An Old-Fashioned Christmas
Studio album by
Carpenters
ReleasedOctober 26, 1984
Recorded1974, 1978
GenreChristmas
LabelA&M
ProducerRichard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter, Jack Daugherty
Carpenters chronology
Voice of the Heart
(1983) 		An Old-Fashioned Christmas
(1984) 		Lovelines
(1989)

An Old-Fashioned Christmas is the second Christmas album and posthumous twelfth studio album by the American music duo Carpenters, released on October 26, 1984, and after the death of singer and drummer Karen Carpenter.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Background

The album project had its genesis in several unused tracks from the Carpenters' previous Christmas album, 1978's Christmas Portrait. Richard Carpenter took these tracks and recorded new material around them, and this album was the end result. The album includes the slower version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".

Reissue

A 1984 expanded CD reissue of Christmas Portrait included eight tracks from An Old-Fashioned Christmas. In 1996 a two-CD set, Christmas Collection, was issued containing both albums in their original running order.

Track listing

All lead vocals by Karen Carpenter, except where noted; all tracks produced by Richard Carpenter except "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Jack Daugherty, R. Carpenter, and K. Carpenter.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (lead vocals: R. Carpenter)
0:43
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 (The Infant Jesus) / Angels We Have Heard on High"
8:13
3."An Old-Fashioned Christmas" (lead vocals: R. Carpenter)
2:14
4."O Holy Night" (instrumental)
3:31
5."(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"
2:13
6."Medley: Here Comes Santa Claus / Frosty the Snowman / Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Good King Wenceslas" (instrumental)
3:43
7."Little Altar Boy"Howlett Peter Smith3:43
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Do You Hear What I Hear?" (lead vocals: K. and R. Carpenter)
2:53
9."My Favorite Things" (instrumental)
3:53
10."He Came Here for Me"Ron Nelson2:12
11."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (lead vocals: K. and R. Carpenter)
4:04
12."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"Frank Loesser2:51
13."Selections from The Nutcracker: Overture Miniature / Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy / Trepak / Valse des fleurs" (instrumental)
6:14
14."I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
2:21

Notes

Personnel

Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from Lead Sister[2]
Performance

Production and technical

Singles

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  1. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (A&M SP-1648): US 7-inch single (1974)
    1. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"
    2. "Merry Christmas Darling"
  2. "Little Altar Boy" (A&M SP-2700): US 7-inch single (1984)
    1. "Little Altar Boy"
    2. "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak
position
US Billboard Pop Albums[6] 190
Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Top Holiday Albums[7] 25
Chart (1993) Peak
position
US Top Pop Catalog Albums[8] 46

References

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3355
  2. ^ "An Old Fashioned Christmas". Lead Sister. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14.
  3. ^ Paul Grein & Richard Carpenter. "Carpenters Christmas Collection: Album Notes". Carpenters website. June 1998. http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/Album_ChristmasCollection.htm
  4. ^ Carpenters. "An Old-Fashioned Christmas". Grant Guerrero. 1984. http://www.grantguerrero.com/carpenters/fashioned.html Archived 2016-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Carpenters. "An Old-Fashioned Christmas (Cassette, Album, Club Edition)". A&M Records. 1984. https://www.discogs.com/Carpenters-An-Old-Fashioned-Christmas/release/6402366
  6. ^ Allmusic Carpenters > An Old-Fashioned Christmas > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
  7. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/carpenters/
  8. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/carpenters/
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