What Are Your Top Five Christmas Albums From The Golden Age (1950's to the 1960's) ?

Yeah, oops! Completely spaced on the parameters OP set forth.

 

No worries my friend. I said there would be no hard and fast rules about the time frame and that version is absolutely spectacular as well. I am glad you pointed it out for all of us to hear.

 

A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra
12 Songs Of Christmas - Jim Reeves
Christmas With Marty Robbins
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
Christmas With The Louvin Brothers

 

Phil Spector
Vince Guaraldi
Elvis' first one
Sinatra
Ventures
Kenny Burrell
Bing

 

Another spectacular line-up to say the least! Oh man, Real Gone Music tried hard to get the Jim Reeves 12 Songs Of Christmas masterpiece remastered properly and released on CD for this year, but Sony Music could not get it done. I believe they will try hard again next year to make it happen. I just got the Louvin Brothers Christmas album recently and look forward to hearing it as well.

 

Another awesome top five list! Elvis's first Christmas album and the Spector album are the two greatest rock 'n' roll albums ever IMHO. They are must haves in any great holiday collection, and that Ventures album is a kick in the pants as well.

 

Being a kid in the early 60s, I also dug the Pop Christmas songs like Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree. Bobby Helms certainly has the definitive version of the first one but this duo's version also got play around these parts.

 

Quite possibly Larry Matthews finest moment from The Dick Van Dyke Show. I couldn't resist.

 

This is always subject to change, but right now here's my list (made it a top 10 instead of a top 5 since there are so many):

1. Elvis' Christmas Album - Elvis Presley (1957)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas - The Vince Guaraldi (1965)
3. The Magic Of Christmas/The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole (1960/1963)
4. Music Of Christmas - Percy Faith And His Orchestra (1959 Stereo Re-recording)
5. Merry Christmas - Raymond Lefevre And His Orchestra (1968)
6. Seasons Greetings - The Fantastic Strings Of Felix Slatkin (1961)
7. Ed Sullivan Presents Music Of Christmas (1967)
8. A Music Box Christmas - Rita Ford (1961)
9. There'll Always Be A Christmas - The Ames Brothers (1957)
10. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - The Beach Boys (1964)

 

I've quickly grown fond of that second album included on the Klein CD. It's not as spectacular as the first album, but it has its charms.

 

Well, once again you demonstrate your superior taste in all things music! Of course, I shamelessly did not list Elvis in my top ten list (I blamed a lack of coffee for not including Mantovani, so I will use the same excuse for not including Elvis's phenomenal first Christmas album). I absolutely dig the Raymond Lefevre Christmas album (Paul Mauriat's is pretty great too as those French conductors were both very talented maestros). The one that has really got my attention is the Felix Slatkin Season's Greetings album from 1961. Well, here is one totally under my radar as I know Felix just for his fantastic conducting on the Nelson Riddle arrangements for Frank Sinatra's Only The Lonely album. Wow, a ninety piece string section, I do not think I was aware of any such undertaking back in those times on a Christmas album. And it sounds stupendous on the samples I have heard over YouTube. Wow, I would say long overdue for a remaster and release to CD. Thanks for the heads up, my friend!

 

I am so glad to hear that and I agree. I was so focused on the greatness of Klein's first album that I sort of underestimated how much I would end up liking the second album with the great Henri René arrangements. I really love Klein's great original title song as well, All Around The Christmas Tree, as it has a whirlwind string arrangement that is truly fantastic. I am also crazy about the chasing strings on I'll Be Home For Christmas, just marvelous in my opinion. It's funny, because after we talked about doing just a single album release of A Christmas Sound Spectacular since it was so iconic in its time, we then realized his second holiday album was pretty darn great as well, and if we did not release it as a twofer with the first album, it would probably never get remastered properly and released at all on CD in the future. So you get over 70 minutes of great music featuring a fantastic orchestra and some awesome sounding bells as well and all for a pretty great price.

 

I'm going with some of my faves, but since I have hundreds of Christmas albums in my collection, it was not an easy task. I've opted not to pick some which have already been listed here but like many I really enjoy every Holiday season. Let's remember to bump this thread next year so I may list another five I love.

Frank Sinatra - Christmas Dreaming (1957)

As much I enjoy Frank's A Jolly Christmas, I have a soft spot for this 1957 Columbia's attempt at a cash grab following Frank's Capitol Christmas album. The music is tops and the cover makes it even more festive.




Frank De Vol And The Rainbow Strings - The Old Sweet Songs Of Christmas (Columbia, 1960 – Harmony budget release, 1965)

I grew up with this budget reissue of the 1960 Columbia album and it's one that I play often every year. Real Gone's CD reissue last year was an unexpected treat in glorious sound. Short medleys of the usual suspects, but beautifully arranged by Mister De Vol. To me, it stands on the same pedestal as Percy Faith's Stereo version of his Music Of Christmas album. I much prefer the Harmony cover to the one on Columbia.





Doris Day - The Doris Day Christmas Album (1964)

I fell in love with this album about 17 years ago and it's been a struggle to find a good playing copy. I've bought at least 5 LPs of it, 5 different CD pressings and I finally gave in a bought the Reel To Reel tape last year. It's only been released on CD with its original cover in Japan in the 80's. Love Doris' voice and the dreamy arrangements are spot on.




Eddie Dunstedter - Christmas Candy (1965)

I've discovered this one along with the millions of people who've purchased Capitol's classy Ultra-Lounge Christmas comps about 22 years ago. I instantly fell in love with the arrangements and the whole vibe these tracks give out. I also love the way the bass was recorded, akin the one found on those Bert Kaempfert albums. The album was reissued by Capitol in the 70's in an abridged version. I truly hope we get a reissue of this one by Real Gone in the coming years.




The Swingle Singers - Christmas With The Swingle Singers (1968)

This is simply of the most beautifully crafted Christmas vocal albums ever put together. The arrangements are simple, yet absolutely perfect. These eight singers offer wordless renditions of Holiday favourites from around the World and are tastefully accompanied by a Jazz trio. It's a peaceful yet festive album. The German CD reissue on Polygram's Jazz Club imprint is getting tougher to find at a decent price, but well worth it. I just love the cover. Simple and beautiful, just like the music on the album.

 

The Doris Day Christmas Album is a true gem from the Golden Age and features some fantastic arrangements by Pete King. This is one of the sexiest holiday albums ever as her sultry, but not overdone voice is magnificent, and the whole album really has the feel and orchestration of a Johnny Mathis or Nat King Cole Christmas album. This might arguably be the greatest female Christmas album from the Golden Age of Christmas.

 

Are all of the CD versions of The Doris Day Christmas Album the same? If not, is there a preferred pressing?

Thanks.

 

I prefer the Complete Album Collection by Real Gone Music from 2012 as it has the complete Doris Day Christmas Album as well as about ten bonus tracks. The best part is that you can reverse the cover photo on the booklet so that her original album cover for the Doris Day Christmas Album is on the front just like on the original album, so do not be put off by that less than great cover shot they used on the front of the booklet.

 

I see a similar cd on Amazon by Collector's Choice that has 21 songs on it. Are these the same or similar?

 

Guys, guys, you have to stop. This thread is going to cost me a fortune!

 

This is indeed more or less the exact same CD that Real Gone would release, but with different artwork. Both companies were founded and owned by label President Gordon Anderson and probably used the same remastering. I prefer the later version by Real Gone Music as I said before, because you can flip the booklet so it has Doris's original Christmas album cover on the front of it.

 

Mahalo sir. I just saw that one on Amazon, too. Mine is a Columbia or Sony from the late 80s or maybe early 90s. Gonna have to hunt it down but I do remember it sounding pretty good.

 

My apologies for briefly derailing this thread, but I wanted to bring a little light onto the matter.

The CD release of this classic album is a pretty messy affair. The original complete album was only released twice on CD. What I mean is the album as we know it and devoid of any additional tracks. The 1st Japan pressing (CBS/Sony 32DP 814 - released in 1987), is the only one to ever have reproduced the original album cover. This one is a pretty close to the sound of the original LP (which is what I was after). The 2nd US pressing (I'll come back to the 1st US pressing soon) was a bland 1993 budget release on the Sony Music Special Products. It features the worst artwork possible, but at least features all 12 tracks. The sound is pretty decent. Now the 1st US pressing is actually interesting in that it was a near perfect reissue of the late 60's LP release on the Harmony label (Columbia's budget reissue label). Usually, most of Harmony's releases contained the exact same material found on the original Columbia release, but with the tracks reshuffled in a new order. For Doris' album however, three tracks were removed from the album (Snowfall, Be a Child At Christmas Time, and The Christmas Waltz). The CD reproduces the Harmony tracklisting and its modified album cover. The liner notes of the Harmony LP (which differed from those of the Columbia album) have also been reproduced. The sound of the disc is absolutely superb, which makes the fact that it's missing three tracks quite unfortunate.





Every other CD release features the album with a handful of additional tracks, most of them recorded years before the album's release. The reason why I've never been a fan of these releases is simply because the additional tracks kill the mood created on the original album. I did purchase the Sony "The Classic Christmas Album" for the bonus tracks, but for the album tracks, I go to the 1st Japan pressing, Harmony reissue, and the Reel To Reel tape. I am not denigrating the Collector's Choice and Real Gone releases as they have done a splendid job at gathering all of Doris' Holiday tracks onto one CD, but the fact that they've never used the original album cover as the main cover for their discs was a turn off for me. The mastering for these has been done with care with modern equipment, but is not to my personal taste. Again, I salute these fine folk for the care put into their reissues. This is an album I wanted to buy as it was.





Last year I've decided to get the album on Reel To Reel tape and I love the sound of it. I think that by now you've realized that I'm a little obsessed by this album...

 

I love this album! I admit preferring the cover of the Sunset reissue (although it's an abridged version).

I also enjoy enjoy their Christmas Harmony album on Coral. It was compiled from various singles from the early/mid 50's and released to capitalize on the attention their RCA Victor album was getting.

 

I totally agree with your choices here and I must also give a shout-out to his 1967 album Christmas Is. This one has a split personality. Half of the tracks are companions to his two previous Holiday releases (albeit with more reverb, which I actually enjoy on these tracks) and the other half featuring a nameless chorus of young ladies. I truly enjoy this album as much as the other two. I also love the cover for the CBS UK compilation which features the first two albums in on gatefold jacket.

 

In no order:

Jo Stafford: Happy Holiday
Perry Como: Seasons Greetings
Dean Martin: A Winter Romance (although I admit to liking the Nat & Dean compilation LP more, as that's what I grew up with)
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas (1967, Capitol)
Elvis' Christmas Album (I'll take the Camden issue, as, again, it's the one I grew up with)

It's odd how very few albums have the same feeling as those from the 1950s and 1960s. In recent years I can think of just two: The Count Basie Orchesta: A Very Swinging Basie Christmas (which is superb), and Michael Buble's Christmas album, which does exactly what it intends to do in creating a modern take on the Como/Andy Williams/Nat Cole type of Christmas album. Many can't stand the sight of him, and I sit somewhere in the middle, but the Christmas album really is very good indeed, and probably his best release to date.

 

It is so great to hear from our fine Elvis author Shane Brown, who has a fantastic listeners guide book on Elvis called, Reconsider Baby, that I cannot recommend highly enough. I love all five of those great picks on your very fine list, but the two more hidden gems are the ones by pitch perfect female vocalists Jo Stafford and Ella Fitzgerald. Jo Stafford might have been the first great female vocalist to make a truly iconic and cohesive holiday album from this Golden Age of Christmas and her CD twofer that collects both of her winter themed albums is a must and sounds very good for a mono recording from this time period.

Now Ella's Christmas album from 1967 is like finding gold buried in your back yard. Oh yeah, everybody knows about her fantastic holiday jazz album, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, but how many know about this entirely different and gorgeous album that Ella sings reverently and without vocal gimmicks or histrionics. And how about the fact that it was arranged and conducted by the extremely gifted and blessed talents of one Ralph Carmichael, yes indeed, the very same maestro that arranged Nat King Cole's iconic masterpiece of a holiday album, The Christmas Song. If you can find a copy of the hard to find Capitol Jazz label version that Ron McMaster remastered for CD, you will be absolutely delighted with the beauty and sound of this album. I did not know that Ella even made a second holiday album until this year, and boy was it a shocker to find out that I loved this one more than her more highly acclaimed first holiday album.

Oh, your so right about that fantastic Michael Bublé Christmas album as well. Critics can mock him all they want, but ten million in worldwide sales indicate that he has done something special that is indeed fashioned in the spirit and nature of the Golden Age of Christmas. My gosh, He recorded it at the Capitol Tower with some of the same musicians and arrangers who had worked with Sinatra over the years.The man has a velvet voice and the orchestra and arrangements are stupendous to say the very least.