From The Top

Original Release Cover

Re-issued Release Cover
Released 10/8/91
Catalog number: 75021 6875-2.  Released first in a 12×12 box, later in a smaller book format.

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Disc One, 1965–>1970:

1. Caravan
2. The Parting Of Our Ways
3. Looking For Love
4. I’ll Be Yours
5. Iced Tea
6. You’ll Love Me
7. All I Can Do (Spectrum version)
8. Don’t Be Afraid (demo version)
9. Invocation (demo version)
10. Your Wonderful Parade (demo version)
11. Goodnight
12. All Of My Life (1987 remix)
13. Eve (1987 remix)
14. Ticket To Ride (1973 version, reversed stereo)
15. Get Together (Your Navy Presents version)
16. Interview (Your Navy Presents)
17. Maybe It’s You (1990 remix, clean open)
18. (They Long To Be) Close To You (single edit)
19. We’ve Only Just Begun (1985 remix)
20. Merry Christmas Darling (1970 version)
21. For All We Know (1990 remix)

Disc Two, 1971–>1973:

1. Superstar (1990 remix)
2. Rainy Days And Mondays (1985 remix)
3. Let Me Be The One (1990 remix)
4. Bless The Beasts And Children (1985 remix)
5. Hurting Each Other (1990 remix)
6. Top Of The World
7. Goodbye To Love (1985 remix with count-in)
8. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (1984 remix)
9. This Masquerade (1990 remix)
10. Canta (Spanish version of “Sing”)
11. Yesterday Once More (1985 remix) (revving)
12. Fun Fun Fun (1990 remix)
13. The End Of The World (1990 remix)
14. Da Doo Ron Ron (1990 remix)
15. Deadman’s Curve (1990 remix)
16. Johnny Angel (1990 remix)
17. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (1990 remix)
18. Our Day Will Come (1990 remix)
19. One Fine Day (1990 remix)
20. Yesterday Once More (reprise) (1990 remix)
21. Radio Contest Outtakes

Disc Three, 1974–>1978:

1. Please Mr. Postman
2. Only Yesterday (middle length edit)
3. Solitaire
4. Good Friends Are For Keeps
5. Ordinary Fool
6. I Need To Be In Love (1990 remix)
7. From This Moment On (live)
8. Suntory Pop Jingle #1
9. Suntory Pop Jingle #2
10. All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
11. Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1989 remix)
12. Christ is Born (1990 remix)
13. White Christmas (1990 remix)
14. Little Altar Boy
15. Ave Maria (1990 remix, sped-up)*

Disc Four, 1978–>1982:

1. Where Do I Go From Here?
2. Little Girl Blue
3. If I Had You (1989 “Carpenters” remix)
4. My Body Keeps Changing My Mind (1990 “Carpenters” remix)
5. Still Crazy After All These Years (1990 “Carpenters” remix)
6. Medley:
a. Sing
b. Knowing When to Leave
c. Make It Easy On Yourself
d. Someday
e. We’ve Only Just Begun
7. Touch Me When We’re Dancing
8. When It’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)
9. Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)
10. Now

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1991’s FROM THE TOP is the Carpenters’ US entry into box-set territory.  A full-career retrospective, this set was rather highly prized among Carpenters fans, since it gives insight into where the duo came from.  In addition to the usual compilation fare, this set swerves away from the “greatest hits” territory and provides a meaningful look into some of the early days, before the A&M era.

Presented for the first time here are early singles billed as Karen Carpenter from the Magic Lamp days, as well as some demo recordings with group names known as The Summerchimes and Spectrum – even a couple of instrumentals with the “Richard Carpenter Trio” featuring Karen on drums, Richard on keyboards, and Wes Jacobs on bass and tuba.  Arranged chronologically, the four discs in the set are broken into yearly ranges:  1965-1970, 1970-1973, 1974-1978, and 1978-1982.  Early copies of the box set were released in a 12×12 inch box with a large format book, and included the four CDs in their own jewel cases.  When record stores complained that these did not fit into their displays, A&M re-released the set in a long-book format.

Much of the familiar material is presented here in remixed form, many getting a remix for this set, with a few originals or special mixes of note:  “Merry Christmas Darling” is the original 45RPM mix, “Top Of The World” appears for the first time on CD in its original album mix, and “Canta” is “Sing” in a Spanish/English version.  In addition to presenting the standard recorded fare of most Carpenters albums, this set also includes a number of radio recordings, commercial jingles and studio outtakes, along with a superb medley from their 1980 TV show MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC. Also included are two more tracks from Karen’s solo album, slightly tweaked, and making their first appearance here.

* Regarding “Ave Maria”, both FROM THE TOP issues use the 1990 remix, but the thinner reissue has the track at its normal speed. According to Richard Carpenter, when FROM THE TOP was first issued in the 12×12 format, “Ave Maria” was inexplicably mastered at the wrong speed, making it a half-tone higher than it should be. It was fixed for the book-sized reissue.