🎄 Holidays! THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: [Album] "CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT" SP-4726

[Matthew S]

CP has made the Top 40 on iTunes as of this afternoon 11/26/23
About half of the top 200 are Christmas related albums. People are in the Holiday spirit this year for sure. Record spending all around this weekend. It sure would be great if the vinyl for both Christmas albums would get reissued by next year.

Agreed. The Target stores in my area have one 4 foot shelf front and back of vinyl and they have devoted one whole side of it to holiday albums, including some reissue Nat King Cole and others. Would love to see Christmas Portrait there next year!

 

[CraigGA]

Have yourself a very little Christmas now. Sounds perfect with this new Dolby Atmos version. A great Christmas gift. And the way Santa Claus is painting the Carpenters portrait in the image is even wonderful.

 

[CraigGA]

Have yourself a very little Christmas now. Sounds perfect with this new Dolby Atmos version. A great Christmas gift. And the way Santa Claus is painting the Carpenters portrait in the image is even wonderful.

Tears came to my eyes.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

If Christmas Portrait is going to be re-released, wouldn’t it make sense that it was this Christmas the 45th anniversary? I mean why would it get released next year for the 46th? Unless it was planned but due to the whole pandemic pushed it’s off schedule?

This version (from you tube on this thread) of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas definitely sounds different, Karen’s vocal is much more out front and it’s just so clean sounding. If this one track sounds this good, I can’t wait for the entire album like that.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This sounds like the new remixed version! Her lead is much more present and sitting above the music. It’s also got the cold ending without the segue into ‘Santa Claus’.

Exactly, this sounds different and it’s very good. I’m actually hearing her embellish certain words so much clearer that it sounds like she is right in the same room.

Karen has a way of expressing so such sincerity. She has a way of calming your spirit during phrases like “let your heart be light” and “from now on our troubles will be out of sight”

 

[David A]

Been listening to this album for several days now...My current favorite is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"...

Just curious...in this song, for those musicians among our cadre of fans - after the brief "chorale" sounding bridge, third verse - what notes does Karen sing when she starts low with "hang a..." and ends on the high note "bough..."...so beautiful. Arm hairs stand up (I've read this is a dopamine bump, but that sounds too clinical heh), this woman's voice can still create thrills and tears of joy.

What a blessing these siblings were to the world of music.

 

[JohnFB]

Been listening to this album for several days now...My current favorite is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"...

Just curious...in this song, for those musicians among our cadre of fans - after the brief "chorale" sounding bridge, third verse - what notes does Karen sing when she starts low with "hang a..." and ends on the high note "bough..."...so beautiful. Arm hairs stand up (I've read this is a dopamine bump, but that sounds too clinical heh), this woman's voice can still create thrills and tears of joy.

What a blessing these siblings were to the world of music.

@David A: The version of HAVE YOURSELF...that I play is from an anthology of Christmas songs arranged for piano by Dan Coates, and is in the Key of C Major ( no sharps or flats) - in this Key that phrase covers an octave plus one more higher note - it starts with "hang" on the E note just above Middle C (E4) and ends with "bough" on E5 (an octave above E4) - the highest note in the phrase is actually on the word "star" on F5, one note above E5.

Now, I don't know what key Karen was singing in, but even if it wasn't C Major, the RANGE of notes would still be the same in any key. What's significant is the actual notes she sang could have been higher than the notes I mentioned if she had been singing in a higher key. Maybe someone here knows the key they used for the recording...

Yes, this woman's voice can still create thrills and tears of joy - the really strange and wonderful - and contradictory - thing is that I experience both even when listening to their saddest songs...

 

[Nemily]

I will defer the Key to another (although thinking E). For Karen, it was most would have been

Hang a shi – ning star u – pon the high – est bough !
E3 G3 C4 E4 F4 E4 D4 C4 B4 D4 E4.

 

[newvillefan]

I couldn’t find the right place to post this message but this thread seems the most fitting. I’ve just watched the TV special ‘A Christmas Portrait’ for the first time in years and was knocked out at how much Richard reminds me of his dad Harold, now that they are of a similar age. I’ve never noticed it before now. Harold was 70 when he and Agnes appeared in the TV special.

 

[Simon KC1950]

It is really quite remarkable to see the impact that the Christmas season has on the Carpenters' streaming figures.

Towards the end of October, the duo had 4.8 million listeners on Spotify. By this time tomorrow that number will exceed 10 million and I only expect it to continue to rise up to Christmas.

 

[Simon KC1950]

A snapshot of their Top 5 most popular tracks on Spotify right now:

1- Merry Christmas, Darling
2- Sleigh Ride
3- (They Long To Be) Close To You
4- Top of the World
5- Silent Night

 

[Simon KC1950]

It is really quite remarkable to see the impact that the Christmas season has on the Carpenters' streaming figures.

Towards the end of October, the duo had 4.8 million listeners on Spotify. By this time tomorrow that number will exceed 10 million and I only expect it to continue to rise up to Christmas.

They have just surpassed 10.2 million listeners on Spotify!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

They have just surpassed 10.2 million listeners on Spotify!

Do you think Richard knows these figures? Does he realize the impact the holiday season makes on Carpenters music?

How can only 2 Christmas albums generate so much interest?

 

[Jack A.]

It is really quite remarkable to see the impact that the Christmas season has on the Carpenters' streaming figures.

Towards the end of October, the duo had 4.8 million listeners on Spotify. By this time tomorrow that number will exceed 10 million and I only expect it to continue to rise up to Christmas.

That is actually insane. I did expect the Christmas season to bump up those numbers, but not more than double...I don't know if I realized just how popular CP was. Gives me hope knowing their music is even more alive than I may have thought.

 

[John Tkacik]

It is really quite remarkable to see the impact that the Christmas season has on the Carpenters' streaming figures.

Towards the end of October, the duo had 4.8 million listeners on Spotify. By this time tomorrow that number will exceed 10 million and I only expect it to continue to rise up to Christmas.

I love listening to your Complete Recordings site.

 

[GDBY2LV]

CP finally made it to #30 this afternoon. Last week CP, Christmas Collection, and Gold were all in the top 200. First time I’ve seen that happen. So those 10.2 million listeners are buying music too.

 

[Simon KC1950]

That is actually insane. I did expect the Christmas season to bump up those numbers, but not more than double...I don't know if I realized just how popular CP was. Gives me hope knowing their music is even more alive than I may have thought.

... December has only just begun... it could end up being a lot more than just double!

 

[newvillefan]

Do you think Richard knows these figures?

I’m sure his bank manager does

Something doesn’t add up here though. You don’t go from 5 million to 10 million listeners in the space of a few weeks, especially if you’re an inactive legacy artist.

 

[JohnFB]

A snapshot of their Top 5 most popular tracks on Spotify right now:

1- Merry Christmas, Darling
2- Sleigh Ride
3- (They Long To Be) Close To You
4- Top of the World
5- Silent Night

Silent Night? Surprising. Yes, it's a "Christmas Classic" (maybe the "Signature Song" of Christmas) and heard many times in many places as the closer in a live Christmas music program, but more popular on Spotify than HAVE YOURSELF... or CHRISTMAS SONG or I'LL BE HOME... or HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS or CHRISTMAS WALTZ or the WHITE CHRISTMAS medley or...

I can't recall SILENT NIGHT being mentioned here too often as a favorite CP cut, even with Karen's stellar interpretation.

I would have been surprised - and very delighted - to see the FIRST SNOWFALL/LET IT SNOW medley on that list, as in MHO it's perhaps one of the best, and most underrated, of the CP cuts.

 

[Simon KC1950]

I’m sure his bank manager does

Something doesn’t add up here though. You don’t go from 5 million to 10 million listeners in the space of a few weeks, especially if you’re an inactive legacy artist.

I actually think it makes perfect sense. In addition to the fact that a handful of their songs are featured in a number of Christmas playlists that have quite considerable reaches (one called Christmas Classics has over 3 Mil saves) I get a sense that they are predominantly a Christmas act in the US nowadays*. So as soon as the time comes around their Christmas tracks zoom up their average listening numbers (I'm sure the same would be observed with the likes of Mariah and Michael)


*Whereas in the UK they remain a staple pop classic (though, I have noticed much more interest in their Christmas music over recent years and this year already here)...

 

[Simon KC1950]

Silent Night? Surprising. Yes, it's a "Christmas Classic" (maybe the "Signature Song" of Christmas) and heard many times in many places as the closer in a live Christmas music program, but more popular on Spotify than HAVE YOURSELF... or CHRISTMAS SONG or I'LL BE HOME... or HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS or CHRISTMAS WALTZ or the WHITE CHRISTMAS medley or...

I can't recall SILENT NIGHT being mentioned here too often as a favorite CP cut, even with Karen's stellar interpretation.

I would have been surprised - and very delighted - to see the FIRST SNOWFALL/LET IT SNOW medley on that list, as in MHO it's perhaps one of the best, and most underrated, of the CP cuts.

...I actually heard Karen's "Silent Night" while out shopping last weekend, it was a really nice suprise (for whatever reason it appears to have gained quite a bit of traction this year)

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I’m sure his bank manager does

Something doesn’t add up here though. You don’t go from 5 million to 10 million listeners in the space of a few weeks, especially if you’re an inactive legacy artist.

I also think that the way the world is at the moment with different wars, inflation, gloom and doom etc, the world is looking for something that makes them happy, they’re looking for hope. The Christmas season fills that gloomy feeling with happiness. Christmas music brings joy for many so I’m not surprised in just a few weeks how a jump in listeners can occur.

My one neighbor who decorates their entire house and lawn with tons of lights and animated figures, lit it all up several weeks before thanksgiving. It creates traffic jams on my street with all the lookers getting their fill. Lol

As Karen sings, “let your heart be light”

 

[Mark-T]

I love so many of the songs on both Christmas albums, but Silent Night touches such a deep part of me.

 

[Murray]

I love so many of the songs on both Christmas albums, but Silent Night touches such a deep part of me.

It would be absolutely perfect, if not for the choir singing the opening of the second verse, instead of Karen. To add insult to injury, they sing "all is calm and bright", instead of "shepherds quake at the sight".

Whoever decided that was a good idea deserves a lump of coal in their stocking!

 

[goodjeans]

Do you think Richard knows these figures? Does he realize the impact the holiday season makes on Carpenters music?

How can only 2 Christmas albums generate so much interest?

How? Because these two albums are magnificent.