THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

744-Carpenters-Yesterday Once More.

1973-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.49. ‘Yesterday Once More’ was written about someone feeling nostalgic when they heard a certain song, and ironically when people hear this song now, it makes them feel nostalgic.

Karen Anne Carpenter was born on March 2nd, 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Karen began dieting while in high school, and by following the ‘Stillman diet,’ she remained around 120lb, (54 kg) until her career reached it’s peak in 1973. After seeing photos of herself performing, she felt that she was looking overweight, so she changed her diet, and by September 1975 her weight had dropped to around 91lb (41kg.) By 1981 Karen was taking thyroid-replacement medication, and consuming as many as 90 tablets per night. The self abuse finally took it’s toll, when on February 4th, 1983, she collapsed on the floor in her parents home, having had a cardiac arrest, after being rushed to hospital, she was later pronounced dead, at the age of 32. Karen Carpenter suffered from ‘anorexia nervosa,’ which is a disease which the majority of people did not know about or understand back then, but Karen’s family helped to bring it in to the spotlight by starting up the ‘Karen A. Carpenter Memorial Foundation,’ which raises money for research on anorexia nervosa, and other eating disorders.

At the age of 14, in 1964, Karen Carpenter was bought a set of drums by her parents, and by the age of 15 with her brother Richard, and their friend Wes Jacobs, they began performing together as the ‘Dick Carpenter Trio.’ In 1967 Karen and Richard, along with this song co-writer John Bettis, and others, formed the group ‘Spectrum,’ by this stage Karen was now also being recognised not only for her talent as a drummer, but for also having a unique singing voice. After signing with ‘A&M Records’ in 1969, Karen continued to be the drummer, as well as lead vocalist for the Carpenters debut studio Album, before the legendary drummer Hal Blaine (1929-2019) (see also best songs 978-811-672-527-426-202-127-110 and 71 ) was brought in to share the studio recording drumming duties. After her death Hal Blaine was one of her fellow musicians who highly praised her talent as a drummer. Karen’s singing also garnered critical praise, with Paul McCartney saying that she had,’The best female voice in the world, melodic, tuneful and distinctive,’ while Elton John said that she had,’One of the greatest voices of our lifetime.’

With record sales in excess of 100 million the Carpenters are one of the best selling acts of all time. Their discography includes 14 studio Albums released between 1969-2001, and 49 singles issued between 1966-2003, there are also 16 official compilation Albums, and two live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, 21 of their singles have reached the top 40, with three of those tracks making Number 1, with ‘Yesterday Once More,’ peaking at Number 2. In the UK they have charted within the top 40 on 17 occasions with ‘Yesterday Once More,’ (1973) and ‘Please Mr Postman,’ (1974) both peaking the highest at Number 2. Karen Carpenter also posthumously released one Solo Album in 1996, and Richard Carpenter had issued two solo Albums, in 1987, and 1998.

‘Yesterday Once More’ was the first of three singles released from ‘Now & Then,’ the fifth studio Album by the Carpenters, from May 1973, the song was co-written by Richard Carpenter, and his long term collaborator John Bettis, with the songs production credited to Richard and Karen Carpenter. ‘Yesterday Once More’ is the Carpenters best selling single worldwide, with sales at around two million copies sold, with one million of those being in America, Richard Carpenter has stated that it is his favourite song of those that he has written. ‘Yesterday Once More’ is the opening track on side 2 of ‘Now & Then,’ and after playing in full, it segues in to eight edited cover versions by the Carpenters of 1960’s songs, with ‘Yesterday Once More’ reprised at the end. Tony Peluso (1950-2010) who played lead guitar on the Album, is also heard performing as a radio DJ throughout the eight song melody. Peluso was also the DJ heard on the Carpenters 1976 UK Number 9 hit ‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.’

‘When I was young I’d listen to the radio, waitin’ for my favourite songs, when they played I’d sing along, it made me smile. Those were such happy times and not so long ago, how I wondered where they’d gone, but they’re back again just like a long lost friend, all the songs I loved so well.’