AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS. . .but with Karen

ullalume

Well-Known Member
Ho Ho Ho All,

Karen and Richard always intended to record at least one more Christmas Album. It's feasible that said album would very much resemble AOFC as we know it today, down to when it was recorded and released.

But what I thought might provide some festive fun is to wonder how the album would differ. . .i.e. which songs Karen would take the lead on, and in effect which instrumentals etc would be bumped.

My selections would be as follows.

1)IT CAME (R.C.)
2)A Shortened Overture
3)AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS(K.C. LEAD)
4)HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
5)FROSTY THE SNOWMAN/RUDOLPH MINI MEDLEY (K.C. LEAD)
6)DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR
7)WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'
8)LITTLE ALTAR BOY

9)MELE KALIKIMAKA (K.C. LEAD)
10)SC IS COMIN' TO TOWN
11)O HOLY NIGHT (K.C. LEAD)
12)I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS(K.C. LEAD)
13)AWAY IN A MANGER/LITTLE JESUS MINI MEDLEY (K.C. LEAD)
14)HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS (K.C. LEAD)
15)NUTCRACKER SELECTION
16)HEARD THE BELLS

I haven't picked any NEW xmas songs with the exception of track 9, largely because both albums cover sooooo many already, as instruments or vocals. I've also eliminated He Came Here For Me as I feel the collection was always a little "religion heavy" ( I realize the irony of that statement concerning a CHRISTmas album). I also don't care for the track.

If you made it though this post. . .have a mince pie, then tell me your selection.

Neil
 
I'd probably remove one or two of the "kiddie" songs (#5, #12, #14) in favor of something off the Phil Spector Christmas album ("Baby Please Come Home" being a personal favorite) and perhaps a cover of "Feliz Navidad" for some international flavor -- a little of what you hear in "And When He Smiles". Otherwise, your lineup looks great. I'm not familiar with #9 but will check it out.
 
I've also eliminated He Came Here For Me as I feel the collection was always a little "religion heavy" ( I realize the irony of that statement concerning a CHRISTmas album). I also don't care for the track.

Same here Neil, the religious tracks never really did anything for me, I prefer the fun festive selections rather than the pious tracks.
 
Well it's odd how Richard never included his vocal of "Toyland" on the final album. But with the song 'An Old-Fashioned Christmas', I've always liked it the way it is, but wondered on a few occasions how it would've sounded as a duet.

But I was just noticing the other day how, the way the album is currently ordered, on the "Side 1" of the album, up to "Little Altar Boy", it is mostly a Richard album, as Karen only has "Home For The Holidays" and Altar Boy as vocal pieces. Of course I always thought that I could hear a little bit of Karen mixed into the vocal sections of the Overture (kind of like how Richard mixed her vocal on "Sandy" on his second solo album). But otherwise on AOFC, Karen really doesn't do a lot till side 2, where she has 4 tracks.
 
I didn't really like his vocal on Toyland from their '78 special. For one thing he sounded like he could care less about the song. Idk if things were going better personally maybe it would have sounded different?
The only RC vocal I wondered about why it wasn't included on anything was the leaked "You'll never know". To me that was one that was impressive.

I'd like to add as well that I don't necessarily care for "Religious heavy" material either or the fact that most of this is cover material. However, I do cherish the existence of Carpenters Christmas songs out there. Obviously, there's bound to be religious themes in Christmas music. Lol
I can't deny Karen sounds beautiful singing these though. Absolutely.
I know why they did this project to begin with (fun to arrange, they enjoy this music and got to put their stamp on it) so I don't mean to be overly critical or raise issue.

I thought...historically, Carpenters weren't terribly religious people... maybe I am wrong...
They didn't really have much of a stance anywhere. Not politically or anything. It's hard to say because they didn't talk in great detail about that stuff.
I don't want to speculate and at the end of the day maybe I don't even really care to know.

If anything Carpenters were a bit more antiestablishment (evident from Wonderful parade and Guder... that's my only indication) and perhaps leaning towards non-religious. I don't know what they believe besides making great sounding music. I think that was foremost in their minds probably.

I'd try to look for clues from their other albums, but the references are often vague and don't really mean anything. It's more likely just poetic, and sounds good.

For example, "Love is surrender" was originally a religious song, but they changed the lyrics so it would be more appealing to what they were doing. I read in the Treasures compilation liner notes that this song really has no meaning after they changed it to be more secular.

The opening and closing to "Offering" (Invocation, Benediction) I'd almost think was used in an ironic way to bookend a pop album with those titles. It's interesting.

Another slightly religious thing I you could associate with them might be the line "God knows I've tried so many times" in "Two sides", but it could be just an exclamation and mean nothing.

Even for their original songs: "Devil and the deep blue sea" (I'm caught between goodbye...) and "Finding answers to my prayers" (Those good old dreams).
Of course, "Looking down on creation"(Top of the world) has a religious ideas. Overall, doesn't necessarily scream serious religious practise.
 
I didn't really like his vocal on Toyland from their '78 special. For one thing he sounded like he could care less about the song. Idk if things were going better personally maybe it would have sounded different?
The only RC vocal I wondered about why it wasn't included on anything was the leaked "You'll never know". To me that was one that was impressive.

Apparently Karen thought that Richard did Toyland really well. She even mentioned it in an interview (check out the booklet from the 1997 Reader's Digest 3-CD set).
 
I thought...historically, Carpenters weren't terribly religious people... maybe I am wrong...
They didn't really have much of a stance anywhere. Not politically or anything. It's hard to say because they didn't talk in great detail about that stuff.
I don't want to speculate and at the end of the day maybe I don't even really care to know.
Early on in their career, Karen and Richard talked a lot about what they believed and didn't believe in. Their 1970 radio interview with Dick Biondi was very revealing. They talked about why they opposed the Vietnam War, they didn't need religion to tell them what to believe, and they supported the legalization of marijuana (that last one may have come out later). Unfortunately, A&M (who didn't want the Carpenters' middle-of-the-road fan base put off by anything as potentially contentious as a political opinion or views questioning the necessity of organized religion) shut that down right away, and they were coached not to say anything that was anti-anything. As much as Karen and Richard opposed their squeaky-clean image, I think there reached a point where they might have begun believing their own press. It must have been a very difficult life to lead.
 
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