"Yesterday Once More", written by Richard Carpenter and

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 ...

, is a hit song by the

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 ...

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. 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 James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to p ...

. 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 Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart, becoming their eighth number 1 on that chart in four years. It is the Carpenters' biggest-selling record worldwide and their best-selling single in the UK, peaking at number 2. 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.

Song structure

"Yesterday Once More" is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

published in the key of E major.

Reception

'' Cash Box'' said that the "

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

will knock everyone out."

Personnel

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 ...

– lead and backing vocals, drums * Richard Carpenter – backing vocals, piano,

Wurlitzer electronic 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 conceptua ...

, Hammond organ, orchestration *

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

– drums * Joe Osborn – bass guitar *

Tony Peluso Anthony F. Peluso (March 28, 1950 – June 5, 2010) was an American guitarist and record producer. He was lead guitarist for pop duo Carpenters from 1972 to 1983. Peluso played the fuzz guitar solo on the Carpenters' song " Goodbye to Love". He ...

– electric guitar *Earl Dumler – English horn *Uncredited – tambourine

Cover versions

Redd Kross Redd Kross is an American rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while Steve was still in middle school. With the additi ...

, 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 A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

" to promote the album. It reached No. 45 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and No. 84 on the Australian

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...

. * The Spinners covered the song as a medley with "Nothing Remains the Same" in 1981, reaching No. 52 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 45 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yesterday Once More (Song) 1973 songs 1973 singles The Carpenters songs The Spinners (American group) songs Cashbox number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles Songs about radio Songs with lyrics by John Bettis Songs written by Richard Carpenter (musician) A&M Records singles Songs about nostalgia