Christmas Single Picture Sleeves

[Rick Henry]

The Carpenters released three Christmas singles. All three have picture sleeves. Although in 1984 A&M records released a promo copy of "Little Altar Boy" backed with "Do You Hear What I Hear", supposedly with a picture sleeve. This I have never seen, would love very much to see it.

Here are the three U.S. picture sleeves:


Merry Christmas Darling/ Mr. Guder released in 1970


Santa Claus Is Coming To Town / Merry Christmas Darling released in 1974


The Christmas Song / Merry Christmas Darling released in 1977

[Christian]

Hi Rick!

I have both Christmas Song and Merry Xmas Darling with US pic. sleeves and they are great ! I also have Santa Claus.. but mine has a different sleeve. It has the picture of a juke-box on the cover and it says Juke-box special. I believe it is pictured in the Decade Book. It has the same catalogue as the on with the big Santa on.
Are you familiar with it? Is it rare?
And you shouldn`t by any chance have an extra copy of the Santa Claus pic sleeve for sale?

[Rick Henry]

Hi Christian. I wish had had extra copies of all these singles, but unfortunately I don't. You might check out ebay.

I've seen the jukebox pic sleeve, but only in the picture in Decade. I'm not sure if it's rare, I really don't know anything about that cover. Is it U.S. ?

[Christian]

Hi Rick.

Yes, my sleeve is a US copy, has the catalogue no. 1648 and says made in the US. Very nice one though, but apparently not easy to come by.
Maybe it was a special release for jukeboxes, promo etc?

[Rick Henry]

Now that I think back to it. I believe both picture sleeves were released, but when I was in the store, in 1974, buying the single I liked the sleeve with Santa Claus with his sack of toys and reindeer behind him better - so that's the one I bought. Now I wish I would have bought both sleeves.