Christmas Portrait CD

Song Listing

Disc 1

Song Title

1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear ~ Carpenters

2. Overture: Happy Holiday / The First Noel / March Of The Toys / Little Jesus / I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus / O Little Town of Bethlehem / In Dulce Jubilo / Gesu Bambino / Angels We Have Heard On High ~ Carpenters

3. Old-Fashioned Christmas, An ~ Carpenters

4. Christmas Waltz ~ Carpenters

5. Sleigh Ride ~ Carpenters

6. It's Christmas Time ~ Carpenters

7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ~ Carpenters

8. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town ~ Carpenters

9. Christmas Song, The (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) ~ Carpenters

10. Carol Of The Bells ~ Carpenters

11. Merry Christmas Darling ~ Carpenters

12. Christ Is Born ~ Carpenters

13. O Holy Night ~ Carpenters

14. Home For The Holidays ~ Carpenters

15. Here Comes Santa Claus / Frosty The Snowman / Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer / Good King Wenceslas ~ Carpenters

16. Winter Wonderland / Silver Bells / White Christmas ~ Carpenters

17. Ave Maria ~ Carpenters

18. Overture Miniature / Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies / Valse Des Fleurs ~ Carpenters

19. Little Altar Boy ~ Carpenters

20. I'll Be Home For Christmas ~ Carpenters

21. Silent Night ~ Carpenters

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
	The Carpenters: Karen Carpenter (vocals); Richard Carpenter (keyboards).
	Additional personnel includes: Bob Messenger (tenor saxophone); Pete Morgan (acoustic bass); Joe Osborn (electric bass); Ron Tutt, Barry Morgan, Cubby O'Brien (drums).
	The Carpenters were just about the last adult pop outfit of their era with anything resembling rock credibility (they did have a little of the latter in the early days, and weren't a kid act like the Osmonds) who could have pulled off a straight Christmas album. And they did it in superb style here, illuminated throughout by the delightful, complex, often playful arrangements, courtesy of Peter Knight, Richard Carpenter, and Billy May. Actually, for a change on a Carpenters album, Richard is the dominant personality on display across this record, as both co-arranger and producer, as well as the mastermind behind the project; Karen Carpenter's voice is also prominent, to be sure, most notably on "Merry Christmas, Darling" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and she threw herself into this next-to-last completed project (and their final release before a two-year hiatus), but it's Richard who comes to the fore everywhere here, in ways that are impossible to ignore. And the results are mightily impressive, as the mood never slackens in what amounts to a wall-to-wall celebration of the Christmas holiday. After a suitably festive introductory section, Karen Carpenter's solo voice comes up on the "Christmas Waltz" and the proceedings really take off, carrying us into the most engaging rendition of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" that has come down in many a year, and it only gets better from there, through a brace of holiday staples that end up sounding fresh in her voice and his arrangements. There's not a slack moment on this album, which is also, curiously, one of the few Carpenters' albums that managed to sound good in every CD edition so far released on it (most of the others needed to be upgraded). ~ Bruce Eder
Producer: Richard Carpenter

Compilation Appearances

A m 50:Anniversary Collection

Associated Artists and Works

Taliesin Orchestra

Technical Info

	Release Date : 10/25/1990
	Original Release Date : 1978
	Catalog ID : 215 173
	Label : A&M (USA)
	Number of Discs : 1
	Studio/Live : Studio
	Mono/Stereo : Stereo
	SPAR Code : AAD
	UPC : 00075021517325