tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
This was brought to mind by some of the other threads, but in 1977 the Carpenters released The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) to promote The Carpenters At Christmas and featured it in the special—-nowadays people think it was released to promote the Christmas Portrait album and special, but both those weren’t released until a year later in 1978.
Do we know how well it did on the Christmas charts in 1977 and even years later? I remember hearing their version on the radio years before I heard Nat Cole’s version, and the Carpenters version seems to have become the standard alongside Nat’s version. From 1986-1998 it was the version featured on the Time-Life Treasury Of Christmas CD (the single mix’s first digital release), LP and cassette, and starting in 1999 Mel Torme’s version was featured.
So do we know how well it charted? In 77 I don’t think Billboard allowed Christmas on the main charts.
Do we know how well it did on the Christmas charts in 1977 and even years later? I remember hearing their version on the radio years before I heard Nat Cole’s version, and the Carpenters version seems to have become the standard alongside Nat’s version. From 1986-1998 it was the version featured on the Time-Life Treasury Of Christmas CD (the single mix’s first digital release), LP and cassette, and starting in 1999 Mel Torme’s version was featured.
So do we know how well it charted? In 77 I don’t think Billboard allowed Christmas on the main charts.
