The Carpenters - Japanese Single Box
2006 Japanese exclusive strictly limited edition box set with 33 singles (67 songs) originally released in Japan on 7" format. Each 3" CD-single is housed in a replica of the original Japanese 7" picture sleeve. The 33 CD-singles are housed in a gold embossed white textured individually numbered picture box with wrap-around OBI-strip displaying sleeve images and Japanese content information. The box set has been carefully conceived by Universal Japan with much detail. A great Carpenters release, but disappointing that 4 tracks are vinyl transfers, especially because 3 of these 4 tracks are not available elsewhere on CD format. It took Universal Japan a lot of time finding the original single masters, and sadly not all of them were traceable. Finally, the 3 tracks from the 28th single (no. 55-56-57) are not the original 1978 Christmas Portrait versions, but the 1996 remixed versions.
Here is the complete track listing:
1.Ticket To Ride (Album Version) [Ticket To Ride 1969]
2.All I Can Do [Ticket To Ride 1969]
3.(They Long To Be) Close To You (Edited Single Version) [Close To You 1970]
4.I Kept On Lovin' You (Stand Alone Single Version) [Close To You 1970]
5.We've Only Just Begun [Close To You 1970]
6.I'll Never Fall In Love Again [Close To You 1970]
7.For All We Know [Carpenters 1971]
8.Baby It's You [Close To You 1970]
9.Rainy Days And Mondays [Carpenters 1971]
10.Saturday [Carpenters 1971]
11.Superstar [Carpenters 1971]
12.Merry Christmas Darling (1970 Single Version)
13.Bless The Beasts And The Children (Soundtrack Version) [vinyl transfer][A Song For You 1972]
14.Help [Close To You 1970]
15.Hurting Each Other [A Song For You 1972]
16.Maybe It's You [Close To You 1970]
17.It's Going To Take Some Time [A Song For You 1972]
18.Flat Baroque [A Song For You 1972]
19.Goodbye To Love [A Song For You 1972]
20.Crystal Lullaby [A Song For You 1972]
21.Top Of The World (Album Version) [A Song For You 1972]
22.Druscilla Penny [Carpenters 1971]
23.Sing [Now & Then 1973]
24.I Won't Last A Day Without You (Album Version) [A Song For You 1972]
25.Yesterday Once More (Stand Alone Single Version) [Now & Then 1973]
26.Road Ode [A Song For You 1972]
27.Jambalaya (On The Bayou) [Now & Then 1973]
28.Heather [Now & Then 1973]
29.Top Of The World (Single Version) [A Song For You 1972]
30.Druscilla Penny [Carpenters 1971]
31.I Won't Last A Day Without You (Single Version With More Moog) [A Song For You 1972]
32.One Love [Carpenters 1971]
33.Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1974 Single Version) [vinyl transfer]
34.Merry Christmas Darling (1970 Single Version)
35.Please Mr. Postman (Single Version With Alternate Dryer Vocals) [Horizon 1975]
36.This Masquerade [Now & Then 1973]
37.Only Yesterday (Edited Single Version) [Horizon 1975]
38.Happy [Horizon 1975]
39.Solitaire (Single Version) [Horizon 1975]
40.Love Me For What I Am [Horizon 1975]
41.There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World) [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
42.(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye And I Love You [Horizon 1975]
43.I Need To Be In Love (Edited Single Version) [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
44.Sandy [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
45.Breaking Up Is Hard To Do [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
46.I Have You [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
47.All You Get From Love Is Love Song [Passage 1977]
48.Eve [Ticket To Ride 1969]
49.Sweet, Sweet Smile [Passage 1977]
50.Can't Smile Without You (Alternate Version) [A Kind Of Hush 1976]
51.The Christmas Song (Stand Alone Single Version) [vinyl transfer] [Christmas Portrait 1978]
52.Merry Christmas Darling (1970 Single Version)
53.Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (Single Version) [vinyl transfer] [Passage 1977]
54.Mr. Guder [Close To You 1970]
55.Silent Night (1996 Remixed Version) [Christmas Portrait 1978]
56.Jingle Bells (1996 Remixed Version) [Christmas Portrait 1978]
57.Ave Maria (1996 Remixed Version) [Christmas Portrait 1978]
58.I Believe You [Made In America 1981]
59.B'Wana She No Home [Passage 1977]
60.Beachwood 4-5789 [Made In America 1981]
61.Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song) [Made In America 1981]
62.Those Good Old Dreams (Single Version With More Synthesizer) [Made In America 1981]
63.I Just Fall In Love Again [Passage 1977]
64.Make Believe It's Your First Time (Single Version Without Spoken Intro) [Voice Of The Heart 1983]
65.Look To Your Dreams (Album Version) [Voice Of The Heart 1983]
66.Honolulu City Lights [Lovelines 1989]
67.When You've Got What It Takes (Stand Alone Single Version) [Made In America 1981]
Kudos to the Universal Music guys in Japan! This latest box set supercedes the 30th and 35th Anniversary Album replica sets (the Anniversary Album sets for being not replicating the inner sleeves as they originally were like the vinyl releases but instead, the artwork of the inner sleeves were just printed on a single piece of paper! Not like an "envelope" where the album, or in this case the CD, can be inserted in! I have seen better replicas where every detail from the original vinyl packaging was faithfully replicated for the CD release. Furthermore, for the Anniversary Album replica sets, "A Song for You" is NOT an exact replica from the original cover due to the color of the heart on the artwork and the scale between the Carpenters logo and the words, "A Song for You" on top. If you have one of the original two versions of the original cover of "A Song for You" LP sleeve, you would know what I mean).
For this release, they have used similar kinds of different papers as of each of the original releases. All inserts are also replicated here (but will need a magnifying glass to read the lyrics or the texts that are in Japanese)! The original labels are also replicated onto the CDs with a black "border" simulating the surface of the original vinyl! Cool!
A thick book is included for the lyrics and texts (here, you don't have to rely on the miniaturized replicas for them). However, except for a short "written" message from Richard Carpenter dated 26 October 2006, all other texts are in Japanese.
The inside of the box has the Carpenters logo printed all over that is reminiscent of their "A Kind of Hush" album (1976). Thick cardboards and premium textured fancy papers are being used for the simple but elegantly designed white box with a metallic gold Carpenters logo hot-stamped on the lid. The box though, looks a bit similar to the 12-disc "The Compact Disc Collection"* that was released by A & M United Kingdom in 1989 sans the metallic ink.
As being a Japanese release, the obi adds to the overall beauty of the packaging! I like the way it is being designed and the images of all the single covers on the back portion of the obi that is extended to cover the back of the box. Beautiful!
Also, the CDs are being inserted into their little sleeves like the original vinyl singles without any other form of protection against scratches. Surprisingly, I have inspected them and I could NOT find any light scratches or fingerprints on them. I have other so-called limited editions from all over the world (and found light *scratches on most of them despite having recieved them factory-sealed) but I would give my thumbs up to the Japanese for their impeccable quality control! Compare a non-Japanese made and printed Carpenters CD by placing it next to a Japanese version. You can start by observing the printing between the covers right down to the quality of the jewel cases and you'll find that the Japanese release is far more superior in overall quality!
This album is strictly for Carpenters fans only (and was originally intended to commemorate the 56th birthday of the late great Karen Carpenter) ! As for me, despite being a fan since I was a kid in 1971, I found myself being thrilled to listen to some tracks that I have never listened to before in their singles version like, " Solitaire" and "Bless the Beasts and Children". I also thought I would never listen to the short version of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" again after my 1979 Hong Kong/South East Asia release, "Carpenters Classics" LP wore out!
Beautiful set! Love it! Get it!
