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

How Would You Rate This Album?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 63 78.8%
  • ****

    Votes: 16 20.0%
  • ***

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    80
...So I got both my nieces a copy of CC and it’s under their Christmas trees.
There is no way to put a price on the pleasure that that gift will give to them and their loved ones for a lifetime...great choice!
 
Billboard Magazine,
December 1990:
1 BARRY MANILOW, BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS
2 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER, MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS
3 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER, A FRESH AIRE CHRISTMAS
4 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS , A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS
6 GEORGE WINSTON, DECEMBER
7 NAT KING COLE , THE CHRISTMAS SONG
8 THE CARPENTERS , CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT
9 BARBRA STREISAND, A CHRISTMAS ALBUM
10 - VINCE GUARALDI , A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
December 1991: Christmas Portrait #5.
Nov. 28, 1992 issue to Jan. 9, 1993: Christmas Portrait #10.
1993-1994: Christmas Portrait #19.
December 1995: Christmas Portrait #21.
December 1996: Christmas Portrait #24.
December 1997: CP #23.
 
Is there any news on this album being given the RPO treatment? If so, has Richard started work? Please do share what's going on if anyone knows.
 
I have four that "do it" for me. Carpenters CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass CHRISTMAS ALBUM, and its adjunct SOMETHING FESTIVE
Amy Grant's HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
 
I also love that Amy Grant album. (Although my favorite individual Amy Christmas song is Christmas Lullaby from her A Christmas to Remember album.)
I'd add in Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest as well.
 
Mine would still be Carpenters C. P., The Roches We Three Kings, and Boney M. Christmas album, which has several titles and covers, with most of the same songs. The Real Gone collections, Complete Andre Kostelanetz, Ray Coniff Singers, Percy Faith, and Richard Carpenter co- produced Complete Perry Como Christmas, have gone out of print. They’re pretty well done. Production by Jim Pierson, who did both Carpenters Christmas and Close To You dvds. Worth having if you like the big orchestral sounds of Christmas music and choirs.
 
Mine would still be Carpenters C. P., The Roches We Three Kings, and Boney M. Christmas album, which has several titles and covers, with most of the same songs. The Real Gone collections, Complete Andre Kostelanetz, Ray Coniff Singers, Percy Faith, and Richard Carpenter co- produced Complete Perry Como Christmas, have gone out of print. They’re pretty well done. Production by Jim Pierson, who did both Carpenters Christmas and Close To You dvds. Worth having if you like the big orchestral sounds of Christmas music and choirs.
Roches Christmas Album is way up there with me on my list, too. I also appreciate the Manhattan Transfer Christmas album.
 
Love the Manhattan Transfer Christmas album. The horns on Happy Holidays would make my bull terrier I had in the 80-90’s howl. It was quite entertaining. He would stand in front on the Polk speaker to sing along.
 
I started playing my Christmas Music early, I almost never play it before Thanksgiving. I blame my neighbors lol, they put up their Winter Wonderland it’s all over the yard, on the rooftop of their house, candy canes, snowmen, huge sled w/ rudolph and all the reindeer, you name it...it’s there. lol They even have music syncing to the lights...I can’t look away lol. I can look out my window and see it all. I guess it’s got me in the mood early.

I played a few Christmas albums and it just wasn’t working then I put on Christmas Portrait. Karen just hits the right spot to warm my heart. She really knows how to help you start the holiday season. ❄️☃️

Part of me is sad this season...now my 2 favorite female singers of all time are gone.
I know Olivia and Karen will have the best Christmas together this year. 💕
 
I started playing my Christmas Music early, I almost never play it before Thanksgiving. I blame my neighbors lol, they put up their Winter Wonderland it’s all over the yard, on the rooftop of their house, candy canes, snowmen, huge sled w/ rudolph and all the reindeer, you name it...it’s there. lol They even have music syncing to the lights..
What...do you live next to Tim Allen? :) :santawave:
 
It's funny that Mom never had a Carpenters Christmas album or song in our Christmas collection. She had Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, Mahalia Jackson, Mitch Miller's Christmas Album, Boney M, ....so when I became a fan in Spring of 1988 (age 16), by Christmastime she bought me the double cassette tape of CP and AOFC....I was ecstatic. She also bought us Walkmans so back on our trip from Winnipeg, Mb, to Swift Current, Sk, we drove in our Uncle's big yellow truck, and I listened with delight to Karen singing her tunes. Since those years, I've listened to other great artists but her voice is Christmas, syrupy, chocolatey, marshmallowy treat!
 
I've never been a Carpenters fan. I picked up Christmas Collection at a resale shop about 4 years ago and it's been in the rack until yesterday. I played CD two and found it to be outstanding. I didn't know what I was missing.
So you're the one - we heard there was one out there somewhere... 🙂

Sounds like you're headed down the Carpenter "Rabbit Hole" - could be a long, joyous trip for you...
 
CP @ #20 on iTunes!!!!! Great price too.
That’s the 1984 CPSE version not the 1978 version (they even list “Special Edition” in brackets and 21 tracks on the entry. So we’re talking about a 38 year old album being in the Top 20 (#13 as I write)! Of course Bing Crosby’s White Christmas from 1945 is at #7, which is impressive for a 73 year old album.
 
Christmas Collection finally made it on iTunes Top 200, @ #149 today. If you get a chance, please leave a review. It only has 10 so far. Thanks.
 
There was an interview that Karen gave without Richard where she talked about each track from Christmas Portrait. Karen talks a lot about how Richard wanted the album to sound and what would appear. It’s been said that he wasn’t involved 100% and I know he said this should really have been titled Karen Christmas album but the way Karen talks about each song, it’s evident Richard had a lot to do with how this album turned out.

The links to this interview were on this thread but they were from 2015 and the videos are no longer available.
I have this interview although it’s been spliced to remove all the songs but she talks about each track.
The interview is only Karen talking and runs about 12 mins. It was given to me on a CDR a long time ago.
I’m sure everyone has heard this but I don’t understand why it’s not on u tube.

It’s titled "A Christmas Portrait Interview w/ Karen Carpenter on KIQQ Los Angeles aired Dec 24 1978.
 
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