Now & Then
The fifth album: a side of new songs, and a side built as an oldies radio show around Yesterday Once More.
Carpenters, 1973
- Released
- 1 May 1973
- Label
- A&M
- Producer
- Richard Carpenter and Karen Carpenter
It reached number 2 on the Billboard chart on 21 July 1973 and number 20 on the Cash Box year-end album chart. Sing, which came from Sesame Street, reached number 3 on the Hot 100, and the single of Yesterday Once More peaked at number 2 and became their biggest hit worldwide.
Richard said there was only enough material for one side of an LP, even with Jambalaya, a track recorded in 1972. They had put an oldies medley into their concert set in the summer of 1972, and he made it the second side, staged as a Top 40 radio program with Tony Peluso as the disc jockey. He and Bettis wrote Yesterday Once More to open and close it. Karen played all the drums except on Jambalaya, where Hal Blaine played. Richard added that he believed the Carpenters were first and foremost a record act and that management should have put the recording process first, not touring.
Track listing
- Sing3:18
- This Masquerade4:50
- Heather2:49
- Jambalaya (On the Bayou)3:41
- I Can't Make Music3:18
- Yesterday Once More3:56
- Fun, Fun, Fun1:32
- The End of the World2:25
- Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)1:43
- Deadman's Curve1:40
- Johnny Angel1:30
- The Night Has a Thousand Eyes1:45
- Our Day Will Come2:00
- One Fine Day1:40
- Yesterday Once More (Reprise)0:59
Personnel
- Karen Carpenter lead and backing vocals, drums
- Richard Carpenter vocals, keyboards, arrangements, orchestration
- Joe Osborn bass
- Hal Blaine drums on Jambalaya
- Tony Peluso lead guitar, voice of the disc jockey
- Gary Sims guitar
- Bob Messenger flute, tenor saxophone
- Doug Strawn baritone saxophone
- Tom Scott recorder
- Buddy Emmons steel guitar
- Jay Dee Maness steel guitar
- Earl Dumler oboe, bass oboe, English horn
- Ray Gerhardt engineer
- Bernie Grundman mastering
More from Carpenters
Offering (1969), Close To You (1970), Carpenters (1971), A Song for You (1972)
Sources
- Now & Then (The Carpenters album), Wikipedia
- Now and Then album notes, Richard Carpenter (2008-06-04)