Billboard #1 Hits: #351: “Please Mr. Postman”- The Carpenters. January 25, 1975. #1 for 1 week in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single:”Please Mr. Postman”- The Carpenters
- Record Company -A&M
- Genre: Pop
- Written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman.
- Time: 2:50
- B-side: “This Masquerade”
- Album- Horizon
- Grade: C+
- Peaked at #1 1 week in Billboard Hot 100. #2 in UK Singles Chart, #1 in Australia, Canada and South Africa.
First The Marvelettes took this to #1 in 1962. The Beatles who loved girl groups- covered it and it was one of the flood of singles released early in Beatlemania- it went to #68 and now The Carpenters take it back to #1. This is a rather pedestrian version. So far in 1975- we have three #1’s and all three are cover songs.
I was a huge Carpenters fan, but this was probably me least-favorite of their songs. I agree with you about it being a pedestrian cover. Surprising it was such a big hit, but the public’s taste was rather questionable in the mid-70s, what with the puzzling popularity of awful songs like (You’re) Having My Baby, The Streak, Seasons in the Sun, The Night Chicago Died, Bad Blood, Convoy and Afternoon Delight, to name but a few of the biggest stinkers.
I think I’d agree with you- pretty weak -but goes to #1 anyway..
I was not a fan of the Carpenters. To me, their choice of songs put them in that 70s schlocky domain as mentioned above. The one thing I did appreciate about them was, Karen Carpenters wonderful voice. I have not heard one as good, since. Her control and vibrato was perfect. I don’t feel she could have done another type of music other than what they did, but she should have given it a shot. Another great vocalist from that same time, Ann Murry from Canada.