An Old-Fashioned Christmas

An Old-Fashioned Christmas is the second Christmas album and twelfth studio album by the American music duo Carpenters, released on October 26, 1984. It is also second posthumous release after the death of singer and drummer Karen Carpenter in 1983.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas
Studio album by Carpenters
Released	October 26, 1984
Recorded	1974, 1978
Genre	Christmas
Length	48:48
Label	A&M
Producer	Richard Carpenter, Karen Carpenter, Jack Daugherty
Carpenters chronology
Voice of the Heart (1983) An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984) Lovelines (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Background

The album project had its genesis in six unused tracks featuring Karen's vocals from the Carpenters' previous Christmas album, 1978's Christmas Portrait. Richard Carpenter took these tracks and recorded new material of instrumental and choral music to make it into a full length album. The album includes the slower version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", a different version of which was previously released on Christmas Portrait.

Reissues

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.

Reception

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."

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."

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.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (lead vocals: R. Carpenter)	Edmund Sears Richard Storrs Willis	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"	Berlin / Traditional R. Carpenter[a] / Victor Herbert / Traditional R. Carpenter[a] / Tommie Connor / Phillips Brooks Lewis Redner / Traditional R. Carpenter[a] / Pietro Yon / Traditional R. Carpenter[a]	8:13
3.	"An Old-Fashioned Christmas" (lead vocals: R. Carpenter)	R. Carpenter John Bettis	2:14
4.	"O Holy Night" (instrumental)	Adolphe Adam R. Carpenter[a]	3:31
5.	"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"	Al Stillman Robert Allen	2:13
6.	"Medley: Here Comes Santa Claus / Frosty the Snowman / Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Good King Wenceslas" (instrumental)	Gene Autry Oakley Haldeman / Steve Nelson Jack Rollins / Johnny Marks / John Mason Neale R. Carpenter[a]	3:43
7.	"Little Altar Boy"	Howlett Peter Smith	3:43

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
8.	"Do You Hear What I Hear?" (lead vocals: K. and R. Carpenter)	Gloria Shayne Noël Regney	2:53
9.	"My Favorite Things" (instrumental)	Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II	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)	John Frederick Coots Haven Gillespie	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)	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky R. Carpenter[a]	6:14
14.	"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"	Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Johnny Marks	2:21

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies adapted by

Personnel

Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from Lead Sister
Performance

• Richard Carpenter - vocals (all on track 1, lead on tracks 3, 8, 11), vocal arrangements (1), musical arrangements (11), piano (4, 13), keyboards, background vocals
• Karen Carpenter - lead vocals (tracks 5, 7–8, 10–12, 14), background vocals
• Dick Bolks - O.K. Choir director, choir conductor
• The English Chorale - background vocals
• Robert Howes - English Choir director, choir conductor
• Pete Jolly - keyboards
• Skiala Kanga - harp
• Peter Knight - musical arrangement (tracks 2–6, 7–9, 12–14)
• Gayle Levant - harp
• Billy May - musical arrangement (track 10)
• Barry Morgan - drums
• Joe Osborn - electric bass
• Pete Morgan - upright bass
• The O.K. Chorale - background vocals
• John "Francis" Phillips - tenor saxophone
• Ron Tutt - drums

Production and technical

• Richard Carpenter - producer (All tracks)
• Karen Carpenter - producer (track 11)
• Jim Cassell - assistant audio mixing
• Jack Daugherty - producer (track 11)
• Robert De La Garza - recording engineer
• Ray Gerhardt - recording engineer
• Mike Hatcher - assistant audio mixing
• Clyde Kaplan - assistant audio mixing
• Dave Marquette - assistant audio mixing
• John Richards - audio mixing
• Alan Rouse - assistant recording engineer
• Eric Tomlinson - recording engineer
• Roger Young - recording engineer, audio mixing

Singles

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	190

Chart (1987)	Peak position
US Top Holiday Albums	25

Chart (1993)	Peak position
US Top Pop Catalog Albums	46