You’re lastly within the Christmas temper. Maybe you wish to trim the tree or wrap presents or take pleasure in cookies and eggnog. You need the complete throwback expertise, however you don’t have any Christmas music to spin in your turntable, and also you don’t wish to hear the identical previous stuff from the native holiday-hits station. What now?
Among the finest components of gathering Christmas music is that you could acquire a great assortment for not some huge cash. Aside from music that’s collectible for different causes — for instance, doo-wop, punk/various, audiophile reissues, Nineteen Nineties vinyl — most Christmas albums are widespread and low-cost. Many are prone to lurk within the cut price bins at thrift retailers and used file shops. However don’t let that deter you! If it’s that old-time feeling you need, the $1-or-less stuff is precisely what you need. As a result of lots of the albums had been performed just one month a 12 months, even a budget stuff typically is in nice form. Truly, as a result of the albums weren’t all the time saved with care, a mint-minus cowl could be more durable to search out than a mint-minus file.
For this survey, the main focus will probably be on vinyl albums. Amassing Christmas music on 45 is totally different; lately, some 45s, particularly people who nonetheless get performed on the radio, have develop into costly. And CDs are one more dialogue.
Basically, Christmas albums fall into two fundamental classes: numerous artists collections and single artist information.
VARIOUS ARTISTS ALBUMS
On the subject of the genuine classic Christmas expertise, nothing beats an album with favourite vacation songs carried out by quite a few totally different singers. The variations won’t be essentially the most well-known, however they’ll nonetheless be good. With one exception, we’ll concentrate on these collections put out by the file labels’ special-markets divisions.
Within the Sixties and Seventies, the commonest method to get such an album wasn’t by going to a file retailer, however to locations that not often supplied music the remainder of the 12 months — tire shops, {hardware} shops, banks and the like. These albums had been designed as impulse buys, typically saved by the money registers. That is removed from an entire record, however beneath are 4 of essentially the most well-known sequence.
Goodyear
Although a couple of predated it, the golden age of the Christmas premium album begins in 1961, with The Great Songs of Christmas. Provided at Goodyear tire sellers, it was such an exceptional success that the press run of 900,000 albums was utterly offered out by December 1. This resulted in bigger pressings in future years — which is why these albums, low-cost within the Sixties, stay widespread and low-cost in the present day.
Goodyear supplied a brand new album yearly from 1961 by 1977. The primary 9 all had been consecutively numbered editions of The Nice Songs of Christmas. The tenth was Better of the Nice Songs of Christmas, with highlights from earlier volumes. Beginning in 1971, the Goodyear albums had a special title every year, however all of them had the Goodyear brand on the duvet.
The primary three albums had been issued solely in mono. Albums 4 by seven had been obtainable in both mono or stereo. All of the volumes beginning with eight had been in stereo solely.
As these albums turned extra common, Columbia, which launched many of the volumes by way of its Columbia Particular Merchandise label, started to have its artists make particular Christmas recordings that had been, on the time, unique to Nice Songs of Christmas. The New Christy Minstrels and Tony Bennett are simply two examples. For the ninth quantity, Goodyear acquired two new recordings by Petula Clark, who was on Warner Bros. Data within the U.S. on the time.
The 1972 quantity, Christmas Is, is price discovering as a result of it marked the primary time the Carpenters’ 1970 hit “Merry Christmas Darling” appeared on an album. The track additionally sounds actually good right here.
In 1975, the Goodyear albums switched from Columbia to RCA. The primary of those was referred to as Henry Mancini Selects Nice Songs of Christmas. For 2 extra years, the Goodyear sequence held on, however these final two LPs — Mancini Moods at Christmastime, principally a straight reissue of Mancini’s 1966 Christmas album, and The Nice Songs of Christmas, with tracks solely by Perry Como and the Philadelphia Orchestra performed by Eugene Ormandy — are comparatively onerous to find.
Firestone
A 12 months after Goodyear launched The Nice Songs of Christmas, its fierce crosstown rival, Firestone, acquired into the Christmas album market as nicely. In contrast to Goodyear’s strategy, the Firestone LPs, beneath the auspices of promoting jingle agency Forrell & Thomas, had been constructed nearly as cantatas, with unique variations and full lyrics on the again cowl. Seven volumes had been issued on this sequence (1962-68).
In 1966, Firestone pulled off a serious coup by touchdown a whole new Christmas album by Julie Andrews, then throughout film screens because the star of The Sound of Music. This album, with a special order and a pair extra songs, was reissued by RCA Victor in 1967 as A Christmas Treasure.
Many of the volumes had barely totally different titles every year (Your Favourite Christmas Music was used greater than as soon as), however they’re all simply identifiable by their package-with-a-bow cowl design. The primary quantity was issued in mono solely; the final was stereo solely; the others had been in both mono or stereo.
The 1967 mono model could be somewhat more durable to search out, however in any other case, all seven of those “cantata” albums are widespread.
After these seven albums, Firestone supplied Christmas albums through the Seventies, largely by Capitol Particular Markets. The one method to know these are Firestone LPs, although, is that if the shrink wrap remains to be on the duvet, due to a crimson sticker stating “Seasons Greetings Firestone.” Having solely a sticker on the shrink made it simpler to repurpose these albums that didn’t promote the primary time. There could also be others, however the 4 Firestone albums from the Seventies I do know of are Christmas America (1973), Christmas America Album Two (1974), The Fantastic World of Christmas (1975), and The Fantastic World of Christmas Album Two (1976). All are widespread, however discovering one with the sticker is more durable.
In 1988, Firestone issued a two-record set commemorating the unique sequence titled Your Favourite Songs of Christmas: twentieth Anniversary Collectors Album. That is a lot more durable to search out than the unique seven albums. It additionally comprises nothing from the mono-only 1962 album, nor does it have any of the Andrews tracks.
The “cantata” format for a Christmas album was revived by Hallmark Playing cards in 1985; that sequence advanced over time into single-artist albums and lasted nicely into the CD period. The final Hallmark album on vinyl was in 1991.
True Worth {Hardware}
After Goodyear and Firestone, essentially the most fondly remembered Christmas sequence is Completely happy Holidays, the albums offered by True Worth {Hardware}.
The primary Completely happy Holidays got here out for the 1965 Christmas season. Uniquely for its time, it contained each Christmas and seasonal songs in hopes that patrons may play it into January and past. After the primary two years, True Worth dropped the dual-purpose format and went to all Christmas music.
The primary quantity was launched solely in mono. Quantity 2 got here out in each mono and stereo, and all later volumes had been stereo.
What Completely happy Holidays typically lacked in heft — many albums had solely 10 cuts on them — it greater than made up for in longevity; together with CDs, the sequence made it to Quantity 40 earlier than it was discontinued after 2005.
It additionally had a greater diversity of artists than most, not solely due to how lengthy it lasted, however as a result of it frequently modified labels. In simply the primary 10 years, Completely happy Holidays went from Columbia to RCA to Capitol and again to Columbia once more.
Volumes 11 and 12, from 1975 and 1976, respectively, consisted totally of recordings by easy-listening duo Sandler & Younger. These offered so poorly that True Worth didn’t launch Quantity 13 till 1978 — and that one went again to the various-artists format that had labored up to now. Volumes 13-22 all got here from RCA; Volumes 23 and 24 (1988-89) had been produced by MCA’s special-markets division, which allowed “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby to seem on Quantity 23 and three Motown Christmas tracks to indicate up on Quantity 24.
Once in a while, Completely happy Holidays would come with a Christmas track onerous to search out elsewhere. Album Six, launched on Capitol Inventive Merchandise in 1970, contained each side of Les Baxter’s 1954 single, “Santa Claus’ Social gathering” and “Grasp Your Needs on the Tree.” Quantity 19 (RCA Particular Merchandise, 1984) is one other supply for the unique 1970 model of “Merry Christmas Darling” by the Carpenters. Quantity 21 contained an unique, “Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas” by James Galway, and it additionally included “God Relaxation Ye Merry, Gents” by Nat King Cole, which had been deleted from Cole’s Christmas album when it was reconfigured into The Christmas Track in 1963.
The primary 25 volumes had been launched on information. Volumes 1 by 23 are all widespread, although Volumes 18, 20 and 21 used to have a barely elevated worth as a result of they every contained an Elvis Presley minimize. Quantity 24, from 1989, is scarce on vinyl, and 1990’s Quantity 25, a two-record set with 25 alternatives, together with one from Elvis, is downright uncommon.
Grants
Grants, also referred to as W.T. Grant and Grant Metropolis, was considered one of two huge five-and-10-cent chains that survived, to some extent, the transfer from downtowns to suburban buying facilities. In the long term, it was unable to compete with Woolworths and the rising department-store chains akin to Kmart. Grants filed for chapter in 1975 and had what was then the biggest going-out-of-business sale in American historical past in early 1976. However earlier than that, Grants had one other fondly remembered sequence of Christmas premium LPs.
In comparison with the others on this record, A Very Merry Christmas was a latecomer; the primary quantity was launched in 1967. However its eight albums not solely are straightforward to gather, however are excellent.
The primary quantity, from 1967, is a traditional of special-markets releases. For a few years, it additionally was fairly collectible though it’s pretty widespread, as a result of for nearly 15 years, it was the one supply of the Simon & Garfunkel model of “The Star Carol.” As well as, it comprises the seldom anthologized “Sweetest Goals Be Thine” by Theodore Bikel; it additionally contains music from such Columbia and Epic artists of the period as Patti Web page, Jimmy Dean, Burl Ives and Bobby Vinton, and it closes with the “Hallelujah Chorus” by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Not one of the different seven editions of A Very Merry Christmas match that peak, however every of them has highlights. For instance, Quantity 3 has the uncommon “Christmas Lullaby” by Cary Grant, and Quantity 4 comprises one unusual observe every by Gary Puckett and Mark Lindsay. However one can see the upcoming destiny of Grants at a look by noticing the variety of tracks on every file; Quantity 1 has 14, a few of the center volumes have 12, and Quantity 8 has solely 10.
Others from company America
Many different manufacturers and shops supplied Christmas albums to their prospects within the Sixties and Seventies. A partial record contains Zenith, the stereo, radio and TV maker; Philco, one other electronics model; JC Penney; Useful Finance; Acme Markets, a mid-Atlantic grocery chain; door-to-door cosmetics vendor Avon; Ace {hardware}; a number of airways; and plenty of others. A second golden period of retailer Christmas-music premiums occurred through the CD period; these are past the scope of this text.
A Christmas Reward for You/Phil Spector’s Christmas Album
Lastly, we attain an album that no severe Christmas collector must be with out. Certainly, it typically makes lists not solely of best Christmas albums of all time, however best albums, interval.
Launched in 1963 beneath the title A Christmas Reward for You from Philles Data, it offered decently when first launched, opposite to many historians’ perception (it made the Billboard Christmas Albums chart through the 1963-64 season). However most hit Christmas albums had been by easy-listening artists on this period, and Phil Spector’s masterpiece was largely ignored the remainder of the last decade; it ended up in cutout bins by the top of the Sixties.
In 1972, after a couple of years out of print, Apple Data reissued it as Phil Spector’s Christmas Album, the title it retained till 1987. Each a number of years, Spector would license the album to one more American label. Round 1975, the album was launched by the short-lived Warner/Spector label; although the entrance album cowl states “Genuine Mono,” this marked the primary launch of the stereo mixture of the LP. Reissues on Pavillion/CBS (1981) and Passport (1984) adopted, each of which remained in stereo.
Spector briefly assigned the rights to his again catalog to Rhino, which reissued the traditional album in 1987 with the just about authentic title A Christmas Reward for You from Phil Spector; it additionally restored it to its authentic mono. Two years later, ABKCO acquired the rights and rereleased it but once more. In 1991, the album was included within the vinyl field set Again to Mono, additionally launched by ABKCO. The vinyl model then went out of print.
That’s the place issues stayed till 2009, when EMI-Blackwood Music obtained the rights to Spector’s catalog. Sony Legacy rereleased the CD, whereas Sundazed reissued the vinyl model. In 2014, a red-vinyl version was issued for Report Retailer Day, and in 2016, a white-vinyl urgent was accomplished for Barnes & Noble, whereas the unique black vinyl remained obtainable elsewhere.
In 2020, Sony Legacy reissued the album on vinyl but once more, this time restoring the unique title, A Christmas Reward for You from Philles Data, and even utilizing the previous blue-gray Philles label on the information themselves.
It’s not going you’re going to discover a copy of this album in a thrift retailer or a cut price bin; its status is just too sturdy for that. For that matter, regardless of which model of the LP you acquire, anticipate to pay an honest worth. First editions of the Philles model with a blue-gray label are the rarest by far; a pleasant copy of the second Philles version, with the yellow and crimson label, is extra cheap however nonetheless dear.
For the perfect sound, I can’t converse to the 2020 model, so not together with that, the Sundazed LP is head and shoulders above any prior mono urgent, with Rhino in second place. Not one of the three stereo editions are all that nice, however if you wish to hear it that approach, the Pavillion/CBS version is finest, and it’s not overly costly.
SINGLE ARTIST ALBUMS
Lots of, if not 1000’s, of artists have recorded Christmas albums. Analysis is ongoing, however the first Christmas album by a preferred (non-classical) artist to include all-new recordings seems to be ‘Twas the Night time Earlier than Christmas by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, recorded on July 15, 23 and 29, 1942 and launched within the 1942 Christmas season as a booklet of 4 78s (Decca A-350). That was the identical 12 months “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby was first issued as a 78; it was No. 1 on the Billboard best-seller charts by Halloween and stayed there till the start of 1943.
The primary golden age of Christmas albums didn’t begin till the LP dimension turned standardized at 12 inches round 1955. That nice period lasted roughly from 1957 by 1967. I’ll highlight a number of artists and their Christmas albums launched throughout these years, chosen once more for each good listening experiences and, for essentially the most half, ease of finding for reasonable.
Barbra Streisand
Most likely the simplest one-artist Christmas album to search out low-cost is A Christmas Album by Barbra Streisand. Launched in 1967, it was that 12 months’s top-selling new Christmas file, and it didn’t decelerate a lot within the years afterward. It remained in print on vinyl till Columbia discontinued most of its information in 1990.
To this present day, most Streisand albums are straightforward to search out, particularly her Sixties releases, which had been largely consigned to the album charts and easy-listening stations. A Christmas Album isn’t any exception.
Streisand’s LP is an effective, largely mellow listening expertise. It does begin with the novel reimagining referred to as “Jingle Bells?”, which some individuals love and others hate; it could be essentially the most controversial model of that historic normal amongst Christmas-music followers, much more so than the Singing Canine or the “St. Nick” all-laughing model. However from there, it’s clean crusing. It’s no marvel A Christmas Album offered and offered.
Stereo copies of the album are straightforward to search out, particularly on the orange Columbia label in use from 1970-90. Considerably harder, however removed from unattainable, is an early red-label “2-eye” stereo copy. However when A Christmas Album was first launched in 1967, it got here out in each mono and stereo; the mono (Columbia CL 2757) was in print solely through the 1967 vacation season and is uncommon.
A associated album that is also straightforward to search out is Seasons Greetings from Barbra Streisand…And Associates, a premium album for Maxwell Home espresso launched in 1969. Facet 1 has tracks from A Christmas Album; Facet 2 has alternatives from Jim Nabors, Doris Day and Andre Kostelanetz.
Nat King Cole
With the doable exception of “White Christmas,” no secular track is as evocative of the season as “The Christmas Track (Merry Christmas to You),” first recorded by Nat King Cole as a 78 in 1946. Cole made quite a few Christmas singles, each new and covers, from the elegant to the ridiculous, from 1949 by 1958, however he didn’t lastly file a whole album of Christmas music till 1960.
Even then, the LP didn’t attain its closing, acquainted kind till 1963. That 12 months, a 1961 rerecording of “The Christmas Track,” made for the three-record retrospective The Nat King Cole Story, was added to the 1960 album, and one observe from the unique was eliminated. The ultimate outcome, The Christmas Track, was immensely common; it stayed in print on vinyl till 1990, and with the vinyl revival, you should purchase a recent new copy in the present day.
As a result of The Christmas Track is widespread, it gained’t take lengthy to discover a good used copy for a lot lower than the trendy reissue.
The Christmas Track offered nicely by the years; it may be discovered on Capitol’s lime-green (1969-71), crimson (1971-72), orange (1973-76) and yellow budget-line variations — and all these are earlier than the Nineteen Eighties! Even the unique, with the black rainbow-ringed label, isn’t that tough to find. Barely harder could be a mono copy, as these had been in print solely till 1967.
Tougher to search out is the primary model of the album. When first issued in 1960, the file was titled The Magic of Christmas. It didn’t embrace “The Christmas Track,” however it had a rendition of “God Relaxation Ye Merry, Gents” that was deleted in 1963. This model of the LP was solely obtainable for 3 Christmas seasons, and in consequence, it’s unusual. It does pop up periodically, although, so preserve an eye fixed out for it.
One other curiosity is the 1966 Capitol Inventive Merchandise album The Magic of Christmas with Kids, which is unrelated to the unique model of Cole’s Christmas album. This one, all copies of that are in mono, comprises six of Cole’s pre-1960 Christmas singles. That is the simplest approach of discovering such songs as “Mrs. Santa Claus,” “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot” and his model of “Frosty the Snowman” on vinyl — and it’s cheap, too.
Percy Religion
On the subject of easy-listening Christmas, Percy Religion is at or close to the highest of the record. He recorded three Christmas albums; two are straightforward to search out and the third is a bit more difficult, however not costly when it exhibits up.
His first, Music of Christmas, was launched in 1954 in mono solely. It was so common that Religion rerecorded it in stereo in 1959; this model stays in print to this present day. Even in the present day, the stirring brass fanfare of Religion’s model of “Pleasure to the World,” the opening quantity on this album, is an everyday function of Christmas radio.
The second Religion Christmas LP, Hallelujah!, got here out in 1958 and was recorded in stereo; this was re-released with the title Music of Christmas, Quantity 2 in 1965. His third and closing Christmas album, Christmas Is…Percy Religion, was launched in 1966. Religion’s first two Christmas LPs include solely the occasional wordless vocal, however Christmas Is has a refrain on most numbers.
The stereo variations of Music of Christmas and Music of Christmas, Quantity 2 had been in print in numerous kinds by the Nineteen Eighties; later pressings with both the orange label or particular “Columbia Restricted Version” labels are pretty straightforward to search out low-cost.
Mono editions aren’t onerous to search out, both, however each albums sound wonderful in stereo, so except you’re making an attempt to gather each, select the stereo. An exception: The unique Music of Christmas is mono solely. This has a canopy with Santa Claus holding a sleeping lady; this model of the album was obtainable solely from 1954 by 1958. Additionally, the Hallelujah! model of Religion’s second Christmas album is a bit more durable to search out than the retitled model, in both mono or stereo.
Christmas Is remains to be a great album, even when it lacks the majesty of Religion’s first two Christmas LPs. The title track is sweet, and essentially the most generally heard model of “We Want a Little Christmas” is on Christmas Is. Stereo variations aren’t onerous to search out; the mono model was obtainable for less than two years and is more durable.
One much less widespread variation of Religion’s first two Christmas albums is a two-record set with the title The Columbia Album of Christmas Music (Columbia C2L 15). Launched in mono solely, this gatefold LP was made obtainable through the vacation season of 1958, the identical 12 months that Hallelujah! was first launched. I’m undecided how lengthy it remained in print, however as a result of the unique Music of Christmas was changed in 1959, I believe it went out of print pretty rapidly.
Picture courtesy of Goldmine journal
Andy Williams
This very temporary survey of widespread Christmas albums ends with one other bargain-bin staple artist.
The 12 months that A Christmas Reward for You from Philles Data was launched (1963), the preferred new Christmas album was The Andy Williams Christmas Album. His model of “The Christmas Track” was launched as a single that 12 months, however in the long term, the preferred track on the album was “It’s the Most Fantastic Time of the Yr.” That and “The Vacation Season,” a medley with “Completely happy Vacation,” are staples of Christmas radio.
Solely two years later, Williams adopted up his first Christmas album with Merry Christmas. It might not have been as immediately memorable as its predecessor, however it does have an association of “Sleigh Trip” that also will get airplay.
These two albums are typically generally known as the “crimson” and “inexperienced” albums, respectively, due to the background colours of their covers. Each stayed in print on file with nearly unchanged covers till the top of the Nineteen Eighties.
Discovering clear copies of both album isn’t onerous. Even authentic with “2-eye” labels aren’t too troublesome as a result of they offered so nicely initially. The primary version of The Andy Williams Christmas Album options all-black print and the phrases “Assured Excessive Constancy” on the labels; the primary stereo model has “360 Sound Stereo” in black. Second editions, and the primary editions of Merry Christmas, have “360 Sound Stereo” in white and “Mono” in white on mono copies.
In 1974, Williams recorded a 3rd seasonal album, Christmas Current. It, too, is sort of widespread, however it doesn’t have fairly the old-time really feel as its Sixties predecessors.
A pair special-products albums prominently function Williams’ Christmas music. The commonest of those is Christmas with Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers, launched in 1970 and in print all through the last decade (a minimum of).
