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Christmas music was a vital part of the Carpenters canon from the very beginning.  In 1970, Richard and Karen contributed their own standard to the yuletide canon with “Merry Christmas Darling,” the first of three holiday singles released by the brother-and-sister duo.  Richard set to music the lyric written by Frank Pooler, choir director at the Carpenters’ alma mater of California State University – Long Beach (today the home of the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center), and in the process created the rare holiday perennial written in the second half of the twentieth century. Karen’s lead vocal to “Merry Christmas” was re-recorded in 1978 for inclusion on the platinum-selling holiday LP Christmas Portrait, a showcase for Karen’s gorgeous vocals and Richard’s lush, intricate arrangements.  (Richard, Peter Knight, and Billy May provided the luminous orchestrations.)  The album, a true suite with songs flowing seamlessly, also contained “The Christmas Song” (a 1977 single) and an alternate arrangement of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (a 1974 single).  On November 1, all three of those classic songs – and 13 more – will be featured on Christmas Once More, a new collection from A&M/UMe on CD, black vinyl, limited-edition gold vinyl, digital download, streaming, and Dolby Atmos digital.

Christmas Portrait, Carpenters’ ninth studio album, was followed in 1984 by An Old-Fashioned Christmas – the duo’s twelfth LP and second posthumous album in the wake of Karen’s passing in February 1983.  Utilizing outtakes from Christmas Portrait, the original 1974 ballad recording of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and new material, An Old-Fashioned Christmas continued in the joyful, elegant, and richly musical spirit of its predecessor.  A 1984 CD reissue of Christmas Portrait incorporated tracks from An Old-Fashioned Christmas, while 1996’s Christmas Collection presented both LPs in their entirety.

Curated and remixed by Richard Carpenter, Christmas Once More presents highlights from both of Carpenters’ Christmas albums as well as the newly-orchestrated “Merry Christmas Darling” from the duo’s 2018 album Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  It offers both secular favorites (“Sleigh Ride,” “The First Snowfall/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”) and timeless carols (“Little Altar Boy,” “Christ Is Born,” “Ave Maria”).

Richard shares in the press release accompanying Christmas Once More, “With Karen’s marvelous leads, combined with an oversize studio orchestra and chorus, terrific arrangements, and timeless music, Christmas Portrait was, and is, an almost incomparable Christmas album.”  Though Richard modestly suggests that it should have been released as a Karen studio album, it was a true collaboration, with his conceptual framing, beautiful (and inventive) arrangements, and multi-tracked harmonies all supporting her warm leads. Richard’s own voice is heard first on Christmas Once More – or voices, as in the twelve parts he overdubbed for “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” leading into “Happy Holiday.”  The latter ends on F# above middle-C, the note Karen begins her rendition of Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen’s swirling “Christmas Waltz.”  Richard notes, “I like to connect these things when I can.”

Though there’s no substitute for the original albums, Christmas Once More promises to be a potent reminder of the beauty and joy of the Carpenters’ Christmas repertoire, with new remixes by Richard offering a new look at old favorites.  It’s available on November 1.  You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Carpenters, Christmas Once More (A&M/UMe, 2024)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (Gold Vinyl)

1. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
2. Happy Holiday
3. The Christmas Waltz
4. Sleigh Ride
5. It’s Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
7. Christ is Born
8. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
9. Merry Christmas, Darling (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
10. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on An Open Fire)
11. (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
12. Little Altar Boy
13. The First Snowfall/Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
14. My Favorite Things
15. White Christmas
16. Ave Maria

Original mixes of Tracks 1, 8, 11-12 and 14 from An Old-Fashioned Christmas – A&M SP-5172, 1984
Original mixes of Tracks 3-7, 10, 13 and 15-16 from Christmas Portrait – A&M SP-4726, 1978
Original mix of Track 9 from Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A&M/UMe B0029140-02, 2018. Original version released on A&M single AM-1236-S, 1970