The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait

1978 studio album by the CarpentersChristmas PortraitStudio album by the CarpentersReleasedOctober 13, 1978Recorded1977–1978Studio A&M Studios (Los Angeles, CA) Abbey Road Studios (London, England) Evergreen Studios GenreChristmasLength49:08LabelA&MProducerRichard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter (associate)The Carpenters chronology

Passage(1977)

Christmas Portrait(1978)

The Singles: 1974–1978(1978)

Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusicMusicHound LoungeThe Rolling Stone Album Guide Christmas Portrait is the first Christmas album and ninth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on October 13, 1978.

[edit] The album includes a revised version of the duo's signature Christmas song, "Merry Christmas Darling", featuring re-recorded vocals by Karen Carpenter (done at her request). It also includes one of two versions of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". A slower version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", recorded in 1974, as well as other unused songs recorded during this album's sessions, were issued on the Carpenters' 1984 Christmas album, An Old-Fashioned Christmas.

Album artwork[edit] The original album cover by Robert Tanenbaum is modeled on Norman Rockwell's 1960 painting "Triple Self-Portrait", done as a cover for The Saturday Evening Post.

Reissues[edit] The standard CD version of Christmas Portrait, first issued in 1984, is a "Special Edition" compendium of selected tracks from the Carpenters' two Christmas albums into one 70-minute program, with tracks from each interspersed in the running order; "Ave Maria" was remixed at this time in order to include a choral track that vanished in 1978 and was later found. A CD of the original LP content was briefly issued exclusively in West Germany around the same time. In 1996, a two-CD set titled Christmas Collection was issued internationally, containing Christmas Portrait and An Old-Fashioned Christmas together with their original respective track listings.

[edit] On April 16, 1998, Christmas Portrait was certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipment of one million copies in the United States since its 1978 release. In December 2011, Christmas Portrait: Special Edition re-entered the Billboard 200 album sales chart at No. 150 and eventually achieved a new chart peak position of No. 126. In December 2012 and then, in December 2013, the album again re-entered the Billboard 200 album sales chart and attained a new chart peak position of No. 114. In January 2019, it reached a new peak position of No. 67 on the Billboard 200. The original Christmas Portrait has not been available on its own in the US since the late-90's, when the cassette version was discontinued, so the chart action in the 2010s is for the 1984 compilation. In January 2020, it reached another new peak position of No. 56 on the Billboard 200. By the end of November 2014, Christmas Portrait: Special Edition was the twenty-third best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the U.S. during the SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991 to present), having sold 1,950,000 copies according to SoundScan.

[edit] In their review, Cashbox called it "an appealing easy listening album which should be an attractive holiday package for Carpenters fans. Supported by elegant orchestral arrangements and the Tom Bahler Chorale, Karen and Richard sing their way through such Christmas favorites as "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "Sleigh Ride' and "Silver Bells." AllMusic noted that the duo "did it in superb style here, illuminated throughout by the delightful, complex, often playful arrangements...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... but it's Richard who comes to the fore everywhere here, in ways that are impossible to ignore. There's not a slack moment on this album."

[edit] Vocals: Karen Carpenter, Richard Carpenter Guitar: Bob Bain, Tony Peluso, Tommy Tedesco Bass: Joe Osborn Keyboards: Richard Carpenter, Pete Jolly Drums: Cubby O'Brien, Ron Tutt Saxophone: Bob Messenger Oboe: Earl Dumler, John Ellis Harp: Gayle Levant, Dorothy Remsen Backing Vocals: Tom Bahler Chorale

[edit] Side oneNo.TitleWriter(s)Length1."O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"TraditionalR. Carpenter[a]0:282."Deck the Halls (With Boughs of Holly)"/"I Saw Three Ships"/"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"/"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"/"Away in a Manger (Luther's Cradle Hymn)"/"What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)"/"Carol of the Bells"/"O Come All Ye Faithful" (overture)Traditional / TraditionalDavid Overton / Ralph BlaneHugh Martin / Traditional / TraditionalJames R. Murray / William Chatterton Dix / Mykola Dmytrovych LeontovychPeter WilhouskyNick Perito[a]Peter Knight[a] / John Francis WadeFrederick Oakeley4:383."Christmas Waltz"Sammy CahnJule Styne2:154."Sleigh Ride"Leroy AndersonMitchell Parish2:395."It's Christmas Time"/"Sleep Well, Little Children"Al StillmanVictor Young / Alan BergmanLeon Klatzkin2:536."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"BlaneMartin3:557."Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"John Frederick CootsHaven Gillespie1:058."Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"Mel TorméRobert Wells3:399."Silent Night"Franz Xaver GruberJoseph MohrJohn Freeman YoungKnight[a]3:19 Side twoNo.TitleWriter(s)Length10."Jingle Bells"James PierpontKnight[a]1:1011."First Snowfall"/"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"Sonny BurkePaul Francis Webster / CahnStyne3:3512."Carol of the Bells"LeontovychWilhouskyPerito[a]Knight[a]1:3913."Merry Christmas Darling"Frank PoolerR. Carpenter3:0514."I'll Be Home for Christmas"Kim GannonWalter KentBuck Ram3:4815."Christ Is Born"Ray CharlesDomenico Bartolucci3:1316."Winter Wonderland"/"Silver Bells"/"White Christmas"Felix BernardRichard B. Smith / Jay LivingstonRay Evans / Irving Berlin5:3117."Ave Maria"Johann Sebastian BachCharles GounodKnight[a]2:35 1984 Special Edition CDNo.TitleWriter(s)Length1."It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"Edmund SearsRichard Storrs Willis0:412."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 (The Infant Jesus)"/"Angels We Have Heard on High" (overture)Berlin / TraditionalR. Carpenter[a] / Victor Herbert / TraditionalR. Carpenter[a] / Tommie Connor / Phillips BrooksLewis Redner / TraditionalR. Carpenter[a] / Pietro Yon / TraditionalR. Carpenter[a]8:163."An Old-Fashioned Christmas"R.CarpenterJohn Bettis2:114."The Christmas Waltz"CahnStyne2:115."Sleigh Ride"AndersonParish2:396."It's Christmas Time"/"Sleep Well, Little Children"StillmanYoung / BergmanKlatzkin2:537."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"BlaneMartin3:548."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"CootsGillespie1:059."The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"TorméWells3:3910."Carol of the Bells"LeontovychWilhouskyPerito[a]Knight[a]1:3911."Merry Christmas Darling"PoolerR. Carpenter3:0712."Christ Is Born"CharlesBartolucci3:1313."O Holy Night"Adolphe AdamR. Carpenter[a]3:1014."(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"StillmanRobert Allen2:3615."Here Comes Santa Claus"/"Frosty the Snowman"/"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"/"Good King Wenceslas" (medley)Gene AutryOakley Haldeman / Steve NelsonJack Rollins / Johnny Marks / John Mason NealeR. Carpenter[a]3:4216."Winter Wonderland"/"Silver Bells"/"White Christmas"BernardSmith / LivingstonEvans / Berlin5:2817."Ave Maria"BachGounodKnight[a]2:3418."Overture Miniature"/"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"/"Valse des fleurs" (selections from Nutcracker)Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyR. Carpenter[a]5:2719."Little Altar Boy"Howlett Peter Smith3:4320."I'll Be Home for Christmas"GannonKentRam3:4921."Silent Night"GruberMohrYoungKnight[a]3:20 Notes

[edit] "Merry Christmas Darling"[edit] US 7" single (1970) – A&M 1236 "Merry Christmas Darling" "Mr. Guder" also "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" the original slow down vocal version was the B side A&M 1648 released a year later UK 7" single (1971) – AME601 "Merry Christmas Darling" "Ticket to Ride" "Saturday" UK 7" single (1990) – AM716 "Merry Christmas Darling" "(They Long to Be) Close to You" UK 7" single (1990) – AMS716 "Merry Christmas Darling" "(They Long to Be) Close to You" UK 12" single (1990) – AMY716 "Merry Christmas Darling" "You're the One" "(They Long to Be) Close to You" UK CD single (1990) – AMCD716 "Merry Christmas Darling" "(They Long to Be) Close to You" "You're the One" "Christmas Song"[edit] US 7" single (1977) – A&M 1991 "Christmas Song" "Merry Christmas Darling" JP 7" single (1977) – CM-2083 "Christmas Song" "Merry Christmas Darling" JP CD single (1996) – PODM-1059 "Christmas Song" "Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas" "Silent Night"[edit] JP 7" single (1978) – AMP 1012 "Silent Night" "Jingle Bells" "Ave Maria" "Ave Maria"[edit] JP CD single (1996) – PODM-1065 "Ave Maria" "Merry Christmas Darling"

[edit]

Chart performance for Christmas Portrait

Chart (1978–2023)

Peakposition

Canadian Albums (Billboard)

74

US Billboard 200

56

US Top Holiday Albums

5

US Cash Box Top 200 Albums

135

Even decades after its 1978 release, the Carpenters' Christmas Portrait remains a staple because of Karen's warm, velvety vocals paired with Richard's immaculate arrangements. Their smooth pop sensibility turns familiar carols into cosy, radio‑friendly tracks that fit both family gatherings and solitary evenings by the fire. The duo’s meticulous studio work – split between Los Angeles, London and the boutique Evergreen Studios – gives each song a polished, almost cinematic quality that modern productions often lack. This timelessness explains why you’ll still hear “Silver Bells” and “Winter Wonderland” from this album on UK radio every December, alongside newer chart‑toppers.

If you’re adding the album to your holiday library, consider the medium that matches your listening habits. Vinyl reissues capture the analogue warmth that many fans associate with the Carpenters' lush strings, especially on a turntable with a quality cartridge. For those on streaming platforms, seek out the remastered editions – they often restore subtle background harmonies lost in earlier CD releases. Lastly, a high‑resolution digital download can offer the clarity of the original Abbey Road sessions without the crackle of vinyl. Whichever you pick, check that the edition includes the full 49‑minute run‑time; some budget compilations trim favoured tracks.

Many casual listeners assume Christmas Portrait is a simple greatest‑hits collection of seasonal songs, but it was conceived as a cohesive studio project. Unlike later compilations that cherry‑pick chart singles, the Carpenters recorded fresh strings, vocal overdubs and bespoke arrangements specifically for this album. The duo even travelled to Abbey Road to work with British engineers, giving the record a distinct sonic depth. Recognising it as a purpose‑built studio effort helps listeners appreciate the subtle nuances – from the gentle piano intro on “White Christmas” to the layered choral background on “The Christmas Song” – that set it apart from generic holiday playlists.