Made in America (The Carpenters album)

Last updated
Made in America
81madeusa.jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 16, 1981
Recorded1978–1981
Studio A&M Studios, Los Angeles; mixed at Sound Labs and A&M Studios, Los Angeles [1]
Genre Pop, adult contemporary
Length40:22
Label A&M
Producer Richard Carpenter
The Carpenters chronology
Christmas Portrait
(1978)
Made in America
(1981)
Voice of the Heart
(1983)
Singles from Made in America
  1. "I Believe You"
    Released: June 1978
  2. "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
    Released: June 19, 1981
  3. "(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
    Released: September 1981
  4. "Those Good Old Dreams"
    Released: December 1981
  5. "Beechwood 4-5789"
    Released: January 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

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.

Contents

Karen played drums in the studio for the first time since Horizon , on the song "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)", albeit in unison with veteran Nashville session drummer Larrie Londin, and she also played percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams" in tandem with Paulinho da Costa.

The album yielded their last Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing", which peaked at #16. The album's other four singles, "I Believe You," "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," "Those Good Old Dreams," and "Beechwood 4-5789," were only minor hits, peaking at #68, #72, #63, and #74 respectively.

In 1985, Richard Carpenter said "that was Karen's favorite album and is mine, out of all our projects". [4]

Promotion

To promote Made in America, Karen and Richard Carpenter appeared on several talk shows in 1981, [5] including America's Top Ten on July 11, The Merv Griffin Show on October 2 performing "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", and Good Morning America on October 12. [6]

Reception

Billboard stated that "the duo returns here to the mellow MOR-pop which has brought it 18 gold singles and albums since 1970. The LP is an about-face from the duo's last studio collection, 1977's Passage, which flirted with rock rhythms and failed to be certified gold. Included are pretty ballads by Burt Bacharach and Roger Nichols, who composed the pair's first two hits, "Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun." The duo also returns to the Marvelettes' songbag, which brought its most recent gold single, "Please Mr. Postman," for "Beechwood 4- 5789." Daryl Dragon of the Captain & Tenille, once the Carpenters' chief rival for the MOR crown, contributes the synthesizer programming to "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," a punchy, midtempo Doobie-esque rocker which would be a strong second single." [7]

In their review, Cashbox noted that "America's favorite brother and sister team of a few years back is in fine fettle after a long hiatus from the studio. Don't expect a massive directional change from the "Close To You" days, though. Richard Carpenter's production is clean and modern, but the duo's strength remains its sprite, floating harmonies and A/C pop stylings. Karen and Richard's material here should fare well with adult contemporary and pop programmers considering the current American fervor for middle of the road acts." [8]

Bruce Eder of AllMusic called it "very much a comeback effort, with a fair amount of energy on most of it, newly radiant arrangements ("The Wedding Song," etc.), one cute oldie cover ("Beechwood 4-5789," which was made into a video), and the best new songs they'd had since the mid-'70s ("Those Good Old Dreams," "Touch Me When We're Dancing")...the album as a whole was more energetic and memorable than anything they'd done since A Song for You." [9]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Those Good Old Dreams"
4:12
2."Strength of a Woman"
  • Phyllis Brown
  • Juanita Curiel
3:59
3."(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
  • Kerry Chater
  • Chris Christian
3:40
4."When You've Got What It Takes"
  • Bill Lane
  • Roger Nichols
3:41
5."Somebody's Been Lyin'"4:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."I Believe You"
  • Dick Addrisi
  • Don Addrisi
3:54
7."Touch Me When We're Dancing"
  • Kenny Bell
  • Terry Skinner
  • Jerry Lee Wallace
3:19
8."When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)"Randy Handley5:01
9."Beechwood 4-5789"3:06
10."Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
  • Bettis
  • Carpenter
5:04

Personnel

[1]

Charts

Chart (1981)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [10] 50
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [11] 44
UK Albums (OCC) [12] 12
US Billboard 200 [13] 52

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Close to You</i> (The Carpenters album) 1970 album by The Carpenters

Close to You is the second studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on August 19, 1970. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 175 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. The album contains the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". The success of the title track earned Carpenters an international reputation. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, entering the top 50 of the official chart for 76 weeks during the first half of the 1970s.

<i>The Singles: 1969–1973</i> 1973 compilation album by Carpenters

The Singles: 1969–1973 is an album by the pop duo the Carpenters. A greatest hits collection, it topped the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom and became one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s. Features of this compilation include a newly recorded version of "Top of the World", "Ticket to Ride" and a number of musical introductions and segues between the songs "Superstar", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Goodbye to Love", the latter two were sped up in pitch, much to the regret of Richard in subsequent years. It has been certified 7× platinum in the US alone. In the UK, the album reached number 1 for 17 (non-consecutive) weeks. In Canada, the album was in the Top 100 for 33 weeks, and number 21 in the Year-end chart.

"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 Royer and Griffin were founding members of the soft rock group Bread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith. The best known version of the song is by American pop duo the Carpenters which reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1971. The song was also a hit for Shirley Bassey at the same time in the United Kingdom. It has since been covered by various artists, including Petula Clark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top of the World (The Carpenters song)</span> 1972 song written and composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis

"Top of the World" is a 1972 song written and composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis and first recorded by American pop duo Carpenters. It was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit for the duo for two consecutive weeks in 1973.

<i>Inside</i> (Ronnie Milsap album) 1982 studio album by Ronnie Milsap

Inside is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap, released in 1982 by RCA Records. It contains the hits "Any Day Now", "Inside", and "He Got You".

<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">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.

<i>A Man Called Hoss</i> 1987 studio album by Waylon Jennings

A Man Called Hoss is a concept album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on MCA in 1987.

<i>Ticket to Ride</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Carpenters

Ticket to Ride is the debut studio album by the American music duo Carpenters. At the time of its initial release in 1969, it was issued under the title Offering, with a completely different cover photo. It was a commercial failure and produced only one minor hit single, a ballad version of the Lennon-McCartney song "Ticket to Ride".

<i>Horizon</i> (The Carpenters album) 1975 studio album by the Carpenters

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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurting Each Other</span> 1971 single by Carpenters

"Hurting Each Other" is a song popularized by the Carpenters in 1972. It was written in 1965 by Gary Geld and Peter Udell, and has been recorded many times by artists ranging from Ruby & the Romantics to Rosemary Clooney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beechwood 4-5789</span> 1962 single by The Marvelettes

"Beechwood 4-5789" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and George Gordy. It was a 1962 hit single for the Motown girl group The Marvelettes on Motown's Tamla subsidiary record label. The song became a hit again when it was covered by the pop duo The Carpenters in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touch Me When We're Dancing</span> 1981 single by Opus

"Touch Me When We're Dancing" is a song written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama session group Bama, who first recorded this song and released it as a single in 1979 reaching number 42 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was later recorded by The Carpenters in 1981 for their Made in America album. In 1984, it was recorded by country music artists Mickey Gilley and Charly McClain for their 1984 duet album It Takes Believers and in 1986 by the country music group Alabama.

<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">The Carpenters</span> American vocal duo (1965–1983)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Believe You</span> 1978 single by The Carpenters

"I Believe You" is a love ballad composed by Don and Dick Addrisi which was a 1977 single for Dorothy Moore; taken from her self-titled Dorothy Moore album. "I Believe You" reached #5 R&B and crossed over to the US Pop Top 30 at number 27. The track also reached number 20 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Those Good Old Dreams</span> 1981 single by Carpenters

"Those Good Old Dreams" is a song by The Carpenters. Its B-side is "When It's Gone ", a song released on the Made in America album in 1981.

<i>Carpenters</i> (album) 1971 studio album by The Carpenters

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".

References

  1. 1 2 The Carpenters - Made in America (1981) album at Carpenters.AmCorner.com
  2. Eder, Bruce. "The Carpenters - Made in America (1981) album review, credits & releases". AllMusic . Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  3. 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.
  4. Larry King Live - December 1985 - transcript
  5. Karen Carpenter – IMDb
  6. Schmidt, Randy L. (October 2012). Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters. Selected Television Appearances. ISBN   9781613744178 via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 20 June 1981. p. 76. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  8. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 20 June 1981. p. 13. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  9. "Made in America - Carpenters | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 19701992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Carpenters" (in Japanese). Original Confidence . Retrieved September 21, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  13. "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  14. "British album certifications – Carpenters – Made in America". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2012-02-22.