As Time Goes By is a compilation album by the American music duo the Carpenters. It is a collection of songs taken from demos, outtakes, live performances, and television specials recorded by the Carpenters between 1967 and 1980.
Most of thracks on the compilation are taken from three Carpenters Television Specials: First Television Special ("Medley: Superstar/Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Hits Medley '76"), Space Encounters ("Dancing in the Street", "Medley: Close Encounters/Star Wars"), ' ("Without a Song", "I Got Rhythm Medley", "Dizzy Fingers", "You're Just in Love", "Karen/Ella Medley")
Additional tracks are also taken from TV Specials: "Carpenters/Como Medley" is taken from the Perry Como's 1974 Christmas Special and "And When He Smiles" is taken from BBC's ' TV Series.
The compilation includes the previously unreleased songs "The Rainbow Connection" (originally from the Made in America sessions) and "Leave Yesterday Behind" (a ballad that was recorded for a TV movie of the same name), and the Carpenters' versions of "California Dreamin" and "Nowhere Man" from the original demos that got them their first record deal.
Due to the fact that original tapes of severals songs were low quality Richard Carpenter re-recorded several parts of the songs specifically for this compilation.
The album was first released in Japan on August 1, 2001.