Richard on Herb Alpert's New Christmas Album?
- Thread starter Mark-T
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tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
This would be the second Christmas album that he's suppose to have been involved with.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
That sounds like an album I would buy and enjoy!
Song4uman
Well-Known Member
A small keyboard instrument that has bells instead of strings. Think Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.
Also used in the movie Amadeus for the scene where Mozart passes out at the opera. Although I am not sure it was created at the time Mozart was living. It seems in my memory that it was a somewhat new instrument when Tchaikovsky wrote for it
Jonathan
Song4uman
Well-Known Member
Celesta - Wikipedia
Yep created man years after Mozart died...so just one more dramatic license taken for that movie.
Yep created man years after Mozart died...so just one more dramatic license taken for that movie.
The celesta is also included on the original Merry Christmas Darling track as well. At the very top, Karen sings "Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through... [Bling, bling bling]", following by another series of 8th notes. That's the identifier on this one...
Funny story - Back in the 90s when I was doing a session at A&M, they had an old "Simone Celesta" sitting in the airlock to studio B and I remember playing around on it thinking "Hmmm, I wonder if this is the same one that was used on Merry Christmas Darling and I Can Dream, Can't I?" Never did ask and not sure anyone would have been able to give me a definitive answer back then.
Funny story - Back in the 90s when I was doing a session at A&M, they had an old "Simone Celesta" sitting in the airlock to studio B and I remember playing around on it thinking "Hmmm, I wonder if this is the same one that was used on Merry Christmas Darling and I Can Dream, Can't I?" Never did ask and not sure anyone would have been able to give me a definitive answer back then.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
Has anybody else ever thought that Mozart was the true great-uncle of the twentieth-century pop song composer? With all those short, catchy, repetitive phrases and little motifs that hook, not to mention those concise, punchy pieces, he was almost pure pop, at times.
Mark-T
Well-Known Member
Just a note- when I pulled up this album on i-tunes a few weeks ago, MCD was only available when you bought the whole album.
Today for some reason, that's been changed. So I purchased an individual song. Get it there while it lasts.
It's a pretty song (how could it now be?) but I did not hear Richard on any vocals at all, FYI. Herb's trumpet sounds great!
Today for some reason, that's been changed. So I purchased an individual song. Get it there while it lasts.
It's a pretty song (how could it now be?) but I did not hear Richard on any vocals at all, FYI. Herb's trumpet sounds great!
Daniel Perales
Well-Known Member
Now if Richard would finally release his own "very much, awaited" Christmas album?
I'm about giving up hope if we're ever going to listen to it.
Danny
I'm about giving up hope if we're ever going to listen to it.
Danny
Walkinat9
Well-Known Member
I'm so happy to hear Richard plays the celesta. This instrument was commonly heard on romantic ballads back in the 1940s. It's heard on ballads by artists like Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and my favorite vocal group of that era, The Pied Pipers. They had a #1 hit in the US in 1945 with this song (you can hear the celesta throughout the song:
This is definitely the reason why "I can dream, can't I?" is one of my favorite songs on the Horizon album. Similar feel and also a vocal group that may have had 2 singers who were once members of The Pied Pipers group, in the 1950s (depending on Horizon album information. Some mention Sue Allen and Alan Davies (Pied Pipers members in the 1950s), the cassette booklet mentions other singers)
Can't wait to hear this new Christmas album!
Greg
Geographer
Well-Known Member
I gave up two years ago. Hasn't it already been a full decade since we first heard of it?
Best hope to hear it now is probably a 'posthumous' release when Richard retires to that great piano in the sky. But even then, are his kids really interested in working with the Carpenters legacy?
Richard doesn't seem to have a Badazz in the family - - Herb Alpert probably wouldn't have all of his past catalog out right now, or have his own custom label, if not for his nephew, Randy "Badazz" Alpert.
Richard doesn't seem to have a Badazz in the family - - Herb Alpert probably wouldn't have all of his past catalog out right now, or have his own custom label, if not for his nephew, Randy "Badazz" Alpert.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I gave up all hope of hearing this album years ago. We don't even know if it was ever actually completed.
tcjr
Well-Known Member
The few Christmas songs post "Carpenters" that Richard has released have been outstanding. "Christmas Turned Blue" and "December Morn" with Seiko Matsuda are both noteworthy. Richards live performance of "Together at Christmas Again" leaves one yearning for a studio recording with all the magic that only Richard can create. I have still have hope that someday, somehow, we will sit around the tree as these songs become part of our Christmas tradition. Then again, the world is sure pretty through my rose colored glasses.
I remember reading, years ago, tracks were completed with petula clark and glen Campbell participating. one can certainly acknowledge this time gap since mr Campbell's decent and recent death.
Walkinat9
Well-Known Member
Well, I got 2 versions of Merry Christmas Darling in my bags flying home with me; the new version on Herb Alpert's new CD and the original 45 from 1970 which I found in a cool record store in Thousand Oaks 
Can't wait to play both next month, when we're a bit closer to the holiday season (if I can wait that long )
Greg (about to board a plane back to Europe)
Can't wait to play both next month, when we're a bit closer to the holiday season (if I can wait that long )Greg (about to board a plane back to Europe)
