THE OFFICIAL REVIEW: "AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS" SP-9107

[Chris May]

“AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS”​

​

Catalogue Number: A&M SP-9107​

Year of Release: 1984 ​

Chart Position: U.S.: #190 ​

Album Singles: "Little Altar Boy"/"Do You Hear What I Hear"​

Medium: Vinyl/Cassette/CD (Japan, U.S. Christmas Collection, Disc 2)​

Track Listing:

1.) It Came Upon A Midnight Clear :43 (Sears/Willis)
2.) Overture 8:13

a. Happy Holiday (Berlin) Irving Berlin Music Company, adm. by Williamson Music Company (ASCAP)
b. The First Noel (P.D. Trad. Old English Carol)
c. March Of The Toys (Herbert) Warner Bros., Inc. (ASCAP)
d. Little Jesus (P.D. From the Oxford Book Of Carols)
e. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Connor) Jewel Music Publishing Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
f. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (P.D. L.H. Redner) Longitude Music Co. (BMI)
g. In Dulce Jubilo (P.D. 14th Century German melody)
h. Gesu Bambino (The Infant Jesus) (Yon) Beam Me Up Music (ASCAP)
i. Angels We Have Heard On High (P.D. Trad. French Carol)

3.) An Old-Fashioned Christmas 2:34 (Carpenter/Bettis)
4.) O Holy Night 3:31 (P.D. Adolphe Adam/Adapted by Richard Carpenter)
5.) (There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays 2:13 (Allen/Stillman)
6.) Medley 3:43

a. Here Comes Santa Claus (Autry/Haldeman) Gene Autry's Western Music Publishing (ASCAP)
b. Frosty The Snowman (Nelson/Rollins) Chappell & Co. (ASCAP)
c. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Marks) St. Nicholas Music Inc. (ASCAP)
d. Good King Wenceslas (P.D. John Mason Neale, Adapted by Richard Carpenter) Almo Music Corp./Hammer and Nails Music, adm. by Almo Music Corp. (ASCAP)

7.) Little Altar Boy 3:43 (Smith)
8.) Do You Hear What I Hear? 2:53 (Regney/Shayne)
9.) My Favorite Things 3:53 (Rodgers/Hammerstein)
10.) He Came Here For Me 2:12 (Nelson)
11.) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 4:04 (Gillespie/Coots)
12.) What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? 2:51 (Loesser)
13.) Selections from “The Nutcracker” 6:14 (P.D. Peter Illych Tchaikovsky, Adapted by Richard Carpenter)

a. Overture Miniature
b. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
c. Trepak
d. Valse Des Fleurs

14.) I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day 2:21 (Marks/Longfellow, Adapted by Johnny Marks)

Album Credits:

Conceived and Produced by Richard Carpenter
Lead vocals: Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter
Piano: Richard Carpenter
Arranged by: Peter Knight (#2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14), Richard Carpenter (#1, 11) and Billy May (#10)
Keyboards: Richard Carpenter & Pete Jolly
Upright Bass: Pete Morgan
Electric Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Ron Tutt & Barry Morgan
Harp: Skiala Kanga & Gayle Levant
Tenor Sax: John Phillips
Vocals: The O.K. Chorale Conducted by Dick Bolks, The English Chorale Conducted by Robert Howes, Karen & Richard Carpenter
Recorded at:
A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
Engineered by Roger Young, Ray Gerhardt and Robert De La Garza
EMI "Abbey Road" Studios
Engineered by Eric Tomlinson
Assistant: Allan Rouse
Mixed at:
A&M Recording Studios
Engineered by Roger Young
Assistants: Clyde Kaplan & Jim Cassell
Evergreen Studios
Engineered by John Richards
Assistants: Dave Marquette & Mike Hatcher
Mastered by Arnie Acosta at A&M Mastering Studios, Hollywood CA
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Produced by Jack Daugherty and Richard & Karen Carpenter
Art Direction: Chuck Beeson
Album Design: Melanie Nissen
Illustration: Robert Tanenbaum
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Dedication:

This album lovingly dedicated to the memory of my late sister and friend Karen, who was extremely fond of both Christmas and Christmas music. - Richard Carpenter

© 1984 A&M Records, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[aaflyer98]

I gave this album 3 stars. I LOVE the tracks with Karen on them. All 7 of them. I remember my disappointment at the time this album because it was filled with instrumentals. Of course I knew why, Richard needed to fill up the album. I worked part time at a Wherehouse Record Store at the time this album was released and I remember a man returning this cassette because he said it was 'crap' and all instrumentals. I had to tell him he purchased the wrong Carpenters Christmas album, but I defended An Old Fashioned Christmas saying it was what Richard had to do.... and ended up giving him, for free, both Christmas Portrait AND letting him keep An Old Fashioned Christmas! I was a true Carpenters promoter in my own mind! So I am grateful we have the Karen tracks!

 

[no1kandrfan]

I was happy to see this released and while I would have liked more "Karen", I was happy with the instrumentals - especially the Nutcracker Suite, although I was surprised to not find "Toyland" on here. In an L.A. Weekly interview to coincide with Christmas Portrait's release, they interviewed the Carpenters and Karen praised Richard's take on this song, and I'm still curious why it was never included.

 

[Daniel Perales]

While I said the "Christmas Portrait" album was great to play when I have company, this one on the other hand, which I can still play with company around, this album has a somewhat intimate, but yet sort of a somber feel to it.

I can feel the emotions that Richard had put into this production. When I heard the song "An Old-Fashioned Christmas", for the first time, it mentally and emotionally brought me back into my childhood. The feelings that I used to have on every Christmas season up to my pre-teen years came rushing right back. And his instrumentals sounds so immersive, especially when I'm listening it through my high quality headphones (or play it nice and loud in my car).

Then, Karen's vocals comes in. WOW! What a mix of emotions I get when I hear her sing in this album! I was kind of surprised that it wasn't Richard's rendition of "(There's No Place Like)Home For The Holidays", like I heard him perform from the show "Solid Gold" (he sounded pretty good, too), but Karen sounded so lovely in this. But her rendition of "Little Altar Boy" just left me speechess! And that was only side A of this album (I bought the vinyl version first).

Side B begins with Richard singing the first verse of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and Karen do the rest. Nice combo. The rest of the side had more of Richard's exquisite instrumentals and more of Karen's angelic vocals. But I felt that the song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" while fantastic in it's own right, kind of broke the flow of the album (it sounded different, but that to be expected from something that was produced in 1974).

Anyway, the album is great right up to the very last song, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" which is another vocal masterpiece by Karen. This song actually left me in tears the first time I've heard it. Not only because of Karen's magnificent vocals, but because we all know that's all we will ever hear from her ever again when it comes to more Christmas songs. I usually can't bring myself to play any other music after I play this album for the rest of the day. I guess that's where the somber feel comes from.

Danny

 

[newvillefan]

My biggest complaint with this album is that it just takes faaaar too long for Karen to be heard on Side 1. Richard should have taken maybe one track from Side 2 and flipped it, so that it was more balanced. As it stands, side 1 only has two Karen leads, side 2 has five.

Other than that, it features some of my favourite Christmas songs by her. 'Home For The Holidays' is so traditional and 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve', a totally unknown track to me until I heard her sing it, is so teasing and playful.

But yeah, I would agree, far too many filler instrumentals, almost 30 minutes worth when you count them all up. But then I guess without them, we'd never have heard the remaining Karen tracks, so I happily make up my own compilations from time to time, to remove all the fillers.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

It's a shame this album got such a bum rap since it was released...for me, I really enjoy it. I love all the instrumentals and even though Karen is absent alot, I still adore it and play it alot around Chritmas. I agree that Karen comes in way too late and agree that a song or 2 could have been flipped to even it out just a bit.

Richard wrote alot about this album in the lyric booklet for the Japan set. Richard says he designed this knowing at the start what song would segue into the next, pretty amazing how he can invision this before it happens and make it all work out, much how when he worked with Karen. I think Richard must have spent alot of money on this project, saying he flew to London to meet with Peter Knight. It's sad that so much thought and energy went into making this album that A & M did not promote it, they knew all along there would be no promotion. Richard was pretty upset, he says they didn't even put together an inner sleeve of lyrics as he wanted. All of this along with the cover pic being distorted, it's no wonder he wished it never happen. Thank goodness for the Japanese fan base to put together their collection of this album.

The songs we do have from Karen are some of the songs I could not live without, Santa Claus, Do You Hear What I Hear and Little Altar Boy, wow some amazing vocals from Karen. I also just adore the song An Old Fashioned Christmas by Richard. It always takes me back to my own Christmas's from the past, which I have such fond memories of.

For me, Karen just didn't record enough Christmas Music, if she were still here, we would have alot more from her.

 

[Dave60640]

Ditto Danyy and Chris! I get choked up when I hear An Old Fashioned Christmas. I just know Together At Christmas Again could b another tear jerker, but I digress... This album is great because of who it's by, but it still feels more like an RC solo project with special guest... I love it but it's not as easy flowing as Portrait

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Since we are talking about this album...has anyone ever used headphones on the single version of the song, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and listen to the right channel, you can really hear it say with those earbuds that come with an iphone. On the right channel at say 56-103 secds and at 3:45 to the end, on the right channel you hear some incredible vocal harmonies, it's almost like ease dropping on them in the studio.

The remix version you don't hear that cool separation like the single. I love listening to that with their voices.

 

[bste2003]

Has 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' been released on its own on CD with artwork, does anyone know ?

I have Christmas Portrait (Special Edition) on CD and 'Carpenters at Christmas (2CD) but not 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' on its own aside form the discs contained within 'The Carpenters Collection' boxset

 

[Harry]

Has 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' been released on its own on CD with artwork, does anyone know ?

I have Christmas Portrait (Special Edition) on CD and 'Carpenters at Christmas (2CD) but not 'An Old Fashioned Christmas' on its own aside form the discs contained within 'The Carpenters Collection' boxset

Other than the box sets, possibly only in Japan with their mini-LP releases. Elsewhere, AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS hasn't had a separate release from the CHRISTMAS COLLECTION.

Harry

 

[bste2003]

Thanks for the info Harry

I like this album, simply because of 'What are you doing New Years Eve' - an amazing track and I love the artwork for the album cover

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I wanted to clarify my post above #8, that the cool separation you hear of their vocal harmonies (on the right channel) is on the single version (stereo side on the 45) not the mono side 45 or better yet it's on the Japan singles box set version as well. Take a listen it's pretty cool to hear.

 

[Chris May]

I wanted to clarify my post above #8, that the cool separation you hear of their vocal harmonies (on the right channel) is on the single version (stereo side on the 45) not the mono side 45 or better yet it's on the Japan singles box set version as well. Take a listen it's pretty cool to hear.

You know, part of the reason the backing vocals stand out with a little more separation is because one of the vocal "parts" was never recorded on the multi-track for the initial single mix, which was a mistake. Richard actually completed the harmony with a couple of more overdubs during the 1984 remix of the song, making the stack a little tighter...But very cool!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

It's funny how post 12 and 13 of this thread helped me understand more clearly what I was trying to say on my post #88 over here http://www.amcorner.com/forum/threads/heard-carpenters.8466/page-5#post-107158

Now I understand what Richard was writing about, this must be why I hear the separation on the stereo 45 single and the version that appears on the Japan singles box set but the remix I don't hear it because he fixed it.

It's funny how this all just clicked for me once you posted this Chris May. LOL

 

[Chris May]

It's funny how post 12 and 13 of this thread helped me understand more clearly what I was trying to say on my post #88 over here http://www.amcorner.com/forum/threads/heard-carpenters.8466/page-5#post-107158

Now I understand what Richard was writing about, this must be why I hear the separation on the stereo 45 single and the version that appears on the Japan singles box set but the remix I don't hear it because he fixed it.

It's funny how this all just clicked for me once you posted this Chris May. LOL

That's funny! I went back to your old thread and read through it. Do you understand now what he means by "track"?! Once their process is explained, it will kind of put to bed so-to-speak any confusion regarding many of Richard's comments about various songs throughout the years...

 

[richard_sloat]

My favourite track is Do you hear what I hear? and Karen's entrance along with the oboe after Richard's singing makes it for one of the finest moments in the music the Carpenters made! I heard the bells on Christmas day, while not a cherished song of mine, is outsanding from the lead vocal point, to my ears.