Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special

A Double Helping with Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Christmas Special

By Kristin Battestella

I love the confusion of Christmas records, I really do. ‘Pon my soul, it turns out A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special is a reissue of not one, but two previous Ernie Yule albums: Sing We Now of Christmas and O Come All Ye Faithful. This double delight provides a family friendly Christmas listen, and puts an Amen to it.

First released in 1965, Sing We Now of Christmas stands as Record 1 for A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special, and the titular Sing We Now of Christmas opens with a satisfying Old World sound to set the album’s tone.  It’s traditional, but not so out of touch and with a special Middle Eastern rhythm. I like it- somber, but not so old-fashioned baritone deep that it can’t be enjoy today. This church casual preparation and fun continues with O Christmas Tree. This one’s very easy to sing along to indeed. So often any more we get just a rushed refrain, but Ernie gives us time to enjoy all the verses here. His bass tone is simply perfect for The Little Drummer Boy, too. It’s a sweet, but somber male ode for young and old and just excellent in simplicity and style. There isn’t a lot of orchestration, nor is it needed for this quiet reverence and humility.  

Angels We Have Heard on High isn’t over the top, either, like so many booming renditions today. Tennessee keeps the big “Gloria” (you know you want to sing it all out right now) so easy. Who knew this chorale carol could be for the family to sing along during a night of crafts, baking, or wrapping presents? We’re not in a grand and lofty church; Ernie brings the Christmas message home effortlessly and with a universal tenderness. Likewise, Caroling, Caroling isn’t too fast but just right in seasonal sway, mood, and melody. You want to join in! Despite his hymnal associations, A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special begins this Record 1 Side A with a somewhat neutral but festive sound. The classic carols and subtle spiritual are excellent for the traditional and faithful family or the secular office. Sing We Now of Christmas breaks down the holiday flak and presents Christmas at its most basic hearth and home symbols. Unfortunately, that innocence and simplicity makes for a dang short record!

Sing We Now of Christmas’ Side B, i.e. Record 1 Side 2 of A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special remember, begins with a wonderfully paced Good King Wenceslas. Rather than quick beats and lots of fast bells or vocals, the accenting choir and arrangement here is so pleasant. I feel like I’ve been using the word “pleasant” to describe a lot of these old-fashioned Christmas records, but the timeless tunes are indeed easy on the ear in comparison to the generic holiday noise of today.  Thanks to Ernie’s soft storytelling style, I feel as though I might have actually heard and understood these lyrics! So often, this one becomes one of those “songs you kind of know the words to” but not here. The Virgin’s Slumber Song’s lyrics, however, may really be unfamiliar as this charming little lullaby never quite caught on. I don’t know why; the tone is quite peaceable and touching, and this is actually a very beautiful little tune. Ernie takes the time to appreciate every note and so should we.

Although light hearted and filled with family friendly holiday faire, Twelve Days of Christmas is actually one of the few secular seasonals on Sing We Now of Christmas. Fortunately, the pleasant arrangements and easy rendition style carry over to this increasingly wacky, commercial carol. Ernie’s low sound alternates with the casual choir, and nobody gets out of breath as the cumulative chorus mounts in unexpected ways. No Japanese Transistor Radios here! What Child is This returns to the somber with just a bit more formality, but there is still a zesty medieval choir and courtly sway at work.  Instead of being old and stuffy, there’s a youthful pace and kingly style that shouldn’t be so surprising considering this is the Birth of Christ, after all. Ernie also shakes up the arrangement of Away in the Manger to close Sing We Now of Christmas.  It’s a good place to conclude. We had the festive and fun, and now the family can tuck in with the spoken, prayer-like lyrics here. Amen indeed.

Now that A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special is finished with the 1965 Sing We Now of Christmas sharing, Record 2 serves up the 1968 O Come All Ye Faithful album from Ernie’s holiday repertoire. Once again, the eponymous starter O Come All Ye Faithful sets the country church mood with big choir notes and full verses. Where Sing We Now of Christmas had some Meaning of the Season and a traditional holiday friendly working together for an overall enjoyable listen across the spectrum, this session is almost all down and reverent carols. Little Boy King may be less well known, but it’s a wonderfully innocent little story. This seems like what would be the Children’s Church segment of the hour, but there is a mature simplicity at hand, too. Love, brotherhood, peace on earth, goodwill, joy, freedom-these shouldn’t be estranged subjects to us, especially at Christmas. 

More somber and seriousness follows with Slumber Song of the Infant Jesus. This rendition doesn’t feel sing a long-able, it’s more of a sit back, listen, and be awed by Ernie’s down home church singing and power. I think sometimes with all our contemporary pop wintertime tunes, we forget that it is okay to be moved by the stillness of the season. Also becoming more and more rare, Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella is upbeat and lighthearted and not operatic as usually heard. Big T carries the choir as if this were a festive nursery rhyme. Hush, hush, up up- good little girls and boys won’t want to wake the baby even if they don’t understand the rest of the lyrics. Likewise, Good Christian Men Rejoice is hardly heard anymore, but it is darn catchy nonetheless with a joyous message, fun rhythms, and high notes to finish O Come All Ye Faithful’s Side 1.

The Wassail Song rings in this final leg of A Tennesse Ernie Ford Christmas Special with the more familiar seasonal singable. It’s rousing in a different way. Where the obscure carols are all Christ’s meaning, this is happy. We do have reason to be happy come December, oh yes. The Friendly Beasts gives us more of the crèche story in a lovely little anthropomorphic tale- another amazing lesser-heard ode that says so much in its small way. He is Born, The Holy Child also forgoes the flair as Ernie sans music recounts the whole dang reason we are celebrating. The savior is born, say it merrily- what else is there?

Tennessee and his choir have a different pace with While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks but this quick refrain still works. Some today might perceive O Come All Ye Faithful as a bit dry, granted. How many birth carols can one have in row anyway before things get redundant? Fortunately or unfortunately, the tracks here are once again too quick. After so many less common great church going tunes, it is a bit unusual to end such a deeply spiritual album with so secular a staple as White Christmas, but it sounds perfect, with Ernie’s booming notes and Christmas blessing matching the old-fashioned cold we associate with mid century snows. Thanks to all these recordings from Sing We Now of Christmas and O Come All Ye Faithful, baritone listeners can choose which Ernie they want- seasonably safe and festive or soulful and obscure meaning. Not many today can do both- either vocally or commercially- but Tennessee Ernie Ford pulled it off- that’s why they combined both albums for A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special!

Previously, I’ve also written upon the 1958 best seller The Star Carol: Tennessee Ernie Ford Sings His Christmas Favorites. If you’re seeking the big name carols and reverence, then that’s the album to find the likes of Joy to the World and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Despite this combination reissue, it doesn’t appear that any songs overlap here or on Ernie’s two other seasonal albums, 1963’s Story of Christmas and C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S from 1971. Though Story of Christmas seems part and parcel available on CD, most of Ernie Ford’s holiday sessions appear unavailable digitally. The current Christmas Favorites CD looks to be the same as The Star Carol, but it seems like chasing vinyl is the best way to get your Ernie Ford December fix.  All these confusing releases, reissues, and similarly titled compilations make it tough to enjoy the music and the meaning, but pursuing A Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas Special is worth the vinyl vintage, old-fashioned charm, and spiritual family faire.   

More Christmas Shows and Documentaries

More Christmas Food for Thought Television

By Kristin Battestella

There haven’t been that many Christmas shows and religious documentaries on television in recent years, but here are a few fictional delights and debatable documentaries to help young and old work on the mistletoe mind and spiritual soul this holiday season.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – I’m not a serious Peanuts or Charlie Brown fan but fortunately, you don’t have to be to appreciate this quick, award winning 1965 cartoon classic. Now airing annually on ABC each December and available on video with features and treats, youth, young at heart, and families of any and all beliefs will delight in the pouty Charlie Brown, snotty Lucy, wise Linus, and of course, who doesn’t love Snoopy? The animation still looks great; it’s quirky, retro, and full of memories compared to the so often in your face, instant, and forgettable modern designs. The simplicity of a nickel for advice and adorning a broken little tree with love helps put the spirit of Christmas in perspective, “Deck them Halls and all that stuff.”  Unhappiness, commercialism, misunderstanding during the holidays- if Charlie Brown was so displeased then, imagine what he would think of our Christmas Creep and outrageous politically correct season now? Have we changed so much or so little in the last fifty years? This innocent look at Christmas and the birth of Christ is neither offensive nor preachy, and the dialogue affectionately lampoons some of the crazy aspects of the holiday season, such as obsessing over Christmas cards, seasonal plays, light displays, and letters to Santa. Capped off with famous carols, iconic Peanuts tunes, and that special Charles Shultz flavor, the surprisingly deep spiritual symbolism and childlike perspective can bring a tear to your eye year after year. 

A Christmas Carol – No, I never get tired of divulging in this perennial Dickens classic, and the 1951 Alastair Sim as Scrooge adaptation is perhaps the most faithful in atmosphere, structure, and melancholy compared to other happy, colorful, condensed editions.  Of course, there are still a few tweaks and character changes in Scrooge’s past and an iffy colorization, but all that’s forgivable thanks to the chilly Victorian frost, morbid silver screen flavor, and fun smoke and mirrors ghost effects.  The wailing and frightening music is mixed with perfectly period carols in this swift 90 minutes, but remember, there are some dang fine scares here that might be too much for super young kids. Sim – who also took part in the 1971 animated edition, which might better serve those young family audiences – is perfectly ugly and unlikeable to begin as Scrooge and yet the Christian undercurrent from Dickens comes across thanks to the mostly intact famed dialogue and near complete ghostly visits. Some of the cast may seem like uber Brit caricatures today because we are so familiar with the tale-and my goodness that Cockney, ear damaging “‘Pen my bunle ‘ext, Joe! Calico!” However, this version helped create the pattern we expect most A Christmas Carol adaptations to follow. It still tugs at our heartstrings- not because of the charming story, but because we’ve been the miser who will “weigh everything by gain” and sacrifice those around us in pursuit of the “golden idol.” In many ways, the economics haven’t change one bit, and this encapsulation reminds us that redemption is indeed possible at Christmas or year round.   

In Search of Christmas – This 2001 History Channel documentary takes its full 90 minute time to explore the entire scope of Jesus’ birth. From Mary’s virgin status, the tax collection and location of the nativity, the Star of Bethlehem, the Magi and astronomical clues to Biblical versus historical accounts, calendar significance, Joseph’s role, and more; scholars, clergy, theologians, and skeptics from a variety of religious schools, universities, and backgrounds provide point and counterpoint. The presentation is intelligent, with insightful depths that respect faith and the miraculous aspects of Christmas- unlike purely scientific programs that seem to mock or scoff at believing the sight unseen. The focus stays on the spiritual exploration and historical importance of Christ’s birth here - unlike other quickie History Channel shows such as Christmas Unwrapped. Those hours about Santa or secular holiday traditions are fine for their purpose, but such documentaries further push Christmas as synonymous with toys, reindeer, fruitcake, and all that is nonreligious. Fortunately available on DVD for a Sunday school discussion or reverent showing, I wish there were more programs like In Search of Christmas on television- and there is no reason why History should stop showing this and other religious centric Ancient Mysteries and Mysteries of the Bible programming.  There are decades worth of these traditional documentaries- so why are we stuck with more and more reality crap on their networks?

What Would Jesus Buy? – This 2007 docufilm about the increasing commerciality of the Christmas season is very weirdly filmed, with askew angles, jerky zooms, and fast-paced images.  The Zany host Reverend Billy does not help, either. He and his choir singing the anti-shopping theme is just a bit unappealing, padding what could have been an objective and intelligent look at how we pointlessly commercialize Christmas. Even the most interested viewer hesitates to support the cause here because of this juvenile presentation. Why almost parody the very religious atmosphere you are trying to turn folks back to? Obviously, this is not the right approach, but I am glad a full hour and a half was taken. Though I would have much preferred realistic, straight film making and the news and numbers are slightly dated; the statistics of people in debt and shopping excessiveness are still very telling. One little old grandma says, “Why do the CEOs earn 500% more than the one at the bottom?” (hey, Occupy people, what kept you?) The essential message here almost gets lost because of the dumb theme, but the examination of how the price tag became more important than the thought or the why is a critical one.  How did we come to have our entire economy depend on Christmas shopping? When did the financial black become more important than the light and love at earth’s darkest hour? Ironically, what sells this documentary most is that the commerciality and financial situations have gotten worse since its 2005 filming. How can we as intelligent folks trade our beliefs for this Buying = Love concept?  How effed up are we? What Would Jesus Buy? does its best when it puts the bologna away and shows people crying over the precious simplicity of a homespun lifestyle and how Christmas used to be.

Christmas Through the Years Box Set

Christmas Through the Years A Dynamite Little Set

By Kristin Battestella

I think I paid a whopping $5 for Christmas Through the Years, a special 1984 holiday record collection from Reader’s Digest Music. With five LPs each themed on a decade or topic, there are more than enough Christmas tunes here to meet one and all’s December listening needs.

Entitled “Christmas Favorites Forever,” Record 1’s debut is excellent- from the opening Boston Pops’ Sleigh Ride to the somber Silent Night by Bing Crosby. There’s plenty of Perry Como to go around with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Silver Bells, and The Christmas Song, too. The erroneously forgotten soldiers’ ode Christmas Eve in My Home Town by Kate Smith is absolutely dynamite. I’ve played it so many times, now it skips! Side B serves up more Perry with Home for the Holidays, and Bing’s Rudolph rendition is old time fun for all. Christmas Through the Years may be worth the holiday hunt just for this record alone. The common classics and heart-warming rarities alike are that good indeed.

Yes, it is a little dated with essential kid staples ala Leave it to Beaver, but Record 2’s “Christmas in the 50s” block is Christmas Through the Years for the whole family. Santa Claus is Coming to Town from Lawrence Welk, Here Comes Santa Claus by Eddie Fisher, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Spike Jones, and Nuttin’ for Christmas are all youthfully annoying and yet strangely endearing- except for I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. I’ve never understood how they made a kids song out of that kink! Hello, holiday role-playing, anyone? Fortunately, Harry Belafonte’s Mary’s Little Boy Child is far more tender and Bobby Helm’s Jingle Bell Rock is grooving fun for all. Bing Crosby’s A Marshmallow World is somehow more sophisticated for adult memories, too, and Perry Como’s It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas is always timeless.  Unfortunately, Record 3’s “Christmas in the 60s, 70s, and 80s,” might be weakest part of Christmas Through the Years, only because it’s more split with dated rather than enduring tunes. The Singing Dogs version of Jingle Bells is fun- once, the first time you hear it, when you are five. Otherwise, the barking novelty is amiss. This track is also stuck in the middle of the glories of Pretty Paper by Roy Orbison and Brenda Lee’s iconic Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree. Suffice to say, it’s not the right place for it!  O Holy Night and The Christmas Waltz by The Letterman are soft, easy, and pleasant but also irrevocably trapped in their certain sixties harmony or glee club style. Ironically, Perry Como’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever- a 1982 release-sounds more mid century idyllic.  Kate Smith’s medley of Deck the Halls/Joy to the World/It Came upon a Midnight Clear is, of course, simply stunning, and Jose Feliciano finishes strong with Feliz Navidad.

  

I’m not really sure why Christmas Through the Years goes out of order, as Record 4’s theme is “Christmas in the 40s.”  Fortunately, there’s more booming Bing with Adeste Fideles and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and of course, more pleasing Perry with Winter Wonderland. Love it or hate it, you’re getting I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas, and Spike Jones returns for All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth. I might have preferred an album side or whole record in Christmas Through the Years be dedicated to all these goofy, dated and silly kids tunes, that way all the classic memories and melodies wouldn’t be so interrupted. However, I suppose the intermixed family placement encourages young ones to listen to all, and everything here is child friendly anyway. The soft vocal of ‘Twas the Night before Christmas is so tender and charming- I’m surprised there aren’t more musical versions of this poem ala the recordings of The Lord’s Prayer. And hello! Glenn Miller’s smooth Jingle Bells rendition is the way this song should be. End of story, and that’s a fact! Surprisingly, The Merry Christmas Polka isn’t half-bad, either.  Record 5 concludes Christmas Through the Years blissfully with a focus on “Beloved Carols,” although the inclusions of Twelve Days of Christmas and We Wish You a Merry Christmas keep this segment from being purely spiritual faire. Amid today’s lesser-heard staves such as O Sanctissima, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and The Holly and the Ivy, the heartfelt choirs and harmony vocals offer affectionate and traditional odes such as the robust Hark The Herald Angels Sing, orchestral We Three Kings, and a wonderfully medieval What Child Is This.  I haven’t even touched upon all sixty plus songs, and yet the smart categorizing of these LPs and its built-in options to pick and choose keeps Christmas Through the Years viable almost thirty five years on. Old-fashioned Yule for Grandma, classic holiday sing a longs for the kids, refined December traditions for dining adults, crèche focus for a night in with the whole family- Christmas Through the Years has it all!

My vinyl box set of Christmas Through the Years also contains a very nice little “Music Program Guide” booklet inside with brief histories and detailed information on each track-that’s always a nice treat. Obviously, this is a pretty generic and multi used title, so having any concrete information is a premium. It seems there was an early, brief, and/or rare CD edition, but beware on some of the uber high pricing that apparently comes with an elusive digital edition.  Unfortunately, no other MP3 or download correlations seem available either, but at least there are cassettes! Perhaps it is fitting that the Christmas Through the Years vinyl set is actually fairly easy to find. After all, the faux-Yule log snap, crackle, pop adds to this must have seasonal charm. Shop now and keep Christmas Through the Years for many Yules to come.

Wynonna's A Classic Christmas

Wynonna’s Classic Christmas Just That

By Kristin Battestella

Wynonna, the dynamic daughter half of eighties country pop sensation The Judds, makes an utterly blissful holiday debut with this 2006 release, appropriately titled A Classic Christmas. With big notes, seasonal sway, and a fine mix of traditional sounds and new spin arraignments, one would never suspect the country ancestry behind this chart topper.

The Christmas Song sets the tone for A Classic Christmas with an easy, jazzy, and festive feeling. It’s mellow, but full of holiday memories and timeless sound. Wynonna has a few long notes and room to stretch the rhythm and it all works wonderfully. Winter Wonderland continues the sophisticated style with the snowy echoes and fun bells.  It’s happy, even jolly, but also mature, adult, and not in your face one bit. This is a very pleasant listen indeed, but White Christmas is dynamite, too. No big production values are needed here- in fact, A Classic Christmas sounds like a quiet, intimate studio session with a few musicians and lots of egg nog. The melodies are dinner for two friendly even if you can hear a hint of country in some of Wynonna’s lyrics here. We’re only three songs into A Classic Christmas, and already there’s no doubt about Wynonna’s sentimental capability.

Nay, it’s quite the contrary.  I’ll Be Home for Christmas doesn’t sound like the country Wynonna some might have expected. I’m not a country fan myself, but Wynonna almost sounds like a soulful black singer from the sixties, with big, deep notes, total heart, and gospel. I can’t think of another way to say it, but I absolutely mean that as a compliment. There are shades of Ella and Mahalia on A Classic Christmas, and it keeps the set both modern and contemporary cool for today’s urbane listener and very old school traditional debonair at the same time. On a random radio listen, one might very well take pause and question in what year these songs were made. For a holiday album needing a perennial shelf life, this is the golden ticket.  Santa Claus Is Coming to Town adds an upbeat jingle with kids singing along in a fun moment for the whole family. Fortunately, this isn’t as hokey and overdone as most child tracks are. It’s not bad, but a bit unlike anything else on the album. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas returns to the refined style with a fresh opening and melancholy interludes. The expected bittersweet is excellent, simply put. I’ve no doubt Wynonna could have gone bigger with these secular staples. However, the fact that she keeps these tunes easy on the ears but vocally solid and strong note in and note out is so refreshing amid this century’s new wave of, well, singers who can’t actually sing. All that electronic voice box crap- give me someone who can carry a Christmas tune and put an amen to it!

Like the albums of Yuletide yore, Wynonna saves the spiritual and carols for the second half of A Classic Christmas and starts the reverence off big with Ave Maria. You would not know this woman is not a Catholic opera trained Italian soprano who speaks Latin on a regular basis.  No production spectacle or orchestral take over is needed here. The hefty notes are retained and yet Wynonna keeps this lofty ode a soft, respectful lullaby.  The church choir comes out next to introduce O Come, O Come Emmanuel and the combination keeps this brooding medieval anticipatory seasonably solid. The somber instruments and grand but personal, quivering delivery would seem fit for a rousing Christmas Eve candlelight service. However, Wynonna creates an edgy household appeal and modern arraignment in ye spirit of olde. Though its one of the longer tracks here, I wish more people could do this carol this way- the way it deserves. Although I could do without the way Wynonna says ‘yonder’ and this rendition isn’t as traditional as expected, O Holy Night starts slowly and sweetly rises accordingly in music, high notes, choir sounds, and perfection. Today it seems most pop or songsters don’t bother to do O Holy Night- probably because they can’t vocally- much less ad lib and update what we often take as a serious and brooding carol.  It’s hefty and reverent with all the works to the hilt, but again, Wynonna’s innocent, almost private, and intimate delivery is a very pleasing listen.

Likewise, Silent Night is slightly more upbeat than the norm, with almost a happy ring instead of somber reflection. It’s as if Wynonna has the kids sitting on the floor in the studio while she sings about a mom, a baby, and the smile they put on her face.  Sometimes we make the religious carols so depressing and too heart tugging. Particularly since the recent massacre in Connecticut, I keep thinking of the blissful yet tragic closing line here. All those children who are sleeping in heavenly peace instead of opening presents that were probably already lovingly wrapped and placed under the tree. Obviously, such horrific things at this supposedly peaceful time of year can irrevocably shake us up. Fortunately, the spiritual purpose of the season is the opposite of evil and sadness. It’s a birthday party for all here and above to attend.  Instead of concluding with Silent Night or some big secular spectacle, Wynonna finishes A Classic Christmas in strong spiritual fashion with It’s the Messiah.  Previously I’ve heard the track on Kenny Roger’s Christmas album The Gift- which also includes Wynonna’s Mary Did You Know duet.  While Kenny kept this ode soft and country easy swag, Wynonna slows it down for a meaningful church finale. It’s not so extravagant that you can’t sing along, but held lyrics and choir heights make the listener pay attention to the tale being told. We’re lifted up with the titular refrain, and this exiting number finishes A Classic Christmas with Wynonna’s big and wonderful, “He’s come at last!”

As I said, I’m no country lover, but severe country fans might actually dislike the absence of down home elements and country sounds on A Classic Christmas. With Wynonna Judd’s vocal range and crossover capabilities, this could have been a much more grandiose album, too. Just based on the number of big and difficult carols in need of Wynonna’s vocals, this could have easily been a double album or box set. Marketability and sale pricing had something to do with that, I’m sure. However, this surprising and unexpected holiday delight is consistent throughout, and I hope Wynonna does another Christmas album soon. The titular class and sophistication cross musical genres and season spirits. This very pleasant and feel good listen doesn’t skimp on the music and the meaning and is perfect for the dinner table, a family activity night in, the car, or office. If you like Christmas music and the women who can carry a serious and refined tune, forget country.  Forget needing to like The Judds. Even if you never hear anything else by Wynonna ever again, get this Christmas album ASAP. 

The Carols We Love

The Carols We Love is Missing a lot of Passion

By Kristin Battestella

Originally published as Sounds of the Season, this quick 2002 holiday devotional by Daniel Partner is subtitled The Story Behind the Story of Twenty Two Classic Christmas Carols.  Unfortunately, at only 95 pages and a hefty second hand price of twenty-five cents, the wealth of musical material possible is never fully explored.

Despite some serious history behind carols such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Go Tell It on the Mountain, What Child Is This, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and the titular claim to get the behind the scenes scoop; there isn’t much beyond basic common knowledge given on the barely there two or three page accounts. The selection of songs is seemingly random, with We Wish You a Merry Christmas among more recent or fringe and increasingly obscure carols such as Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming, Let There Be Peace on Earth, and The Little Drummer Boy-  which receives four pages of a fable repeating the song’s exact tale. If we are going with global, far reaching, or contemporary, where are In the Bleak Midwinter, Mary Did You Know, Deck the Halls, I Saw Three Ships, or hello God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen? The included carols aren’t in any order- be it by date, county of origin, or even alphabetically. Half of the spotlight is taken up by lyrics that also carry no rhyme or reason.  Some are a complete verse and chorus, but others, sadly, are the most famous quick refrains.  It Came upon a Midnight Clear’s 5 verses are completely omitted, Joy to the World is the chorus only, O Come All Ye Faithful offers no Latin lyrics, and Away in the Manger is only four lines. The Carols We Love would have increased its shelf life ten fold had it simply given all the lyrics and music and made itself a multi-faceted songbook. Instead, a brief devotional or story is attached with an often unrelated verse and random prayer.

It sounds horrible to say such things, I know. Unfortunately, there seems to be no explanation for the layout here. The opening musical bar of each tune is also included, but it often cuts off mid measure, breath, and note. Why bother unless you were going to go with a full-blown playable accompaniment? Suffice to say, if you’re looking for an extensive choir book or coffee table tome with detailed musical annotations and information on the origins of such timeless carols as Silent Night, O Holy Night, or O Come O Come Emmanuel, you won’t find it in The Carols We Love. Forget lyrics in other languages or even the composer or dates in some cases; with such a massive topic, an entire series of devotionals could have been done with blocks of carols paired from around the globe and thru the centuries. Why not a spiritual and meaningful Chicken Soup type collection of famous folks each saying what a particular carol means to them? The possibilities in revisiting why we sing the same Christmas carols year after year are endless, but The Carols We Love somehow missed everything but the bare minimum. Sure, some of our crèche classics have obscure beginnings or anonymity behind them, but that in itself is a tale to tell and others have really great multicultural and medieval stories to share. Perhaps this is all expecting too much of a decade old ‘value book’ that originally retailed at ninety-nine cents. However, if you’re seeking any kind of mature religious depth, historical insights, or adult scholarly into the origins of our Christmas melodies, The Carols We Love can only be a disappointment.

Nonetheless and all that aside, if The Carols We Love had expressly geared itself toward a youth audience instead of a desperate reach for devotional blasé, there could be some potential here.  Young and budding musicians or an elementary Sunday School Christmas reading and discussion might work for these simplistic tales. The passages are still all over the place in information, character, lyrical analysis, or lack thereof, but a better Biblical companion reference, musical prayer, or questionnaire worksheet would go a long way.  The profiles as written are definitely thin and totally impersonal, but one classroom question at the end of each carol might have made all the difference. Like the Magi, what gift would you bring?  How do you keep Christmas if you have a family member in the military? How will you make room in your heart for Jesus this December? Instead of going thru the motions, The Carols We Love could have really struck a holiday heartstring or educational, songful explanation.  Otherwise, a quick adult read over a few days can leave one feeling cold and without meaning at Christmas- and for a believer interested in this kind of book, Christ is certainly not either of those things.

I feel so harsh! Negatively writing on an innocent devotional that I’d like to think had some honest intentions even if the execution was flawed. Perhaps The Carols We Love isn’t all that bad. For readers of Advent devotionals, those interested in the musical subject matter, or ones hoping to bring carols into the classroom in an easy, simple manner, this quick session has its own superficial meaning.  It’s passionless, far too brief, ill prepared, and has an undefined audience, but one can find a piece of his own redeeming merit in The Carols We Love. 

Christmas Vinyl 2012!

And Yet Still More Christmas Music Vinyl!

By Kristin Battestella

Yes, I’m still listening to some rare, unusual, elusive, and downright spiffy old warped Christmas Records! Aren’t you?

Charles Dickens Classics: A Christmas Carol and Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas – The Dickensian bicentennial love has spilled over into our holiday snap, crackle, and pop with this record reading by Ronald Colman and Charles Laughton.  Soft carol interludes and complete sound effects accent Colman’s condensed Side A as Scrooge. Some of the tale is merely a necessitated part and parcel reading, but other segments are the famous dialogue as drama, and all the quintessential scenes are there. It’s more like a radio production than an audio book thanks to all the bells and whistles and kids today will most definitely still get a kick out of this. Though not as famous, Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas told by Laughton on Side B is a lovely encapsulation of the Victorian of Dickens and the post-war sound. It’s the perfect late night listen for wide-eyed children and gets folks to pay attention to some humor and holiday memories.  This record is perfect to cap off a seasonal classroom or family baking night with young ones. 

Favorite Christmas Carols from the Voices of Firestone Volume 1 – Big vocalists Rise Stevens and Brian Sullivan lead this debut set of perfect carol medleys such as the lively Joy to the World, sweet Away in the Manger, deep We Three Kings, happy Hark the Herald Angels Sing, stunning Silent Night, and more.  Full operatic editions of O Holy Night, The First Noel, a darling It Came upon a Midnight Clear, and a catchy O Christmas Tree are ideal for a mellow holiday dining room, too. The shrill alternating choir sounds of What Child Is This and O Come All Ye Faithful won’t be for everyone, nor the wobbly O Little Town of Bethlehem. However, the family friendly and old-fashioned sounds of Jingle Bells, Up on the House Top, Deck the Halls, and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas keep the album charming for all.

Sing We Now of Christmas: The Harry Simeone Chorale – There’s plenty of spiritual and holiday fun in this packed choir set- from the innocent softness of Away in the Manger and Good King Wenceslas to the festive shaker styled Go Tell It on the Mountain and Rise Up Shepherds. O Holy Night is big and reverent with all the right notes; What Child Is This and We Three Kings are wonderfully ancient and brooding.  Lovely lesser-known carols such as O Come Little Children, The Friendly Beasts, and Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming might be jarring to some amid the famous and sing-able, but it’s nice to discover new old carols, too. Likewise, less commonly heard renditions of O Tannenbaum, The Coventry Carol, Ding Dong Merrily on High, and the Latin Adeste Fideles are a treat. There’s a little bit of everything here, something fast and fun for the whole family with spoken verses amid quick choruses and near medley editions of a rousing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and a tender O Little Town of Bethlehem. Though not for uber modern families who dislike traditional high-pitched notes, this one’s fun for old school families.

A Very Merry Christmas Volume 1 – The Ray Conniff Singers open this 1967 debut of the Columbia record set for Grant’s Stores with a typically styled Little Drummer Boy, and the rest of Side A is a confusing mix of country, pop, and unfamiliar tunes. Though Johnny Mathis is always strong for O Holy Night, Patti Page sounds surprisingly poor for Santo Natale. Simon and Garfunkel are also a miss with The Star Carol, but fortunately the flip side wins with traditional family fair. A medley of carols including The First Noel, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and O Come All Ye Faithful; Do You Hear What I Hear by Bobby Vinton; a fun Twelve Days of Christmas with Burl Ives and Percy Faith; a wonderfully medieval God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman; and a big Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah finish this first volume in fine form.

A Very Merry Christmas Volume 2 – Mitch Miller’s Joy to the World and Robert Goulet’s O Holy Night skip on my copy of this second LP from Grant’s, but both are still delightful, as is Mahalia Jackson’s slow and soulful rendition of O Little Town of  Bethlehem.  Here we Come a Caroling sounds a little strange thanks to the lyrical swapping of Wassailing for Caroling, but kids can single along with this and Side 2’s Jingle Bells opener. Doris Day isn’t super brooding like we expect for Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but it is bittersweet nonetheless. Although it’s made a bit too lullaby-esque, it’s great to hear Johnny Cash sing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.  Common recordings like We Need a Little Christmas, What Child is this from Bing Crosby, and Johnny Mathis’ Silver Bells can be found almost anywhere today. However, these record anthologies often have a few rarities that you just can’t get elsewhere, and this second attempt is a more polished and pleasant listen.

 And to think, I have even more Christmas records!!!

Christmas Songs by/ A Jolly Christmas with Sinatra

Christmases with Frank Sinatra are Delightful, If Confusing

By Kristin Battestella

Recently I’ve been fortunate enough to cross two albums off my ‘Christmas Albums to Get’ list, both Old Blue Eyes himself: Christmas Songs by Sinatra and A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra.  Although both albums have a timeless swanky and spirit enough for the Season, repeat songs, alternate takes, and varying track times add a little head scratching to these holiday hits.

Originally released in 1948, this CD reissue of Christmas Songs by Sinatra opens with a crooning White Christmas. The listings call it and several others an ‘alternate take’, but this tune sounds just perfectly post-war and early Sinatra mellow whatever the recording. Those more intimate with his later swinging style might find the pace sweeter, but the tone works magically with the winter memories and sets the mood for the rest of the album.  It is however unusual to have the often concluding Silent Night as the second track here. The quiet carol continues the slow and sentimental tone and almost serves as a dual lead in- the spiritual debut to White Christmas’ secular entrance- as Christmas Songs by Sinatra is a fairly even split between the reverent and the casual. Billed by its Latin name despite the standard O Come All Ye Faithful lyrics, Adeste Fideles is slightly more upbeat and lightens the crèche whilst keeping the big notes respectful.

Jingle Bells is not as happening or juvenile as we might expect, but its still easy breezy fun with background singers and titular sounds jazzing it up with Frank. Sometimes this seasonal staple can get a little obnoxious, but Frank keeps it timeless and urbane here.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is of course, perfectly quintessential for the melancholy at this time of year- whether you are alone, far from family, or having a quiet moment by yourself at the end of festive and frenzied day.  Unfortunately, different versions of the brooding ballad also appear on the companion A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra and the compilation Christmas with the Rat Pack, and ironically, the confusion adds to the holiday frustrations.

Thankfully, Christmas Dreaming (A Little Early this Year) is a wonderfully soft and slow December ballad. Again, the slower crooning style and lingering easy notes serve Frank and the not oft-heard tune well. It’s perfectly holiday neutral and great for a slow dance by the fire. Christmas Songs by Sinatra smartly raises and lowers its pace and spirituality by alternately pairing similar sounding carols and winter pop. The overall tone sounds the same, creating an agreeable evening listen despite the pleasant but changing subject matter. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear also adds choir echoes and accompaniment verses as Frank takes his sweet, pleasing time and gives this carol a lullaby feeling instead of the quick, church single verse we usually get today- if it all. But of course, this one is another alternate version and time changer from Christmas with the Rat Pack and A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra and runs almost a minute longer than those tracks.

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem is also a slow, brooding, perhaps too slow carol. Frank keeps it stylish rather than Victorian serious and these two carols fit together for some solid and quiet reverence. However, the pair also makes the listener realize that there aren’t many fast tracks on the set, and that’s where the hip and lively Santa Claus is Coming to Town enters to shake up Christmas Songs by Sinatra. Great cymbals and a swinging interlude transform this kid’s deterrent into a groovy danceable. Get out your saddle shoes and toe tap before the Yule log with these big hepcat notes! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! continues the smile on your face seasonal swing, too. It isn’t loud and too fast to enjoy, but warm, fun, and as the background singers say, ‘Cozy coo.’

Though the General Reynolds Introduction always scares my cat, these vocal carryovers of the day are perfect winter wartime recollections. Sixty years ago, it may have been the norm to hear live recordings and the performers talking amid the tunes, but today this simplicity becomes a great sentimental treat. We’re listening to a radio broadcast on Christmas Eve! Unfortunately, the subsequent Medley of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World, and White Christmas is somewhat strange. Albeit this is the quick crooning standard edition, but we just heard Oh Little Town of Bethlehem two tracks ago. The Joy to the World rendition is a lovely but brief and choir dominated chorus before Frank returns with another choir-shared White Christmas quickie. It’s a squeezed in and odd mix of religious and secular when there are so many more great songs to do instead, and obviously, these last five tracks stem from another session. All that aside, the medley still sounds nice, and this unusual placement nonetheless compliments the rolling reverence and secular pattern of Christmas Songs by Sinatra.

Next, the serious and subdued maternal ode Ave Marie slows the album down once again. It’s great to hear Frank Sinatra sing in Latin, complete with a rising choir and slowly building instruments. Sure, he may not have the big pipes for the most difficult notes here, but the respect is evident and lovely nevertheless. By contrast, Winter Wonderland adds a little bit of fun and winds down the album with some jokes and casual seasonal swing. Again alluding to the shared spiritual and secular of Christmas Songs by Sinatra, The Chairman himself reminds us to take time for the Truth of the season before The Lord’s Prayer finishes the set in solid and lofty Catholic fashion. Another church tune perhaps stretching Sinatra’s range, but the big notes are all his, with none of today’s spectacular or overdone production needed to understand the meaning here.

 

Despite both albums being evenly divided between carols and secular tunes, Christmas Songs by Sinatra feels slightly more reverent and balanced than A Jolly Christmas with Frank Sinatra. A very upbeat Jingle Bells kicks off this 1957 reissue, which has also been released in several CD editions as The Sinatra Christmas Album. The quick pulses and scat spelling of the eponymous track will be as polarizing for some as chasing the assorted re-release covers and album bonus tracks.  At almost 40 seconds shorter than traditional version on Christmas Songs by Sinatra, the yeah yeah and hip hip festive is a bit too rowdy and in your face. Frank sounds a little hollow, as if his recording wasn’t done in the studio at the same time as the jazzy backup players.  I get that they’re setting up the jolly of A Jolly Christmas with Frank Sinatra, but it’s a bit too over the top.  Ironically, this is also the only fast song here. 

Thankfully, The Christmas Song is much, much better- a lovely, airy, and sentimental vintage from seasons’ yore without all the extra hype. Perfect.  Likewise, Mistletoe and Holly, the first of several tracks repeated on the more recent Christmas with the Rat Pack compilation, has that quintessential Sinatra sound. You can’t help but sing along as each refrain comes around. I’ll be Home for Christmas continues the on-form bittersweet, and it’s also found on the Rat Pack album, albeit with a few seconds time difference. Alternate versions are frustrating, yes. However, sometimes rare tracks are quite worthwhile and unique, or at the least, somewhat understandable. But what’s the point in shaving off 3 seconds here or 5 seconds there? Where do those missing seconds go go go?

There are different openings for The Christmas Waltz here and its appearance on Christmas with the Rat Pack, but there’s simply still no denying Frank’s secular seasonal sway here. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is just about perfect. This rerecorded winter brood is longer than the rendition on Christmas Songs by Sinatra by almost a minute, with a cold start, extra choir refrains, and longer melancholy from Frank.  And just in case you couldn’t guess, yep, this one’s on Christmas with the Rat Pack, too!

The First Noel is the first carol in this second half of spiritualness on A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, and though it feels a little too slow, reverent, and out of place in the swinging Rat Pack compilation, this quick mellow refrain fits in here. Likewise, Hark the Herald Angels Sing felt forced and restrained in the Rat Pack mix, but together, these carols work almost like a sing a long caroling medley. And speaking of medleys, we were treated to two Oh Little Town of Bethlehem renditions on Christmas Songs by Sinatra, but this version on A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra is about a minute shorter, ixnaying on the super slow but keeping the Biblical basics and choir accompaniment nice and easy. Despite having the same track time, Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful), is not the same version as on Christmas Songs by Sinatra. It’s strange to listen to the same song over and over again back to back for the choir additions and vocal differences here. It’s kind of fun, but a bit crazy, and I’m sure annoying to someone else forced to listen in the month of Twelve Days of Christmas and Must be Santa.

 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear feels a little stilted amid Frank’s effortless and breezy secular staples and is dominated by more choir than Sinatra, but it’s still lovely.  Like Christmas Songs by Sinatra, grouping the seasonal hits and reverent tracks in patterns together works much better than the seemingly spliced and random reissue of Christmas with the Rat Pack. Some melancholy pop, a block of carols for reverence- the mix of swing and serious stays sophisticated for today’s listener.  Another shorter rerecord, Silent Night is a fitting and darling crèche lullaby to conclude A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra in a soft crescendo.  With a set of perfectly timeless downhearted hits and respectful carols, it turns out A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra doesn’t seem that jolly of an album.  Instead of all the rerecords, alternate versions, and track repeats, I’d rather have, you know, more holiday recordings by Frank Sinatra, but that’s life- no pun intended.

Neither Christmas Songs by Sinatra nor A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra have the loosely holiday tune I Believe as does Christmas with the Rat Pack. However, the edition of A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra that I picked up in a two-disc combo set with Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas contains two unusual bonus tracks- not the expected reissue single versions of White Christmas and The Christmas Waltz, no. It may seem a little silly to have Come Fly with Me playing in December, but having this jazzy hit randomly pop up in my Christmas playlist is actually kind of nice. It’s a happy, mini moment to getaway from the dark and serious, stressful and crazy Yule we make for ourselves these days. Likewise, Let’s Get Away from it All provides a jiffy of holiday detox and laughter, even if it’s just over the way Frank says ‘Chowda!’ I’m usually pretty strict about listening to Christmas music at Christmas time- after all, you can’t listen to it any other time- but at this point, I don’t mind these two tacked on Sinatra staples at all.  I’m too busy comparing these albums and sorting out all the Christmas confusion!

Chasing radio edits, rerecords, and single rarities must be quite a chore for the Chairman completist, I must say. Perhaps the album really is dead. With digital downloads, one can pick his preferred Sinatra seasonal tunes for a holiday soundtrack, the end. It saves you the confusion of pursuing Christmas Songs by Sinatra and A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra- though casual fans and serious collectors can easily find either. Heck, I just put all my Sinatra Christmas delights into one playlist and let it go- the swanky and spiritual light are perfect for the casual office or urbane dinner party. Sure, a song or two will repeat or sound different each time around, but so long as you don’t think too hard on the logistics, one can delight in the Man, the Meaning, and the Music.  Whew!

Give Me Your Love for Christmas

Give Me Your Love for Christmas A Mellow Johnny Mathis Set

By Kristin Battestella

It was an easy decision to pick up Give Me Your Love for Christmas the 1969 third holiday album from Johnny Mathis.  Although the term ‘long play’ becomes a bit of an oxymoron when a record ends up short at less than thirty minutes, it’s a Johnny Mathis Christmas record, how could it be bad? Besides, at fifty cents, Give Me Your Love for Christmas was a merry mellow steal.

Jingle Bell Rock opens this casual and easy seasonal set, but ironically, it feels way too fast compared to the standard versions of this secular classic. I actually had to check if the turntable was on the right RPM speed!  This rushed tune simply happens too fast to really enjoy, but thankfully, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is much more indicative of Give Me Your Love for Christmas’ overall vibe and expected Johnny mellow, melancholy, and long notes. My Favorite Things is also a yes. Kids can still have a great and festive sing along, but there’s enough room in this arrangement for Johnny’s notes and an adult appreciative listen. If we all got off the stress wagon and took renewed focus on the season as thru a child’s eyes, eh?

The titular Give Me Your Love for Christmas is also a soft and tender ballad, but unfortunately, the tune doesn’t really appear in the collective Christmas conscious today. It’s a pity; with millions of albums sold to date, this song should be more popular than it seems. It might be a tad old fashioned or dated in style, but that’s also part of the charm. Santa Claus is Coming to Town, however, doesn’t work as a way too slow and unnecessarily mellow sound. The budding seventies redesign grasps for an adult sophistication, and it is just too weird a listen.  It’s also unusual to place What Are You Doing New Year’s Night? to conclude Side A. Not only is that smack in the middle of a CD today, but this proper and mature mellow as it should be done seems more fitting as a holiday album’s farewell track.  Like the rest of Give Me Your Love for Christmas, this track is also too short, but nonetheless perfect and smooth for a sophisticated dinner listen from December 1 to 31.

Do You Hear What I Hear? opens Side Two with a rousing and cheerful rendition styled for a concert show stopper with big notes and the perfect reverence and pace for the whole family. It’s a good change- some of the alternations on the traditional tunes for Give Me Your Love for Christmas are much more subjective. Here, however, we expect a youthful and quick ditty and are treated to a Christmas power ballad instead. Though I’ve never heard Calypso Noel before, the tropical sway is very festive. It’s quick, and can easily get stuck in your head so you’re singing along before you know it. The only trouble is that this seasonal Caribbean carol doesn’t sound anything like the Johnny Mathis listeners of his Merry Christmas album may expect.  It’s cute in of itself, but the track is another example of the unevenness or rushed, for-the-album sales feeling on Give Me Your Love for Christmas. Throw some holiday songs together because folks love Johnny Mathis at Christmas, change the tunes up a bit, and bam, it’s still cha-chinging every December. This is a nice little album, but it could have been much more.

Of course, Little Drummer Boy is one of the reasons to buy Give Me Your Love for Christmas. This isn’t an easy carol to pull off- often becoming either too kiddie or goofy for a classy singer.  Fortunately, Johnny has the right tempo, tone, reverence, and voice, and the result is an excellent, complete rendition. If only it weren’t so short! Likewise, Christmas Day sets that perfectly mellow Bacharach/Broadway mood. This is the tone for which Give Me Your Love for Christmas was going- it’s soft, innocent, a little melancholy, timeless and yet mid- century. One listen instantly creates recollections of a wonderful sixties Yule- memories and montages of white trees, tinsel, hideous turtleneck sweaters, and gargantuan padded coats for sledding in three feet of snow because times were simpler, childlike, cold but warm. Sigh.  

The Lord’s Prayer, however, is an odd choice to conclude Give Me Your Love for Christmas. Instead of ending with Christmas Day’s magic, this understandably church sounding vocal ends the set on a quiet Christian Meaning of the Season. It’s absolutely lovely with all the right somber and big notes, and I feel wretched for saying anything against it, but it’s a finale totally different than what the album actually was.  Give Me Your Love for Christmas has a few pieces for a religious December, but is by and large a sophisticated and generically safe secular album.  Similar in seasonal neutral or office easy to Johnny’s second holiday album Sounds of Christmas, Give Me Your Love for Christmas is perfect for a dinner for two or a digital playlist pick and choose. The sound is perhaps slightly dated or too middle-aged for today’s younger set to appreciate, I grant you. Overall, the Merry Christmas record is probably a more complete album in spiritual concept and musical reflection of Johnny’s range and style. However, longtime fans of Johnny Mathis, older audiences looking for a tender holiday set, and those seeking simpler memories of Yules yore will delight.