Why wasn't 'Voice Of The Heart' a Bigger Success?

[350hunny]

NOW was actually released somewhere like in Brazil, right?
I don't know if it was successfu enough, though.

IMHO, I would have the intro omitted and start the song with Karen's lead
just like Hurting Each Other and Goodbye To Love as I think the intro seems a bit too long for a single release.
NOW takes 25 seconds for its intro while I Need To Be In Love(single), 14.
I'd like to listen to the whole version when I play the album but when it comes to hearing the song from the radio, I guess the intro-less version would sound more direct in your ear.

 

[Bruno]

VOICE OF THE HEART is one of my favorite Carpenters albums, because Karen's vocals are just great, especially on NOW, which would have made a good single.

Here in Germany, VOTH never appeared on the charts. But in the UK, VOTH reached No.5 in the album charts. I think, this was a great success at a time, when New Wave was the music style.

Bruno
over 30°Celsius in Bonn.....

 

[350hunny]

The Guiness book of Rock Stars shows that VOTH makes US #46 and UK #6
and Make Believe It's Your First Time, UK #60.
Additionally, An Old Fashioned Christmas makes US#190 for 1 week.

 

[Only Yesterday]

I'm Brazilian, no Now has never been released here!!! One song which was released were "Back In My Life" from MIA!!! It actually has a good airplay until today, I'm not sure if it were a big sucess at that time, but it's a very known song overhere!!!

 

[350hunny]

Here is my friend's site show two different jackets for NOW as a single release from England and Brazil.
Check out Single in the menu.

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~oken/carpentershihoukan.html

Does anyone recognize these?

If these were not commercially released, then they may have been promotionally used.