Merry Christmas Darling original airplay and chart success

[Must Hear This Album]

I was just a toddler in the early 1970s, so other than vague memories of hearing “Close To You” in the car or “Sing” in a neighbor’s living room and thinking it was about potato salad affirmation (misheard lyric, “don’t worry if it’s not good enough, for anyone else to eat...”), I’d be eager to hear fans’ memories of radio airplay back then. Particularly, what are your recollections of radio reception of “Merry Christmas Darling” when it was originally released early in that decade. Was it a big deal back then, or did it come and go unnoticed? Thanks (in advance) for your memories...

 

[Harry]

1970 was an important time for CARPENTERS. "Ticket To Ride" had gotten some airplay but had faded off of radio by the start of the year. It wouldn't be until May that we'd start hearing "(They Long To Be) Close To You" on the radio, and then it was relentless - seemingly on every station and nearly every hour. The song was everywhere. And it continued until late August, when "We've Only Just Begun" was released as the next single.

That gave the earlier song a rest, as the second single shot up the charts, and got the same treatment from radio. It was everywhere - just about all pop music stations played it as it zoomed up the charts to the #2 position on Billboard. When you listened to the radio a good deal, it was real easy to get to know every nuance of those hit singles, especially with as often as they played. For variety, Carpenters fans would now have the CLOSE TO YOU album to play, with all sorts of goodies alongside these two big hits.

Then in late November, the next Carpenters single was "Merry Christmas Darling." I don't recall that in those days it was thought of as a "Christmas" record - it really was just their next big hit that replaced "We've Only Just Begun" in the radio rotations, and it happened to be themed for the upcoming Christmas holiday. It just seemed like these Carpenter kids were really on top of things.

And just as radio stopped playing Christmas music, the duo had "For All We Know" waiting in the wings to take over as the hourly Carpenters song on your favorite radio station.

It was quite a run indeed, and it wasn't over yet, as 1971 continued the trend with "Rainy Days...", "Superstar", and on into the A SONG FOR YOU days. Basically the timing was such that there was nearly always a Carpenters song moving up the charts as one fell down the charts.

So, as it played as a new song, "Merry Christmas Darling" just felt like another hit - but timed for the season. It was when it didn't appear on the next album that I was given a clue that it was a special seasonal song. And we'd hear it every year around the holidays, but because it wasn't on a Carpenters album, you had to have the single of it in your collection.

Four years later, we got "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" as a Christmas single, and it too didn't appear on an album for a good number of years. In fact, neither of the first two Christmas singles appeared on albums as recorded originally. "Merry Christmas Darling" was re-recorded for CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT, and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" had to wait for Richard to tinker with it for AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS.

The original single mix of "Merry Christmas Darling" didn't appear on an album until 1990's FROM THE TOP, while "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town's" original single mix has only ever appeared on the JAPAN SINGLES BOX.

Harry

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Harry, BIG thanks! This is EXACTLY what I was hoping for. I can completely see why one might think it was just the next single, given that it was an original tune that just happened to be holiday-themed (like Paul Simon’s single from a few years back, “Gettin’ Ready for Christmas Day”). Question: it sounds like “MCD” was played a lot around the holiday season in 1970; any thoughts as to why it didn’t chart very highly?

 

[Harry]

Don't quote me on it, but even though we listeners considered "Merry Christmas Darling" just the next in the line of singles, Billboard probably viewed it differently and either didn't rate it with the other pop singles of the day, and/or lumped it in as a new entry in the long line of Christmas perennial recordings ("White Christmas", "The Chipmunk Song", etc.)

Harry

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Got it. So it's sales weren't reported / ranked among the other pop hits of the time. I wonder how high on the charts it would have reached if "MCD" had been counted among other pop songs of the moment? Any information on sales? Did it sell a million? It must have sold at least reasonably well, since another Christmas single followed a few years later...

 

[Must Hear This Album]

I found a possible answer to my question, above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_Darling

Apparently, “Billboard magazine did not display Christmas singles on the Hot 100 in 1970. This song just missed the top 40 in Cash Box.” The entry goes on to indicate that the tune hit #1 on Billboard’s Christmas songs list that year and a few additional years after.

 

[A&M Retro]

I'm trying to post a Top 40 survey that includes 'Merry Christmas Darling', but there's no icon listed to attach it. Any ideas if I'm missing something obvious here?

Thanks!
Bob

 

[Harry]

I'm trying to post a Top 40 survey that includes 'Merry Christmas Darling', but there's no icon listed to attach it. Any ideas if I'm missing something obvious here?

Thanks!
Bob

If there's no "Attach Picture" icon, then you'll have to have the image "hosted" somewhere else, like Photobucket or Flickr. Then use the URL for the photo over there within the tags here.

Harry

 

[A&M Retro]

Thanks, Harry. This should work.

WHB 710AM was the coolest Top 40 station in the Kansas City area from the late '50s through early '80's. They finally switched to all news and sports when FM stations began dominating the airwaves for music.

Check out the chart placement for 'Merry Christmas Darling' for the first Christmas season it was released.

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=2882

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Thanks, Harry. This should work.

WHB 710AM was the coolest Top 40 station in the Kansas City area from the late '50s through early '80's. They finally switched to all news and sports when FM stations began dominating the airwaves for music.

Check out the chart placement for 'Merry Christmas Darling' for the first Christmas season it was released.

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=2882

Many thanks for this, A&M Retro!

 

[Harry]

Gee, compare that chart with today's chart from All-Access for Adult Contemporary. Recognize any of these?

lw TW Artist Title TW lw Move Aud
1 1PINKJust Give Me A Reason209120514018.793
5 2 KATY PERRYRoar2039190013917.324
6 3 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKEMirrors2002189011215.315
2 4PHILLIP PHILLIPSGone, Gone, Gone19792005-2617.747
3 5ANNA KENDRICKCups (Pitch Perfect's When...19701996-2615.536
4 6 MAROON 5Love Somebody192619081814.051
7 7RIHANNAStay f/Mikky Ekko17771890-11311.584
10 8BRUNO MARSWhen I Was Your Man13941442-4812
9 9ROBIN THICKEBlurred Lines f/Pharrell & T.I13931530-13712.279
11 10 SARA BAREILLESBrave134812161328.424
12 11BRUNO MARSTreasure987997-106.158
13 12 CAPITAL CITIESSafe And Sound818753655.21
17 13 TAYLOR SWIFTEverything Has... f/Ed Sheeran6985791193.706
14 14FLORIDA-GEORGIA LINECruise f/Nelly686735-494.018
18 15 PINKTrue Love f/Lily Allen658567915.901
16 16 TRAINBruises f/Ashley Monroe611582292.757
15 17ELTON JOHNHome Again582627-454.921
19 18 LORDERoyals543503402.943
22 19 MICHAEL BUBLEClose Your Eyes4693391302.748
20 20 PAUL MCCARTNEYNew399379203.806
21 21 ONEREPUBLICCounting Stars392367251.701
26 22 AVICIIWake Me Up295233621.426
24 23 PASSENGERLet Her Go281256251.043
23 24IMAGINE DRAGONSRadioactive256261-51.039
28 25 LADY GAGAApplause243212310.808
25 26DAFT PUNKGet Lucky224244-200.918
27 27ROD STEWARTCan't Stop Me Now220230-100.453
29 28GAVIN DEGRAWBest I Ever Had188198-100.845
30 29 CELINE DIONLoved Me Back To Life16916450.73
32 30PARAMOREStill Into You14614600.413
34 31 ZEDDClarity f/Foxes133107260.598
33 32 FIVE FOR FIGHTINGWhat If12311490.925
36 33 IMAGINE DRAGONSDemons10778290.581
31 34LABRINTHBeneath Your Beautiful103151-480.174
71 35 EMELI SANDEMy Kind Of Love7817610.127
38 36 JOHN LEGENDAll Of Me7756210.316
35 37SELENA GOMEZCome & Get It71105-340.627
41 38 JOHN MAYERWho You Love f/Katy Perry6353100.116
37 39 LANA DEL REYSummertime Sadness636120.08
39 40COURTNEY RAUShake5555

Harry

 

[A&M Retro]

A sad state of affairs indeed, Harry. Painful.

1970 was a year of riches musically, and not just because I'm 51 now. Any program director that would include Carpenters, Led Zeppelin, The Partridge Family, Bee Gees, Santana and Smokey Robinson all in the same top 10 was an open-minded one that didn't stick to the insidious formatting rules followed today. Just that fact alone makes the early '70s superior....so much musical diversity that was welcomed on the airwaves.

And there was no such thing as Auto Tune.

 

[aaflyer98]

Radio is so different now. For those of you who were in a radio before, help me out. Did each stations program manager pick that stations playlists? It seems like today that we have stations owned by nationwide groups that pick the songs for many different nationwide radio stations. Meaning that every station that is owned by Clear Channel plays what Clear Channel wants. Am I right? Thats very sad if that's true. I used to dream of working in radio and paying what I wanted!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Radio is so different now. I used to dream of working in radio and paying what I wanted!

...and better yet, playing what the callers wanted to hear...now that's an idea!! I remember the days when DJ's would put the callers on the line asking for their favorite song and the DJ's would grant that wish...in fact I did this many times...I even have an old cassette tape that I set up (with the anticipation of it really happening to me) so I set the tape player connected to one of those long mic's really old fashioned kind with the plastic stands and put it to the radio and hit record, then I called the local radio station and it went something like this..."Hi, Someone told me that Olivia Newton-John has a new song out, DJ "yes it's true it's called "Face to Face" with Barry Gibb" Me-So is there any chance you could play it, I love ONJ and I'm dying to hear this song, DJ-As a matter of fact it's cueing up as we speak, Me-Oh thank you, thank you!! So not only am I on the air but Olivia starts singing right after the call ends and I have it on tape. It was like a dream!!

I'd never play this tape to anyone because I sound like a totally geek, but I loved those days when radio was a friend and you had a connection to your local station.

 

[Harry]

Radio is so different now. For those of you who were in a radio before, help me out. Did each stations program manager pick that stations playlists? It seems like today that we have stations owned by nationwide groups that pick the songs for many different nationwide radio stations. Meaning that every station that is owned by Clear Channel plays what Clear Channel wants. Am I right? Thats very sad if that's true. I used to dream of working in radio and paying what I wanted!

It still varies from station to station, but with the advent of mega-owners, there are fewer and fewer of the more independent type stations. I worked for Greater Media, which was an independently owned group of stations that was more like a family. Our program directors and music directors worked independently of one another, but could share their info with their colleagues. Over time, the tightening of playlists though has even affected them. It's strictly determined by music testing. There's very little "gut feel" left in putting a record on the air.

The DJ's there have very little freedom to play what they want. Requests are taken and recorded, but only those that fit the format for records that were going to be played anyway.

Harry

 

[adam]

Hi
I think merry christmas darling has sold around 600,000 copies by the mid 1980s

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Hi
I think merry christmas darling has sold around 600,000 copies by the mid 1980s

I'm surprised only 600k by then. I'm guessing well over 1 million by now...

 

[GaryAlan]

From the UK, a broadcast of the top 65 Christmas Songs charting in Britain:
Britain's Favorite Christmas Songs (2011)
Documentary | Music - 25 December 2011 (UK)
58 MERRY CHRISTMAS, DARLING The Carpenters (UK #25 -Chart Position) (59,000-Sales)

 

[adam]

Hi
Only a few short months off Christmas and hopefully radio will play Carpenters christmas songs and Christmas portrait will make the charts again.

 

[Nicko]

The original single mix of "Merry Christmas Darling" didn't appear on an album until 1990's FROM THE TOP, while "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town's" original single mix has only ever appeared on the JAPAN SINGLES BOX.

Harry

Harry just to add to your info, here in the UK I have the 1970 version of Merry Christmas Darling on "Carpenters- The Essential Collection 1965-1997 " issued 2005, which is a 4 CD disc compilation, it's track 21 on disc 1 1965- 1970 period.

Is this the much talked about Readers Digest collection under another name ? It does have Readers Digest Logo on the back case cover.

 

[newvillefan]

Harry just to add to your info, here in the UK I have the 1970 version of Merry Christmas Darling on "Carpenters- The Essential Collection 1965-1997 " issued 2005, which is a 4 CD disc compilation, it's track 21 on disc 1 1965- 1970 period.

Is this the much talked about Readers Digest collection under another name ? It does have Readers Digest Logo on the back case cover.

Essential Collection is the revamped version of From The Top, which Harry mentioned in his post. Basically it was reissued with a few alterations to the tracklist on each of the 4 CDs. The single mix survived through to the Essential Collection.

 

[Nicko]

Essential Collection is the revamped version of From The Top, which Harry mentioned in his post. Basically it was reissued with a few alterations to the tracklist on each of the 4 CDs. The single mix survived through to the Essential Collection.

Oh thanks

I do prefer the single version to the re recorded version on the Christmas collection, I'm partial to the younger Karen voice.

 

[A&M Retro]

Yeah, I agree. The original version from 1970 is the 'classic' and packs more 'punch'. Karen's vocals are so 'sweet' on the later version, though the 1978 version certainly gets played more often on the radio.

 

[aaflyer98]

I'm glad we have both versions of Merry Christmas Darling. I personally prefer the 1978 re recorded vocal version.

 

[A&M Retro]

Yeah, we're lucky to have two! Plus we have the CLSBU audience recording from 1978 and the Bruce Forsyth Show performance from the same year, too.