"Christmas Turned Blue"

[Daniel Perales]

Hi guys!

Here's a song that was co-written, and produced by Richard Carpenter (you can hear him on piano and backing vocals).

Enjoy!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-plAy1Fd7N0&translated=1




Danny

 

[goodjeans]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEdKRD7zpvY

This may have nothing to do with Carpenters, but it has that 'sound' to me.

 

[Daniel Perales]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEdKRD7zpvY

This may have nothing to do with Carpenters, but it has that 'sound' to me.

I can here a bit of it, there.

Anyway, Seiko Matsuda also did another song called "December Morn" that was also co-written and produced by Richard. There's no backing vocals on it, but you can hear him on the piano, and the musical arrangements are as beautiful and so timeless sounding that only Richard can do.

It's too bad I can't find a Youtube link of it.


Anyway, going off topic a bit, I was also listening a lot to this old Japanese Christmas CD called "Merry Christmas To You", by Fun House Ladies' Vocal.

This is the title track:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd-6325Sxww&feature=related


It actually sounds more like a David Foster production, than a Richard Carpenter one.

I would like to know what other Christmas albums everyone else is listening, to. Perhaps in a new thread?



Danny

 

[thestitch]

Thanks, Daniel, for the link. The song certainly does have a very Carpenteresque feel to it. There are musical phrases in it that sound like other C's songs. The whole piece is very reminiscent of "Something in Your Eyes". It was lovely to listen to. I kept thinking how nice it would be to hear Karen sing it.

Marilyn

 

[Mark-T]

I have the Seiko Matsuda album. The two Richard related cuts are beautiful.

 

[cam89]

I have those 2 songs...and they are definately gorgeous songs as only Richard can do...similar to IN LOVE ALONE and SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES...even the song AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS has that melancholy aspect to it....and as beautiful as those songs are, you always wonder what it would sound like with Karen singing it....

 

[Daniel Perales]

I have those 2 songs...and they are definately gorgeous songs as only Richard can do...similar to IN LOVE ALONE and SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES...even the song AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS has that melancholy aspect to it....and as beautiful as those songs are, you always wonder what it would sound like with Karen singing it....

I do too, believe me, even though I somehow don't really show it in all of my postings. And I know Richard thinks the same way, because I've heard him say something like that in one of his interviews over the years.

But my point has always been this:

Using "Christmas Turned Blue", "December Morn", and "An Old Fashioned Christmas" as examples, how many people out there who claims to be Carpenter fans, just totally ignore these beautiful songs just because Karen is not on any of them?



Danny

 

[cam89]

They are beautiful in their own right...and I would buy an album of songs like this if RIchard did this! An album of other singers interpretating his Christmas songs.

But equally and understandably, fans of both Richard AND Karen, would only wonder what she would sound like singing some of those songs. Only natural to wonder. Doesn't make me think any less of Richard. He IS talented and he adds beauty to their music. I always loved what he did seguing CLOSE TO YOU with WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN in the SINGLES 69-73....and I always loved on the third SINGLES album he did with I WON'T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU with CLOSE TO YOU...I wish he did it more often...it adds something to those gorgeous songs...and conveys images and moods!

 

[richard_sloat]

I am a Carpenters fan and a Karen Carpenter fan, that's it, LOL. Sorry, Richie, gotta love you too but no "fan".

Having said that, Christmas turned blue didn't impress me much. December morning is OK but are this one and December MORN two different songs or the same?? Anyway, why all these Japanese songs about Christmas?? It's not really a "Christian" nation, is it??

 

[Daniel Perales]

I am a Carpenters fan and a Karen Carpenter fan, that's it, LOL. Sorry, Richie, gotta love you too but no "fan".

Having said that, Christmas turned blue didn't impress me much.

It does sound a little on the "pop-ish" side, but I wonder if you would have taken it more seriously if it was Karen who were singing it, instead?

December morning

is OK but are this one and December MORN two different songs or the same??

They're very different songs. "December Morn" has all the makings of a new Christmas standard. It really has that timeless quality to it.

Anyway, why all these Japanese songs about Christmas?? It's not really a "Christian" nation, is it??

So what's wrong with that?


Danny

 

[Daniel Perales]

Thanks, Daniel, for the link. The song certainly does have a very Carpenteresque feel to it. There are musical phrases in it that sound like other C's songs. The whole piece is very reminiscent of "Something in Your Eyes". It was lovely to listen to. I kept thinking how nice it would be to hear Karen sing it.

Marilyn

Just to be clear, that song ("Merry Christmas To You") was not produced by Richard. But one of the ladies who's in this song (Akiko Kobayashi), did work with Richard, before.



Danny

 

[Dave]

Put aside whatever sentiments you have towards Karen & it is a beautiful song, although, I agree, too, that the backing could probably be "just anyone"...

Still, good effort, no matter where it was done...


Dave

 

[richard_sloat]

It does sound a little on the "pop-ish" side, but I wonder if you would have taken it more seriously if it was Karen who were singing it, instead?

It's not that, I love "trash pop" if it's funny like some Britney Spears songs... I don't care, I don't take the WORLD any seriously, ask Mr. Harry and Mr. Schmidt, LOL! Having said that (I LOVE to say "having said that"), Karen could be screaming at giving birth and I'd still wanna hear it.

They're very different songs. "Christmas Morn" has all the makings of a new Christmas standard. It really has that timeless quality to it.

So is it DECEMBER morn or CHRISTMAS morn? You have used the former title.

So what's wrong with that?

I'd like to know... 'cos here I go... agaaaaaaaaain! Don't you ABSOLUTELY LOVE that Paul McCartney's song, Silly love songs?? Have you read it performed by Sonny & Cher with Donny & Marie Osmond (whose brother Alan had dated Karen briefly, accordingly to Mr. Schmidt's book)?? It is a treasure!!

So I just wanted to understand, I didn't know there was a MARKET for Japanese Christmas songs, I wonder if Christianity is spreading out within that country or what. It CAN'T be due to USA Christmas music alone.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Thank you Daniel, I really enjoyed this song, Christmas Turned Blue. I never knew anything about this and didn't know it was written by John Bettis. I tried to search for it to buy but it's not on iTunes or on Amazon mp3 downloads. Too bad.

 

[Daniel Perales]

It does sound a little on the "pop-ish" side, but I wonder if you would have taken it more seriously if it was Karen who were singing it, instead?

It's not that, I love "trash pop" if it's funny like some Britney Spears songs... I don't care, I don't take the WORLD any seriously, ask Mr. Harry and Mr. Schmidt, LOL! Having said that (I LOVE to say "having said that"), Karen could be screaming at giving birth and I'd still wanna hear it.

Well, just because you want to hear it doesn't mean that you have the right to hear it.

They're very different songs. "Christmas Morn" has all the makings of a new Christmas standard. It really has that timeless quality to it.

So is it DECEMBER morn or CHRISTMAS morn? You have used the former title.

Whoops! My mistake. It's "December Morn" I'm talking about. I'll fix the error on my old post (if I can).

So what's wrong with that?

I'd like to know... 'cos here I go... agaaaaaaaaain! Don't you ABSOLUTELY LOVE that Paul McCartney's song, Silly love songs?? Have you read it performed by Sonny & Cher with Donny & Marie Osmond (whose brother Alan had dated Karen briefly, accordingly to Mr. Schmidt's book)?? It is a treasure!!

So I just wanted to understand, I didn't know there was a MARKET for Japanese Christmas songs, I wonder if Christianity is spreading out within that country or what. It CAN'T be due to USA Christmas music alone.[/quote]

Well, I can't really answer that since I don't live there, but Japan is not the only other country in the world that celebrates Christmas.


Danny

 

[Daniel Perales]

Thank you Daniel, I really enjoyed this song, Christmas Turned Blue. I never knew anything about this and didn't know it was written by John Bettis. I tried to search for it to buy but it's not on iTunes or on Amazon mp3 downloads. Too bad.

You're welcome.

But honestly, I like the other song that they wrote, "December Morn" better. It's prettier to say the least.


Danny

 

[richard_sloat]

Well, I can't really answer that since I don't live there, but Japan is not the only other country in the world that celebrates Christmas.

I doubt "Japan" celebrates Christmas, I bet A FEW JAPANESE PEOPLE do it.

 

[goodjeans]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_JLCnp2cLA

 

[Dave]

Well how else are you gonna explain the Christmas merchandise that's Made in China?

Anyway, the "Silly Love Songs" link by Karen is great! Wonder why it wasn't worthy of an inclusion on such an album as Horizon or A Kind Of Hush??? Maybe it would fit in more w/ Passage, then--it was THAT GOOD!


Dave

 

[Daniel Perales]

Here's Richard singing "Home For the Holidays", from Solid Gold Christmas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3AMWGtXNvc



Danny

 

[richard_sloat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_JLCnp2cLA

Too bad they haven't used the original video footage, I have seen it in very low quality once, can't remember where. Now there's this one comment I found amusing:

Whenever I hear Richard Carpenter sing, I cringe. Obviously, singing talent is not a genetic trait! Lol!

mrshinyshoes

I may be wrong but Richard does NOT sing in this clip, does he?? It totally doesn't sound like his voice!

 

[richard_sloat]

Here's Richard singing "Home For the Holidays", from Solid Gold Christmas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3AMWGtXNvc
Danny

I wonder why hasn't he used a piano, I think it makes more for an effective stage presence by him... Mr. Ned Nickerson, the poster of this video, is a Lead Sister.com forum member, he has so many great videos, some of them he made himself!

What's nice about Richard's voice is that he sings exactly in the same key as mine, lol, I have to change octaves in every song Karen sang.

 

[Daniel Perales]

Nothing to do with Richard, but I wanted to share this song sung by the japanese singer Karashima Midori.

I just love the orchestral arrangment of this song.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edv3pdlO5wg&feature=related


Merry Christmas!



Danny