| The Very Best of the Carpenters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1981 | |||
| Genre | Pop, adult contemporary | |||
| Label | Festival (cat no. RML 52017) | |||
| Producer | Richard Carpenter | |||
| Carpenters chronology | ||||
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| Live/compilation chronology | ||||
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The Very Best of the Carpenters is a compilation album by the Carpenters, released in 1982 by Festival Records in Australia and New Zealand (cat no. RML 52017). [1] The album spent one week at the top of the Australian albums chart in 1983.
The album was the only Oceania-exclusive compilation of the Carpenters' material released by Festival Records. Although the album is not specifically a "greatest hits" collection, several of the tracks did not reach the charts in either Australia or New Zealand: "Ticket to Ride"; "This Masquerade", as it was not a single; and "Those Good Old Dreams". "Beechwood 4-5789" was only a hit in New Zealand, reaching number 10 on the singles chart there in early 1982. [2]
On the cover of the album, "It's Going to Take Some Time" is titled "It's Going to Take Some Time This Time" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is simply rendered "Close to You". [1]
This album is also noteworthy in that, for decades, it was the only album appearance of the single-edit of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft".
Side one
Side two
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart [3] | 2 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [4] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) [5] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Klaatu was a Canadian rock group formed in 1973 by the duo of John Woloschuk and Dee Long. They named themselves after an ambassador, Klaatu, from an extraterrestrial confederation who visits Earth with his companion robot Gort in the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. After recording two non-charting singles, the band added drummer Terry Draper to the line-up; this trio constituted Klaatu throughout the rest of the band's recording career.
"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.
"Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 1975. The version recorded by Manilow in 1977 and released in 1978 is the most well-known.
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.
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.
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.
The Singles: 1974–1978 is a compilation album by American pop duo the Carpenters featuring some of their singles released in the mentioned years.
Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American duo Carpenters released in 2000.
The Singles: 1969–1981 is a compilation of the Carpenters' music released by Richard Carpenter in 2000.
Reflections is a compilation album by US pop group The 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.
The Carpenters' DVD Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration was originally released as a cassette tape and VHS tape in 1995 until 2003, with an updated release on DVD. The DVD primarily contains footage from the Carpenters' five TV specials and TV series from 1971 to 1980. It followed the compilation album of the same name, which had been released earlier the same year.
From the Top is a box set by the Carpenters, released in 1991.
Yesterday Once More is a two-disc compilation album by American pop group Carpenters.
"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.
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.
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.
The discography of the American pop group the Carpenters consists of 14 studio albums, two Christmas albums, two live albums, 49 singles, and numerous compilation albums. The duo was made up of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter.
40/40 is a two-disc compilation by American pop group The Carpenters. The album features 40 songs that span their entire career, and first issued by Universal Japan on April 22, 2009. It was issued worldwide half a year later, leaving out its subtitle.
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.
