''Ticket to Ride'' is the debut studio
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
by American music duo
Carpenters
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters t ...
. At the time of its initial release in 1969, it was issued under the title ''Offering'', with a completely different cover photo. It was a commercial failure and produced only one minor hit single, a ballad version of the
Lennon-McCartney song "
Ticket to Ride".
After the Carpenters' subsequent breakthrough, however, the album was reissued internationally under the name ''Ticket to Ride'' and sold moderately. The CD in the "Remastered Classics" series went
out of print in March 2007. However, in Japan, the "Pack Series" released the ''Ticket to Ride'' and ''
Close to You'' CDs together.
The album is far more self-contained than other Carpenters albums; excluding the orchestrations,
bass by
Joe Osborn and occasional guitar from Gary Sims, most of the instruments were played by
Karen and
Richard Carpenter themselves—drums and keyboards respectively—and 10 of the 13 songs were written by Richard and his lyricist
John Bettis
John Gregory Bettis (born October 24, 1946) is an American lyricist. He was originally part of the band Spectrum, which also featured Richard and Karen Carpenter. He wrote the lyrics for " Top of the World", a hit for both Lynn Anderson and Th ...
. It also stands out from subsequent Carpenters albums in that the lead vocals are evenly split between the two band members; on later albums, Karen would perform most of the lead vocals and this is one of two albums where Karen provided virtually all of the drumming, the other being ''
Now & Then'', released in 1973.
Track listing
All lead vocals by
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was prais ...
except where noted; all tracks written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, except where noted.
Personnel
*Richard Carpenter – lead and backing vocals, piano,
Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...
,
harpsichord
*Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals, drums,
electric bass
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...
on "All of My Life" and "Eve"
Carpenters Fans Ask... Richard Answers
Official Carpenters website. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
* Joe Osborn – bass
*Bob Messenger – bass
*Gary Sims – guitar on "All of My Life"
*Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...
– shakers
;Technical
*Producer: Jack Daugherty
*Engineer: Ray Gerhardt
*Art director: Tom Wilkes
*Photographer: Jim McCrary
Jim McCrary (August 31, 1939 – April 29, 2012) was an American photographer known for his 1970s album covers, most notably Carole King's ''Tapestry'', The Carpenters' '' Ticket to Ride,'' and Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May ...
*Bernie Grundman
Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and Mi ...
, Richard Carpenter – remastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Charts
Album
Singles
"Ticket to Ride"
* JP 7" single (1969) ING AM-18/ (1976) ING AM-1001/ (1977) ING AM-2061
#"Ticket to Ride"
#"All I Can Do"
* US 7" single (1969) &M 1142#"Ticket to Ride"
#"Your Wonderful Parade"
References
{{Authority control
1969 debut albums
The Carpenters albums
Albums produced by Jack Daugherty (musician)
A&M Records albums
Albums recorded at A&M Studios