I decided to buy this particular CD because one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs that hits the airwaves each holiday season is "Merry Christmas, Darling," a solo by deceased Karen Carpenter with background vocals by her brother, Richard. This single is included on this wonderful compilation and I fondly remember it hitting the top of the charts in the early seventies! When I studied this CD further, before buying it, I also learned that there are SEVENTY minutes of beautiful holiday music by the well-known pop group, ranging from religious favorites, like "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria" (one of the most touching and soulful songs by Karen Carpenter on the CD) to well-known contemporary tunes such as "Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeeer" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A bonus of this great CD is the fact that there are eleven (count 'em, eleven!) performances heard for the very first time! The CD is a holiday joy to listen to and it never left my CD player from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day! This is a "special edition" CD, unavailable on the shelves in most retail stores and quite a good value at that, considering the high number of songs by The Carpenters. Buy it and relive the beautiful experience of hearing one of the world's absolute best vocal performers, Karen Carpenter, bring the Christmas holidays to life with her unmatched musical talents. This CD brought Christmas to life for me this year! An absolutely beautiful collection that cannot be found just anywhere! Buy, and enjoy! Sincerely, Steve BlackRead full review
CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT special edition contains music from 2 of the Carpenters albums and it is a holiday music essential. "Christmas Portrait", was 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 this special edition which contains music from both albums with 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.Read full review
This cd is new & has the best of their Christmas songs. Their music takes me way back to the time when I fell in love with their music. I play this all through the year because I love these songs so much!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The Carpenters Christmas Portrait was first purchased as a cassette tape years ago and the tape is getting worn out. I wanted to replace the tape with a CD and was happy to find one available. It sounded great when I played it.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Years ago I received a cassette tape for Christmas that made my heart sing. It was by one of my favorite pop groups of the time, The Carpenter's. Karen's low voice was one I could actually sing along with comfortably! The family joke was that once we played that cassette it was officially Christmas time once more. During a move to a new apartment a box with my cassette tapes was lost. I had a difficult time finding the Christmas Portrait in particular. The family joke was, it just wasn't Christmas again this year. I gave up and just let it go. Then one day, realizing that ebay was a great place to find all sorts of things, I decided to take my chances. Sure enough! There was CD available--much better! It came in a matter of days, in pristine condition, just in time for the holidays! I'm pleased to say that in our household it was Christmas time once more! Today the family line is, "Well, have you checked ebay?" No matter what we are looking for, chances are great that we'll find it there. Oh, and Merry Christmas!Read full review
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