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

How Would You Rate This Album?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 26 81.3%
  • ****

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • ***

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • **

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    32
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Chris May

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“CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT”

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Catalogue Number: A&M SP-4726
Date of Release: 10/13/78
Chart Position- U.S.: #145
Album Singles: "Christmas Song"/"Merry Christmas, Darling"
Medium: Vinyl/Cassette/CD (West Germany/U.S. "Special Edition", Japan,
U.S. Christmas Collection, Disc 1)
Track Listing:

1.) O Come, O Come Emmanuel*** :28 (P.D. Arrg. & Adapted by Richard Carpenter)
2.) Overture*: 4:38

a. Deck The Halls (With Boughs Of Holly) / (P.D. Trad French Carol)
b. I Saw Three Ships (P.D. Trad Welsh Carol)
c. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Martin/Blane)
d. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (P.D. Trad English Carol)
e. Away In A Manger (Luther’s Cradle Hymn) / (P.D. Luther/Mueller/Spilman)
f. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves) / (P.D. Will C. Dix)
g. Carol Of The Bells (P.D. Trad Ukranian Carol)
h. O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) / (P.D. English version: Oakeley/Wade/Reai)

3.) The Christmas Waltz* 2:15 (Cahn/Styne)
4.) Sleigh Ride** 2:39 (Parish/Anderson)
5.) It’s Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children* 2:53(Young/Stilman/Bergman/Klatzkin)
6.) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas** 3:55 (Martin/Blane)
7.) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town* 1:05 (Giliespie/Coots)
8.) The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)** 3:39 (Torme/Wells)
9.) Silent Night* 3:19 (P.D. Orig. Music by Franz Gruber, Arrg. & Adapted by Peter Knight)
10.) Jingle Bells* 1:10 (P.D. Orig Music: James Pierpont, Arrg. & Adapted by Peter Knight)
11.) The First Snowfall/Let It Snow (Medley)* 3:35 (Webster/Burke) & (Cahn/Styne)
12.) Carol Of The Bells* 1:39 (P.D. Trad Ukranian Carol, Arrg. & Adapted by Richard Carpenter)
13.) Merry Christmas Darling+*** 3:05 (Pooler/Carpenter)
14.) I’ll Be Home For Christmas** 3:48 (Gannon/Kent/Ram)
15.) Christ Is Born* 3:13 (Charles/Bartolucci)
16.) Medley**: 5:31

a. Winter Wonderland" (Smith/Bernard)
b. Silver Bells" (Livingston/Evans)
c. White Christmas" (Berlin)

17.) Ave Maria* 2:35 (P.D. Original Music: Johann Sebastian Bach, Adapted by Charles Gounod, This arrg & adaptation by Peter Knight)

Credits:

Produced by Richard Carpenter
Associate Producer Karen Carpenter
Lead Vocals: Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter
Arranged by Peter Knight*, Billy May**, and Richard Carpenter***
Keyboards: Pete Jolly and Richard Carpenter
Bass: Joe Osborn
Drums: Ron Tutt and Cubby O’Brien
Guitars: Bob Bain, Tony Peluso and Tommy Tedesco
Harp: Gayle Levant and Dorothy Remsen
Oboe: Earl Dumler and John Ellis
Tenor Sax: Bob Messenger
Vocals: The Tom Bahler Chorale and Karen & Richard Carpenter
Engineered by Ray Gerhardt, Roger Young and Dave Iveland
Mastering Engineer: Bernie Grundman
+"Merry Christmas Darling" Produced by Jack Daugherty
Special Thanks to: Ed Sulzer
Personal Management: Jerry Weintraub / Management Three
Art Direction & Design: Tim Bryant / Gribbit
Illustration: Robert Tenenbaum

© 1978 A&M Records, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 
"Quintessential" is indeed the word to describe Christmas Portrait. So much can be said in praise of this album, but I will limit my comments. The chill factor is evident on songs, such as "Ave Maria" (in my mind, the definitive version of this song) and "Christ Is Born." Perennial Christmas classic "Merry Christmas Darling" is included---of course---and I really enjoy the secular songs, such as "The Christmas Song" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Kudos to Richard for his amazing talents, showcased on both Christmas albums, as "pianist-arranger-composer-conductor."
 
I agree with James and Harry. "Quintessential" says it all. This album achieves sheer perfection from start to finish. Richard outdid himself on this album with the concept and song flow.

Karen shines on this album like never before. The songs, arrangements and sentiments suit her style so well, and, as Dionne Warwick has stated, you can her smile as she sings. Her genuine love of Christmas was captured in these grooves forever.

While I prefer the 1970 version of "Merry Christmas Darling", I also like the newer version done for this album. It was quite a nice bonus when the album was released.

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" has never been matched by any other artist. Karen's vocals soar on that tune, and so many others here.

"Christmas Portrait" is definitely the finest Christmas album ever recorded, and its following grows stronger with each passing year. What a fine work of art to leave behind! Sorry if this sounds like over-dramatic praise, but this album deserves it.
 
Completely agree that this may be the best Christmas album out there. I'm not quite as taken with the heavy emphasis on the chorale and orchestration as others seem to be...frankly, I missed the overdubbing element of the Carpenters sound. It's part of what made them unique. Putting that aside, this was an A+ collection of material, and (after listening to Judy Garland's take on "Have Yourself..." several times these past few days) I honestly feel that Karen now owns the definitive version of this song. My favorite on this album.
 
Yes it is my FAVORITE Christmas album of all time! I remember the first time I heard it. Christmas 1988. Our family (parents) were going thru a separation leading to a divorce, and I was 16 and it was a tumulteous time, to say the least. So Mother and 3 of my siblings were picked up by my Uncle in his truck, with all our Christmas stuff and drove the 10 hours west to Swift Current, Sk, from Winnipeg, Mb. Mom had let us open one gift, actually two. First, we all got a walkman, which we were thrilled. Secondly, I got twintape of the Carpenters Christmas albums, sold at K-mart. I had seen it a few weeks prior, but wistfully knew I would not be getting it. They were priced at about $15.99 and back then, in 1988, was a lot of money. In our family, we did not have money to throw around. I was ecstatic when I opened the package containing the cassette tape and listened to it, both albums, on my trip to Swift Current. It was bittersweet, and a beautiful moment to hear their music, and to hear THAT voice. I fell in love with her music. I have no visible memory of any Christmas music of their's before that moment, so for me, it was a new event, having been a new fan since abt May 1988 (although their pop hits, I can recall during the 1970's onward).

I loved everything about the album. The flow, the instrumentals, the songs seguing from one to another. I loved SLEIGH RIDE and the feel. HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS...I always think Judy who? AVE MARIA is just chilling and perfect. MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING a delight. It really is a classy album! And my favorite of all Holiday albums!
 
Have Yourself was a song I had only heard Karen sing. When everyone started mentioning Judy Garland, I remember thinking "That Wizard of Oz girl?" (Sometimes, I find lots of humor in my unintentional ignorance of older music!) Of course, Karen's version is peerless.
 
I like the fact there is no overdubbing and it's basically just Karen, sometimes less is more. I agree with Richard, this was really Karen's album. I must admit as much as I'd like every song to be Karen, the interludes are what makes the album complete. It just brings it all together so nicely. I may be in the minority here but I just love the intrumentals in both of the Christmas albums.

I feel that the use of the O.K. Chorale only works best on the Christmas albums and really do not belong on the studio albums. What a treat to hear Karen without the choir on Ave Maria, it's the way that track should have been released.
 
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This is nothing short of the perfect holiday treat: a lush, warm, tenderly atmospheric collection of amazing songs, arranged with emotion and feeling, and sung by the voice of a Christmas Angel. Can you ask for more at Christmastime?!

The first time (I think?) I really remember hearing a Carpenters song/Karen's voice was hearing Merry Christmas, Darling (78) on the Now That's What I Call Christmas complimation CD around 2000/2001 (around age 7/8) -- which I still have! The older, classic songs were on their own disc and I always remember when MC,D began...I didn't know who was singing it...but I always pictured an old fashioned Christmas setting with candles and fire place roaring and thinking that this woman's voice was much older than a 28 year olds (as I found out later). The track and unqiue voice caught my attention each year, but for about a year now, the voice has become a permenantly recurring one in my playlist...
 
Karen's searing rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is masterful! Ahhhhh, I think I will have one.

Jeff
 
Joining in the praises for this masterpiece, it's my favorite Christmas album and probably my favorite album of all time.
Karen's performance of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has to be the greatest pop version of the song ever recorded. I love Judy Garland's, but to me, Karen takes it to a new level. I've been happy to hear it on the radio several times already this year. I see that it's one of the three Carpenters Christmas songs charting on Billboard again. The other two are "Home for the Holidays" and of course "Merry Christmas Darling".

These recordings have brought so much joy and as the years go on, it becomes more and more meaningful as the memories flood back. It's the soundtrack of our holidays and lives. Karen's voice sounds like everything beautiful about the season. What a miracle she was.

Happy Holidays Everyone!
 
On the Holiday Song List, at Billboard, re-entry for MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING-Carpenters at #24. It's also #23 on Holiday Airplay.
 
Also in the Catalogue Album Charts, CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT is #40, and on the Holiday Album Charts, it's #35....
 
What can I say thats not already been said? Best Christmas album EVER. My aunt turned my mom and me onto it several years ago, and though I knew of her radio staples (including my FAVORITE Christmas song of all time, MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING), I was in awe of the entire album. Im not a religious person, but in my opinion her vocals on LITTLE ALTAR BOY are perfect, almost haunting (I have the cd that is a box set of the 2 albums, but it says Christmas Portrait). The only problem I have with this album...is I cant stop listening to it! I love Christmas music, Ive been listening to it since early November and will until after New Years. There are so many great songs I enjoy from other artists, but I sort of find myself listening to them not as often as I should, because I cannot stop listening to Christmas Portrait! HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS is probably one of the most covered holiday hits of all time, and while many versions are ok, I find only the Carpenters and the Pretenders near perfection. Same with THE CHRISTMAS SONG. The ONLY one who can outdo Karen on this is Nat King Cole. And as mentioned, I could probably listen to MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING on repeat for hours without tiring of it!
 
I'm sure I've detailed my initial encounter with CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT before. Back in 1978, I'd switched jobs to the radio station where I spent the rest of my career, WMGK, Philadelphia. For two and a half years, the station had been located in center-city Philadelphia, but in summer '78, we'd moved back to the suburbs. With all of that hectic activity (moving a radio station is quite an effort) plus I'd also met the lady who became my wife around this time, I was less than involved in whatever Carpenters were doing. To be sure, I'd gotten PASSAGE the year before and followed along with the hits from that album, but in the intervening year, they weren't exactly top of mind.

As a result, some very dear friends of mine actually managed to find CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT in the stores and surprise me with it as an early Christmas gift. My album still has the official gift sticker on it the outer shrink wrap, though the shrink has torn over the years.

When I first got the gift and perused the track list, I was thrilled to see both of the titles of their Christmas hits on it, as one would expect. But I was then somewhat disappointed that neither song was the true hit version. "Merry Christmas Darling was a re-record, and "Santa Claus..." was just an interlude by the chorus. Nevertheless, the album was (and remains) a delight, and became a perennial favorite.

I spent a good few years in the '80s trying to assemble the tracks in their proper order from CD to cassette, since the expanded edition was a mixture of the two Christmas albums. Thank God that I found the proper German CD version while on a trip in Munich in the late '80s. I felt like a true tourist buying a Christmas album in the middle of a very warm May afternoon in the old city.

Harry
 
I have the both christmas albums in a two cd set ( the u.s version.) I remember the first time i heard merry christmas darling on my radio christmas morning in 1978 and i knew it was karen's voice although i didnt know the title at that point and i was only 11 years old nevertheless i still enjoy hearing both christmas portrait and an old fashioned christmas. Even more today what made being a kid a little easier. Now makes me feel a little bit younger.
 
As great as their Christmas albums are I've always quietly wished they'd recorded a lot of these songs between 1970 and 1975 (probably around the time of Santa Claus is Coming to Town) before Karen's voice lost a certain smoothness to her vocals. Don't get me wrong, it's still smooth and her vocals are fantastic (Christ is Born, Sleep Well Little Children, He Came Here For Me and Little Altar Boy are probably my favourites of the later tunes). But Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas highlights this loss of smoothness at times. Karen's "Hang" has always seemed ever so slightly jarring to my ears especially when compared to her "hanging around" bit of Rainy Days and Mondays which is much smoother. It's a minor and admittedly rather picky complaint and she soars on the "highest bough" bit of the same song!

Another minor complaint I have is that some of the songs don't lend themselves to "shuffle" on my MP3 Christmas playlist as the merging of tracks, which work well on the albums, means they can come to an abrupt and strange end when followed by a non-Carpenters track (Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas running into the beginning of Ave Maria is the worst offender). I don't suppose Richard would address this at some point in the future?!
 
Another minor complaint I have is that some of the songs don't lend themselves to "shuffle" on my MP3 Christmas playlist as the merging of tracks, which work well on the albums, means they can come to an abrupt and strange end when followed by a non-Carpenters track (Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas running into the beginning of Ave Maria is the worst offender). I don't suppose Richard would address this at some point in the future?!

I've actually been thinking of addressing this on my own, because it is a problem. You're listening to a song and it just suddenly ends, really destroying the mood. I should take the time to record the whole disc as one track, then do manual separations of tracks with proper fade-outs, solely for the purpose of shuffling them with other tracks or putting individual tracks on compilations.

Harry
 
And it was actually easier than I thought, editing the whole of CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT in an hour and 10 minutes, so that each track stands on its own, for personal music players on shuffle.

I ripped the whole album in as wave files, so there were 17 individual wav files. Then I opened each song and its followup into Audacity, using copy and paste to merge the portion of the followup track that needed to be included. Then I tightened up the start of the track, fading in or chopping as necessary, and fading out or chopping the ends as necessary. A quick save of the file and onto the next.

The whole process - ripping included - took a little more than an hour.

Now I need to write it back out as a CD-R, or further rip them for my player in a compressed format.

Harry
 
Yes, this album does create a problem when on random. During the year whenever a track from this album comes up while on random on my ipod, I usually hit next for this very reason. This is a great idea Harry.

For me each year, I really look forward to hearing this album from begining to end. I usually always grab my West Germany CD version, it's the definitive version for me and there is something to be said about listening to it from begining to end presented the way it was produced. The album just flows perfectly. I have always loved the intrumentals placed in between Karen's vocals. The instrumentals allow me to appreciate when Karen enters if that makes sense.

...wishing for cold weather this Christmas....:shivering:
 
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