| "Merry Christmas Darling" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Picture sleeve for the 1970 U.S. vinyl single | ||||
| Single bythe Carpenters | ||||
| B-side | "Mr. Guder" | |||
| Released | November 22, 1970 | |||
| Recorded | Autumn 1970 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Frank Pooler,Richard Carpenter | |||
| Producer(s) | Jack Daugherty | |||
| The Carpenters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Merry Christmas, Darling" is aChristmas song bythe Carpenters (music byRichard Carpenter, lyrics byFrank Pooler), and originally recorded in 1970.[1]
The song was first available on a7-inch single that year (A&M Records 1236), and was later re-issued in 1974 (A&M 1648) and again in 1977 (A&M 1991). The single went to number one onBillboard's Christmas singles chart in 1970 (and did so again in 1971 and 1973) and peaked at number 41 onCashbox.[2]
Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister's very best.[citation needed]
The original single version of the song can be found on the box setsFrom the Top andThe Essential Collection: 1965–1997.
In 1978, the Carpenters issued theirChristmas 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 byKaren Carpenter on the latter, which was done at her request.[3]
In 2018, a version of "Merry Christmas Darling" featuring Karen Carpenter's vocals with new instrumentation appeared on the albumThe Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, produced by Richard Carpenter.
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 atCalifornia 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 lyrics—the tune currently used—in 15 minutes. Four years later, in 1970, the Carpenters first recorded and released it as a single.[4]
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.[4]
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 byLea Michele on "A Very Glee Christmas", the 10th episode of the second season ofGlee. It is featured on theGlee: The Music, The Christmas Album.
In 2020, for the 50th anniversary of the song, Canadian singerLennon Stella covered "Merry Christmas Darling" forAmazon Music's Originals playlist.[5]
In December 2020, musical theater starLiz Callaway recorded a cover of "Merry Christmas Darling" for her albumComfort and Joy (An Acoustic Christmas).
In 2023,Lizzy McAlpine released a cover of “Merry Christmas, Darling” onSoundCloud.
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Top Singles[6] | 50 |
| USCashbox Radio Active Airplay Singles | 3 |
| USCashbox Top 100 Singles | 41 |
| USBest Bet For Christmas Singles (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 45 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHoliday Airplay (Billboard)[9] | 1 |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHoliday 100 (Billboard)[10] | 24 |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USRolling Stone Top 100[11] | 60 |
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaAC (Billboard)[12] | 48 |
| USHoliday Digital Songs (Billboard)[13] | 34 |
In 1978, at Karen's request, the vocals were re-recorded for the release of Christmas Portrait, their first Christmas album.
In the summer of 1944... [Pooler wrote] a Christmas song for [his then-love interest]. [...] Pooler went ahead and had the song published by a little-known publishing house, and he still has a scratchy 78-rpm recording by a now-forgotten singer of his original version of 'Merry Christmas, Darling.' He didn't think much about the song until more than 20 years later, when he was choral director at California State University-Long Beach. It was 1966 and a couple of students of his, Richard and Karen Carpenter, were playing gigs around town. They were sick of the standard holiday fare, so Richard asked Pooler, their favorite professor, if he had any ideas. Pooler remembered that song he had written many years before and mentioned it, but added he didn't think much of the melody anymore. Richard said he'd take a crack at writing a new tune, and about 15 minutes later he was done. [...] 'Merry Christmas, Darling' almost was recorded in the early 1970s by Elvis Presley, Pooler said. Presley couldn't read music, so [after having problems learning the bridge of the song]... threw in the towel.
