Merry Christmas Darling


"Merry Christmas, Darling" is a Christmas song by the Carpenters, and originally recorded in 1970.

Original version

The song was first available on a 7-inch single that year, and was later re-issued in 1974 as a B-side to “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and again in 1977 as the B-side to “The Christmas Song. The single went to number one on Billboard's Christmas singles chart in 1970 and peaked at number 41 on Cashbox.
Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister's very best.
The original single version of the song can be found on the box sets From the Top and The Essential Collection: 1965–1997.

Re-recorded version

In 1978, the Carpenters issued their Christmas Portrait album, which contained a new version of "Merry Christmas Darling". The original 1970 mix continued to be used for all single releases, however. The major difference between the 1970 and 1978 versions is a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter on the latter, which was done at her request.
In 2018, a version of "Merry Christmas Darling" featuring Karen Carpenter's vocals with new instrumentation appeared on the album The Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, produced by Richard Carpenter.

History

The lyrics were written in 1946 by 20-year-old Frank Pooler, which, according to him, were about a love interest he had at the time. Twenty years later in 1966, when he was choral director at California State University, Long Beach, two of his aspiring music students, Karen and Richard Carpenter, who were beginning to have success as a local band, asked him if he had any ideas for holiday songs. According to Pooler, they had become tired of the standard holiday songs they were singing. Pooler gave them the lyrics of the song he had written from years before, and told them he did not think much of the original melody. According to Pooler, Richard wrote a new tune for the lyricsthe tune currently usedin 15 minutes. Four years later, in 1970, the Carpenters first recorded and released it as a single.
In the lyrics, the singer has everything ready to begin the Christmas holidays, cards written, logs on the fire, the tree lit. But the singer's loved one is away. "I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve. I wish I were with you."

Personnel

Other versions

Elvis Presley almost recorded his own version in the early 1970s, but struggled learning the bridge, as he could not read music, and gave up.
In 1999, Amy Grant recorded a version for her third Christmas album, A Christmas to Remember. It was a hidden track, uncredited on the artwork and available only on copies purchased at Target.
The song was covered by Lea Michele on "Glee Christmas">Glee (TV series)">Glee Christmas", the 10th episode of the second season of Glee. It is featured on the Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album.
In 2013, the song was covered by on her "", album featuring other well known covers and two original Christmas songs, "" and "" also covered by the Broadway star of WICKED's .
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Simply Christmas
Deluxe Album 2016
In 2020, for the 50th anniversary of the song, Canadian singer Lennon Stella covered "Merry Christmas Darling" for Amazon Music's Originals playlist.
In December 2020, musical theater star Liz Callaway recorded a cover of "Merry Christmas Darling" for her album Comfort and Joy .
In 2023, Lizzy McAlpine released a cover of “Merry Christmas, Darling” on SoundCloud.

Charts

Chart Peak
position
US Holiday Airplay 1

Chart Peak
position
US Holiday 100 24

Chart Peak
position
US Rolling Stone Top 10060