Christmas Q&A questions submission

[tomswift2002]

Why is it that some years, Christmas Portrait (and Christmas Collection) are all over the stores and in other years you can't find it anywhere except on line?

That would be down to the ordering departments of the different stores. I remember about 20 years ago (about 2003) I had to order the CD version of Evie’s Christmas Memories (1987) from the local Christian book store (I’d had the cassette version for years, but then it wore out). The CD/cassette had been in the store every Christmas, but that year the owner told me he didn’t order any since he thought that just in the area he thought most people had it, so he didn’t stock it that year, since he wanted the shelf space for newer Christmas albums. Suffice it to say, as I recall, after that he stocked it every year, and even when he sold the business the new owner kept stocking that CD every year until the new owner closed the business.

 

[David A]

I was going to ask if, when Carpenters were on tour, and it was late in the year - December, for example - did they ever add any Christmas songs to their concert performance?

However, after reviewing their concert schedule over the years it seems they always took December off, so nothing to answer here, move along

 

[Kyle Thomas]

Chris, one more question. Is there any possibility that we could ever see a Carpenters Duets release for Christmas? Similar to what was done with Elvis

Amazon product ASIN B001EPJTMK
I assume Richard would not want to isolate Karen's voice and have it put with other arrangements and vocalists, but I could see it being a pretty strong collection. Michael Buble, etc...

 

[Walkinat9]

Hi Chris,

Knowing that Richard wrote his music for "Merry Christmas, darling" in '66, I've always wondered how different that '66 version is compared with the 1970 recording (not sure if this already has been discussed somewhere). Did they perform it live during their gigs with Spectrum or perhaps just as a trio? Was the whole backing vocal arrangement already there in '66 or did Richard come up with it in 1970?
Maybe they even made a recording of it in the '60s at a gig or at home?

Also, what was Karen's/is Richard's favorite Christmas record or recording by another artist or band or orchestra?

Greg

 

[Mark-T]

I was going to ask if, when Carpenters were on tour, and it was late in the year - December, for example - did they ever add any Christmas songs to their concert performance?

However, after reviewing their concert schedule over the years it seems they always took December off, so nothing to answer here, move along

The next to the last concert I saw in Las Vegas, they added Merry Christmas Darling. I wrote about it somewhere on my blog but I can't find it.

 

[1969]

I was wondering if the lead vocal for "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" is a work lead? I looked up the track in Musical Legacy, but there aren't any notes for it. There're some comments on Youtube asking why it sounds like Karen sings near the end ("but in case I stand one little *chan*) instead of *chance*...." I never really noticed it before. I still love Karen's lead on it all the same. But maybe this is why Richard didn't name it as a track that would make the cut from AOFC to a new compilation, if there ever is one?

At about the 2:13 mark.

 

[Nick]

I really love both Christmas albums. Christmas Portrait is sublime, I love the segues and the nod to Spike Jones, whom Richard has said wa san influence in the past. An old-Fashioned Christmas is wonderful too, it feels like waiting for Christmas to hear Karen start singing also towards the end of side 1. How did they come across Little Altar Boy? I'd never heard it before and love it so much. It suits Karen's voice to a T. Also, what is the noise or distortion on Christmas Waltz? Is it to to with the damage to the original tapes that has been mentioned previously?

 

[Sabar]

Hello Chris. Christmas Portrait has a lot of great piano playing on it. Both Richard and Pete Jolly are given credits. I recall Richard mentioning in a radio interview that he wasn't very involved on this album due to his health issues at the time. I'd be interested to know which tracks Richard is playing on and which are Pete Jolly. Thank you.

 

[adamj95]

Is there any update on the remix of the Carpenters christmas album? RPO treatment?

 

[Chris May]

Is there any update on the remix of the Carpenters christmas album? RPO treatment?

Nothing coming out this year, unfortunately.

 

[Jack A.]

Chris, one more question. Is there any possibility that we could ever see a Carpenters Duets release for Christmas? Similar to what was done with Elvis

Amazon product ASIN B001EPJTMK
I assume Richard would not want to isolate Karen's voice and have it put with other arrangements and vocalists, but I could see it being a pretty strong collection. Michael Buble, etc...

I would pay good money to own that album…

 

[1969]

The other current running threads on "Merry Christmas Darling" got me thinking after listening to the original again.... In the outro bg vocals when Karen starts with Merry Christmas.... Merry Christmas Darling and Richard comes in really low. Maybe it's just my hearing, but It sounds like Richard's saying something else. Is he? That's why I think other covers of MCD when they try to do a similar outro of cascading Merry Christmas Darlings never sound as good as Richard and Karen's.

 

[Matthew S]

The other current running threads on "Merry Christmas Darling" got me thinking after listening to the original again.... In the outro bg vocals when Karen starts with Merry Christmas.... Merry Christmas Darling and Richard comes in really low. Maybe it's just my hearing, but It sounds like Richard's saying something else. Is he? That's why I think other covers of MCD when they try to do a similar outro of cascading Merry Christmas Darlings never sound as good as Richard and Karen's.

He starts off with the word “Christmas” so he sings “Christmas, Merry Chrismas (low note), Darling.”

 

[Matthew S]

The other current running threads on "Merry Christmas Darling" got me thinking after listening to the original again.... In the outro bg vocals when Karen starts with Merry Christmas.... Merry Christmas Darling and Richard comes in really low. Maybe it's just my hearing, but It sounds like Richard's saying something else. Is he? That's why I think other covers of MCD when they try to do a similar outro of cascading Merry Christmas Darlings never sound as good as Richard and Karen's.

And it’s super clear on the RPO version, if you listen to the ending there. Those ending BG vocals are stunning on the RPO version.

 

[1969]

And it’s super clear on the RPO version, if you listen to the ending there. Those ending BG vocals are stunning on the RPO version.

Thanks. I’ve been resistant to listening to the RPO. So worried about Richard tinkering with the original mixes…. I guess I should give it a listen.

 

[Chris May]

What Matthew said! Another mix that has better separation in this regard is the 1992 Time Life mix. Check it out on YouTube.

 

[Guitarmutt]

I would be curious to know how Richard came up with the idea to sing Immanuel so fast. I’ve never heard anyone else come close to singing it that way. It’s original and a bit jarring, and I like it.

Thanks.

 

[Matthew S]

What Matthew said! Another mix that has better separation in this regard is the 1992 Time Life mix. Check it out on YouTube.

Oh wow…just listened to the Time Life mix today and surprise! I did hear another part of Richard’s in the closing BG vocals. Thanks Chris!

 

[Chris May]

Oh wow…just listened to the Time Life mix today and surprise! I did hear another part of Richard’s in the closing BG vocals. Thanks Chris!

I always remembered that first stack of overdubs being pushed up considerably in the mix over the previous two mixes! Glad you found it.

 

[Mark-T]

I always remembered that first stack of overdubs being pushed up considerably in the mix over the previous two mixes! Glad you found it.

Chris, you are definitely our forum stud when it comes to Karen and Richard!

 

[Someday]

Something I think hasn't been discussed very often ... how would CP sound had Richard been in good health during its construction? Would there have been a lot more Carpenters-style overdubs and harmonies, or would he have let Karen shine as she does? Less choir, more RC? It's an intriguing thought ...

 

[JohnFB]

Something I think hasn't been discussed very often ... how would CP sound had Richard been in good health during its construction? Would there have been a lot more Carpenters-style overdubs and harmonies, or would he have let Karen shine as she does? Less choir, more RC? It's an intriguing thought ...

I think I heard (or read) somewhere recently Richard saying that his one big regret about CP was that it lacked a lot of "The Carpenter Sound"...

As far as Karen "shining" goes, there was very little that ever prevented that (other than her own double-tracking of her lead vocals) - on CP there appears to be a little too much reverb on several songs, especially the otherwise incredibly beautiful "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - with her this was never necessary and never an enhancement - and since I'm a big fan of choral music I would certainly regret a reduced role for the choir on this best Christmas album ever.

 

[Jack A.]

Something I think hasn't been discussed very often ... how would CP sound had Richard been in good health during its construction? Would there have been a lot more Carpenters-style overdubs and harmonies, or would he have let Karen shine as she does? Less choir, more RC? It's an intriguing thought ...

That is pretty interesting to think about…Those signature Carpenters harmonies weren’t really there much on that album. I know Richard felt it could have been better if he was in better health. I believe he also felt the same way about A Kind Of Hush and Passage. That was around the time when they started to bring in other singers to do backing vocals, which they had never done before. I also think Passage was their only album to not have a Carpenter-Bettis composition.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Not sure if this was asked before but this recent interview sparked my question.
Karen says that they had so much Christmas music that they couldn’t fit it on Christmas Portrait. She said (at that time) they already had 12 more in the can that just wouldn’t fit on the album.

So my question, was it ever considered to make Christmas Portrait a 2 LP set, gatefold LP? This way at least 10 more could have been included. Did they ever pitch this to the record label to make it a 2 LP set?

 

[Someday]

Any news on your piece yet, Chris?