The Essential Collection: 1965–1997

The Essential Collection: 1965–1997 is a box-set compilation album by The Carpenters released in 2002.

The Essential Collection: 1965–1997
Compilation album by Carpenters
Released	15 October 2002
Recorded	1965–1997
Genre	Pop
Length	4:10:52
Label	A&M
Producer	Richard Carpenter
Carpenters chronology
As Time Goes By (2001) The Essential Collection: 1965–1997 (2002) Carpenters Perform Carpenter (2003)

Professional ratings

Review scores
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AllMusic

Overview

The box set is a revised version of the 1991 From the Top. The tracks are once again attributed by the year of recording. The timeline is extended to 1997 by the inclusion of a single post-1982 track, Richard Carpenter's "Karen's Theme" from Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor.

While most of the previously unreleased tracks from From the Top were included on The Essential Collection several remained absent: a cover of The Beatles "Good Night" and Spanish version of "Sing" remained exclusive to From the Top; another absence are the tracks from Karen Carpenter's solo album which was finally released by the time of The Essential Collection.

The other difference is that The Essential Collection features more of the original mixes of the songs than From the Top and some alternative remixes as well.

Track listings

Disc one

1965–1970

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release, year of recording	Length
1.	"Caravan" (Demo)	Juan Tizol, Irving Mills	From the Top, 1965	3:38
2.	"The Parting of Our Ways" (Demo)	Richard Carpenter	From the Top, 1966	2:20
3.	"Looking for Love"	Carpenter	Non-album single, 1966	1:52
4.	"I'll Be Yours"	Carpenter	Non-album single, 1966	2:28
5.	"Iced Tea" (Demo)	Carpenter	From the Top, 1966	2:36
6.	"You'll Love Me" (Demo)	Carpenter	From the Top, 1967	2:27
7.	"All I Can Do" (Demo)	Carpenter, John Bettis	From the Top, 1967	1:50
8.	"Don't Be Afraid" (Demo)	Carpenter	From the Top, 1968	3:20
9.	"Invocation" (Demo)	Carpenter, Bettis	From the Top, 1968	1:01
10.	"Your Wonderful Parade" (Demo)	Carpenter, Bettis	From the Top, 1968	2:23
11.	"All of My Life" (1987 remix)	Carpenter	Offering, 1969	3:02
12.	"Eve" (1987 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	Offering, 1969	2:52
13.	"Ticket to Ride" (1973 version)	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	The Singles: 1969–1973, 1969	4:11
14.	"Get Together" (Your Navy Presents version)	Chet Powers	From the Top, 1970	2:40
15.	"Interview" (Your Navy Presents)		From the Top, 1970	1:35
16.	"Love is Surrender" (1987 remix)	Ralph Carmichael	Close to You, 1970	1:59
17.	"Maybe It's You" (1990 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	Close to You, 1970	3:09
18.	"(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Single version)	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	Close to You, 1970	3:42
19.	"Mr. Guder" (1991 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	Close to You, 1970	3:20
20.	"We've Only Just Begun"	Paul Williams, Roger Nichols	Close to You, 1970	3:05
21.	"Merry Christmas Darling" (Single version)	Frank Pooler, Carpenter	Non-album single, 1970	3:05
22.	"For All We Know"	Fred Karlin, Arthur James, Robb Wilson	Carpenters, 1970	2:32

Disc two

1971–1973

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release, year of recording	Length
1.	"Rainy Days and Mondays" (1991 remix)	Williams, Nichols	Carpenters, 1971	3:36
2.	"Superstar"	Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett	Carpenters, 1971	3:45
3.	"Let Me Be the One"	Williams, Nichols	Carpenters, 1971	2:50
4.	"Bless the Beasts and Children" (1991 remix)	Barry DeVorzon, Perry Botkin Jr.	A Song for You, 1972	3:15
5.	"Hurting Each Other"	Gary Geld, Peter Udell	A Song for You, 1972	2:46
6.	"It's Going to Take Some Time"	Carole King, Toni Stern	A Song for You, 1972	2:55
7.	"I Won't Last a Day Without You" (1991 remix)	Williams, Nichols	A Song for You, 1972	3:54
8.	"A Song for You" (1987 remix)	Russel	A Song for You, 1972	4:42
9.	"Top of the World"	Carpenter, Bettis	A Song for You, 1972	2:59
10.	"Goodbye to Love" (1985 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	A Song for You, 1972	4:00
11.	"This Masquerade" (1990 remix)	Russell	Now & Then, 1973	4:53
12.	"Sing" (1994 remix)	Joe Raposo	Now & Then, 1973	3:18
13.	"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" (1991 remix)	Hank Williams, Moon Mullican	Now & Then, 1973	3:42
14.	"Yesterday Once More" (1985 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	Now & Then, 1973	3:50
15.	"Oldies Medley" (a) "Fun, Fun, Fun" (b) "The End of the World" (c) "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" (d) "Dead Man's Curve" (e) "Johnny Angel" (f) "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (g) "Our Day Will Come" (h) "One Fine Day"" (1991 remix)	(a) Brian Wilson, Mike Love (b) Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee (c) Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector (d) Jan Berry, Roger Christian, Wilson, Artie Kornfeld (e) Lyn Duddy, Lee Pockriss (f) Benjamin Weisman, Dorothy Wayne, Marilynn Garrett (g) Bob Hilliard, Mort Garson (h) King, Gerry Goffin	Now & Then, 1973	14:55
16.	"Yesterday Once More" (Reprise, 1990 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis	Now & Then, 1973	1:02
17.	"Radio Contest Outtakes"		From the Top, 1973	1:53

Disc three

1974–1978

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release, year of recording	Length
1.	"Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial"		Previously unreleased, 1974	0:35
2.	"Please Mr. Postman" (1991 remix)	Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland, Robert Bateman	Horizon, 1974	2:52
3.	"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (1984 version)	J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie	An Old-Fashioned Christmas, 1974	4:08
4.	"Only Yesterday"	Carpenter, Bettis	Horizon, 1975	3:59
5.	"Solitaire"	Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody	Horizon, 1975	4:40
6.	"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" (1990 remix)	David Pomeranz	Interpretations, 1975	4:21
7.	"Good Friends Are for Keeps"	Jon Silberman	From the Top, 1975	1:08
8.	"Ordinary Fool"	Williams	Voice of the Heart, 1976	3:43
9.	"Sandy"	Carpenter, Bettis	A Kind of Hush, 1976	3:41
10.	"There's a Kind of Hush" (1985 remix)	Geoff Stephens, Les Reed	A Kind of Hush, 1976	2:56
11.	"I Need to Be in Love" (1990 remix)	Carpenter, Bettis, Albert Hammond	A Kind of Hush, 1976	3:48
12.	"From This Moment On" (Live)	Cole Porter	Live at the Palladium, 1976	2:13
13.	"Suntory Pop Jingle #1"	Hiromasa Suzuki, Yoko Narahashi	From the Top, 1977	0:33
14.	"Suntory Pop Jingle #2"	Tatsushi Umegaki, Yoko Narahashi	From the Top, 1977	0:34
15.	"All You Get from Love Is a Love Song"	Steve Eaton	Passage, 1977	3:46
16.	"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (1989 remix)	Terry Draper, John Woloschuk	Passage, 1977	7:10
17.	"Sweet, Sweet Smile"	Otha Young, Juice Newton	Passage, 1977	3:02
18.	"Christ Is Born" (1991 remix)	Domenico Bartolucci, Ray Charles	Christmas Portrait, 1977	3:12
19.	"White Christmas" (1991 remix)	Irving Berlin	Christmas Portrait, 1977	2:29
20.	"Little Altar Boy"	Howlett Smith	An Old-Fashioned Christmas, 1978	3:44
21.	"Ave Maria" (1991 remix)	Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod)	Christmas Portrait, 1978	2:37

Disc four

1978–1997

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release, year of recording	Length
1.	"Where Do I Go from Here?"	Parker McGee	Lovelines, 1978	4:26
2.	"Little Girl Blue"	Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart	Lovelines, 1978	3:24
3.	"I Believe You"	Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi	Made in America, 1978	3:54
4.	"If I Had You"	Steve Dorff, Gary Harju, Larry Herbstritt	Lovelines, 1979	3:57
5.	"Karen/Ella Medley"[a] (a) "This Masquerade" (b) "My Funny Valentine" (c) "I'll Be Seeing You" (d) "Someone to Watch Over Me" (e) "As Time Goes By" (f) "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (g) "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"	(a) Russell (b) Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart (c) Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal (d) George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin (e) Herman Hupfeld (f) Duke Ellington, Bob Russell (g) Ellington, Irving Mills	As Time Goes By, 1980	5:57
6.	"1980 Medley" (a) "Sing" (b) "Knowing When to Leave" (c) "Make It Easy on Yourself" (d) "Someday" (e) "We've Only Just Begun"	(a) Raposo (b) Bacharach, David (c) Bacharach, David (d) Carpenter, Bettis (e) Williams, Nichols	From the Top, 1980	9:08
7.	"Make Believe It's Your First Time"	Bob Morrison, Johnny Wilson	Made in America, 1980	4:08
8.	"Touch Me When We're Dancing"	Terry Skinner, Kenny Bell, J.L. Wallace	Made in America, 1981	3:22
9.	"When It's Gone"	Randy Handley	Made in America, 1981	5:01
10.	"Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"	Carpenter, Bettis	Made in America, 1981	5:02
11.	"Those Good Old Dreams"	Carpenter, Bettis	Made in America, 1981	4:12
12.	"Now"	Nichols, Dean Pitchford	Voice of the Heart, 1982	3:49
13.	"Karen's Theme[b]"	Carpenter	Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor, 1997	2:40

• ^{^[a]} From Music, Music, Music TV Special, performed by Karen Carpenter and Ella Fitzgerald
• ^{^[b]} Performed by Richard Karpenter