Santa Claus is Coming to Town

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I've been in the holiday spirit early this year, can't you tell? :santa:

I'm sure this has been mentioned before but I ran across this & thought it was rather interesting.

Liner Notes by Paul Grein (June 1998)
Christmas Collection 2CD Set

In November 1974, Karen & Richard released a shimmering ballad version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", a holiday staple since 1934. Richard's torchy arrangement was as unexpected as his 1969 ballad interpretation of the Beatles "Ticket to Ride". Karen & Richard recorded the basic track and lead vocal in 1972, and added brass, strings, the sax solo and background vocals 2 years later.



You know everytime I hear this song I always thought it was all recorded at the same time (or even within the same session) but that wasn't the case. There must have been a master tape with this song on it from 1972 sitting there untouched & unlistened to for the public. I wonder what that could have sounded like with just Karen's lead? What else would have been part of that 72 recording except Karen's lead? Some intrumentation for Karen to get the flavor of the song?

I really give credit to Richard though cause that sax solo just adds so much flavor to the song.

Now when I listen to it, I will have to think that all the backing vocals were actually done years later from a whole different recording session.

 

[jfiedler17]

I've been in the holiday spirit early this year, can't you tell? :santa:

Speaking of which ... One of the major FM stations in my area has just started playing Christmas music around the clock. I'm definitely the most diehard I-live-for-Christmas type person I know, but even I think it's just a teensy bit too early to be playing that music around-the-clock.

But on the bright side, Christmas is coming soon enough, and it's just about time for me to put "Something Festive!" and "Christmas Portrait" on the turntable! (It ain't Christmas without 'em!) Woo-hoo! :santa:

Jeff F.

 

[aaflyer98]

Christmas is the best time of year as far as Radio goes! I look forward to the first time I hear Karen singing a Christmas song...whether it's on the radio, or in the mall, wherever it is I always stop... and I smile.

 

[Rudy]

Karen & Richard recorded the basic track and lead vocal in 1972, and added brass, strings, the sax solo and background vocals 2 years later.

Quite common actually--the "band" lays down the song on tape (bass, drums, piano, etc.), and the sweetening (brass, strings, backing vocals, etc.) are added at a later time. Probably due to their hectic recording/touring schedule around that time. Those two years probably seemed like weeks to them back then.

 

[CarpentersToYou]

I always think it was the same time too!

I have in my video vault a MUSIC VIDEO to this song. It is the same surroundings as ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG.

My guess is that it's an outtake from "THE CARPENTERS AT CHRISTMAS" or something.

I like the newest sax solo better, the one on the mono single never made much sense.

This year I started listening to my Christmas music early, so I can actually enjoy it! The Carpenters' Christmas albums are classics!

 

[Mark-T]

Nowadays, Christmas is the only time I hear K&R on the radio...

 

[jfiedler17]

Nowadays, Christmas is the only time I hear K&R on the radio...

Same here, sadly. That's part of what's so great about Christmas-time radio, though. All the format rules get thrown out the window. The Carpenters will go from being completely MIA on the local oldies stations to being near-ubiquitous; every station is playing dozens upon dozens of artists that they'd absolutely never play at any other time of the year!
It's awfully hypocritical, but, hey, it does make Christmas radio extra magical in that regard! (Or at least until one of 'em breaks out The Singing Dogs' rendition of "Jingle Bells." )

Jeff F.

 

[newvillefan]

So are we saying there are 3 versions? (chronologically going backwards):

a. the official version, as appears on the Christmas CD's everywhere
b. the original 74 single, with that horrendous sax break that was thankfully replaced
c. this 72 vocals and piano only mix, as suggested here?

I suspect that, as far as lead vox is concerned, a. b. and c. are the same, with more padding added and the original sax recording pulled. I have the 74 mix on CD and its not the same at all, the vocals don't sit right, the mix isnt right, and that sax break sounds like it was made up as it went along. Thank God for Bob Messenger!

Stephen

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I'm just the opposite, I prefer the 1974-45 verison of Santa Claus. In fact the mono version has Karen so much to the forefront that it's gives me major goosebumps when she sings this. Something about the original version that always gets me.

Also the 45 doesn't have in take of air on the first 2 sec of the song.

 

[davidgra]

So are we saying there are 3 versions? (chronologically going backwards):

a. the official version, as appears on the Christmas CD's everywhere
b. the original 74 single, with that horrendous sax break that was thankfully replaced
c. this 72 vocals and piano only mix, as suggested here?

(c) doesn't really exist -- it was incomplete, and therefore doesn't count as a "mix."

Theoretically, every track on every Carpenters album exists in a piano and vocals version -- it's just a matter of selecting which tracks you want to include in the final mix. But since Richard has not mixed any of the songs in that way, those mixes do not in actuality exist. (I still think it's a good idea for an album -- "Carpenters Unplugged.")

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" is available in three versions that I know of:

a. The original single mix in mono
b. The original single mix in stereo (I have this on a couple of different Christmas compilation LPs from the 1970s)
c. The 1984 remix, with new sax solo

I agree that the 1974 version is presented in an odd mix, but I don't dislike it. The vocals are very dry -- far less reverb than the remix. The backing vocals are also much more prominent in the mix in the original version.

David

 

[Rudy]

c. this 72 vocals and piano only mix, as suggested here?

Actually, close--if they originally recorded it in 1972, it would have been just the basics. Likely their current band (drums, bass, piano, maybe guitar), with KC putting down a lead vocal. A sax solo, chorus and orchestral overdubs could come at any time later.