"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve"

1969

Well-Known Member
I was in my local Costco a few days ago, and they've outdone themselves by getting their Christmas stuff out on the floor for sale already (lights, full size nutcracker, toys, etc...) in August 2022! I used to see them put holiday stuff out in mid Sept. I am so not ready! But anyway, I've been slowly digging my way through or rather listening through Carpenters recordings issued after 1983. For some reason, I randomly started looking at their Christmas stuff today. With the exception of "Merry Christmas Darling," I'm totally ignorant of all the yuletide offerings Richard and Karen have put out. I randomly picked a track ("What Are Doing New Year's Eve"). And no surprise, love Karen's lead vocals on it. But I'm surprised to find the songwriter, Frank Loesser, had no intent for it to be sung during the holidays and was annoyed to hear it sung *during* the holidays (according to his daughter in a quote in Wikipedia).

So in keeping with what Frank Loesser would have wanted and the nudge from Costco, give a listen to "What Are You Doing For Christmas Eve" now instead of December. :wink:

 
So in keeping with what Frank Loesser would have wanted and the nudge from Costco, give a listen to "What Are You Doing For Christmas Eve" now instead of December. :wink:
Sorry, that's "What Are You Doing For New Year's Eve" not "Christmas Eve" ...... geez!
 
This is one of my very favorites- Christmas, New Years, and any time of the year. I love everything about this recording!
 
This has always been my absolute favourite of all Karen’s Christmas lead vocals. Flirtatious, playful and a gorgeous arrangement by Richard. As she did many times, she set the standard on a Christmas standard. I can’t believe he said that if he ever got the chance to reassemble Christmas Portrait, this song was not one of those that would make the cut.
 
This has always been my absolute favourite of all Karen’s Christmas lead vocals. Flirtatious, playful and a gorgeous arrangement by Richard. As she did many times, she set the standard on a Christmas standard. I can’t believe he said that if he ever got the chance to reassemble Christmas Portrait, this song was not one of those that would make the cut.
I can't believe it either! It's just PERFECT!
 
I was in my local Costco a few days ago, and they've outdone themselves by getting their Christmas stuff out on the floor for sale already (lights, full size nutcracker, toys, etc...) in August 2022!


I can beat that! I was in a K-Mart in Santa Maria, California right after the 4th of July weekend (about 18 years ago). They were removing the 4th of July merchandise an setting up the Christmas stuff in its place.

But yes, the tracks on AOFC are phenominal. Richard did a great job of creating that masterpeice!
 
I can beat that! I was in a K-Mart in Santa Maria, California right after the 4th of July weekend (about 18 years ago). They were removing the 4th of July merchandise an setting up the Christmas stuff in its place.

But yes, the tracks on AOFC are phenominal. Richard did a great job of creating that masterpeice!
Wonderful reading by Karen, agreed!

And incidentally, this was actually a Peter Knight arrangement. :)
 
It’s too bad that Karen & Richard never recorded as companion pieces “Let’s Start The New Year Off Right” or “Auld Lang Syne” (or did they record Auld for a Christmas special?)
 
They did record a full version of “Auld Lang Syne” as a matter of fact.
This song is actually listed in the Mook Book from Yuka O.
A forum member here reached out to Yuka for the English Translation and it says that Richard says
Auld Lang Syne is a big Peter Knight orchestration. It was a possibility for the Christmas Portrait album, there’s no lead.

Here is the link
 
This song is actually listed in the Mook Book from Yuka O.
A forum member here reached out to Yuka for the English Translation and it says that Richard says
Auld Lang Syne is a big Peter Knight orchestration. It was a possibility for the Christmas Portrait album, there’s no lead.

Here is the link
Richard has been known to mis-remember on occasion and also change his view on things. I'd think Chris and Mike probably went through all this more recently with Richard in preparation for their book, so I am inclined to accept what Chris says more than a comment that was made 25 years ago. I certainly hope there are other tracks that would, one day, see the light. Also, I don't think that Richard was particularly happy with that list getting onto the hands of fans as it opened him up to having to remember details about something they recorded maybe 20 years before, at that time, and also expectation of release. I take what I can get, but secretly hope for more.
 
And the analog tapes for Auld Lang Syne most likely still exist, as the only Christmas song on the SACD was Merry Christmas Darling, which probably used the 1970 16-track master tape or even the 1978 24-track master (I’m assuming for 78, they probably transferred the track from the 16-track they were working with in 70, in order to open a few more tracks for the 78 remix or order to record Karen’s new lead and backing vocals and if there were still open tracks left, Richard might’ve used those in 92 for the digital keyboard). In 2004, Richard had no reason to use any other Christmas masters, unless I Believe You & Calling Occupants were on the same tape as a Christmas track).
 
Richard has been known to mis-remember on occasion and also change his view on things. I'd think Chris and Mike probably went through all this more recently with Richard in preparation for their book, so I am inclined to accept what Chris says more than a comment that was made 25 years ago. I certainly hope there are other tracks that would, one day, see the light. Also, I don't think that Richard was particularly happy with that list getting onto the hands of fans as it opened him up to having to remember details about something they recorded maybe 20 years before, at that time, and also expectation of release. I take what I can get, but secretly hope for more.
I believe there’s a work lead on there, but has been deemed “unacceptable.” In Richard’s mind this basically means the same thing.
 
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