Do You Hear What I Hear?

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I know we have discussed this before with regard to this song. I have the DJ/Promo Single I bought from ebay a few years ago. Was this considered a true single since I don't think it was really released to the market as a single only as a DJ/Promo.

Opening song:
Richard:
Said the night wind to the little lamb, do you see what I see?
(choir) Do you hear what I hear?

The choir should have sang do you see what I see.

I believe Richard told us that part of Karen's first verse was ruined from the master tape so instead of not including it he used his vocal track for the opening first line which was originally intended for Karen to sing.

I was wondering (put your thinking caps on) when you first got An Old Fashioned Christmas either on CD or album did you realize the first time or few times you heard it that something was different about the song or that you knew the choir was singing backup that didn't match the first verse? Or was it later after we found out from Richard what really happend with this song did you realize the error.

I also wonder why Richard couldn't have contacted the people who were part of the original Ok Choral to fix the backing on the first verse to match, I guess that would have been impossible to get the voices to sound the same.

Every year when I play this for the holidays it always makes me wonder what Karen's first verse would have really sounded like because when Karen opens with the 2nd verse, her vocals are so smooth, calming and gentle sounding, they just melt my heart when I hear her sing that 2nd verse.

 

[aaflyer98]

I noticed the first time I heard it. Just figured Karen's lead wasn't useable and didn't know why Richard left the choir part as is, but was happy Richard was only on the first verse!

 

[Dave60640]

As I recall, and please forgive my horrid memory, but RC said that KC's intro vocal was unusable because she was "distracted by something and came into the first verse humming instead of singing." So RC, rightfully believing it to still be a powerful reading, re-recorded the first verse with him as the lead. Which, by the way, I REALLY liked. He then continued with KC's work lead for the rest of the song.
Does anyone else remember this? Or am I (as usual) delusional? :goofygrin:

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

As I recall, and please forgive my horrid memory, but RC said that KC's intro vocal was unusable because she was "distracted by something and came into the first verse humming instead of singing." So RC, rightfully believing it to still be a powerful reading, re-recorded the first verse with him as the lead. Which, by the way, I REALLY liked. He then continued with KC's work lead for the rest of the song.
Does anyone else remember this? Or am I (as usual) delusional? :goofygrin:

Now that you jogged my memory, I believe you are correct. I had forgot about that. I was trying to find it at the official site in the fans ask section but could not find it.

 

[Calvin R Murty]

Actually, when i first heard it, I noticed it but thought it was some 'creative license' kind of thing done with the choral arrangement! I also thought that maybe the choir was just echoing the title of the song, regardless of what Richard sang. In any case, I loved Richard's vocal opening - he sang it beautifully and it provided a nice contrasting sound when his sister came in later. Needless to say, Karen's voice in this song is near perfection!

Actually Richard could have edited out the choir for the first verse, or even replaced it with his own 'voices' doing the BGVs.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I always liked Richard's vocal at the beginning. I didn't know at first that it was done for "technical reasons," I just thought he did it that way on purpose.

I was very glad to hear him do a little more lead singing - I always enjoyed the variety of sounds in the earlier Carpetners albums with Richard on a lead vocal or two, so that was a return-to-form in my book.

 

[Tony]

The following is from the Fan's Ask section of the official website:

Q. On your recording of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” I have heard a couple of theories as to why your voice is heard on the lead in the first verse, then switch to Karen. I also understand that this is somehow tied in with the incorrect lyric sung by the choir behind you in verse one. Can you shed some light on this?

A. Karen would sing the work lead while we did the rhythm track and some of the orchestra backing. The beginning – right after the intro and the first part of the first verse, the track is from one take. It was then edited onto the bulk of another take; and, in the bit of track on the beginning of one take, Karen either misplaced her music or she was preoccupied, and ended up singing “hmm, hmm night wind to the little lamb…”, instead of “Said the night wind to the little lamb…. The only way I could do it, because it had “hmm hmm” was for me to sing, “Said the night wind to the little lamb, do you hear what I hear” and then continue it with Karen.

 

[A&M Retro]

Far and away my favorite Karen vocal from the second Christmas album, and probably in my Top 10 favorite K.C. vocals of all time!