In the public's mind, the origins of their holiday album begin with the release of the original version of the Merry Christmas Darling single in late November 1970, but in truth, it begins even earlier.
Frank at university in 1946.
The lyricist Frank Pooler reached his formative teen years at the same time as World War II was impacting the globe. The hits songs during this time were from the great crooners of the day who also seemed to have a soft spot for Christmas music. These included Judy Garland's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, White Christmas by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, and many, many others. Beloved non-holiday themed hits became American classics too: As Time Goes By, Night and Day, I Love You for Sentimental Reasons, I've Got a Crush on You, and I Don't Want to Walk Without You, among many others.
During this time, Frank was smitten by a young woman and wanted to communicate his desire to be with her during the holidays. The melody he wrote didn't feel quite right and the relationship was not to be. But Frank liked the eloquent words he crafted, so he held onto them for another twenty years before they were handed off to a talented young university student. His name was Richard Carpenter.
Teen Richard and the racks and racks of records.
Richard's parents, particularly his father Harold, were music lovers. His record collection spanned the years of popular music, and Harold's son listened to these intently.
Along with the radio's latest hits, these records formed the soundtrack of their lives. Richard absorbed every important detail of the records, becoming obsessed with music trivia and could recall it all with ease. Later, he'd start figuring out the mechanics behind how these records were made in the studio. It would serve him well. Once his strong interest in the piano took hold, as well as Karen's later passion for playing the drums, it was evident that a career in music would be what the Carpenter siblings would pursue.
Richard and Karen were part of various musical groups, including one that was slowly gaining popularity in the Los Angeles area. They entered Cal State University Long Beach where they were instructed by the choral director- Frank Pooler. He was impressed with the young genius, and it didn't take long before Richard would put his own music to Franks lyrics for Merry Christmas Darling. In 1966, there was no record deal for their group, but Richard never forgot the song.
When A&M Records signed the Carpenters in 1969, the first order of the day was getting a hit. Their remake of the Beatles' upbeat Ticket to Ride was a mid-chart ballad. It was a good start, but it was nothing compared to what would happen with their second single.
Label founder Herb Alpert handed Richard a lead sheet for a little known Burt Bacharach tune They Long to Be Close to You. Richard's arrangement and their performance of it - in particular Karen's lead and the duo's spectacular stacked background vocals- made it a song that careers are built on. Close to You was Number One for four weeks on the Billboard charts in 1970, receiving constant airplay all over the country.
The Carpenters next chart hit may have stalled at Number Two, but We've Only Just Begun was still getting lots of airplay when the new holiday single Merry Christmas Darling was recorded and finally released at the end of the same year. It too was all over the radio.
Billboard magazine ad for Merry Christmas Darling.
After a few notes from Richard at the piano, Karen comes in with four lines of an almost spoken introduction. In contrast to other songs on the air, this style came from the Great American Songbook and not Rock and Roll. The record stood apart, more akin to those by Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, and the Gershwin brothers than it was to current hits by Three Dog Night, The Guess Who, The Rolling Stones or the Beatles. Again, they were different from the pack, and fans couldn't get enough of the new duo from Downey, California.
Due to Richard's creativity being at its peak, the end of the record was as distinctive as its beginning. Karen and Richard's layered vocals- now a trademark of their sound- recalled their breakout hit, evoking Christmas choirs and cups of peppermint hot chocolate. With another brilliant arrangement that was never trendy, the record stood out in a very good way. Merry Christmas Darling became an instant classic almost 25 years after it was first written. The song has been covered often, but the end results cannot match the one by the original artists.
Karen and Richard's third hit, For All We Know, would come just a bit later in January. It too would reach the Top Five with more to come. Make no mistake about it- The Carpenters were hotter than hot!
Christmas greetings in 1972.
Fans and critics instantly realized Karen's voice and Richard's lush arrangements were perfectly suited for Christmas music. People were just thrilled with the possibility. Critics continued to label their music as not worthy of attention. They bemoaned their art for a few reasons. Karen's singing voice had no grit or snarl like that of Janis Joplin or Grace Slick. Two, Richard's arrangements were refined and also quite complex- much more akin to artists from decades in the past; and Three, the duo did not look like Rock and Rollers. Ultimately, critics were threatened by a potential culture change that Karen and Richard could bring. They were right. The Carpenters ushered in a whole new genre of softer hits and paved the way for artists such as Bread, James Taylor, Anne Murray, and Carole King.
Of course, the duo themselves knew this pairing of their strengths with Christmas music was right from the beginning. Karen and Richard had wanted to create a full length seasonal collection at some point in their career, but more Christmas music would have to wait. There was way too much touring to do and future albums to write, arrange, and produce.
From Billboard, November 30, 1974.
Merry Christmas Darling was a radio hit for the next several years. After many smash records, a handful of chart topping albums, and sold out concerts all over the world, this Richard Carpenter / Frank Pooler song was followed by another holiday record. Finally.
So smooth!
The duo's mid-decade release of a slow boil, jazzy version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town was pure perfection. Karen's sultry vocal atop Richard's shimmering arrangement transformed a kid focused ditty to a sophisticated, adult friendly confection. Smooth jazz before the genre was coined such a thing.
Nice clean copy of TV Guide's close up.
A truly beautiful moment.
When they performed the new song on the Perry Como Christmas Show, it was evident a full length album just had to be made. The duo's Santa Claus and the trio of Richard, Karen, and Perry performing each others hits were the highlight of the show. A Christmas album would be a perfect pairing of that once in a lifetime voice with music written to celebrate Christ's birth and all the season's cheer.
But the timing was still off.
Karen and Richard's next project in 1975 would be the incredible Horizon (my review here), a fan favorite further pushing off a chance at a full length seasonal collection. After Horizon, it was the less than stellar but beautiful A Kind of Hush in 1976 that hit the record store shelves. In contrast to Horizon, I found it under the bins displaying the latest hit albums. Airplay and sales began to slow at an increasing rate.
On the set of the first Christmas television special.
Tracks for a full length Carpenters Christmas collection began to be laid down in earnest in late 1977. Their first holiday themed television special would be broadcast that same year, but the accompanying album was not even close to being completed. Besides, Passage had just been released. Karen and Richard wanted - and their career needed - a strong hit on Top 40 radio. The album, and everyone who wanted a Christmas disc from the duo, would have to wait one more year.
Karen and Richard on the set of the 1977 television special.
As sophisticated as the Santa single was, the ABC network television special, "The Carpenters at Christmas" had its ups and downs. Be that as it may, I was glued to the tube. Karen and Richard were once again saddled with some very nice people but absolutely no one that would make their television special a must-see event. Guest stars included Kristy McNichol and Harvey Korman. It was just one more image downgrade when the duo really could have used a boost.
Unfortunately, the last time.
By the time 1978 rolled along, I was just finishing my classes to enter my new career in the travel industry. A large firm with branches in Huntington Park and La Mirada hired me. We were so busy, the year flew by. My dream of going to Japan was about a year away, but in the interim, I would get addicted to helping people plan their business trips and vacations. As I did my research, I learned so much about other cultures all over the world that it did not take long for me to realize that I would be hooked on traveling for life.
In the midst of all my busyness, I did once again trek to Las Vegas to see my favorite duo. Of course, I did. They were at the MGM Grand Hotel in September. This would be my second time there. The venue was larger than the Riviera, the meal much better, and the prices certainly much higher. Still not even close to today's prices, but it was worth every dollar I spent.
The new show built on the bones of the 1976 one, but with a few new songs slid in. This included Don't Cry for Me Argentina and a very well done and unexpected "bonus" segment.
This show began with the Flat Baroque intro, then There's a Kind of Hush. Just when I thought it would be the very same show, Karen and Richard sang Thank You for the Music. A nice surprise that gave me hope there would be a new material in the mix.
Next up was I Need to Be in Love flowing into a beautiful When I Fall in Love. I fully expected to hear this on an album soon as in their hit making years, they rarely ever did songs that wouldn't show up on a disc sooner or later. Even more than the beautiful I Can Dream, Can't I? from Horizon, hearing Karen sing this classic love song made me realize they really needed to record a full disc of standards. It would never happen. A couple of years later, they would actually record one, but the rare piece of vinyl would only be given out as a special gift to close friends and family.
The rest of the show remained close to the Palladium line up, Don't Cry for Me Argentina - and maybe Star Wars/Close Encounters aside, with one significant and delightful change. There was a brief foray into Christmas music. It all ended with Merry Christmas, Darling.
This photo looks inverted to me.
By this point in her career, Karen had matured as a performer and was seemingly more than confident out in front. She was charming and quite engaged with her audience, and she knew how to communicate with them and put on a great show. As Karen crooned the last line of their first Christmas hit, she held out her open palm off to her side at shoulder level. Just then snowflakes fell from the sky gently landing on it. This was just perfect- beautifully capturing the magic of the season.
Little did I know there would be much more Carpenters Christmas to come... or that it would be the last time I would travel to Las Vegas to see them perform. Nor would anyone else go to the desert to see them. Richard would cancel the remaining scheduled shows and never again return to Sin City's stages. His addiction had a firm grip on him, and something had to give. No one beyond the duo's closest friends and business acquaintances knew it had already had its impact on the very first Carpenters Christmas collection.
Nat King Cole at
Disneyland.
He and Karen had a few things in common.
Four years after the second holiday single, in November of 1978, the third one finally arrived. This one would be used to promote the long awaited album. It was a song first performed on their earlier television special: a faithful rendition of Nat King Cole's iconic Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).
Released November 11, 1978
The gorgeous 1945 song by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé suited Karen's lush voice beautifully. If there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that Karen Carpenter was a crooner of the finest tradition, her rendition of this classic put the debate to rest. With Richard's tasteful and restrained arrangement, their version of this holiday classic remains one of the duo's most compelling recordings.
Not only would Carpenters fans get a third Christmas song with this single, the flip side would hold a brand new vocal on Merry Christmas Darling. In place of her original with the darker, huskier voice, now we'd find Karen's vocal more refined and creamy. From this point forward, the original release of the song would be much harder to find, becoming a collector's item. In the fan community, the debate would continue as to which version is better. I certainly appreciate both, but as I'd soon find out, it was very clear the older version would feel out of place on the Christmas Portrait album.
Fans and radio programmers - if they were waiting at all- had to be wondering what would be next for Karen and Richard. The 1978 pop release of I Believe You did not make a dent on radio playlists or set the charts charts ablaze. The brand new single- solidly in the Adult Contemporary genre with a very old school feel - was an undebatable flop. With that, a lot of pressure was resting on the upcoming Christmas Portrait to keep the duo in the limelight.
Christmas albums were not the norm in the 1970's, so releasing one was as big a risk if not more so than Passage the year before. If Karen and Richard did something so traditional, would they ever again be taken seriously in the pop world? Perhaps not, but Richard knew instinctively that his sister would knock it out of the park and in the midst, they created an enduring classic as the public would respond favorably... but not immediately.
From very first song to final completion, the seasonal album was twelve years in the making. Certainly, the longest wait for any album ever. However, it was worth it! If Nat King Cole's Christmas album was the record to buy in his generation, the new Christmas Portrait was the one to buy in Karen and Richard's era.
As originally planned, Portrait was supposed to be a worldwide double disc release, but for some reason, that idea was thrown out by the executives at A&M Records. Years later, fans would get the remaining tracks due to circumstances no one ever wanted to face.
November 11 Billboard ad.
This Billboard ad also promoted their 1978 television special of the same name.
As it stands, Christmas Portrait is a disc that pulls at all the heart's emotions: longing, joy, falling in love, playfulness, worship, and hope. Was the album simplistic schmaltz- as critics often thought of the duo's music- or was it full of sincere emotion?
From 1977 but used later for many Christmas compilations.
