Christmas Portrait
Encyclopedia
Christmas Portrait is the first Christmas album
recorded by The Carpenters
(and the only one issued during Karen Carpenter
's lifetime), originally released on October 13, 1978 (A&M 4726).
The album sold one million copies and included a revised version of the group's signature Christmas song, "Merry Christmas Darling
". It also includes one of two versions of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (here it is presented in a faster, one-minute version; a slow version, recorded in 1974, as well as other unused songs recorded during this album's sessions, was issued on the Carpenters' later Christmas album, An Old-Fashioned Christmas
).
The CD version of Christmas Portrait, issued in 1984, is a compendium of selected tracks from the Carpenters' two Christmas albums into one 74-minute program, with tracks from each interspersed in the running order. (A CD of the original LP content was briefly issued in West Germany
only around the same time.) In 1998, a two-CD set titled Christmas Collection was issued, containing Christmas Portrait and An Old-Fashioned Christmas together in their original respective tracklists. Richard Carpenter
remixed some of the album tracks for both CD collections, most notably "Ave Maria" (which contains an overdubbed choir that was missing from the original LP release).
Side Two
US 7" single (1970) A&M 1236
1.Merry Christmas, Darling
2.Mr. Guder
UK 7" single (1971) AME601
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.Ticket to Ride
3.Saturday
UK 7" single (1990) AM716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK 7" single (1990) AMS716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK 12" single (1990) AMY716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.You're The One
3.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK CD single (1990) AMCD716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
3.You're The One
US 7" single (1977) A&M 1991
1.Christmas Song
2.Merry Christmas Darling
JP 7" single (1977) CM-2083
1.Christmas Song
2.Merry Christmas Darling
JP CD single (1996) PODM-1059
1.Christmas Song
2.Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas
JP 7" single (1978) AMP 1012
1.Silent Night
2.Jingle Bells
3.Ave Maria
JP CD single (1996) PODM-1065
1.Ave Maria
2.Merry Christmas Darling
"On December 8, 1976, ABC aired our first television special: 'The Carpenters’ Very First Television Special,' which placed No. 6 in the Nielsen Ratings for that week. This led to our being offered more specials, the second of which was 'The Carpenters at Christmas,' airing December 9, 1977. It was while selecting and recording music for this special that Karen and I decided the time had come to finally record a Christmas album. To a degree, our project was patterned after a favorite of ours: Spike Jones's 1956 'Xmas Spectacular,' in that it features more than the average album's number of songs, both sacred and secular, along with some top-notch choral singing. Selecting Christmas music is, indeed, dealing with an embarrassment of riches and I ultimately chose, and we recorded, more than enough for even 'Christmas Portrait,' which stretched the limit of how much music could fit on a LP.
"What was saddening to me then, and even more so now, is that I was at my nadir dealing with the sleeping pill problem. If I were at my best, I could have and would have contributed a lot more in both creativity and spirit to 'Hush,' 'Passage,' and the first four television specials. By the time Karen and I began recording on the Christmas album, I was not interested in more than production work, and an occasional lead and some minor piano work. Arranging (something I truly enjoy doing, especially with Christmas songs) was turned over, by me, to veterans Peter Knight and Billy May. With Karen's marvelous leads, combined with an oversize studio orchestra and chorus, terrific arrangements and timeless music, 'Christmas Portrait' was, and is, an almost incomparable Christmas album. It was a hit in 1978 and every year succeeding; I receive compliments on it every holiday season. What I should have realized then, although I don’t know if A&M would have gone for it, is that 'Christmas Portrait' is Karen's album, and should have been titled accordingly, not Carpenters. (I did oversee the mixes, of course, but that falls under production.)
"Many a listener will notice that this album is not as originally released. 'Ave Maria' was arranged from the start for chorus, as well as orchestra. With so much music, not to mention people, around the studio while the album was being made, the choral parts were misplaced, only to be discovered after the album was 'in the can.' The multi-track was retrieved, and the chorus recorded, in 1984, during the 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' sessions. To all of us involved, it was a great addition. The song was later remixed (and an editing error in the lead vocal fixed) in 1990. Some others were remixed at the same time for inclusion in 'From The Top,' and ultimately all except 'Merry Christmas Darling' were remixed for the 'Carpenters Christmas Collection' two CD set for Japan."
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
recorded by The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
(and the only one issued during Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
's lifetime), originally released on October 13, 1978 (A&M 4726).
The album sold one million copies and included a revised version of the group's signature Christmas song, "Merry Christmas Darling
Merry Christmas Darling
"Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters was written by Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler and originally recorded in 1970. At the time, it was first available on a 7" single from A&M Records and later in 1974 reissued as A&M 1648 and in 1977 as A&M 1991...
". It also includes one of two versions of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (here it is presented in a faster, one-minute version; a slow version, recorded in 1974, as well as other unused songs recorded during this album's sessions, was issued on the Carpenters' later Christmas album, An Old-Fashioned Christmas
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
An Old-Fashioned Christmas is a Christmas album from The Carpenters, released in 1984 after the death of singer/drummer Karen Carpenter.The album project had its genesis in several unused tracks from the Carpenters' previous Christmas album, 1978's Christmas Portrait. Richard Carpenter took these...
).
The CD version of Christmas Portrait, issued in 1984, is a compendium of selected tracks from the Carpenters' two Christmas albums into one 74-minute program, with tracks from each interspersed in the running order. (A CD of the original LP content was briefly issued in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
only around the same time.) In 1998, a two-CD set titled Christmas Collection was issued, containing Christmas Portrait and An Old-Fashioned Christmas together in their original respective tracklists. Richard Carpenter
Richard Carpenter (musician)
Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the brother/sister duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He was a producer, arranger, pianist and keyboardist, and occasional lyricist, as well as joining with Karen on harmony...
remixed some of the album tracks for both CD collections, most notably "Ave Maria" (which contains an overdubbed choir that was missing from the original LP release).
Track listing (Original 1978 LP)
Side One- "O Come, O Come, EmmanuelO come, O come, EmmanuelO come, O come, Emmanuel is a translation of the Latin text by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin in the mid-19th century. It is a metrical version of a collation of various Advent Antiphons , which now serves as a popular Advent hymn...
" (Traditional, John Mason Neale) - Overture:
- "Deck the Halls" (Traditional, John Ceiriog Hughes)
- "I Saw Three ShipsI Saw Three Ships"I Saw Three Ships " is a traditional and popular Christmas carol from England. A variant of its parent tune "Greensleeves", the earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire, and was also published by William B. Sandys in 1833...
" (Traditional, David Overton) - "Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) - "God Rest Ye Merry GentlemenGod Rest Ye Merry GentlemenGod Rest You Merry, Gentlemen is an English traditional Christmas carol. The melody is in Aeolian mode. It was published by William B...
" (Traditional) - "Away in a MangerAway in a Manger"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in 1885 in Philadelphia and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain it is one of the most popular carols, a 1996 Gallup Poll ranking it joint second.-History of the lyrics:...
" (Traditional, James R. Murray) - "What Child Is This?What Child Is This?"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol written in 1865. At the age of twenty-nine, English writer William Chatterton Dix was struck with a sudden near-fatal illness and confined to bedrest for several months, during which he went into a deep depression...
" (William Chatterton Dix) - "Carol of the BellsCarol of the Bells"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
" (Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych, Peter Wilhousky) - "O Come All Ye Faithful" (John Francis Wade, Frederick Oakeley)
- "The Christmas Waltz" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
- "Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - Medley:
- "It's Christmas Time" (Al Stillman, Victor Young)
- "Sleep Well, Little Children" (Alan Bergman, Leon Klatzkin)
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) - "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (John Frederick Coots, James Lamont "Haven" Gillespie)
- "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)The Christmas Song"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
" (Mel Torme, Robert Wells) - "Silent Night" (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, John Freeman Young)
Side Two
- "Jingle BellsJingle Bells"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
" (James Lord Pierpont) - Medley:
- "The First Snowfall" (Joseph F. "Sonny" Burke, Paul Francis Webster)
- "Let It SnowLet It Snow"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. The song was written in July 1945 in Hollywood, California during one of the hottest days on record. First recorded by Vaughn Monroe, it became a popular...
" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
- "Carol of the BellsCarol of the Bells"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
" (Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych, Peter Wilhousky) - "Merry Christmas DarlingMerry Christmas Darling"Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters was written by Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler and originally recorded in 1970. At the time, it was first available on a 7" single from A&M Records and later in 1974 reissued as A&M 1648 and in 1977 as A&M 1991...
" (Frank Pooler, Richard Carpenter) - "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (James Kimble "Kim" Gannon, Buck Ram, Walter Kent)
- "Christ is Born" (Ray Charles, Dominico Bartolucci)
- Medley:
- "Winter WonderlandWinter Wonderland"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...
" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - "Silver Bells" (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans)
- "White ChristmasWhite Christmas (song)"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" (Irving Berlin)
- "Winter Wonderland
- "Ave Maria" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod)
Track listing (1984 CD reissue)
- "It Came Upon a Midnight ClearIt Came upon a Midnight Clear"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" is a poem and Christmas carol written by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Lancaster, Massachusetts...
" - 0:41 - Overture: "Happy HolidayHappy Holiday (song)"Happy Holiday" is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin during 1942.The song was first performed by Bing Crosby for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. While it is often regarded as a Christmas song, in the movie it is performed on New Year's Eve, and expresses a wish for the listener to enjoy "happy...
"/"The First NoelThe First NoëlThe First Nowell is a traditional classical English carol, most likely from the 18th century, although possibly earlier...
"/"March of the Toys"/"Little Jesus" [medley] - 8:16 - "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" - 2:11
- "Christmas Waltz" - 2:12
- "Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
" - 2:39 - "It's Christmas Time" - 2:53
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
" - 3:54 - "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" - 1:05
- "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
" - 3:39 - "Carol of the BellsCarol of the Bells"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
" - 1:39 - "Merry Christmas DarlingMerry Christmas Darling"Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters was written by Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler and originally recorded in 1970. At the time, it was first available on a 7" single from A&M Records and later in 1974 reissued as A&M 1648 and in 1977 as A&M 1991...
" - 3:07 - "Christ is Born" - 3:13
- "O Holy NightO Holy Night"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" - 3:10 - "Home for the HolidaysHome for the HolidaysHome for the Holidays may refer to:* Home for the Holidays , tour done by heavy metal band Dream Theater in the winter of 1995.* ""Home for the Holidays" , a song popularized by Perry Como...
" - 2:36 - Medley: "Here Comes Santa ClausHere Comes Santa Claus"Here Comes Santa Claus " is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman.Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade in Los Angeles, during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus". This inspired him to write a song...
"/"Frosty the SnowmanFrosty the Snowman"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
"/"Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
" - 3:42 - "Winter WonderlandWinter Wonderland"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...
"/"Silver Bells"/"White ChristmasWhite Christmas (song)"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" - 5:28 - "Ave Maria" - 2:34
- Selections from "Nutcracker": Overture Miniature/Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies - 5:27
- "Little Altar Boy" - 3:43
- "I'll Be Home for Christmas" - 3:49
- "Silent Night" - 3:20
Singles
- Merry Christmas, Darling
US 7" single (1970) A&M 1236
1.Merry Christmas, Darling
2.Mr. Guder
UK 7" single (1971) AME601
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.Ticket to Ride
3.Saturday
UK 7" single (1990) AM716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK 7" single (1990) AMS716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK 12" single (1990) AMY716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.You're The One
3.(They Long To Be) Close To You
UK CD single (1990) AMCD716
1.Merry Christmas Darling
2.(They Long To Be) Close To You
3.You're The One
- Christmas Song
US 7" single (1977) A&M 1991
1.Christmas Song
2.Merry Christmas Darling
JP 7" single (1977) CM-2083
1.Christmas Song
2.Merry Christmas Darling
JP CD single (1996) PODM-1059
1.Christmas Song
2.Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas
- Silent Night
JP 7" single (1978) AMP 1012
1.Silent Night
2.Jingle Bells
3.Ave Maria
- Ave Maria
JP CD single (1996) PODM-1065
1.Ave Maria
2.Merry Christmas Darling
Richard Carpenter's Review
"Karen and I had always been fond of Christmas music and in interviews, as early as 1971, were stating that we would soon be working on one. In hindsight, of course, we can see that it wasn’t about to happen. With the schedule that presented itself following the success of 'Close To You' and 'We’ve Only Just Begun,' we were fortunate to complete a regular album each year. (As previously mentioned, in 1974, even that did not happen.)"On December 8, 1976, ABC aired our first television special: 'The Carpenters’ Very First Television Special,' which placed No. 6 in the Nielsen Ratings for that week. This led to our being offered more specials, the second of which was 'The Carpenters at Christmas,' airing December 9, 1977. It was while selecting and recording music for this special that Karen and I decided the time had come to finally record a Christmas album. To a degree, our project was patterned after a favorite of ours: Spike Jones's 1956 'Xmas Spectacular,' in that it features more than the average album's number of songs, both sacred and secular, along with some top-notch choral singing. Selecting Christmas music is, indeed, dealing with an embarrassment of riches and I ultimately chose, and we recorded, more than enough for even 'Christmas Portrait,' which stretched the limit of how much music could fit on a LP.
"What was saddening to me then, and even more so now, is that I was at my nadir dealing with the sleeping pill problem. If I were at my best, I could have and would have contributed a lot more in both creativity and spirit to 'Hush,' 'Passage,' and the first four television specials. By the time Karen and I began recording on the Christmas album, I was not interested in more than production work, and an occasional lead and some minor piano work. Arranging (something I truly enjoy doing, especially with Christmas songs) was turned over, by me, to veterans Peter Knight and Billy May. With Karen's marvelous leads, combined with an oversize studio orchestra and chorus, terrific arrangements and timeless music, 'Christmas Portrait' was, and is, an almost incomparable Christmas album. It was a hit in 1978 and every year succeeding; I receive compliments on it every holiday season. What I should have realized then, although I don’t know if A&M would have gone for it, is that 'Christmas Portrait' is Karen's album, and should have been titled accordingly, not Carpenters. (I did oversee the mixes, of course, but that falls under production.)
"Many a listener will notice that this album is not as originally released. 'Ave Maria' was arranged from the start for chorus, as well as orchestra. With so much music, not to mention people, around the studio while the album was being made, the choral parts were misplaced, only to be discovered after the album was 'in the can.' The multi-track was retrieved, and the chorus recorded, in 1984, during the 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' sessions. To all of us involved, it was a great addition. The song was later remixed (and an editing error in the lead vocal fixed) in 1990. Some others were remixed at the same time for inclusion in 'From The Top,' and ultimately all except 'Merry Christmas Darling' were remixed for the 'Carpenters Christmas Collection' two CD set for Japan."