Carpenters - Christmas Portrait (1978)

1.      O Come, O Come Emmanuel :28
2.      Overture  4:38
 a.      Deck The Halls (With Boughs Of Holly)
 b.      I Saw Three Ships
 c.      Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
 d.      God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
 e.      Away In A Manger (Luther’s Cradle Hymn)
 f.      What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
 g.      Carol Of The Bells
 h.      O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
3.      The Christmas Waltz  2:15								play
4.      Sleigh Ride  2:39
5.      It’s Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children  2:53
6.      Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas  3:55
7.      Santa Claus Is Coming To Town  1:05
8.      The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)  3:39
9.      Silent Night  3:19
10.     Jingle Bells  1:10
11.     The First Snowfall/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow  3:35
12.     Carol Of The Bells  1:39								play
13.     Merry Christmas Darling  3:05
14.     I’ll Be Home For Christmas  3:48
15.     Christ Is Born  3:13
16.     Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christma  5:31
17.     Ave Maria  2:35

Personnel:
- Karen Carpenter - vocals, associate producer
- Richard Carpenter - keyboards, vocals, arranger, producer
- Pete Jolly - keyboards
- Bob Bain, Tommy Tedesco, Tony Peluso - guitar
- Bob Messenger - tenor saxophone
- Earl Dumler, John Ellis - oboe
- Gayle Levant, Dorothy Remsen - harp
- Joe Osborn - electric bass
- Cubby O'Brien, Ron Tutt - drums
- The Tom Bahler Chorale - backing vocals

Many artists cut a Christmas album to cash-in on their current popularity -it's a natural and easy "cash cow" for them. Unfortunately, too many artists take a very casual approach to their Christmas albums, not perfecting the sound as they would a regular album. Fortunately, this is not true where the Carpenters are concerned! Richard Carpenter had the Carpenter's Christmas album pictured the way he wanted it in his head, and then took the time and spent the money to get it right. The result is a lush, beautifully arranged sound with every effort made to make each song special. Wiht this album, the Carpenters created Christmas music that defines what Christmas music should sound like.

"Christmas Portrait", is the first Carpenter Christmas album, released in 1978. ("An Old-Fashioned Christmas", was the second, released in 1984, after Karen's tragic death). When "Christmas Portrait was conceived, Karen and Richard recorded so much Christmas material that they almost released a double album. Instead, they released a full single (and at that time vinyl) disk, (but packed it with nearly 50 minutes of music - which was pushing the limits back in the days of vinyl LPS. Christmas Portrait went platinum in the U.S. and became a hit all over the world, and it continues to do well. It is one of the few albums that has been a Top 10 hit on the Christmas charts in the `70s, `80s, and `90s. These are the songs you hear played in department stores and on the radio every Christmas season.

In 1984, A&M released the second Carpenter's Christmas album, "An Old-Fashioned Christmas". The album features the best of the overflow material from the "Christmas Portrait" sessions as well as some newly recorded pieces.

You will love the Christmas sound of the Carpenters and will play it every Christmas season. It is an A+ album and is perhaps the finest Christmas album ever recorded.

In the 1990's Richard combined both Carpenter Christmas albums into one album, entittled "Christmas Collection". This is certainly a consideration in buying one or the other. ---Jim "Konedog" Koenig, Carpenters Fan for 35 years

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