Merry Christmas Darling

[newvillefan]

I have just today found a third mix of this that I never knew existed!

We have the original single mix from 1970, plus the re-recorded vocal from 1978 for Christmas Portrait at Karen's behest....but the mix I have is a remix of the whole track from 1992's compilation 'Christmas with The Carpenters'.

Has anyone else heard of this? The piano has been totally re-recorded and I know its an inside job because it has that strengthened kick drum, a bit like the Top Of The World 90s remix.

Any ideas why or where it came from??

Stephen

 

[Harry]

Yep. That one is odd indeed.

Apparently, when Richard gave permission for Time-Life to do the Christmas compilation, he decided to spice it up with a new remix of their most famous Christmas song.

But I get the feeling that he didn't care for the outcome, as it's never appeared anywhere else, not even on the otherwise remixed version of the CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT album. That one track on that remix album is the same as the one on the original LP.

Harry
...who discovered this one a couple of years ago, online...

 

[andywithaz]

The 1992 remix sounds terrible. If you will listen closely, Karen's vocals are all distorted and the sound quality sucks. I actually like this version, because it is different and fresh. Oh well...

 

[Chris May]

The 1992 remix sounds terrible. If you will listen closely, Karen's vocals are all distorted and the sound quality sucks. I actually like this version, because it is different and fresh. Oh well...

I agree. As a matter of fact, I was a little worried that R.C. might try to include it on the Singles SACD for the 5.1 mix. I'm glad he didn't! -Chris

 

[andywithaz]

So..Chris, why is this mix distorted so? You are an engineer. Please tell us.

 

[Chris May]

So..Chris, why is this mix distorted so? You are an engineer. Please tell us.

Actually, I have not heard this recording in years. It is one of the few Carpenters releases I do not own.

I purchased the Time-Life set when it first came out, but lost track of it back before I became a collector and couldn't justify replacing it. The only thing I can make of it is that it is probably either a poor mix (which would be my first guess), or a bad analog-->digital transfer. -Chris

 

[Harry]

So..Chris, why is this mix distorted so? You are an engineer. Please tell us.

I'm not an engineer, and I don't play one on TV, but I think this is a case of bad mastering choices.

That CHRISTMAS WITH THE CARPENTERS disc through Time-Life was mastered by Arnie Acosta. Not to cast aspersions on Mr. Acosta, but I think that in 1992, he, like other mixing and mastering engineers, was caught up in the trend to EQ everything with 'smiley-faced' settings. That's where, on EQ settings, you're boosting the bass and treble, and leaving the midrange flat. --__--

The result here is a very thin sound to Karen's vocal track, with the high's boosted WAY too much, revealing a lot of upper end distortion inherent in whatever tape source was used.

Harry
NP: "Merry Christmas Darling" - Carpenters, remix 1992

 

[Chris May]

I'm not an engineer, and I don't play one on TV, but I think this is a case of bad mastering choices.

Harry, I think you might be right. Seriously, now that I think of it, I DO remember a very "thin" sound on that whole record. I think one thing that attributed to that was Richard's obsession with over-revebration on just about EVERYTHING he mixed in those days. With whatever mastering technique Acosta used, the reverb in the mix would have responded rather harshly.

-Chris (...who still admires Harry's role impersonating Arnie Acosta in the made-for-T.V.-move "A Day in the Life of a True Mastering Engineer", online...)

 

[engineer]

I've listened to that mix a couple of times, and I'm not sure the lead vocal could sound so bad just due to poor EQ'ing.

I wonder if maybe the remix was recorded onto a poorly-transferred analog multi-track tape? Perhaps the 1978 version of the song was copied to a new 24 or 48 track tape in 1990 or 1991, and the transfer wasn't done well. Then Richard recorded the new piano parts (and possibly new drum parts) and a new mix was created from the new tape.

It's just a guess...

Dan

 

[aaflyer98]

I have the time-life "Christmas With The Carpenters" and although "Merry Christmas Darling" is remixed and still nice, I prefer the 1978 Christmas Portrait version.

 

[andywithaz]

I prefer the 2004 mix. The vocals are way more up front and it just sounds better.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

What I like about the Time Life set is there are more tracks of just Karen singing, miinus alot of the fluff in-between tracks.

The MCD track is indeed different. Of course one has to have it for there collection, but I prefer the original single version.

I agree with Harry on this one, the whole 2 cd set is thin sounding and way too much reverb going on. It's amazing how Karen's vocals can be "altered" like that with technology. I mean that is not really how she sounded.