| If I Were a Carpenter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by Various Artists | |
| Released | September 13, 1994 |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 49:06 |
| Label | A&M |
| Producer | Matt Wallace & Dave Konjoyan |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− [2] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
If I Were a Carpenter is a 1994 tribute album to The Carpenters. It features alternative rock bands covering the songs of Richard and Karen Carpenter.
The cover is a painting done, Margaret Keane style, of Richard and Karen Carpenter listening to an LP album against an orange background. Richard Carpenter has said that he doesn't "care for" the version of "Superstar" by Sonic Youth. [5]
The album was the brainchild of Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Replacements, Faith No More) and David Konjoyan.
The album, and specifically the Sonic Youth cover of "Superstar," featured prominently in the 2007 film Juno ; "Superstar" was included on the Juno soundtrack.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Goodbye to Love" | American Music Club | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Top of the World" | Shonen Knife | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Superstar" | Sonic Youth | 4:06 |
| 4. | "(They Long to Be) Close to You" | The Cranberries | 2:40 |
| 5. | "For All We Know" | Bettie Serveert | 3:27 |
| 6. | "It's Going to Take Some Time" | Dishwalla | 4:16 |
| 7. | "Solitaire" | Sheryl Crow | 4:43 |
| 8. | "Hurting Each Other" | Johnette Napolitano with Marc Moreland | 4:09 |
| 9. | "Yesterday Once More" | Redd Kross | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" | Babes In Toyland | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Rainy Days and Mondays" | Cracker | 3:44 |
| 12. | "Let Me Be the One" | Matthew Sweet | 3:26 |
| 13. | "Bless the Beasts and Children" | 4 Non Blondes | 4:17 |
| 14. | "We've Only Just Begun" | Grant Lee Buffalo | 3:51 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums Chart [6] | 34 |
Sonic Youth was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer who formed half of the highly successful duo Carpenters with her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praised by her peers for her vocal skills. Carpenter's work continues to attract praise, including appearing on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is a 1987 American experimental biographical film that portrays the last 17 years of singer Karen Carpenter's life, as she struggled with anorexia. Directed by Todd Haynes, the film features archival documentary footage and stop motion animation using Barbie dolls with actors' voiceovers. Superstar was co-written and co-produced by Haynes and Cynthia Schneider, with an unauthorized soundtrack consisting mostly of the hit songs of The Carpenters. It was filmed over a ten-day period at Bard College in the summer of 1985. Barry Ellsworth collaborated on the film and was the cinematographer for the Barbie themed interior segments of the film.
The Singles: 1969–1973 is an compilation album by the pop duo the Carpenters. It topped the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom and became one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s.
"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.
Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside his younger sister Karen. He had numerous roles in the Carpenters, including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.
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.
"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.
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.
"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell, that has been a hit for many artists in different genres in the years since. The best-known versions are by the Carpenters in 1971, Luther Vandross in 1983, and Sonic Youth in 1994.
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.
Horizon is the sixth studio album by the American musical duo the Carpenters. It was recorded at A&M Studios. The Carpenters spent many hours experimenting with different sounds, techniques and effects.
A Kind of Hush is the seventh studio album by the American music duo Carpenters. It was released on June 11, 1976.
Corporate Ghost is a Sonic Youth DVD released by DGC in 2004. It is a collection of their music videos from 1990 to 2002.
Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition is a two-disc compilation released by the Carpenters in early 2004.
Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor is the second solo album by American musician Richard Carpenter, released in 1998. It includes instrumental versions of popular songs of the Carpenters, and is dedicated to their deceased mother, Agnes Carpenter. The album contains two new songs, "All Those Years Ago" and "Karen's Theme", which was released as a single.
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter. They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.
"Let Me Be the One" is a song written in 1970 by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams. It was first recorded by Nanette Workman and released in 1970 as a single on Columbia Records. The Carpenters' version first appeared on their 1971 album Carpenters.
Goo is the sixth full-length studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990, by DGC Records. For this album, the band sought to expand upon its trademark alternating guitar arrangements and the layered sound of their previous album Daydream Nation (1988) with songwriting that was more topical than past works, exploring themes of female empowerment and pop culture. Coming off the success of Daydream Nation, Nick Sansano returned to engineer Goo, but veteran producer Ron Saint Germain was chosen by Sonic Youth to finish mixing the album following Sansano's dismissal.
Carpenters is the third studio album by American music duo the Carpenters. Released on May 14, 1971, it was their most successful studio album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart and number 12 in the UK, as well as being certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA. The album contained the hit songs "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar".
