Heard Carpenters

[New Horizons.]

The first thing I heard this morning on UK radio station Heart Christmas was I'll be home for Christmas . They also play Merry Christmas Darling regularly.
Magic radio seems to have Sleigh ride on rotation also..

 

[JohnFB]

Currently waiting for sliced ham & Swiss cheese at the Deli section of our local grocery store - and listening to "I'll Be Home for Christmas".

 

[newvillefan]

Just heard a saxophone version of ‘Close To You’ in the restaurant scene of Arthur 2: On The Rocks. Interesting that the theme tune for the movie is ‘Love Is My Decision’ by Chris De Burgh, also on A&M, and there are at least four other songs on the soundtrack released that are from the same label.

 

[kprather]

On this week's "Only Connect" in the UK, we were treated to a little bit of Karen in a particularly tricky puzzle.

 

[1969]

On this week's "Only Connect" in the UK, we were treated to a little bit of Karen in a particularly tricky puzzle.

Or "Kylie Minogue?!" (according to contestant guessing who's singing Please Mr. Postman)

 

[JohnFB]

Got lucky again - heard MCD when I first entered the supermarket today & then Have Yourself...a little later while in one of the aisles...a delightful double! Guess I should thank the store manager...

 

[John Tkacik]

Heard (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays this morning on 106.7 Lite FM (NYC). They play Carpenters Christmas songs in a very steady rotation.

 

[newvillefan]

Switched Magic FM on earlier and heard the DJ read out requests from listeners and one said “Please would you play ‘Merry Christmas Darling’ by the Carpenters because I haven’t heard it on the radio at all so far this Christmas”. The DJ said he had Carpenters Christmas songs lined up for later in his show

 

[goodjeans]

I heard the 1978 "Merry Christmas, Darling" on my way into work. B101 FM Philadelphia. It hasn't lost an ounce of magic.

 

[1969]

After hearing mostly Mariah Carey Christmas songs played in stores in Silicon Valley today I was beginning to think maybe stores around here only want bouncy Xmas tunes. Happily proved wrong when I heard 1978 “Merry Christmas Darling” while in a Hallmark Gold Crown store looking for cards. A nice way to end the day.

 

[Jack A.]

I saw Herb and Lani live when they performed in Cleveland this fall, and at one point during the show, Herb said he would take questions from the audience. Someone asked what Herb's favorite memory of Karen Carpenter was, and he said his favorite memory was watching her play the drums because she loved to do it.

Anyway, then he performed "We've Only Just Begun" on trumpet, which was a pleasant surprise (apparently, it's part of his normal setlist now, though).

 

[Jack A.]

Heard MCD in BJ’s this afternoon, when picking up stuff for Christmas dinner.

 

[Faithful Fan]

The local Christian Station in Dayton Ohio played MCD. Nice to hear amongst other inspiring favorites.

 

[GDBY2LV]

Christmas Waltz playing right now on Sirius XM Xtras 70’s-80’s Christmas station. They play a huge variety of artists from Wayne Newton disco Christmas, to Bruce Springsteen. Carpenters to Osmonds. Ray Charles, and Madonna. Interesting mix.

 

[Randy M]

Grocery shopping this week and thought I was listening to another remix of Merry Christmas Darling by Richard. It was someone else. I've never heard a cover version until now.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

My local radio station always goes back to their normal playlist day after Christmas but will still play a Christmas song about every 5-10 songs.

This morning my alarm clock went off and I hear Karen singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” Something about hearing them on the radio makes it extra special. Karen’s in a whole other caliber to other singers.

 

[JohnFB]

Grocery shopping this week and thought I was listening to another remix of Merry Christmas Darling by Richard. It was someone else. I've never heard a cover version until now.

There's a lot of covers on YT right now, most of them at best mediocre or downright bad...

Tori Holub (who's a member here) has a very nice cover with a backing track I suspect she created - no, she really doesn't sound a whole lot like Karen, but she doesn't have to, because her voice is sweet and lovely in itself.

The only other cover that I ever thought was especially good was by Vanessa Williams...

 

[John Tkacik]

Yesterday while driving around, I had the Sirius XM Christmas Traditions channel on and I heard Herb Alpert's mostly instrumental rendition of Merry Christmas Darling for the first time. He did a very nice job with his interpretation.

 

[Jack A.]

Heard an instrumental version of “Sing” in a store in Tokyo. They weren’t kidding when they said the C’s get played a lot here…

 

[Geographer]

Heard an instrumental version of “Sing” in a store in Tokyo. They weren’t kidding when they said the C’s get played a lot here…

True! I was in Nagahama and went into a rock shop. They were playing the entire "oldies" medley side of Now and Then. Also, when I was in Iceland, the radio station played a lot of Carpenters. I heard YOM and AYGFLIALS just driving around the island.

 

[goodjeans]

True! I was in Nagahama and went into a rock shop. They were playing the entire "oldies" medley side of Now and Then. Also, when I was in Iceland, the radio station played a lot of Carpenters. I heard YOM and AYGFLIALS just driving around the island.

AYG... what a perfect island song.

 

[David A]

True! I was in Nagahama and went into a rock shop. They were playing the entire "oldies" medley side of Now and Then. Also, when I was in Iceland, the radio station played a lot of Carpenters. I heard YOM and AYGFLIALS just driving around the island.

Definitely seems to be the case - My GF's sister's daughter is in Japan (U.S. military Nurse) and recently discussed the music she is hearing over there, she noted that she frequently heard Carpenters (she knows them because her mom, like my GF, are both Carpenters fans, and she remembers hearing them while growing up).

 

[Late2theParty]

Just caught this thread. My youngest daughter graduated from high school at an experiential school in Colorado in 2022. After the last diploma was awarded, they played "We've only just begun." My wife turned to me quickly (she knew what it would do to me) and I burst into tears. Wrekt me...but in a good way.

 

[Jack A.]

Just caught this thread. My youngest daughter graduated from high school at an experiential school in Colorado in 2022. After the last diploma was awarded, they played "We've only just begun." My wife turned to me quickly (she knew what it would do to me) and I burst into tears. Wrekt me...but in a good way.

Never thought about how much WOJB’s lyrics can also apply to young adults just getting started on their own life themselves, and not just to a newlywed couple…”so many roads to choose,” “so much of life ahead…” I’m also graduating high school next month, and WOJB is definitely something I’ll play on that day.

 

[JohnFB]

Never thought about how much WOJB’s lyrics can also apply to young adults just getting started on their own life themselves, and not just to a newlywed couple…”so many roads to choose,” “so much of life ahead…” I’m also graduating high school next month, and WOJB is definitely something I’ll play on that day.

It was not only the most popular wedding song for years, but also one of the most popular graduation songs - still being used today.