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The Singles: 1969–1973

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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.

The Singles 1969–1973
Compilation album by
Carpenters
ReleasedNovember 9, 1973
Recorded1969–1973
StudioA&M Studios (Los Angeles)
GenrePop
Length41:47
LabelA&M
ProducerRichard & Karen Carpenter, Jack Daugherty
Carpenters chronology
Now & Then
(1973) 		The Singles 1969–1973
(1973) 		Horizon
(1975)
Live/compilation chronology
The Singles: 1969–1973
(1973) 		Live in Japan
(1975)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]
Džuboks(favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

Content

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The 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.[5]

Richard Carpenter gave the album this title because he doesn't like the term "greatest hits" because he felt it was "an overused thing".[6] He continues:

Individuals and groups with two or three hits all of a sudden put them on an album, use filler for the rest and title it "greatest hits". This album contains eleven true hits and it just wasn't slapped together. We've remixed a few, re-cut one and joined a couple of others. It's simply something I believe we owe our audience and ourselves.[6]

Reception

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The Singles: 1969–1973 has been certified 7× platinum in the US. 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,[7] and number 21 in the Year-end chart.[8]

Critical reception

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In their review, Billboard noted that "Karen's clear, dean, pristine tones have a glisten whether its heard on "We've Only Just Begun" or 'Top of the World." Placed end-to-end, the group's musk has a compelling quality which stands the test of lime. They are capable of making 'Ticket to Ride" by Lennon/McCartney their own special vehicle, principally because at Karen's slow, invoking vocal. Brother Richard's orchestrations and arrangements, plus his own sweet harmonizing on this and the other cuts, adds the middle and bolton ranges to Karen's top levels." [9]

Cashbox called it "a brilliant package at a perfect time. What a splendid combination for the duo who have done as much to change the face of pop music as any group in its history. Every song on this album is genuine gold...this collection is really one of the best we’ve seen in quite some time and Karen and Richard Carpenter can look forward to a very bright and happy holiday season because this package is sure to delight everyone who has ever loved music.[10]

AllMusic rated the album four stars, commenting that "there's a certain inherent sadness listening to this concise 12-song collection of the Carpenters' early hits, especially as it opens with "We've Only Just Begun," with its hopeful, dreamy lyrics—for it was never supposed to be definitive, just the first of at least two such collections...Listening to this material, it's easy to accuse the Carpenters of being hopelessly retro even in their own time. But the lush melodies brought out in Richard Carpenter's arrangements and Karen's singing are justification in themselves."[11]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."We've Only Just Begun"
4:09
2."Top of the World" (new recording)
2:56
3."Ticket to Ride" (new recording)Lennon–McCartney4:10
4."Superstar"
3:49
5."Rainy Days and Mondays"
  • Williams
  • Nichols
3:40
6."Goodbye to Love"
  • Carpenter
  • Bettis
3:50
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterday Once More"
  • Carpenter
  • Bettis
3:50
2."It's Going to Take Some Time"
2:55
3."Sing"Joe Raposo3:20
4."For All We Know"
2:34
5."Hurting Each Other"
  • Gary Geld
  • Peter Udell
2:46
6."(They Long to Be) Close to You"
3:44

Notes

  • "We've Only Just Begun" begins with an excerpt of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and contains elements of "Superstar."
  • "Superstar," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and "Goodbye to Love" are continuously mixed.

Personnel

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  • Bernie Grundman, Richard Carpenter – 1999, 2014 SACD and SHM CD remastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering
  • Richard Carpenter - 1991 remastering

EP

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US 7" promo (1973); A&M LLP 238
  1. "Ticket to Ride" (1973 version)
  2. "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
  3. "We've Only Just Begun"
  4. "Top of the World"
  5. "Rainy Days and Mondays"

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Platinum 100,000^
Netherlands — 100,000[22]
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] 7× Platinum 7,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Kostić, Borjan. Džuboks (in Serbian) (1 (second series)). Belgrade: Karpentersi - Singl ploče od 1969. do 1973.: 44. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Carpenters Fans Ask-Richard Answers Revised Jan 2005".
  6. ^ a b Billboard magazine article, written by Frank H Lieberman, 1973.
  7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - August 10, 1974" (PDF).
  8. ^ a b "The Top 100 Albums of '74" (PDF). RPM. 28 December 1974. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 1 December 1973. p. 52. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 24 November 1973. p. 34. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Singles 1969-1973 - Carpenters | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4961a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Top Selling Albums For 1975" (PDF). Music Week. December 27, 1975. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  21. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Carpenters – Singles". Music Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  22. ^ Van Der Beek, Frans (8 June 1974). "Amsterdam". Billboard. p. 48. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  23. ^ "British album certifications – Carpenters – The Singles: 1969–1973". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  24. ^ "American album certifications – The Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
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