The *Definitive* Mary Chapin Carpenter Discography
This discography features almost all known unique recordings upon which Mary Chapin Carpenter makes an appearance either as the principal performer or in a supplemental capacity.

This discography lists only those items which exist (or have existed) as a physical item of industry, commercial, or promotional nature which can be acquired by the collector, and which originated from an authorised source. It does not list:

  • Television appearances and radio broadcasts
  • Album cuts appearing on compilations
  • Bootleg material

These pages exist as a means for Mary Chapin Carpenter collectors to identify those items missing from their collections, not as a means of acquiring those items. Questions to the author will only elicit a response regarding the existence, authenticty and details of an item, and will not assist the propagation, sale and proliferation of illegal and copyrighted material.

Entries are sub-divided by broad description of the material in question:

Discography Details
Entries in the Discography may consist of:

  • Title
    The name of the release as stated on the spine of the item or on the main cover. Where Chapin's contribution is in a supplementary capacity, the name of the main artist will appears in (brackets).

  • Release Details

    • Release Format
      Release format is entered in bold and describes the medium upon which the software is issued. Items may be released in multiple formats or be highly specific. Different releases may contain different track listings. Mary Chapin Carpenter items are known to have been released in the following formats:

      • lp
        Long Play record. 12" vinyl with rotational speed of 33.33rpm. Recorded material is typically divided into two halves, one half on each side. Album sleeve is typically identical to other releases. Known variations possess a custom picture sleeve not seen on other releases.

      • 7"
        7" vinyl with typical rotational speed of 45rpm. Main track is recorded on side A, with second track (sometimes an edit of main) on side B. Sleeve is typically a black paper design with "Columbia" logo above a circular cut-out showing the disc inside. Known variations possess custom picture sleeves and LP playing speed.

      • 12"
        12" vinyl single with rotational speed of 33.33rpm. Known releases on this medium contain identical tracks on both sides.

      • mc
        Music Cassette. Standard analogue cassette utilised for full album and singles releases. Recording is typically encoded with Dolby B noise reduction. Physical cassette is typically an IEC Type I ferric oxide formulation. Album sleeves are similar to most other formats, singles often feature custom picture sleeves not found on other releases. US singles usually feature a card slip-case.

      • cd
        Compact Disc. 16bit/44.1khz Digital format, single sided optical disc. All known releases are 5" diameter.

      • hdcd
        Compact Disc mastered with Pacific Microsonics' High Definition Compatible Digital signal. These CDs are compatible with standard CD players, but also provide superior 20-bit resolution when played on a CD player with an HDCD filter.

      • cd/hdcd
        Hybrid Compact Disc with conventional & HDCD mastered tracks.

      • md
        Mini Disc. 16bit/44.1khz Digital format 64mm optical disc enclosed in a 74mm cartridge. A digitally compressed format (5:1 compression ratio) intended to replace analogue cassette

      • vhs
        Video Home System. Standard VCR format issued in specific territorial television standards requiring compatible equipment for viewing, typically US/Japanese NTSC, or UK PAL-i.

      • ld
        Laser Disc. Analogue video format with analogue/digital soundtrack. Typically a 12" dual sided optical disc in NTSC standard. Various sound encoding options include provision for 4 channel Dolby Pro Logic, and 5.1 channel Dolby Digital (AC3).

      • cdv
        CD Video. Digital video format utilising MPEG1 compression.

      • dvd
        Digital Video Disc (a.k.a. Digital Versatile Disc). Digital video format utilising MPEG2 compression. 5" single/double sided/layer optical disc, region encoded, with variable bit/sampling rate and sound options.

    • Company
      The name of the company responsible for the distribution of the item as stated on the spine, rear sleeve, or surface.

    • Year
      The copyright year of the item as detailed on the outer sleeve or stated on the body of the item. Copyright year reflects the year of project completion not necessarily the release date.

    • Country
      The territory (stated in brackets) from which the item originated. Some releases are territory specific, and available elsewhere only as an import.

    • Catalogue Number
      The identification assigned to the item by the company responsible for it's release. Each number is unique.

    • Status
      Unless stated otherwise, the listed items are assumed to be available on commercial release and are available for purchase. Otherwise, the item may be described (in bold) as:

      • Deleted
        The item was previously available for commercial purchase but has since been removed from production.

      • Promo
        The item was released for promotional purposes and was never intended for general consumption.

  • Track Listing
    A listing of the relevant tracks upon which Mary Chapin Carpenter appears, with details (where applicable) of:

    • Track number or playing side
    • Description of performance as stated in the enclosed literature or arbitrarily assigned by the Author
    • Details of other performers
    • Track duration

  • Other Information
    Other details which cannot be classified into other sections, or are of a general descriptive nature

Copyright © Cameron Tichenor 2000-2001

Compiled and authored by SB Wan 1996-2001 assisted by Lisa Luck, Lianne McNeil & Phillip Shaw [senior contributor].
Any typographical errors and/or omissions are the sole responsibility of the author not the copyright holder or contributors.