"Merry Christmas Darling" The Carpenters

[HolidayGuy]

How could this *not* be a topic here? Karen Carpenter's vocals shine on this holiday classic. Not exactly feel-good festive, but it gives me goosebumps.

[JCMF3]

Classic. I love it.

And FYI - a #1 SMASH on the AC Chart Sans Recurrent Rules in 2003!

[HolidayGuy]

But of course. :)

It's a prennial strong performer during the holiday season.

[musicradio77]

I love that song. Is from the album "Christmas Portrait".

[SPRΞΞ]

This is one of my favorite Xmas songs ever! The ending is amazing.

[SPRΞΞ]

Nov 10, 2005 12:23:01 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

But of course. :)

It's a prennial strong performer during the holiday season.

wasn't it in the Top 15 last year?

[dth1971]

"And I wish you Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too..."

[HolidayGuy]

Peaks on Billboard Charts:
Hot Holiday Songs (chart that debuted in 2011): No. 35
Holiday Songs (chart based on AC airplay only): No. 1
Holiday Digital Songs: No. 47
Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay: No. 10
Hot 100 Recurrent Singles: No. 11
Adult Contemporary Recurrent Airplay: No. 1

[Dreams]

Richard Carpenter composed the music for this song in 1966 when he was 19 years old. Frank Pooler wrote the lyrics twenty years earlier, in 1946, when he also was only 19 years old. The song Pooler had written was to be a Christmas gift for his girlriend, whom he was missing while being away from her during a visit with his parents at Christmas time. However, their relationship ended before he could present it to her.

Twenty years later, Pooler was the choir director at California State University in Long Beach, when both Karen and Richard Carpenter were members of the choir. Richard and Karen were performing locally and had tired of playing the usual Christmas fare. Richard asked Pooler, their favorite professor, if he had any ideas for different Christmas songs.

Pooler remembered the Christmas song he had written many years before and mentioned it to Richard, adding that he didn't think much of the melody anymore. Richard said he would try his hand at writing new music for the lyrics. Within about 15 minutes he was finished creating a song, written by two teenagers who were a generation apart, that was destined to become a Christmas classic.

The song was first released as a single on November 20, 1970, and earned gold record status. This song sparked the idea of a Christmas album by The Carpenters, and on October 13, 1978, Christmas Portrait was released with this newly recorded version of the song. Karen re-recorded her vocals for the album version as she felt that she could give the vocals a more mature treatment. This newly recorded version was presented on their TV Christmas special in 1978 became a hit all over again.

This has become one of my all-time favorite holiday songs over the past few years. Karen Carpenter sells it well I think because she doesn't really belt it (that woman's voice had such a subtle, pure, incandescent quality to it period). I love the lyrics and the short sax intermezzo, as well.

They don't top the original but these two versions are pretty good in my opinion:

[SPRΞΞ]

Definitely in my Top 5 all-time Xmas favorites.

[ant]

I love the original single version that wasn't on the Christmas Portrait album more, but both versions are great. Her voice is amazing, it's a shame most of the Carpenters songs are so cheesy, lyrically, aside from this.

[Ginger Spice]

Love it.

[HolidayGuy]

Any- that's what the Carpenters were- and they did it very well (I view Air Supply the same way).

[SPRΞΞ]

Where was this on the Holiday chart? I love this song, and Christmas Portrait is a great Xmas album.

[Dreams]

How well has this been doing in the past holiday seasons and this year?

I still adore it, one of my favorite Christmas songs of all. Just gorgeous.

[johnm1120]

Traditionally my AC station plays this staple on Christmas Eve at noon every year.