Is this rare like the "Country Collection" one from 1978? Thanks. :)

I have that 7" Radio EP @ 33 1/3 rpm
Here are some pics, I'm not sure how rare it is but I like how they marketed this with the same color as the 1985 album.

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