| An Old-Fashioned Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1974, 1978 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Richard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter, Jack Daugherty | |||
| Carpenters chronology | ||||
| ||||
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.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
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".
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.
Billboard noted "the duo's second Christmas album, following their gold Christmas Portrait, consists of previously unreleased tracks, save for a shimmering version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Although less consistent than the earlier set, this collection features several indispensable tracks with the late Karen Carpenter singing lead, most notably a heartbreaking "Little Altar Boy." [2]
Allmusic rated it four and a half stars out of five, noting that "their second Christmas album, with more of the soft sounds of the season, is made for mistletoe and someone you love." [3]
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.
| No. | Title | Writer(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 Nelson | 2:12 |
| 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 Loesser | 2:51 |
| 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
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from Lead Sister [4]
Performance
Production and technical
 |
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Pop Albums [8] | 190 |
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Holiday Albums [9] | 25 |
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Pop Catalog Albums [10] | 46 |
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