The Singles: 1969–1973

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.[5] 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,[6] and number 21 in the Year-end chart.[7]

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]

Richard gave the album this title because he doesn't like the term "greatest hits" because he felt it was "an overused thing".[8] 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.[8]

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

EP
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

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Platinum 100,000^
Netherlands — 100,000[18]
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[20] 7× Platinum 7,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  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). Belgrade: Karpentersi - Singl ploče od 1969. do 1973. (1 (second series)): 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. "RPM Top 100 Albums - August 10, 1974" (PDF).
  7. "The Top 100 Albums of '74" (PDF). RPM. 28 December 1974. p. 6.
  8. Billboard magazine article, written by Frank H Lieberman, 1973.
  9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4961a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  10. "Dutchcharts.nl – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  11. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  12. "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  14. "Ultratop.be – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  15. "Australiancharts.com – Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  16. "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.
  17. "Canadian album certifications – Carpenters – Singles". Music Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  18. Van Der Beek, Frans (8 June 1974). "Amsterdam". Billboard. p. 48. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  19. "British album certifications – Carpenters – The Singles: 1969–1973". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  20. "American album certifications – The Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
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