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| name = Made in America
| name = Made in America
| type = studio
| type = studio
| artist = the [[The Carpenters|Carpenters]]
| artist = [[The Carpenters]]
| cover = 81madeusa.jpeg
| cover = 81madeusa.jpeg
| alt =
| alt =
| released = June 16, 1981
| released = June 16, 1981
| recorded = 1978-1981
| recorded = 1978–1981
| studio = [[A&M Studios]], Los Angeles; mixed at Sound Labs and A&M Studios, Los Angeles<ref name=Carpenters.AmCorner>[http://carpenters.amcorner.com/album/made-in-america The Carpenters - ''Made in America'' (1981) album] at Carpenters.AmCorner.com</ref>
| studio = [[A&M Studios]], Los Angeles; mixed at Sound Labs and A&M Studios, Los Angeles<ref name=Carpenters.AmCorner>[http://carpenters.amcorner.com/album/made-in-america The Carpenters - ''Made in America'' (1981) album] at Carpenters.AmCorner.com</ref>
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[adult contemporary]]
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[adult contemporary]]
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| name = Made in America
| name = Made in America
| type = studio
| type = studio
| single1 = [[I Believe You]]
| single1 = [[I Believe You]]
| single1date = June 1978
| single1date = June 1978
| single2 = [[Touch Me When We're Dancing]]
| single2 = [[Touch Me When We're Dancing]]
| single2date =June 19, 1981
| single2date =June 19, 1981
| single3 = [[(Want You) Back in My Life Again]]
| single3 = [[(Want You) Back in My Life Again]]
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| single4date = December 1981
| single4date = December 1981
| single5 = [[Beechwood 4-5789]]
| single5 = [[Beechwood 4-5789]]
| single5date = January 1982
| single5date = January 1982 }}

}}
}}
{{Music ratings
}}

{{Album reviews
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Eder |first=Bruce |url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r3369 |pure_url=yes}} |title=The Carpenters - ''Made in America'' (1981) album review, credits & releases |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2012-05-31}}</ref>
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Eder |first=Bruce |url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r3369 |pure_url=yes}} |title=The Carpenters - ''Made in America'' (1981) album review, credits & releases |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2012-05-31}}</ref>
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}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->


'''''Made in America''''' is the tenth studio album by the American music duo [[The Carpenters|Carpenters]], released in June 1981. It is the final album by the duo to be released during [[Karen Carpenter]]'s lifetime, having reached number 52 in the US and number 12 in the UK.
'''''Made in America''''' is the tenth studio album by the American music duo [[The Carpenters]], released in June 1981. Karen Carpenter died less than two years later, making it their final album released in her lifetime. It reached number 52 in the US and number 12 in the UK.


⚫
Karen played drums in the studio for the first time since ''[[Horizon (The Carpenters album)|Horizon]]'', on the song "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)", albeit in unison with veteran Nashville session drummer [[Larrie Londin]], and she also played percussion on "[[Those Good Old Dreams]]" in tandem with [[Paulinho da Costa]].
⚫
In 1985, Richard said "that was Karen's favorite album and is mine, out of all our projects".<ref>''[[Larry King Live]]'' - December 1985 - transcript</ref>


The album yielded their last [[Billboard Hot 100]] Top 40 hit, "[[Touch Me When We're Dancing]]", which peaked at #16. The album's other four singles, "I Believe You," "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," "Those Good Old Dreams," and "Beechwood 4-5789," were only minor hits, peaking at #68, #72, #63, and #74 respectively.
⚫
Karen played drums in the studio for the first time since ''[[Horizon (The Carpenters album)|Horizon]]'' on the song "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)", albeit in unison with veteran Nashville session drummer [[Larrie Londin]], and she also played percussion on "[[Those Good Old Dreams]]" in tandem with [[Paulinho da Costa]].

⚫
In 1985, [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard Carpenter]] said "that was Karen's favorite album and is mine, out of all our projects".<ref>''[[Larry King Live]]'' - December 1985 - transcript</ref>


==Promotion==
==Promotion==
To promote ''Made in America'', Karen and Richard Carpenter appeared on several talk shows in 1981,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139389/ Karen Carpenter – IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> including ''[[America's Top Ten]]'' on July 11, ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]'' on October 2 performing "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", and ''[[Good Morning America]]'' on October 12.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyI4_Phue4IC|title=Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters|first=Randy L.|last=Schmidt|isbn=9781613744178|via=Google Books|location=Selected Television Apppearances}}</ref>
To promote ''Made in America'', Karen and Richard Carpenter appeared on several talk shows in 1981,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139389/ Karen Carpenter – IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> including ''[[America's Top Ten]]'' on July 11, ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]'' on October 2 performing "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", and ''[[Good Morning America]]'' on October 12.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyI4_Phue4IC|title=Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters|first=Randy L.|last=Schmidt|date=October 2012 |isbn=9781613744178|via=Google Books|location=Selected Television Appearances}}</ref>

==Reception==

''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' stated that "the duo returns here to the mellow MOR-pop which has brought it 18 gold singles and albums since 1970. The LP is an about-face from the duo's last studio collection, 1977's ''Passage,'' which flirted with rock rhythms and failed to be certified gold. Included are pretty ballads by
Burt Bacharach and Roger Nichols, who composed the pair's first two hits, "Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun." The duo also returns to the Marvelettes' songbag, which brought its most recent gold single, "Please Mr. Postman," for "Beechwood 4- 5789." Daryl Dragon of the Captain & Tenille, once the Carpenters' chief rival for the MOR crown, contributes the synthesizer programming to "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," a punchy, midtempo Doobie-esque rocker which would be a strong second single." <ref name="Billboard19610828">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-06-20.pdf|magazine=Billboard|title=Top Album Picks|issue =20 June 1981 |page=76 |access-date=August 25, 2024}}</ref>

In their review, ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' noted that "America's favorite brother and sister team of a few years back is in fine fettle after a long hiatus from the studio. Don't expect a massive directional change from the "Close To You" days, though. Richard Carpenter's production is clean and modern, but the duo's strength remains its sprite, floating harmonies and A/C pop stylings. Karen and Richard's material here should fare well with adult contemporary and pop programmers considering the current American fervor for middle of the road acts." <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-06-20.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|title=Album Reviews|issue=20 June 1981 |page=13 |access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref>

Bruce Eder of ''[[AllMusic]]'' called it "very much a comeback effort, with a fair amount of energy on most of it, newly radiant arrangements ("The Wedding Song," etc.), one cute oldie cover ("Beechwood 4-5789," which was made into a video), and the best new songs they'd had since the mid-'70s ("Those Good Old Dreams," "Touch Me When We're Dancing")...the album as a whole was more energetic and memorable than anything they'd done since ''A Song for You''."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/made-in-america-mw0000193202 | title=Made in America - Carpenters &#124; Album &#124; AllMusic | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
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==Personnel==
==Personnel==
* [[Karen Carpenter]] – lead and backing vocals; drums and percussion on "When it's Gone"; percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams"
* [[Karen Carpenter]] – lead and backing vocals; drums and percussion on "When it's Gone"; percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams"
* [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard Carpenter]] – backing vocals, keyboards (piano, [[Fender Rhodes]] and [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[celesta]], [[ARP Odyssey]]), [[orchestration]]
* [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard Carpenter]] – backing vocals, keyboards (piano, [[Fender Rhodes]] and [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[celesta]], [[ARP Odyssey]]), [[orchestration]],[[Roland Jupiter 8]], [[Prophet 5]], [[Oberheim OBXa]], [[Rhodes Chroma]], [[Korg MS10]]
* Tim May, [[Tony Peluso]], [[Fred Tackett]], [[Dennis Budimir]] – guitars
* Tim May, [[Tony Peluso]], [[Fred Tackett]], [[Dennis Budimir]] – guitars
* Jay Dee Maness – [[pedal steel guitar]]
* [[Jay Dee Maness]] – [[pedal steel guitar]]
* Earl Dumler – [[oboe]]
* Earle Dumler – [[oboe]]
* [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] – [[tenor saxophone]]
* [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] – [[tenor saxophone]]
* Gayle Levant – [[concert harp]]
* Gayle Levant – [[concert harp]]
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* [[Paulinho da Costa]], Peter Limonick, [[Bob Conti]] – percussion
* [[Paulinho da Costa]], Peter Limonick, [[Bob Conti]] – percussion
* Jerry Steinholtz – congas on "I Believe You"
* Jerry Steinholtz – congas on "I Believe You"
* [[Carolyn Dennis]], Stephanie Spruill, Maxine Willard Waters – background vocals
* [[Carolyn Dennis]], Stephanie Spruill, [[Maxine Waters Willard]] – background vocals
* The O.K. Chorale – backing vocals on "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
* [[The Ron Hicklin Singers|The O.K. Chorale]] – backing vocals on "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
* [[Peter Knight (composer)|Peter Knight]] – orchestration on "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
* [[Peter Knight (composer)|Peter Knight]] – orchestration on "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
* [[Paul Riser]] – orchestration on "I Believe You"
* [[Paul Riser]] – orchestration on "I Believe You"
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<ref name=Carpenters.AmCorner />
<ref name=Carpenters.AmCorner />


==Charts and certifications==
==Charts==
⚫
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
⚫
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (1981)
!Chart (1981)
!Peak<br/>position
!Position
|-
⚫
!scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970&ndash;1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=[[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives, NSW]]|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|title-link=Kent Music Report}}</ref>
|50
|-
|-
⚫
!scope="row"|[[1981 in Japanese music|Japanese Albums]] ([[Oricon]])<ref name="Jachart">{{cite web|url=http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/album2409/al_carpenters.htmll|title=Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Carpenters|publisher=[[Original Confidence]]|language=ja|access-date=September 21, 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
⚫
!scope="row"|Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]]) <ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]]|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
|44
⚫
|align="center"|50
|-
|-
⚫
{{album chart|UK2|12|date=19810705|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
⚫
!scope="row"|[[Oricon Albums Chart|Japanese Oricon LP Chart]]<ref name="Jachart">{{cite web| url=http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/album2012/al_carpenters.html| title=Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Carpenters| publisher=[[Original Confidence]]| language=ja| date=2007-12-30| access-date=2012-02-22}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|align="center"|44
|-
|-
{{album chart|UK|12|artist=Carpenters|album=Made in America|rowheader=trueaccessdate=September 21, 2017}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|52|artist=Carpenters|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
|-
|-
! scope="row"| US ''[[Cash Box]]'' Top 200 Albums<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-08-22.pdf|title=Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums |work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]|date=August 22, 1981|page=28|access-date=30 November 2024}}</ref>
⚫
{{album chart|Billboard200|52|artist=Carpenters|rowheader=true|access-date=September 21, 2017}}
⚫
|align="center"| 66
|}
|}
{{col-2}}


===Certifications===
==Certifications==
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=Made in America|artist=Carpenters|type=album|relyear=1981|certyear=1981|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|access-date=2012-02-22|id=4110-662-2}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=Made in America|artist=Carpenters|type=album|relyear=1981|certyear=1981|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|access-date=2012-02-22|id=4110-662-2}}
{{certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
{{certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
{{col-end}}


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 05:47, 30 November 2024

Made in America
Studio album by
The Carpenters
ReleasedJune 16, 1981
Recorded1978–1981
StudioA&M Studios, Los Angeles; mixed at Sound Labs and A&M Studios, Los Angeles[1]
GenrePop, adult contemporary
Length40:22
LabelA&M
ProducerRichard Carpenter
The Carpenters chronology
Christmas Portrait
(1978) 		Made in America
(1981) 		Voice of the Heart
(1983)
Singles from Made in America
  1. "I Believe You"
    Released: June 1978
  2. "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
    Released: June 19, 1981
  3. "(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
    Released: September 1981
  4. "Those Good Old Dreams"
    Released: December 1981
  5. "Beechwood 4-5789"
    Released: January 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Made in America is the tenth studio album by the American music duo The Carpenters, released in June 1981. Karen Carpenter died less than two years later, making it their final album released in her lifetime. It reached number 52 in the US and number 12 in the UK.

Karen played drums in the studio for the first time since Horizon, on the song "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)", albeit in unison with veteran Nashville session drummer Larrie Londin, and she also played percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams" in tandem with Paulinho da Costa.

The album yielded their last Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing", which peaked at #16. The album's other four singles, "I Believe You," "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," "Those Good Old Dreams," and "Beechwood 4-5789," were only minor hits, peaking at #68, #72, #63, and #74 respectively.

In 1985, Richard Carpenter said "that was Karen's favorite album and is mine, out of all our projects".[4]

Promotion

[edit]

To promote Made in America, Karen and Richard Carpenter appeared on several talk shows in 1981,[5] including America's Top Ten on July 11, The Merv Griffin Show on October 2 performing "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", and Good Morning America on October 12.[6]

Reception

[edit]

Billboard stated that "the duo returns here to the mellow MOR-pop which has brought it 18 gold singles and albums since 1970. The LP is an about-face from the duo's last studio collection, 1977's Passage, which flirted with rock rhythms and failed to be certified gold. Included are pretty ballads by Burt Bacharach and Roger Nichols, who composed the pair's first two hits, "Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun." The duo also returns to the Marvelettes' songbag, which brought its most recent gold single, "Please Mr. Postman," for "Beechwood 4- 5789." Daryl Dragon of the Captain & Tenille, once the Carpenters' chief rival for the MOR crown, contributes the synthesizer programming to "(Want You) Back In My Life Again," a punchy, midtempo Doobie-esque rocker which would be a strong second single." [7]

In their review, Cashbox noted that "America's favorite brother and sister team of a few years back is in fine fettle after a long hiatus from the studio. Don't expect a massive directional change from the "Close To You" days, though. Richard Carpenter's production is clean and modern, but the duo's strength remains its sprite, floating harmonies and A/C pop stylings. Karen and Richard's material here should fare well with adult contemporary and pop programmers considering the current American fervor for middle of the road acts." [8]

Bruce Eder of AllMusic called it "very much a comeback effort, with a fair amount of energy on most of it, newly radiant arrangements ("The Wedding Song," etc.), one cute oldie cover ("Beechwood 4-5789," which was made into a video), and the best new songs they'd had since the mid-'70s ("Those Good Old Dreams," "Touch Me When We're Dancing")...the album as a whole was more energetic and memorable than anything they'd done since A Song for You."[9]

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Those Good Old Dreams"
4:12
2."Strength of a Woman"
  • Phyllis Brown
  • Juanita Curiel
3:59
3."(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
  • Kerry Chater
  • Chris Christian
3:40
4."When You've Got What It Takes"
  • Bill Lane
  • Roger Nichols
3:41
5."Somebody's Been Lyin'"
4:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."I Believe You"
  • Dick Addrisi
  • Don Addrisi
3:54
7."Touch Me When We're Dancing"
  • Kenny Bell
  • Terry Skinner
  • Jerry Lee Wallace
3:19
8."When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)"Randy Handley5:01
9."Beechwood 4-5789"
3:06
10."Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
  • Bettis
  • Carpenter
5:04

Personnel

[edit]

[1]

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 50
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[11] 44
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 12
US Billboard 200[13] 52
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[14] 66

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b The Carpenters - Made in America (1981) album at Carpenters.AmCorner.com
  2. ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Carpenters - Made in America (1981) album review, credits & releases". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  3. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 140. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone carpenters album guide.
  4. ^ Larry King Live - December 1985 - transcript
  5. ^ Karen Carpenter – IMDb
  6. ^ Schmidt, Randy L. (October 2012). Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters. Selected Television Appearances. ISBN 9781613744178 – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. No. 20 June 1981. p. 76. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 20 June 1981. p. 13. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Made in America - Carpenters | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "Yamachan Land (Japanese Chart Archives) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Carpenters" (in Japanese). Original Confidence. Retrieved September 21, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  13. ^ "Carpenters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. August 22, 1981. p. 28. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  15. ^ "British album certifications – Carpenters – Made in America". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
[edit]
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