"Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas" LP Artwork: What Were They Thinking?

This may be a thread for a different forum BUT since there's no shortage of jazz experts here, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.



I've always been bugged by the complete inappropriateness of the LP cover art for Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. I mean, the artwork does nothing to evoke a sense of "Christmas," nor does it complement the wonderful music contained within.

I know there's a bundle of by-the-numbers LP album art, spanning all genres AND all decades, but the cover painting for Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas is just downright bizarre. Can anyone explain this mystery to me? How did it come to be?

 

While I'm familiar with Ella and her style, I'm not familiar with this content/album. It might help if as OP you provided links to listening/audio, if possible? Or just a track list? Year of release?

The designer in me wants to evaluate the design comprehensively, and see the back cover as well as the vinyl itself and dust jacket. But I'm guessing the release is old enough, pre-1965/1970? that there is no design connection between the other elements and the front cover?

 

Sure thing. Here are three tracks from Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, originally released in 1960 on Verve records.

The complete track listing is as follows (click the song title in quotes to hear it in full):

1. "Jingle Bells"
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
4. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
5. "Sleigh Ride"
6. The Christmas Song
7. Good Morning Blues
8. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
9. Winter Wonderland
10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
11. Frosty, The Snowman
12. "White Christmas"

Also, here's the back cover of the LP (from the recent 2014 vinyl re-issue):

 

I've heard the album. That is the WORST cover for a Christmas album I can imagine. But wasn't there a second cover? Or two? Or Three?

 

Drugs.

 

First one's the best.

 

So, the cover art truly is just random?

 

Just random randomness as far as I can tell.

 

Thanks!

Yeah, I agree. It's a total Christmas album for sure, but your cover doesn't match up with Christmas at all. The back cover, while still not really saying "Christmas" is great (great energetic photo of her)!

With JamieC's post, I'm thinking they must have produced a number of different covers for marketing to various demographics, perhaps even to different countries. But since your cover has nothing to do with Christmas as WE know it, I'm wondering what a unicorn in thick flowers/vegetation might have to do with another culture's appreciation for this time of year...? The graphics, texture and colors on the unicorn remind me of Kwanzaa... maybe?

 

As far as I know, the unicorn cover was the original. Does anyone know when the pink cover with the stylized gifts that spell "E-l-l-a" was issued? Did it ever appear on a record jacket or was it strictly for the (first?) CD issue?

 

Pretty sure that that cover predates Kwanzaa.

 

A brief search turned this up, but still pretty obscure:

"...The unicorn was seen as a symbol of Christ and was frequently shown in Medieval art. ..."
http://arthistoryblogger.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-unicorn-tapestries.html

 

Modern Art at its finest

 

The artist, Gene Grant, did several other "interesting" covers for Verve.

Here's Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster:

 

Wow I love most Verve covers but all 4 of those are bad in different ways!

 

To be fair the HMV issue probably wasn't done by Verve. The Brits probably couldn't figure out why there was a unicorn on the cover.

 

I bought the album in LP format in the early 1980s and it had the third cover of the four. I bought the album on CD in the early 1990s and it had the second cover of the four. I have never seen a copy with the fourth cover.

 

It must be public domain in the EU because there are some even worse versions floating around

 

Or four?

 

Now that's nice cover art!

 

I think there's a definite clue in the notes on the original back cover:

"Mindful that Christmas albums normally emphasize the religious and the solemn, Ella chose in this to stress the festive aspect of the season ; hence the latitude employed in the selection of material. As if to ask: Why not the peace and good will of Christmas the year 'round?"

Hence the lack of traditional Christmas imagery on the cover... totally lost on the business minds behind the 80s first CD reissue cover (the one with the gifts). As for the foreign covers, there's such a long line of foreign branches who think they know better... And I won't even comment on that very last public domain reissue cover.

In any case, in terms of design, isn't a vision always better than simple "nice" or "appropriate"?

The other thing I like about the original art is that it somehow echoes the history of the recording. Looking at the credits, you'll find it was recorded in July and August of 1960. How can musicians gather in a studio in the middle of NY summer and produce music that's such a quintessential exemplification of the spirit of Christmas? That's the miracle of music to me.

 

Unless you record a year in advance, that's when most Christmas albums are recorded. Between July and September,

 

Not saying that's exceptional. Still a fun fact, though. And not all Christmas albums are as good as this one (it's my absolute favorite).

 

I hope this doesn't come across like a threadcrap because I think this is an interesting thread, but they could have put Reindeer poop on the album cover and it would still be one of my most favorite Christmas albums of all time.

 

I think the one in the first post is actually better than the others - and that tells you how bad the others are!