"Back Door Santa" is a song written by Clarence Carter in collaboration
with Marcus Daniel, and originally performed by Carter. It was released
on a compilation album Soul Christmas in 1968. The track is in a 12-bar
blues format. The lyrics are sexually suggestive, not having much to do
with Christmas as a holiday. Run-D.M.C. sampled the song for "Christmas
in Hollis". The song begins with the lyric "I'm your Back door Santa / I
make my run / At the break of day." For some reason Carter recorded an
entirely different song with exactly the same title.
(YT)
"Back Door Santa" is a song written by Clarence Carter and Marcus Daniel, and originally performed by Carter. It was released on a compilation album Soul Christmas in 1968. The track is in a 12-bar blues format. The lyrics are sexually suggestive, not having much to do with Christmas as a holiday.
Run-D.M.C. sampled the song for "Christmas in Hollis".
(wikipedia)
Covers by
Bob Jovi
Holmes Brothers
BB King
Black Crowes
Elliot Yamin
Sterling Koch
The Sutcliffs
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who have longed to be home for Christmastime, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard.
The song is sung from the point of view of an overseas soldier during WWII, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells the family that he will be coming home, and to prepare the holiday for him including requests for "snow", mistletoe, and "presents on the tree". The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams." Kim Gannon claimed on at least one occasion that he was not thinking of the soldiers when he wrote the lyrics but of all people who are unable to be home for Christmas. When he pitched the song to people in the music business, they turned it down because the last line quoted above was too sad for all those separated from their loved ones in the military. When playing golf with Bing Crosby, however, Gannon sang the song for Crosby, who decided to record it. It ended up as the flip side of "White Christmas," ensuring that it would be a hit.
The song was written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent. Buck Ram, who previously wrote a poem and song with the same title, was credited as a co-writer of the song following a lawsuit brought by Ram's publisher, Mills Music. The original 1943 release of the song by Bing Crosby on Decca Records listed only Walter Kent and Kim Gannon as the songwriters on the record label. Later pressings added the name of Buck Ram to the songwriting credit.
On October 4, 1943, Crosby recorded the song under the title "I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)" with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records, which was released as a 78 single, Decca 18570A, Matrix #L3203, reissued in 1946 as Decca 23779. Within a month of release, the song charted for eleven weeks, with a peak at number three. The next year, the song reached number nineteen on the charts.
The U.S. War Department also released Bing Crosby's performance of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" from the December 7, 1944, Kraft Music Hall broadcast with the Henderson Choir, J.S.T., on V-Disc, as U.S. Army V-Disc No. 441-B and U.S. Navy V-Disc No. 221B, Matrix #VP1253-D5TC206.[5][6] The song from the broadcast has appeared through many Bing Crosby compilations.
The song touched the hearts of Americans, both soldiers and civilians, who were in the midst of World War II, and it earned Crosby his fifth gold record. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows. Yank, the GI magazine, said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era".
1945 V-Disc release by the U.S. Army of "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Bing Crosby as No. 441B.
Despite the song's popularity with Americans at the front and at home, in the UK the BBC banned the song from broadcast, as the Corporation's management felt that the lyrics might lower morale among British troops.
In December 1965, astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell while on Gemini 7 requested "I'll Be Home for Christmas" be played for them by the NASA ground crew
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"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a Christmas holiday song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The song was written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry along with Phil Spector, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes. According to Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector was not able to put as much emotion into the song as needed. Instead, Love was brought into the studio to record the song which became a big success over time and one of Love's signature tunes.
In December 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" first on its list of The Greatest Rock and Roll Christmas Songs, saying that "nobody can match Love's emotion and sheer vocal power."
Darlene Love had performed the song every year since 1986 on the final new episode before Christmas of Late Night with David Letterman (NBC 1986-92) and the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS 1993–2014). One exception was 2007, when Love was unable to perform due to the Writers' Strike, with a repeat of her 2006 performance shown instead. She performs the song with Paul Shaffer and the show's house band (The World's Most Dangerous Band at NBC, now the CBS Orchestra). The band has been augmented over the years by additional strings and other instruments, as well as a full choir. In 2000, the US Air Force Singing Sergeants were the choir. One of the highlights of the performances was the sax solo by band member Bruce Kapler, who would make his entrance in entertaining ways, including pulled in on Santa Claus' sleigh, "flying" from the rafters on wires, walking down the steps of the audience risers, and appearing in a giant snow globe. Love's final appearance on Letterman's show came on December 19, 2014, as Letterman announced his retirement from hosting The Late Show earlier in the year.
The song was also used during the main titles for the film Gremlins. It also appears in a memorable scene in the film GoodFellas, when some of the members of the crew foolishly spend money from the Lufthansa Heist on lavish items, thereby drawing unwanted attention.
On the December 17, 2011 holiday episode of Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon sang a version of the song with lyrics reflecting upon his past experiences with the show.
During the 1963 recording sessions for "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", Spector thought the track was strong enough to warrant a non-seasonal version, and cut a version titled "Johnny (Baby Please Come Home)" at the same time as "Christmas" (also performed by Darlene Love). This version of the song was first released to the public in January 1977 as the B-side of Love's single "Lord, if You're a Woman" (Phil Spector International catalog number 2010 019). "Johnny (Baby Please Come Home)" was also included on a 1997 European version of Love's 1992 compilation album The Best of Darlene Love (The Philles Recordings) (a.k.a. The Story of Darlene Love, and issued on Brussels' Marginal Records catalog number MAR 074).
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" was not widely recognized after its initial release; however, it has since been covered many times by different artists over the years. The first cover was recorded by Quiet Jungle in 1968 for the LP The Story Of Snoopy's Christmas. The second and most widely known was recorded by U2 in July 1987 during a sound check at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. Darlene Love provided backing vocals for U2, and the song was eventually released on the A Very Special Christmas compilation album in 1987, and later on the Unreleased & Rare album on The Complete U2 digital box set in 2004.
Mariah Carey covered the song as part of her 1994 album Merry Christmas. Due to strong sales of the digital single, the song peaked at No. 59 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart in 2011, and has sold more than 200,000 copies.
(wikipedia)
The song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany's.
Original recording
"Santa Baby" was originally recorded by Eartha Kitt with Henri René and his orchestra in New York City, in July 1953. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5502 (in the USA), and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10728. The song was a huge hit for Kitt, and she later said that it was one of her favorite songs to record; she reprised it in the 1954 film New Faces. Kitt re-recorded the song for Kapp Records in 1963, using a more uptempo arrangement (Madonna's popular rendition for the 1987 charity album A Very Special Christmas was based on this latter version). In 1954, Kitt recorded a new version of the song with new lyrics titled "This Year's Santa Baby" to no commercial success. Writers listed did not change.
The song is heard in the films Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Mixed Nuts (1994), Elf (2003), and Boynton Beach Club (2005).
"Santa Baby" has been covered in recorded and live performances by many artists throughout the years, including Pink Martini, Maria Muldaur, Everclear, RuPaul, Mariah Carey, Kate Ceberano, Homer & Jethro, Taylor Horn, Raini Rodriguez, Shakira, Madonna, Jhene, Macy Gray, Natalie Merchant, Cynthia Basinet, Faith Evans, Gino Frisella, Boney James, Kylie Minogue, Girls' Generation, Ste van Holm, Naya Rivera, The Pussycat Dolls, LeAnn Rimes, VersaEmerge, Kellie Pickler, Lynn Anderson, Paloma Faith, Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Chris Mitchell, The Swingle Singers, Ariana Grande featuring Elizabeth Gillies, Halie Loren, Michael Bublé, Debby Ryan and Glee's version by Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), which was omitted from the episode, but remained on the season 3 soundtrack. It was sung in an Ally McBeal episode by the title character (Calista Flockhart). 1 on disc 1 of The Perfect Christmas 2006 album.
In December 2007, Kylie Minogue's version of the song reached #76 in the UK due to download sales. It was first released as a b-side to her 2000 single "Please Stay" (released in December of that year), which charted #10 a b-side to her version of the Christmas classic "Let It Snow". Both were released during December 2010 on iTunes on A Kylie Christmas. On 23 December 2010, Kylie released the video for "Santa Baby" via YouTube. Minogue's version of the song is featured in the 2006 film The Holiday.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. In 2007, ASCAP ranked "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" the third most performed Christmas song during the preceding five years that had been written by ASCAP members. In 2004 it finished at #76 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs rankings of the top tunes in American cinema.
The song was written while Martin was vacationing in a house in the neighborhood of Southside in Birmingham, Alabama, that his father Hugh Martin designed for his mother as a honeymoon cottage. Located at 1919 South 15th Avenue (just down the street from his birthplace at 1900 South 14th Avenue), the house became the home of Martin and his family in 1923. The song first appeared in a scene in Meet Me in St. Louis, in which a family is distraught by the father's plans to move to New York City for a job promotion, leaving behind their beloved home in St. Louis, Missouri, just before the long-anticipated 1904 World's Fair begins. In a scene set on Christmas Eve, Judy Garland's character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, played by Margaret O'Brien.
Lyrics
Some of the original lyrics that were penned by Martin were rejected before filming began. They were: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas / It may be your last/ Next year we may all be living in the past / Have yourself a merry little Christmas / Pop that champagne cork / Next year we may all be living in New York."When presented with the original draft lyric, Garland, her co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing, and asked Martin to change the lyrics. Though he initially resisted, Martin made several changes to make the song more upbeat. For example, the lines "It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past" became "Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight". Garland's version of the song, which was also released as a single by Decca Records, became popular among United States troops serving in World War II; her performance at the Hollywood Canteen brought many soldiers to tears.
In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow." He told Martin, "The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?" Martin's new line was "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." Martin made several other alterations, changing the song's focus to a celebration of present happiness, rather than anticipation of a better future. On The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special, Garland sings the song to her children Joey and Lorna Luft with Sinatra's alternate lyrics.
The lyrics Garland sang in Meet Me in St. Louis have been recorded with only slight variations by a number of artists, including Sinatra himself (in 1950 and 1963 single recordings), Doris Day (in The Doris Day Christmas Album), Ella Fitzgerald (in Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas), James Taylor (in October Road), The Pretenders in the first A Very Special Christmas compilation released in 1987 (which benefits Special Olympics), and Luther Vandross (in This Is Christmas).
In 2001, the 86-year-old composer Hugh Martin, occasionally active as a pianist with religious ministries since the 1980s, wrote an entirely new set of lyrics to the song with John Fricke, "Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas," a religious version of the secular Christmas standard. The song was recorded by gospel female vocalist Del Delker with Martin accompanying her on piano.
In 2002, NewSong lead singer Michael O'Brien noted the line "through the years, we all will be together if the Lord allows," which was part of the original song, was purged and replaced with "if the fates allow" to remove religious reference when the song was released. He noted while a pastor in a California church in 1990, he had met Martin, who played piano at the church where O'Brien was serving for an evening, and the pastor was told, "That's the original way I wrote it, so I want you to sing it this way."
"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is a popular song written in 1947 by Frank Loesser as an independent song—not written for a particular movie or musical. It first charted for The Orioles, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard's Best-Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues chart in December 1949. Other charted versions include Danté & The Evergreens (No. 107 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles in December 1960) and Nancy Wilson (No. 17 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965 and No. 24 on the same chart in December 1967).
It has been recorded by many other artists, including Margaret Whiting in 1947, Dick Haymes & the Les Paul Trio in 1947, Ella Fitzgerald in 1960, Ramsey Lewis in 1961, Lena Horne in 1966, King Curtis in 1968, Johnny Mathis in 1969, The Carpenters in 1984, Patti LaBelle in 1990, The Stylistics in 1992, Harry Connick, Jr. in 1993, Carol Sloane in 1994, The Whispers in 1994, Donny Osmond in 1999, Barbra Streisand in 2001, Barry Manilow and Lee Ann Womack in 2002, Diana Krall in 2005, Bette Midler in 2006, Mindy Smith in 2007, Chicago and Deana Martin in 2011. In 2012, Rod Stewart recorded the song as a "virtual duet" with Ella Fitzgerald for his first holiday album, Merry Christmas, Baby. The Head and the Heart recorded the song for Starbucks' Holidays Rule compilation album in 2012. Seth MacFarlane recorded the song for his 2014 Christmas album Holiday for Swing. That same year, Idina Menzel recorded a version for her album Holiday Wishes.
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"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945. It was written in Hollywood, California during a heat wave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions.
First recorded in 1945 by Vaughn Monroe, it became a popular hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard music chart the following year. Woody Herman's competing recording, featuring himself on vocals and an iconic trumpet solo by Sonny Berman, peaked at #7 on the Billboard chart.
2005 – Carly Simon - CD single. Her version is unusual in being sung from the point of view of the host instead of the guest. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
2012 – Rod Stewart – Merry Christmas, Baby. His version reached No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. The song remained in the No. 1 spot for a total of five weeks, tying it for the longest leading rendition of a holiday title in the history of the chart.
(wikipedia)
"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945. It was written in Hollywood, California during a heat wave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions.
First recorded in 1945 by Vaughn Monroe, it became a popular hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard music chart the following year. Woody Herman's competing recording, featuring himself on vocals and an iconic trumpet solo by Sonny Berman, peaked at #7 on the Billboard chart.
Other notable recordings:
2005 – Carly Simon - CD single. Her version is unusual in being sung from the point of view of the host instead of the guest. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
2012 – Rod Stewart – Merry Christmas, Baby. His version reached No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. The song remained in the No. 1 spot for a total of five weeks, tying it for the longest leading rendition of a holiday title in the history of the chart.
(wikipedia)
Left: frontpage of the sheetmusic of the song by Vaughn Monroe,
Right:Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn
This was written by the lyricist Sammy Cahn and the Broadway songwriter Jule Styne in 1945. It was first recorded by Vaughn Monroe, and has since become a standard, with Patsy Cline, Martina McBride, Garth Brooks, Herb Alpert, Chris Isaak, the Carpenters, Carly Simon and Jessica Simpson just some of the artists to record it. Dean Martin's version is one of the best-known, and it fit his image as a swinging member of the Rat Pack without a care in the world. The most popular version on American radio (according to ASCAP), is by Harry Connick Jr. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
Although this song is associated with Christmas, there is no mention of the holiday in the lyrics. It's about making the most of a snowy day by spending it with a loved one by the fire.
In the book Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo, Sammy Cahn said: "'Let It Snow' was written on Hollywood and Vine on the hottest day of the year. I said to Jule Stein, 'Why don't we go down to the beach and cool off?' He said, 'Why don't we stay here and write a winter song.' I went to the typewriter. 'Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've got no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.' Now why 3 'let it snow's'? Why not 2 or 4? Because 3 is lyric."
A version by Rod Stewart recorded for his 2012 holiday album, Merry Christmas, Baby, reached #1 on Billboard's adult contemporary chart.
(songfacts)
"Silver Bells" is a classic Christmas song, composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.
"Silver Bells" was first performed by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the motion picture The Lemon Drop Kid, filmed in July–August 1950 and released in March 1951. The first recorded version was by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards, released by Decca Records in October 1950. After the Crosby and Richards recording became popular, Hope and Maxwell were called back in late 1950 to refilm a more elaborate production of the song.
"Silver Bells" started out as the questionable "Tinkle Bells." Said Ray Evans, "We never thought that tinkle had a double meaning until Jay went home and his first wife said, 'Are you out of your mind? Do you know what the word tinkle is?'" The word is slang for urination.
This song's inspiration has conflicting reports. Several periodicals and interviews cite the writer Jay Livingston stating that the song inspiration came from by the bells used by Santa Clauses and Salvation Army people on New York City street corners. However, an interview with co-writer Ray Evans to NPR said that the song was inspired by a bell that sat on Ray and Jay's shared office desk.
The song charted in the United Kingdom for the first time in 2009 when a duet by Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones recorded for charity reached the Top 40, peaking at no. 27.
In the original version the lyrics were "Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch, this is Santa's big day" but was later changed to "Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch, this is Santa's big scene".
(wikipedia)
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, over a ground either of the form called a romanesca or of its slight variant, the passamezzo antico. The romanesca originated in Spain and is composed of a sequence of four chords with a simple, repeating bass, which provide the groundwork for variations and improvisation.
"My Lady Greensleeves" as depicted in an 1864 painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580, by Richard Jones, as "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves". Six more ballads followed in less than a year, one on the same day, 3 September 1580 ("Ye Ladie Greene Sleeves answere to Donkyn hir frende" by Edward White), then on 15 and 18 September (by Henry Carr and again by White), 14 December (Richard Jones again), 13 February 1581 (Wiliam Elderton), and August 1581 (White's third contribution, "Greene Sleeves is worne awaie, Yellow Sleeves Comme to decaie, Blacke Sleeves I holde in despite, But White Sleeves is my delighte"). It then appears in the surviving A Handful of Pleasant Delights (1584) as A New Courtly Sonnet of the Lady Green Sleeves. To the new tune of Green Sleeves.
The tune is found in several late-16th-century and early-17th-century sources, such as Ballet's MS Lute Book and Het Luitboek van Thysius, as well as various manuscripts preserved in the Seeley Historical Library at the University of Cambridge.
Henry VIII
There is a persistent belief that Greensleeves was composed by Henry VIII for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Boleyn allegedly rejected King Henry's attempts to seduce her and this rejection may be referred to in the song when the writer's love "cast me off discourteously". However, the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after Henry's death, making it more likely to be Elizabethan in origin.
One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that Lady Green Sleeves was a promiscuous young woman and perhaps a prostitute. At the time, the word "green" had sexual connotations, most notably in the phrase "a green gown", a reference to the way that grass stains might be seen on a woman's dress if she had engaged in sexual intercourse out of doors.
An alternative explanation is that Lady Green Sleeves was, through her costume, incorrectly assumed to be sexually promiscuous. Her "discourteous" rejection of the singer's advances supports the contention that she is not.
In Nevill Coghill's translation of The Canterbury Tales, he explains that "green [for Chaucer’s age] was the colour of lightness in love. This is echoed in 'Greensleeves is my delight' and elsewhere."
Alternative lyrics
Christmas and New Year texts were associated with the tune from as early as 1686, and by the 19th century almost every printed collection of Christmas carols included some version of words and music together, most of them ending with the refrain "On Christmas Day in the morning". One of the most popular of these is "What Child Is This?", written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix.
Early literary references
In Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, written around 1602, the character Mistress Ford refers twice without any explanation to the tune of "Greensleeves" and Falstaff later exclaims: " Let the sky rain potatoes! Let it thunder to the tune of 'Greensleeves'!"
These allusions indicate that the song was already well known at that time.
(wikipedia)
"The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé.
According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer. In an effort to "stay cool by thinking cool", the most-performed (according to BMI) Christmas song was born. "I saw a spiral pad on his (Wells') piano with four lines written in pencil", Tormé recalled. "They started, 'Chestnuts roasting..., Jack Frost nipping..., Yuletide carols..., Folks dressed up like Eskimos.' Bob didn't think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics."
The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song early in 1946. At Cole's behest – and over the objections of his label, Capitol Records – a second recording was made later the same year utilizing a small string section, this version becoming a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts. Cole again recorded the song in 1953, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and once more in 1961, in a stereophonic version with orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael. Cole's 1961 version is generally regarded as definitive, and in 2004 was the most-loved seasonal song with women aged 30–49, while the original 1946 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.
Nat King Cole recordings
First recording: Recorded at WMCA Radio Studios, New York City, June 14, 1946. Label credit: The King Cole Trio (Nat King Cole, vocal-pianist; Oscar Moore, guitarist; Johnny Miller, bassist). Not issued until 1989, when it was (accidentally) included on the various-artists compilation Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits (1935–1954) Rhino R1 70637(LP) / R2 70637(CD).
Second recording: Recorded at WMCA Radio Studios, New York City, August 19, 1946. First record issue. Label credit: The King Cole Trio with String Choir (Nat King Cole, vocal-pianist, Oscar Moore, guitarist; Johnny Miller, bassist; Charlie Grean, conductor of 4 string players, a harpist and a drummer). Lacquer disc master #981. Issued November 1946 as Capitol 311 (78rpm). This is featured on a CD called The Holiday Album, which has 1940s Christmas songs recorded by Cole and Bing Crosby.
Third recording: Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, August 24, 1953. This was the song's first magnetic tape recording. Label credit: The King Cole Trio with String Choir (Actual artists: Nat King Cole, vocal; Buddy Cole, pianist; John Collins, guitarist; Charlie Harris, bassist; Nelson Riddle, orchestra conductor). Master #11726, take 11. Issued November 1953 as the "new" Capitol 90036(78rpm) / F90036(45rpm) (Capitol first issued 90036 in 1950 with the second recording). Correct label credit issued on October 18, 1954 as Capitol 2955(78rpm) / F2955(45rpm). Label credit: Nat "King" Cole with Orchestra Conducted by Nelson Riddle. This recording is available on the 1990 CD Cole, Christmas and Kids, as well as the various-artists compilation Casey Kasem Presents All Time Christmas Favorites. It was also included, along with both 1946 recordings, on the 1991 Mosaic Records box set The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio.
Fourth recording: Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York City, March 30, 1961. This rendition, the first recorded in stereo, is widely played on radio stations during the Christmas season, and is probably the most famous version of this song. Label credit: Nat King Cole (Nat King Cole, vocal; Charles Grean and Pete Rugolo, orchestration; Ralph Carmichael, orchestra conductor). The instrumental arrangement is nearly identical to the 1953 version, but the vocals are much deeper and more focused. Originally done for The Nat King Cole Story (a 1961 LP devoted to stereo re-recordings of Cole's earlier hits), this recording was later included in a reissue of Cole's 1960 holiday album The Magic of Christmas replacing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'. Retitled The Christmas Song, the album was issued in 1963 as Capitol W-1967(mono) / SW-1967(stereo) and today is in print on compact disc. This recording of "The Christmas Song" is also available on numerous compilation albums. Some are Capitol pop standards Christmas compilations while others are broader-based. For example, it is available on WCBS-FM's Ultimate Christmas Album Volume 3. This recording was digitally remastered in 1999 and reissued as the title track in the album The Christmas Song, released September 27, 2005.
There were several covers of Nat Cole's original record in the 1940s. The first of these was said to be by Dick Haymes on the Decca label, but his was released first – not recorded first. The first cover of "The Christmas Song" was performed by pop tenor and bandleader Eddy Howard on Majestic. Howard was a big Cole fan, and also covered Nat's versions of "I Want to Thank Your Folks" and "I Love You for Sentimental Reasons", among others.
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"The First Noel" (also written "The First Noël" and "The First Nowell") is a traditional classical English Christmas carol, most likely from the 18th century, although possibly earlier. The word Noel comes from the French word Noël meaning Christmas, from the Latin word natalis which translates as birthday".
In its current form, it is of Cornish origin, and it was first published in Carols Ancient and Modern (1823) and Gilbert and Sandys Carols (1833), both of which were edited by William Sandys and arranged, edited and with extra lyrics written by Davies Gilbert for Hymns and Carols of God. Today, it is usually performed in a four-part hymn arrangement by the English composer John Stainer, first published in his Carols, New and Old in 1871. Variations of its theme are included in Victor Hely-Hutchinson's Carol Symphony.
The melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of one musical phrase repeated twice, followed by a refrain which is a variation on that phrase. All three phrases end on the third of the scale. It is thought to be a version of an earlier melody sung in a church gallery setting "The First O Well"; a conjectural reconstruction of this earlier version can be found in the New Oxford Book of Carols.
The Annunciation to the shepherds and the Adoration of the shepherds are episodes in the Nativity of Jesus described in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2). The Star of Bethlehem appears in the story of the Magi (the Wise Men) in the Gospel of Matthew; it does not appear in the story of the shepherds.
"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Though it was originally an instrumental piece, lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950. The orchestral version was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. The song was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal 49-0515 (45 rpm) / 10-1484 (78 rpm), and has become the equivalent of a signature song for the orchestra. The 45 rpm version was originally issued on red vinyl. The Pops has also recorded the song with John Williams, their conductor from 1979 to 1995, and Keith Lockhart, their current conductor. Over the years, the song has become a Christmas standard.
Leroy Anderson recorded his own version of "Sleigh Ride" in 1950 on Decca 9-16000 (45 rpm) / 16000 (78 rpm). This recording hit the Cashbox magazine best sellers chart when re-released in 1952.
Although "Sleigh Ride" is often associated with Christmas, and often appears on Christmas compilation albums, the song's lyrics never specifically mention any holiday or religion (apart from certain recordings, such as those by the Carpenters, Walter Schumann and Air Supply, that substitute "Christmas party" for "birthday party" in the song's bridge). In fact, the mention of "pumpkin pie" in the last verse might suggest an association with Thanksgiving rather than Christmas.
According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers [ASCAP] review of Christmas music, "Sleigh Ride" consistently ranks in the top 10 list of most performed songs written by ASCAP members during the Christmas season worldwide.
ASCAP named "Sleigh Ride" the most popular piece of Christmas music in the USA for the four consecutive years 2009 through 2012, based on performance data tracked by airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide. To this day, Leroy Anderson's recording remains the most popular instrumental version, while Johnny Mathis' recording has become the most popular vocal version.[2]
According to author Steve Metcalf, in his book, Leroy Anderson: A Bio-Bibliography [Praeger 2004], "'Sleigh Ride' ... has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music."
The middle section, or bridge, utilizes an unusual, unprepared modulation to III, then to II, of the tonic key. The difficulty of singing this has caused several recordings to alter the chord changes or omit the section altogether, as in the Phil Spector/Ronettes version. (wikipedia)
"Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music, especially in the country genre.
The song was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948, and was popularized the following year in three separate recordings: one by country artist Ernest Tubb; one by bandleader Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra; and one by bandleader Russ Morgan and his orchestra (the latter featuring lead vocals by Morgan and backing vocals by singers credited as the Morganaires). Tubb's version spent the first week of January 1950 at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records chart, while Winterhalter's version peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart and Morgan's version reached No. 11 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart. Also in 1950 Billy Eckstine recorded a new version, backed by the orchestra of Russ Case, with shortened lyrics in a variation close to what is now the common standard for this song; the orchestral backing of this recording has often been wrongfully accredited to Hugo Winterhalter.
Elvis Presley cemented the status of "Blue Christmas" as a rock-and-roll holiday classic by recording it for his 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album. Presley's version is notable musicologically as well as culturally in that the vocal group the Jordanaires (especially in the soprano line, sung by Millie Kirkham), replace many major and just minor thirds with neutral and septimal minor thirds, respectively.[citation needed] In addition to contributing to the overall tone of the song, the resulting "blue notes" constitute a musical play on words that provides an "inside joke" or "Easter egg" to trained ears.[citation needed]. "Blue Christmas" was also included on a 1957 45 EP (Extended Play) entitled "Elvis Sings Christmas Songs" (EPA-4108), which also included "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" on side one, with "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" on side two. Presley's original 1957 version was released as a commercially-available single for the first time in 1964. This single was also a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 11 on the British singles chart during the week of 26 December 1964.
The American rock band The Beach Boys recorded a version featuring Brian Wilson on lead vocals, releasing it in the US on November 16, 1964, in two separate formats simultaneously:
(a) the B-side of the "The Man with All the Toys" single.
(b) a track on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album.
The Beach Boys' version reached No. 3 on the U.S. Christmas charts but did not chart in the U.K.
(wikipedia)
“Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A sombre man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially.
Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.
(carols.org)
"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by a wine merchant and poet, Placide Cappeau (1808–1877).
In Roquemaure at the end of the year 1843, the church organ was recently renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest asked Cappeau, native from this town, to write a Christmas poem. Cappeau did it, although being a professed anticlerical and atheist.[1]
Soon after, Adam wrote the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey.
Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight,[2] editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau's French text in 1855. In both the French original and in the two familiar English versions of the carol, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus and of humanity's redemption.
Another very old recording is O,Tannenbaum. The oldest recording i could find was by Emil Muench in 1906 on Victor. It is called "Der Tannenbaum". In the same year the song was also recorded on Odeon by a "Männerchor mit orchester un Glocken".
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" (originally written in Latin as Adeste Fideles) is a Christmas carol which has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade (1711–1786), with the earliest copies of the hymn all bearing his signature, John Reading (1645–1692) and King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656)
The original four verses of the hymn were extended to a total of eight, and these have been translated into many languages. The English translation of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" by the English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley, written in 1841, is widespread in most English speaking countries.The present harmonization is from the English Hymnal (1906).
(wikipedia)
The First recording is from an unkonwn chimes player.
