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

[Chris May]

“AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS”​

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Catalogue Number: A&M SP-3270, SP-5172, SP-9107(Canada) ​

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.

 

[Harry]

The other half of Carpenters' Christmas output. An exercise in patience! A slow-ish start blossoms into a second magnificent Christmas album.

Harry

 

[aaflyer98]

Karen's performances are amazing! I did work at Wherehouse Records when this album was released and a man returned this album because he said it was horrible. Too many instrumentals and not the Carpenters Christmas album he was expecting. He did not have Christmas Portrait. Being the true Carpenters fan then as I am now, I explained the story behind An Old Fashioned Christmas and how it was completed with what was left from the Christmas Portrait album. He still wasn't happy, so, I gave him a full refund and store credits for both albums, and although my manager was not too happy with me, this gentleman walked out of the store with a full refund and BOTH Christmas albums in his possession!
Not good business, but hopefully he enjoyed both albums as a set. He was very happy when he left the store!

 

[Jamesj75]

As expected from an album of outtakes, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, doesn't shine as brightly as its predecessor, but it is good in its own right. I agree with Harry about its "slow-ish start." I mean, it seems to take forever before we finally hear Karen's voice... And I will say, with both Christmas albums, I am not a fan of the backup chorus, although I understand the vibe that was attempted by their inclusion. Richard's musicianship is at the forefront on this release. My picks for the highlights are as follows:

• "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (sounds like a typical Carpenters pop song to me; love the sax and the vocal overdubbing)
• "Little Altar Boy" (one of Karen's best performances ever)
• "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (fun, kind of bluesy tune)

 

[A&M Retro]

I remember listening to the album for the first time with my Mom, and being saddened by the fact that Karen didn't sing lead on "O Holy Night". I will NEVER understand that one. Would have been beyond perfect for her. To add insult to injury, Richard performed it on piano when Karen was right there for the first Christmas special! Sheesh.

That being said, I love the album to this day, though the first 16 or so minutes without Karen is just too long. Wish Richard had re-sequenced it. But, I do remember Paul Grein's liner notes saying that the excitement continues to build as you wait for Karen's entrance. So maybe that's what Richard had in mind at the time. I remember my late Mom saying, "She'll be on in a minute. Relax!" LOL. Great memory.

I find myself playing the second half of this album even before playing "Christmas Portrait" each year. And that says a LOT for 'out-takes'. My personal favorite is "Do You Hear What I Hear". Karen's majestic vocals and the amazing orchestral and choir backdrop brings chills every time. It is truly a work of art. Thanks, Richard.

"He Came Here For Me" is also a favorite. Beautiful vocal and arrangement. "Little Altar Boy" is just incredible all around, too, even though it's a pretty heartbreaking performance. It was so great to get the REAL version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", even if it was re-tweaked. 'I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" is also unique, as it uses Karen's especially deep range to great effect. I also like "The Nutcracker Suite" (long version), as well as "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", which got a bit of airplay in Chicago and Kansas City last Christmas.

Finally, "Home For The Holidays" has grown into another Carpenters Christmas classic through the years, and gets nearly as much airplay as "Merry Christmas Darling".

 

[newvillefan]

I love the fact that there's a song about New Year included towards the end of the album, almost like a nice post-script to the album. Karen's vocals are so bluesy and playful on this track, it's remains a favourite of mine today.

I do agree though, the wait before Karen comes in is wayyyy too long and I too remember wondering if she was even featured on the album at all. When she did finally come in, it was like Heaven. Her sultry, rich vocal, after the last 13 minutes of schmaltz, was amazing.

 

[Toolman]

Ditto to everything said above. All of the tracks with Karen's vocals are equal to anything on the first album. Only two things about the album I dislike: the overlong intro and the cute but somewhat cheap-looking LP packaging/artwork.

 

[aaflyer98]

I agree Toolman, the packaging did make the album artwork and packaging were not up to the previous standards. A&M really didn't put much effort into the cover or packaging.

 

[Mark-T]

What are You Doing New Years Eve? is one of my favorite Karen songs ever.

 

[RainyDays]

In what way did you guys dislike the cover art? I think it looks good!

 

[Toolman]

In what way did you guys dislike the cover art? I think it looks good!

Do you have the LP, or are you going by the reproduction on this page? That might make a difference.
The "Christmas Portrait" LP art was a nice tip of the hat to Norman Rockwell/Saturday Evening Post, exeuted with noticeable TLC. The concept was carried through on the back of the jacket and the inside sleeve (Harry posted pictures of the sleeve on another thread). The sleeve included most lyrics.
"Old Fashioned Christmas" used the same concept but made a lot of shortcuts. The jacket's cover illustration isn't nearly as well drawn and painted as that on "Portrait". It's very flat by comparison, with IMHO pretty amateurish use of color. The back of the "Old Fashioned Christmas" jacket was just a listing of songs in an unimaginative frame. The LP itself came in a generic sleeve (mine was the translucent plastic popular at the time, the kind that was static electricity's best friend). No lyrics.
I always put a lot of stock in album designs. If the way the LP was packaged looked like it took some effort, I was always inclined to think that the label and the artist were especially proud of the music inside. So seeing "Old Fashioned Christmas" for the first time was bittersweet for me. Didn't know A&M was releasing it, so in that respect it was a thrilling surprise. But I also thought they really cheaped out on the packaging, and it made me wonder about the project. Of course, once I put it on the turntable and got past that loooong prelude, it was sheer pleasure.
Just my long-winded two cents, of course.

 

[Jeff]

Santa Claus is Comin to Town finally on lp. Worth the wait. I have several of the 45's from the fan club but the inclusion on OFC was a thrill.

Jeff

 

[RainyDays]

Do you have the LP, or are you going by the reproduction on this page? That might make a difference.
The "Christmas Portrait" LP art was a nice tip of the hat to Norman Rockwell/Saturday Evening Post, exeuted with noticeable TLC. The concept was carried through on the back of the jacket and the inside sleeve (Harry posted pictures of the sleeve on another thread). The sleeve included most lyrics.
"Old Fashioned Christmas" used the same concept but made a lot of shortcuts. The jacket's cover illustration isn't nearly as well drawn and painted as that on "Portrait". It's very flat by comparison, with IMHO pretty amateurish use of color. The back of the "Old Fashioned Christmas" jacket was just a listing of songs in an unimaginative frame. The LP itself came in a generic sleeve (mine was the translucent plastic popular at the time, the kind that was static electricity's best friend). No lyrics.
I always put a lot of stock in album designs. If the way the LP was packaged looked like it took some effort, I was always inclined to think that the label and the artist were especially proud of the music inside. So seeing "Old Fashioned Christmas" for the first time was bittersweet for me. Didn't know A&M was releasing it, so in that respect it was a thrilling surprise. But I also thought they really cheaped out on the packaging, and it made me wonder about the project. Of course, once I put it on the turntable and got past that loooong prelude, it was sheer pleasure.
Just my long-winded two cents, of course.

I unfortunatley do not have the LP, nor have I ever seen it in person. I've seen it on here as well as other sites that have pictures of the front jacket. But I can see how those details take away from your enthusiasm for the album as a whole. I liked the looked of CP alot, and because it was a "real" studtoio album with the whole group in swing, I'm sure much care was put into it. OFC was after the end of CarpenterS, and Rich and A&M obviously knew it and with everything that happened they may have tossed this together and not worried too much about how it looked.

 

[cam89]

My pet peeve on the album cover is they took the inner sleeve photo of MADE IN AMERICA...and they drew it...but it's not a great drawing and the way Karen's shoulder and her hair is, as opposed to the MADE IN AMERICA inner photo, they don't match. Her hair if she was not leaning against the counter/table, would not hang that way. I don't know if I am making sense...but that has always been a pet peeve!

 

[Chris]

I was disappointed in the cover as well. When I happened upon the LP at the record store the week it was released I was thrilled to find it, but I noticed immediately that the cover was awful. I agree with all your comments about the cover and as Cam said, her hair doesn't even fall correctly. It's sticking out in mid air. It's hard to believe that the same artist who painted the cover for "Christmas Portrait", Robert Tanenbaum, did "Old Fashioned Christmas" as well. I'm sure the intentions were good, but it just didn't come off well.

As for the recording itself, I agree with all of you. There is far too much time before Karen comes in. It's understandable why this was done, but it's just a bit too much. With that said, I really love the entire album. Richard's vocals and arrangement on "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is thrilling. The Overture is gorgeous, and Karen's vocals are heavenly as always. "Little Altar Boy" is my favorite on the album. It's perfection. My other favorites are "My Favorite Things" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?". I'm so grateful we got the rest of these Carpenters holiday performances from those sessions, and that it was finally released on CD with the "Christmas Collection".

 

[Mark-T]

Chris- you should be commissioned to do some work for the next Carps compilation!

 

[aaflyer98]

My take on the album artwork is that the drawing of Karen doesn't look as vibrant, perhaps I think she looks tired in this drawing and not her best. And the fact the album was in a plane generic plastic sleeve was a disappointment. Just didn't look like A&M put much money into the packaging.

 

[RainyDays]

Now that I think of it, why are they wearing matching yellow collar shirts in front of a yellow background? As I've said before, I think if I actually had the LP in person I would have seen the flaws of the packaging. I guess I just like the cutesyness of the Christmasness of it and how Santa is hanging up another portrait to go along with the one from 1978...yeah, I have no idea...

 

[Harry]

Just for reference, a larger image than the one Chris used above:

Harry

 

[Harry]

Oh - and something I've not seen mentioned before. I always thought this guy in the lower right corner:



...looked like an elf-caricature of Richard.

Harry

 

[A&M Retro]

I believe A&M chose not to spend as much money on the album when it was being prepared for release. I believe it came out as part of their budget catalog right off the bat in 1984. I remember the vinyl being less expensive than the cassette version. Anyway, that would explain the shortcuts on the sleeve and the inner sleeve, as well.

When Richard was notified on this fact, he was not happy. I don't remember how that story surfaced, but I'm pretty certain that's how it went down. I also remember hearing he was frustrated that he'd put so much effort into it, as it was unfairly consigned to the budget series.

 

[Harry]

Richard's quote in the 35th Anniversary box set from Japan:

"After I turned in the master, I got the unwelcome news that the album would be released as a 'mid-line' product, and even though pressed on audiophile vinyl, would not get an inner sleeve with notes and lyrics. As if that weren't troubling enough, no promotion at all was planned. It turns out this was A&M's plan all along; if I had known this, the album would not have been made. Additionally, it was my ill-conceived idea to ask the artist, Robert Tannenbaum, who did such a clever job with the 'Christmas Portrait' cover to have a go at the new cover, not remembering that 'lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place'. The resulting cover doesn't come close to the original, in no small part due to the fact that, for some reason unknown to me, he decided to position Karen as tall as I! This looks a bit odd to my eye, as I'm 6' and Karen was 5'4".

Harry

 

[A&M Retro]

Thanks for posting that, Harry. I knew I'd read that someplace.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This is another reason why he should have revisited this album and make it the way it should have been made. There is just no reason why this album didn't get an inner sleeve and some photos inside.

 

[aaflyer98]

I wonder why A&M had lost faith in the Carpenters' product, especially after Karen's passing.