Carole King released 'A Holiday Carole' on November 1, 2011, her first Christmas album and her first studio album in ten years. The record was self-produced and released under the Hear Music label, a division of Concord Music Group.
The album includes a mix of Christmas standards and original songs written by King, such as 'Christmas in the Air' and 'New Year's Day'. Recording took place in Los Angeles, California, with musicians including guitarist Danny Kortchmar and bassist Leland Sklar, longtime collaborators of the artist.
The album cover features Carole King wearing a Santa hat, and the record received generally positive reviews for its warm, personal approach to holiday music. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart in the United States.