Little Altar Boy
"Little Altar Boy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Carpenters | ||||
from the album An Old-Fashioned Christmas | ||||
B-side | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | |||
Released | 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Genre | Pop, seasonal | |||
Label | A&M 1940 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Howlett Peter Smith | |||
Producer(s) | Richard Carpenter | |||
Carpenters singles chronology | ||||
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"Little Altar Boy" is a song written by Howlett Peter Smith,[1] in 1961 and first recorded that year by vocalist Vic Dana for his album This Is Vic Dana. In an introspective moment, Dana performs this quiet song in the 1962 musical-comedy film Don't Knock the Twist.
Background
The song is about a man who has done wrong and goes to church for the purpose of asking the altar boy, to pray for him for his past sins and to ask for forgiveness by wanting to become holy as him. Smith later revised the title and lyrics to, "Little Holy Child", due to the situation in the Catholic Church as it pertains to priests and altar boys.
Chart performance
"Little Altar Boy" was released as a single, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[2]
Cover versions
- The song was also recorded by Andy Williams on his 1965 album Merry Christmas
- Glen Campbell on his 1968 album That Christmas Feeling
- Jack Jones on his 1969 album A Jack Jones Christmas.
- A cover version by the Carpenters was released in 1984, after Karen Carpenter's death. The song was released as a promotional single from the Christmas album An Old-Fashioned Christmas; it failed to chart. Because of Karen's death, there was no music video shot for this song.
References
- v
- t
- e
- Karen Carpenter
- Richard Carpenter
- Offering (Ticket to Ride) (1969)
- Close to You (1970)
- Carpenters (1971)
- A Song for You (1972)
- Now & Then (1973)
- Horizon (1975)
- A Kind of Hush (1976)
- Passage (1977)
- Christmas Portrait (1978)
- Made in America (1981)
- Voice of the Heart (1983)
- An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984)
- Lovelines (1989)
- As Time Goes By (2001)
- Live in Japan (1975)
- Live at the Palladium (1976)
- The Singles: 1969–1973 (1973)
- The Singles: 1974–1978 (1978)
- The Very Best of the Carpenters (1982)
- Yesterday Once More (1984)
- Only Yesterday (1990)
- From the Top (1991)
- Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration (1995)
- Love Songs (1997)
- Reflections (1998)
- The Singles: 1969–1981 (2000)
- The Essential Collection: 1965–1997 (2002)
- Carpenters Perform Carpenter (2003)
- Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition (2004)
- The Ultimate Collection (2006)
- 40/40 (2009)
- Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)
- Time (1987)
- Karen Carpenter (1996)
- Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor (1998)
- "Looking for Love"
- "Ticket to Ride"
- "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
- "We've Only Just Begun"
- "Merry Christmas, Darling"
- "For All We Know"
- "Rainy Days and Mondays"
- "Superstar"
- "Bless the Beasts and Children"
- "Hurting Each Other"
- "It's Going to Take Some Time"
- "Goodbye to Love"
- "Sing"
- "Yesterday Once More"
- "Top of the World"
- "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)"
- "I Won't Last a Day Without You"
- "Please Mr. Postman"
- "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
- "Only Yesterday"
- "Solitaire"
- "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)"
- "I Need to Be in Love"
- "Goofus"
- "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song"
- "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"
- "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
- "Sweet, Sweet Smile"
- "I Believe You"
- "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
- "(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
- "Those Good Old Dreams"
- "Beechwood 4-5789"
- "Make Believe It's Your First Time"
- "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore"
- "Little Altar Boy"
- "Honolulu City Lights"
- "Something in Your Eyes"
- "If I Had You"
- "Ave Maria"
- "The Rainbow Connection"
- "Let Me Be the One"
- "A Song for You"
- "This Masquerade"
- "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
- "Can't Smile Without You"
- "I Just Fall in Love Again"
- "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"
- "Where Do I Go from Here"
and specials
- Make Your Own Kind of Music (1971)
- Live at the BBC (1971)
- Very First TV Special (1976)
- Space Encounters (1978)
- A Christmas Portrait (1978)
- Music, Music, Music (1980)
- Gold: Greatest Hits (1991 VHS / 2002 DVD)
- Interpretations (1995 VHS / 2003 DVD)
- Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters (1998)
- Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007)
- Discography
- Songs
- John Bettis
- Tony Peluso
- If I Were a Carpenter
- Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
- The Karen Carpenter Story
- Classic Carpenters
- Category