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Gonna take a stab at this, though Chris May here is really the resident expert. I have the Bb music, never seen it in C. My first suggestion is try a bass line in your left hand. Start simple: Single eighth notes: step up, two down, step up two down. It sounds like Christmas. So, single eigth notes as experiment: F-G-Eb-F-Db-Eb-C- eigth note rest (leading into ‘the’) -Db chord(on ‘lights’) which puts you in the Bb key. I think.One of the two main hobbies I took up after I retired was playing piano (the other one was clay target shooting) - I'm teaching myself to play and have been at it for more than a few years now - at the moment I'm learning "Merry Christmas, Darling" (trying to memorize it) - I have two versions, both of intermediate difficulty - the first is in a collection of Christmas songs edited by Dan Coates, one of the most prolific compilers/editors of songbooks for piano, and the other is the version that appears in the Carpenter's "Anthology" - the first is in the key of C Major and the second in the key of Bb Major - my arrangement plan is to combine them such that I'll play the first all the way through in C to the first ending and then when the song returns to the bridge ("The lights on my tree I wish you could see...") switch to the version in Bb - can anyone suggest a 1 measure, 4 beat chord transition or progression from C to Bb so that the change is not too abrupt? Or would an abrupt switch, with no transition, be more effective?
I definitely want to playing that Db chord on the word "lights", but maybe also on the word "the" leading into that measure - "the" is slurred across 2 eighth notes (Db-E) in the Bb version - the word "you" at the beginning of the last measure is carried by the middle C note in both versions, so there may be only 2 beats (4 eighth notes) to get from a CMajor chord to Db chord - I'll play with your suggestion to see how it works or can be adapted - thanks for this...Gonna take a stab at this, though Chris May here is really the resident expert. I have the Bb music, never seen it in C. My first suggestion is try a bass line in your left hand. Start simple: Single eighth notes: step up, two down, step up two down. It sounds like Christmas. So, single eigth notes as experiment: F-G-Eb-F-Db-Eb-C- eigth note rest (leading into ‘the’) -Db chord(on ‘lights’) which puts you in the Bb key. I think I like the idea of downward modulation. It’s so rare. I hope it works. I think it will. Think of this suggestion merely as that, an idea that may lead to a foundation for something more.
That line is meant to be played in one measure. Don’t be afraid to use rubato; take a breath, take your time.
I am curious to see/hear what works out. Have fun!!I definitely want to playing that Db chord on the word "lights", but maybe also on the word "the" leading into that measure - "the" is slurred across 2 eighth notes (Db-E) in the Bb version - the word "you" at the beginning of the last measure is carried by the middle C note in both versions, so there may be only 2 beats (4 eighth notes) to get from a CMajor chord to Db chord - I'll play with your suggestion to see how it works or can be adapted - thanks for this...
And rubato here would match the rubato used in the transition from the intro into the 1st verse ("...a special one for you.") I'm really excited to be working on this beautiful song - hope I can get it "under my fingers" before Christmas...
The story behind "Merry Christmas, Darling" was featured on an iHeartRadio YouTube series:
Right!!!? So, fun. Why not? Curious what comes of it!!!Most key modulations go up. It's pretty rare to see one go down a key. I've seen a piece start in one key, modulate up, and then go back down to the original key.
richardandkarencarpenter.com said:“Most recordings, except the ‘A Song For You’ album, were done with Steinway A (one of four), which was an A&M Studios piano; I think it was terrific. My only complaint was that it was 'well-worn' and creaked, like in ‘Merry Christmas Darling’, which starts with just Karen and piano. When the pedal was pushed the assembly which goes up into the piano (lyre) creaked.
Trust me - there was no annoyance, only delight that every year we'd get to hear this great record in the Christmas rotation of our favorite radio stations. And after just a few years, another was added to the Carpenters Christmas canon with "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town".I wasn’t around in the 70’s, so having this as the only Christmas song for years must’ve annoyed people back then.
Re: "Santa Claus..." - I liked the original sax solo on the single release though not the new one. Which one did radio stations prefer to play afterwards? New or old?Trust me - there was no annoyance, only delight that every year we'd get to hear this great record in the Christmas rotation of our favorite radio stations. And after just a few years, another was added to the Carpenters Christmas canon with "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town".
If there was any annoyance, it was after the CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT was released ands the "Santa Claus..." single was nowhere to be found.
There was also the short version on the CP, which from what I recall whenever I heard a Carpenters version of Santa Claus on a radio in the 90’s and 2000’s and even in recent years, it’s been the fast CP version (from 1984-1996, the CP version was the only one available digitally on the Special Edition CD, since there was no CD of AOFC, (unless A&M made a special CD just for radio stations) so I would assume that as radio stations switched from analog to CD, the old 45’s and LP’s would’ve been discarded.). The first time I heard the ballad version was on a cassette of An Old-Fashioned Christmas that I bought on Boxing Day 1997.Re: "Santa Claus..." - I liked the original sax solo on the single release though not the new one. Which one did radio stations prefer to play afterwards? New or old?
Merry Christmas Darling was also the B side for Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Then in 1996 it was the B side to the Japanese Ave Maria 3-inch CD mini single.I saw this was already mentioned as a Forget Me Not earlier in the thread. I assume that is like a back to back hit series.
But Merry Christmas Darling was released as the B side of Christmas Song in 1977. I assume it is the B side, because Christmas Song is listed at the top on both sides of the sleeve for the 45. The catalogue number was AM 1991. The sleeve does not have a picture. It has Carpenters at the top, some clip art of Santa and the reindeers in red. the two song titles in the center and a "Don't miss the Carpenters' Christmas TV Special Friday, December 9th, 9-10 pm, ABC.
This is probably already known, but I didn't find it when I searched. I did find a list of the albums, but not the singles.
Sounds like a perfect track listing!Today was my first day of 2022 re-watching the Christmas specials and performances. Infact, I have edited together a spliced video version of the 2 tv specials (without the dialogue and skits) along with the Como, Dorothy Hamill and Bruce Forsyth highlights. I cant lie, it's a pretty glorious hour of festive TV splendour.