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Yesterday Once More (song)

"Yesterday Once More", written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, is a hit song by the Carpenters from their 1973 album Now & Then. Thematically the song concerns reminiscing about songs of a generation gone by. It segues into a long medley, consisting of eight covers of 1960s tunes incorporated into a faux oldies radio program. The work takes up the entire B-side of the album.

"Yesterday Once More"

"Road Ode"

May 16, 1973

1973

A&M Studios, Los Angeles, California

3:56

A&M 1446

Richard Carpenter, John Bettis

Richard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter

The single version of the song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, kept from the number 1 spot by "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce.[1] It was the duo's fifth number two hit and makes them the act with the second-most number two hits on the chart behind Madonna. The song also peaked at number 1 on the easy listening chart, becoming their eighth number 1 on that chart in four years.[2] It is the Carpenters' biggest-selling record worldwide and their best-selling single in the UK, peaking at number 2.[3] Richard Carpenter stated, on a Japanese documentary, that it was his favorite of all the songs that he had written. He has performed an instrumental version at concerts.


According to Cash Box, on June 2, 1973, "Yesterday Once More" was the highest-debuting single at No. 71. By August 4, it had reached No. 1.[4]

Reception[edit]

Cash Box said that the "hook will knock everyone out."[5]

– lead and backing vocals, drums

Karen Carpenter

– backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electronic piano, Hammond organ, orchestration

Richard Carpenter

– bass guitar

Joe Osborn

– electric guitar

Tony Peluso

Earl Dumler –

English horn

Uncredited – tambourine

trio Candies covered the song on their 1974 album Abunai Doyōbi: Candies no Sekai.[6][7]

Japanese idol

a rock/punk band from Hawthorne, California covered the song on the 1994 Carpenters tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter. This cover was also released as a double A-side single with Sonic Youth's cover of "Superstar" to promote the album. It reached No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart[8] and No. 84 on the Australian ARIA Charts.

Redd Kross

covered the song in 1981, reaching No. 52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 45 on the Adult Contemporary chart. As with many of the Spinners' records from that period, their cover of the song included an additional bridge composed by Michael Zager, "Nothing Remains the Same," and was billed as a medley.

The Spinners

List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1973

List of number-one singles of 1973 (Canada)