Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Template:Short description Template:Infobox song
"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" is a song by Canadian rock band Klaatu, originally released in 1976 on their first album 3:47 EST. The song was played to open night-time transmission of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline. The year following its release, American soft rock duo the Carpenters covered the song, using a crew of 160 musicians.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Carpenters' version reached the top 10 in the UK and Canada, and charted at number 1 in Ireland.
Origin
Klaatu members John Woloschuk and Terry Draper wrote the song together, with Woloschuk assigned 75% of composer royalties because the music was mostly his work. The lyrics were written equally by both.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Woloschuk said: Template:Quote
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100<ref name="Whitburn">Template:Cite book</ref> | 62 |
| US Cash Box Top 100<ref name="Whitburn" /> | 91 |
| US Record World Singles Chart<ref name="Whitburn" /> | 100 |
Personnel
- John Woloschuk – lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, organ, synthesizer, bass guitar
- Dee Long – backing vocals, mellotron, synthesizer, electric guitar
- Terry Draper – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, tympani, percussion
- Terry Brown – backing vocals
<ref name="klaatutrackfacts"></ref>
Carpenters version
Template:Infobox song The Carpenters' version from their Passage album charted worldwide and appeared on several of their hits compilations. The song title appears on the Carpenters' version above the tagline "(The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)". The success of their version led to the duo receiving many letters from people asking when World Contact Day would be held. The song ultimately led to a successful Carpenters television special, The Carpenters...Space Encounters.
While Klaatu's original opens with various sounds of living species, the Carpenters' version opens with a radio DJ on a request show. The DJ identifies a phone caller as "Mike Ledgerwood". When the DJ asks Mike for his song request, an alien-sounding voice responds. The DJ is voiced by longstanding Carpenters' guitarist Tony Peluso, who can be seen in that role at the start of the video for the track.<ref name=richardcarpenter>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The vocal melody ranges from B♭3 to G♭5.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn
The Carpenters' arrangement of the song was later copied on a sound-alike cover released on the 1977 album Top of the Pops, Volume 62.
The cover art was painted by designer Andrew Probert.
Reaching number nine in the UK Singles Chart in 1977, in a UK television special on ITV in 2016 it was voted fifth in The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977-1978) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="Aus78"/> | 13 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 23 | |
| US Cashbox Radio Active Airplay Singles | 14 | |
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}}</ref> |
18 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
9 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 | |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 | |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
19 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1978) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="Aus78">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
78 |
| Canada (RPM)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
160 |
Music videos
The Carpenters had two music videos for "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft":
- Starparade – German TV, 1977; available on their DVD Gold: Greatest Hits
- Space Encounters – Carpenters' TV special, 1978; available on their DVD Interpretations
Personnel
- Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals
- Richard Carpenter – lead and backing vocals, piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, ARP Odyssey, orchestration
- Joe Osborn – bass
- Tony Peluso – electric guitar, DJ
- Ron Tutt – drums
- Earle Dumler – oboe
- Gregg Smith Singers – backing vocals
- Peter Knight – orchestral arrangement
- Uncredited – percussion
References
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