There's many fine Christmas albums available in the shops at this time of year, and I have a stack of them: BING CROSBY, NAT 'KING' COLE, PERRY COMO, ANDY WILLIAMS, FRANK SINATRA, ELVIS PRESLEY, DEAN MARTIN, DORIS DAY, etc., etc., and I've got them all - and more! A mixture of vinyl LPs from the '70s, and CDs from the '80s onwards, a few of them being digital duplicates of their analogue originals. Add to that various choirs singing festive favourites, and it's safe to say that I have Christmas covered in the musical department.
However, if there's one album that defines the season for me, it's 12 SONGS Of CHRISTMAS by JIM REEVES. I bought my first copy of it back in 1977, and have listened to it every year since - not only on my original RCA CAMDEN LP, but reissues of the RCA VICTOR one with the original cover, on vinyl and CD. I just can't imagine Christmas without it. So familiar am I with it that I regard Jim's renditions of WHITE CHRISTMAS and MARY'S BOY CHILD as the 'true' ones, with Bing's and Harry's respective warblings relegated to the status of cover versions (in my mind anyway).
The album was reissued recently, and I would be remiss in my duties as host if I didn't warmly recommend it to you. Jim's versions of SILVER BELLS, BLUE CHRISTMAS, and SILENT NIGHT (to name but three) are definitive in my view, and the album deserves to be in the collection of discerning Criv-ites everywhere - whatever their musical preferences. No, I'm not on commission, but I'm the kind of guy who wants others to share in something good, and this album is better than good - it's great! Visit the REAL GONE MUSIC site to order your copy, or get it on AMAZON.
Not convinced? Ah, well, I tried. You're the one missing out, alas. However, while you're here, is there a Christmas song or album that defines the season for you, and why? Who's the singer or group, and what memories of your youth does it conjure up for you, returning you to those halcyon times whenever you happen to hear it? Don't be selfish now, spread the joy of your reminiscences among your fellow Crivs. And below, just for you, is Jim singing Silver Bells, a song which first appeared in the BOB HOPE movie The LEMON DROP KID, though Bing Crosby was first to release it on record. There are other nice versions of course, but Jim's is tops for me. Give it a listen and hear why.
4 comments:
I've been listening to this LP my whole life. I think my parents bought it when it first came out and it defines Christmas in the 60s and 70s for me. I sometimes play it at random times during the year just to have that feeling again.
Funnily enough, JS, it fits right in with my memories of the '60s as if I heard it back then, though I didn't know about it 'til '77. Obviously that's partly to do with most of the songs being ones we all sang at school as Christmas approached, but it's probably also to do with the fact that he was around when I was a kid (though I didn't know it), so I sort of automatically tend to associate him with the period of my childhood.
I see there was a re-release at some point (remastered and expanded) but such things don't appeal to me. I had a similar experience with the first rock LP I bought - Nazareth's Greatest Hits in 1975 - the extra tracks and revamped sound mean nothing to me. They weren't part of my original experience and, so with JR, I prefer the original recordings/release.
That's the remastered and expanded one in the pic, JS, though it sports the original cover. I bought it, but I don't really notice a difference in sound quality. Perhaps it depends on the equipment it's played on, or it needs to be listened to on headphones to determine any difference. Good to see that it's considered worthy of a reissue though.
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