Horizon (The Carpenters album)

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Horizon
Horizon (Carpenters Album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 6, 1975
RecordedSeptember 1974 – April 1975
Studio A&M Studios, Hollywood
Genre Pop [1]
Length34:53
Label A&M
Producer Richard Carpenter/Associate Producer - Karen Carpenter
The Carpenters chronology
The Singles: 1969-1973
(1973)
Horizon
(1975)
A Kind of Hush
(1976)
Singles from Horizon
  1. "Please Mr. Postman"
    Released: November 8, 1974
  2. "Only Yesterday"
    Released: March 14, 1975
  3. "Solitaire"
    Released: July 18, 1975

Horizon is the sixth studio album by the American musical duo the Carpenters. It was recorded at A&M Studios (mainly in Studio "D" using then-state-of-the-art 24-track recording technology, 30 Dolby, and recorded at 30 inches per second). The Carpenters spent many hours experimenting with different sounds, techniques, and effects. [2]

Contents

After five consecutive albums peaking inside the US top five, Horizon broke this run by only reaching no. 13. The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 1 million copies. It was particularly successful in the United Kingdom and Japan, topping the charts and becoming one of those countries' best-selling albums of 1975. Horizon also reached no. 3 in New Zealand, no. 4 in Canada, and no. 5 in Norway.

Overview

The album's first single, "Please Mr. Postman" (released some seven months earlier), became the album's biggest hit single and the Carpenters' biggest hit single worldwide. It reached no. 1 in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, no. 2 in the UK and Ireland. [3] This tune features Karen on drums and Tony Peluso on guitar solo. The following single, "Only Yesterday," was also a success, reaching no. 2 in Canada and France, no. 4 in the US, no. 5 in Ireland, no. 7 in the UK, no. 10 in New Zealand, and was certified gold in Japan. The song also won the prestigious Grand Prix award in Japan. [4] A third single, "Solitaire," reached no. 17 in the US and the top 40 in several other countries worldwide. [5] According to Richard, [6] Karen never particularly liked the song. The Carpenters' version of this song leaves out lyrics included in the original.

"Desperado" was initially recorded by the Eagles in 1973 for the album of the same name. Several others have recorded this song, including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Kenny Rogers. Because the song was already well-known, A&M decided not to release the song as a single.[ original research? ] Another cover, "I Can Dream, Can't I," is an interpretation of the 1949 Andrews Sisters hit and was written in 1937. Karen and Richard hired Billy May, who has worked with artists like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, to help orchestrate the song. The song features the Billy May Orchestra. John Bahler is in the chorus of background singers. [7]

At the time of the release of Horizon, lyricist John Bettis claimed "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye, and I Love You" to be his and Richard's best collaboration. [8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone (Positive) [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Rolling Stone reviewer Stephen Holden acclaimed Horizon, calling it "the Carpenters' most musically sophisticated album to date" and noting that "while not an emotionally compelling singer, Karen Carpenter has developed into a fine vocal technician, whose mellow interpretations of the Eagles' "Desperado" and Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" evidence professionalism on a par with such Fifties stars as Jo Stafford and Rosemary Clooney. Richard Carpenter has also become a highly skilled producer/arranger of easy-listening music. Against the carefully structured sound of the Carpenter formula, wherein Karen's solos burst in and out of diaphanous multiharmonies, Richard has imposed more elaborately orchestrated textures than before and wisely mixed them at a level that doesn't distract attention from Karen's intimately mixed singing." [10]

Billboard noted that "the grand eloquent sound of their superb backup arrangements gives this act a special launching pad to catapult its vocal sound. Karen's strong and positive voice melds into her lyrics, be they on a now well-known work ("Please Mister Postman" and "Only Yesterday ") or an old evergreen like "I Can Dream Can't I." Karen's soft qualities plus her blending with brother Richard into an omnidirectional attack provide easy to listen to the material." [12]

In their review, Cashbox praised the album, stating that "the natural vocals of Karen and the arranging genius of Richard have combined to make the Carpenters' sound a classic in the easy listening market. This successful musical formula continues "Horizons” as the Carpenters turn their finely toned talents to proven outings on "Only Yesterday” and "Love Me For What I Am..." The Carpenters once again prove themselves the listen of the century." [13]

However, AllMusic gave the album a mixed review, noting that "the beautifully arranged "Aurora" sets the album's ambience," however "the covers, "Desperado" and "Please Mr. Postman," have the duo adding nothing new to the tracks... Although the sorrow-or-bust ethos of this might put some off, Horizon gains its strength from strong production values and Karen Carpenter's singular gifts as an interpreter." [14]

Re-packaged release

Horizon was re-issued as a CD in 1996 with the track list and running order intact by the Belgium label ARC Records (not to be confused with the American label of the same name), retitled simply The Carpenters and with an entirely different cover design. [15]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Aurora"1:35
2."Only Yesterday"
  • Carpenter
  • Bettis
4:10
3."Desperado"3:35
5."I Can Dream, Can't I?"4:46
6."Please Mr. Postman"
2:48
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Solitaire"
4:40
7."Happy"
3:50
8."(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You"
  • Carpenter
  • Bettis
3:58
9."Love Me for What I Am"
  • Palma Pascale
  • Bettis
3:28
10."Eventide"
  • Carpenter
  • Bettis
1:27

Personnel

Although percussion is audible on some of the songs, notably "Only Yesterday", it is not specified who the percussionist is, but this would change with the experimental album Passage , released in 1977.

Engineers: Roger Young, Ray Gerhardt Assistant engineer: Dave Iveland

Photography: Ed Caraeff

Arranged, orchestrated and conducted by Richard Carpenter

"I Can Dream, Can't I?" featured guest performances by:

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [29] Gold50,000^
Japan (Oricon Charts)228,000 [30]
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [32] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft</span> 1976 single by Klaatu

"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" is a song by Canadian rock band Klaatu, originally released in 1976 on their first album 3:47 EST. The song was played to open night-time transmission of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline. The year following its release, American soft rock duo the Carpenters covered the song, using a crew of 160 musicians. The Carpenters' version reached the top 10 in the UK and Canada, and charted at number 1 in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Mr. Postman</span> 1961 song by the Marvelettes

"Please Mr. Postman" is a song written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. It is the debut single by the Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The single achieved this position in late 1961; it hit number one on the R&B chart as well. "Please Mr. Postman" became a number-one hit again in early 1975 when The Carpenters' cover of the song reached the top position of the Billboard Hot 100. "Please Mr. Postman" has been covered several times, including by the British rock group the Beatles in 1963. The 2017 song "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man draws on "Please Mr. Postman" and includes a credit for Brian Holland.

"Desperado" is a soft rock ballad by the American rock band the Eagles. The track was written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, and appeared on the band's second studio album Desperado (1973) as well as numerous compilation albums. Although it was never released as a single, it became one of Eagles' best-known songs. It ranked No. 494 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

"For All We Know" is a soft rock song written for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Wilson and Arthur James, both from the soft rock group Bread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1971.

"Sing" is a 1971 song written by Joe Raposo for the children's television show Sesame Street as its signature song. In 1973, it gained popularity when performed by the Carpenters, a number 3 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>A Song for You</i> (The Carpenters album) 1972 studio album by The Carpenters

A Song for You is the fourth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on June 22, 1972. According to Richard Carpenter, A Song for You was intended to be a concept album with the title tune opening and closing the set and the bookended selections comprising the 'song'. "A Song for You" was written by songwriter Leon Russell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yesterday Once More (song)</span> 1973 single by Carpenters

"Yesterday Once More", written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, is a hit song by the Carpenters from their 1973 album Now & Then. Thematically the song concerns reminiscing about songs of a generation gone by. It segues into a long medley, consisting of eight covers of 1960s tunes incorporated into a faux oldies radio program. The work takes up the entire B-side of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainy Days and Mondays</span> 1971 single by Carpenters

"Rainy Days and Mondays" is a song by the Carpenters from their self-titled third album, with instrumental backing by the Wrecking Crew. It was written by Paul Williams (lyrics) and Roger Nichols (music), who had previously written "We've Only Just Begun," another hit for the duo. The B-side on the single is "Saturday," a song written and sung by Richard Carpenter.

<i>Now & Then</i> (The Carpenters album) 1973 studio album by The Carpenters

Now & Then is the fifth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on May 1, 1973. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart on July 21, 1973, and ranked No. 20 on the Cash Box year-end pop albums chart. The title, suggested by Karen and Richard's mother Agnes, was taken from a leftover song that did not appear on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solitaire (Neil Sedaka song)</span> 1972 song by Neil Sedaka

"Solitaire" is a ballad written by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody. Cody employs playing the card game of solitaire as a metaphor for a man "who lost his love through his indifference"—"while life goes on around him everywhere he's playing solitaire". The song is perhaps best known via its rendition by Carpenters. Another version by Andy Williams reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart in 1973.

<i>Made in America</i> (The Carpenters album) 1981 studio album by The Carpenters

Made in America is the tenth studio album by the American music duo The Carpenters, released in June 1981. Karen Carpenter died less than two years later, making it their final album released in her lifetime. It reached number 52 in the US and number 12 in the UK.

<i>A Kind of Hush</i> (album) 1976 album by the Carpenters

A Kind of Hush is the seventh studio album by the American music duo Carpenters. It was released on June 11, 1976.

<i>Passage</i> (The Carpenters album) 1977 studio album by the Carpenters

Passage is the eighth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters. Released in 1977, it produced the hit singles "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and "Sweet, Sweet Smile". The Carpenters' "Sweet, Sweet Smile" was picked up by Country radio and put the duo in the top ten of Billboard's Country chart in the spring of 1978.

<i>Lovelines</i> 1989 studio album by Carpenters

Lovelines is the thirteenth studio album by the American music duo Carpenters released in 1989, the third Carpenters posthumous album released after the death of Karen Carpenter. The album is assembled by Richard Carpenter from unreleased Carpenters tracks along with selected solo tracks by Karen from her then-unreleased solo album.

<i>The Singles: 1969–1981</i> 2000 compilation album by Carpenters

The Singles: 1969–1981 is a compilation of the Carpenters' music released by Richard Carpenter in 2000.

<i>Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration</i> 1994 compilation album by Carpenters

Interpretations is a compilation album by The Carpenters, released in 1994 in Canada/UK & February 1995 in the US in both cassette tape and CD formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Yesterday (song)</span> 1975 single by the Carpenters

"Only Yesterday" is a song recorded by the Carpenters. Released on March 14, 1975, the song was composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. "Only Yesterday" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts, The Carpenters' eleventh number one on that chart.

<i>The Ultimate Collection</i> (The Carpenters album) 2006 compilation album by The Carpenters

The Ultimate Collection is a 3-CD set by The Carpenters released in 2006. It contains many of their popular songs, like "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "Top of the World", and their album cuts, like "Desperado" and "Jambalaya ". All of the songs are taken directly from the original album. In the case of "Yesterday Once More", it fades into a motorcycle engine, which subsequently fades into the oldies medley on the Now & Then album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again</span> Song written by David Pomeranz

"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" is a song written by David Pomeranz that became a top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1976. It was first recorded by the Carpenters in 1975, but their version was not released until 1994 on their 25th anniversary CD, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration. Pomeranz also recorded the song for his 1975 album It's in Every One of Us.

<i>Only Yesterday</i> (album) 1990 greatest hits album by Carpenters

Only Yesterday is a greatest hits compilation album by American group the Carpenters. It was released in 1990 by A&M Records and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart for seven weeks.

References

  1. Carpenters - Horizon Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved 2022-10-31
  2. Carpenter, Richard: "Yesterday Once More: Memories of the Carpenters and Their Music", page 87. Tiny Ripple Books, 2000
  3. "没有找到站点".
  4. Carpenters Decade back cover; sold through the original fan club
  5. "Carpenters Horizon (1975) Karen Carpenter". leadsister.com. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  6. "Carpenters •• Solitaire". www.richardandkarencarpenter.com. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  7. "Carpenters: Horizon album, 1975". www.richardandkarencarpenter.com. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  8. The Carpenters: The Untold Story - An Authorized Biography by Ray Coleman
  9. Eder, Bruce. Horizon at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  10. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (1975-08-28). "Music Reviews : Horizon by the Carpenters". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  11. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  140. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone carpenters album guide.
  12. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 21 June 1975. p. 70. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  13. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 21 June 1975. p. 24. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  14. "Horizon - Carpenters | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  15. Musik-Sammler (German text)
  16. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 19701992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  17. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4012a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  18. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Carpenters – Horizon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  20. "Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Carpenters" (in Japanese). Original Confidence . Retrieved September 21, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. "Charts.nz – Carpenters – Horizon". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  22. "Norwegiancharts.com – Carpenters – Horizon". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  23. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  24. "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  25. "Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . August 2, 1975. p. 47. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  26. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6489a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  27. "Japanese Year-End Albums Chart of 1975" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from 1975年アルバム年間ヒットチャート the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2012.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  28. "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  29. "Canadian album certifications – Carpenters – Horizon". Music Canada . Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  30. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  31. "British album certifications – Carpenters – Horizon". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  32. "American album certifications – Horizon – Kind of Hush". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 21, 2012.