Season's Best: The Carpenters at Christmas

Season's Best looks back at the sights and sounds of Christmas from the quirky to the traditional.
In this case writer Raymond Tyler looks at the melancholy and the memories.

The Carpenter's At Christmas

TV Special!

It's been said that every one can sing. If that's true , can we agree that some people have amazing voices? Further more I submit to you, that in the case of Karen Carpenter, we had a voice that was both amazing and iconic.

Karen Carpenter's voice not only so distinct that it can never be duplicated by other singers,  her voice was so gripping that it's beauty cut across racial barriers. Oh you may not have heard her version of I'll Be Home For Christmas on soul radio across the country, but I know I have been in several homes of people of color that have some music by The Carpenter's with The Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole albums. Karen Carpenter's voice is also iconic in that it speaks directly to your heart in a way that grips it. Her voice speaks to your heart in ways that words can not fully explain. She made you stop and listen.

So when I think of Christmas' of my youth? I have to reflect on The Carpenter's TV Specials. At Christmas was a quaint little special that was broadcast in 1977.

At Christmas starred siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter doing what they did best. Richard providing her musical mastery on the piano as his sister Karen made every song she sang a gem with her name etched on it.

The special is as corny and sappy as any you will ever see. There are great and equally bad jokes from Harvey Korman (The Carol Burnet Show and Blazing Saddles.) And almost every TV special had to have a appearance by Kristie Mc Nichol ( the 1970's version of Miley Cyrus with out the strip tease and trying to get "street cred"

The Carpenter's At Christmas is a beautiful snap shot of "Hollywood" Christmas with dancing and pageantry.

Most of all it was a great way to enjoy some quality TV with the family.