Add to that head-spinning mountain of accomplishments her new holiday album, Christmas With Carnie, and you have the picture of an artist who, in Carnie’s own words, is simply a go-getter. It’s certainly not hard to ascertain the joyful spirit on Christmas With Carnie, a 12-track celebration that captures many of her favorite holiday songs plus one original, Warm Lovin’ Christmastime, written by and performed with her husband Rob Bonfiglio.
Recording with producer Richard Landis and with some holiday lights strung up in the studio for the proper ambiance, the song selection ideas for Christmas With Carnie came from a variety of sources. She had previously recorded Silent Night with Wilson Phillips and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Hey Santa but felt compelled to create fresh versions for this project. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree came at the suggestion of the husband of Carnie’s mother, Marilyn Wilson.
Sleigh Ride was inspired by fellow singer Deborah Gibson’s rendition. For Carnie, however, the real joy of Christmas With Carnie was the chance to again add her voice to the musical lexicon that surrounds the holidays. Pop songs come and go, but Christmas music plays year in and year out, with songs that have stood the test of time but an audience with a constant appetite to hear new voices perform them. Even as Christmas With Carnie comes out, she has more endeavors planned.
There are several TV ideas in the works, as well as a desire to record an a capella album with her father and sister and to one day open a restaurant. Whatever she accomplishes — and, knowing Carnie, it’s a safe bet that it will be most of that list — it will only add to a career of achievements that will go far beyond her list of pop hits. Carnie Wilson recently took time out of her very active schedule to speak with O AN in an exclusive interview. Here’s more from the woman herself…