Tag Archives: Christmas

Frank Sinatra: Christmas with Frank Sinatra and Friends

FrankSinatra_ChristmasWithFrankSinatraAndFriendsSampling of Sinatra’s post-Capitol Christmas recordings

This 2009 collection combines eight post-Capitol Sinatra tracks with selected performances by Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, and Ray Charles & Betty Carter. This is a new compilation of existing material, rather than a collection put together by Sinatra during his lifetime. Sinatra is in good voice throughout, supported by full orchestrations and arrangements from Nelson Riddle and Don Costa. He sings Christmas classics and lesser known songs, such as “Christmas Memories” and “An Old Fashioned Christmas,” written by his friends Don Costa, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen; his original “Mistletoe and Holly” is also included.

Sinatra’s singing friends were invited to the party through the magic of archival compilation, rather than a personal summons from the Chairman. Still, the disc’s producer has done a terrific job of programming, and the re-mastering smoothly weaves together material from multiple studios and thirty-plus years of recording. Tony Bennett sings to the solo piano of Bill Evans, and Ray Charles sings a famous duet with Betty Carter (a track that also appears on the recent reissue of Charles’ The Spirit of Christmas). Mel Torme sings his own “The Christmas Song,” and Rosemary Clooney provides a warm, if somewhat wavery reprise of the Irving Berlin classic “White Christmas” from her 1996 album White Christmas.

The set’s most notable tracks for collectors are a pair taken from his 1957 holiday television special Happy Holidays with Bing & Frank, the aforementioned “Mistletoe and Holly” as well as “Santa Clause is Coming to Town.” Those looking for original Sinatra holiday albums should check out 1957’s A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra or 1968’s The Sinatra Family With You a Merry Christmas. You can also find a compilation of his late-40s Christmas recordings for Columbia on Christmas Songs by Sinatra (and a deeper helping of his Reprise-era work on The Christmas Collection). These are traditional and classy rather than ring-a-ding-ding, which itself can be found on Christmas With the Rat Pack. All are worth hearing, but this short collection (37 minutes) provides a nice alternative, particularly for its inclusion of related artists and two rarities. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Ray Charles: The Spirit of Christmas

RayCharles_TheSpiritOfChristmasThe genius of soul’s Christmas album back in print!

Surprisingly, this 1985 album is Ray Charles’ only Christmas album. Recorded with a sizzling band and guests that include trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Rudy Johnson, guitarist Jeff Pevar, and the Raeletts, this is (despite the wintery cover photo) a warm and soulful album of Christmas and holiday songs. Charles and his co-arrangers (James Polk, Larry Muhoberac and Bill McElhiney) stretch out across soul balladry, jazz, horn-lined swing, choral harmony, and blue country. There’s a lot of style packed into this album’s ten tracks. Concord’s reissue (the first in twelve years) adds the Ray Charles/Betty Carter duet “Baby it’s Cold Outside” to the original album, extending the running time to 47 minutes. This is a solid shot of rhythm and soul for your holiday party. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Various Artists: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

VAR_AChristmasGiftForYouFromPhilSpectorRe-mastered 2009 reissue of Christmas perennial

Phil Spector’s 1963 Christmas album was an immediate classic and radio favorite, but having been released on the day of John Kennedy’s assassination, it was quickly difficult to find. Radio play kept it alive, however, and it was made available again on the Beatles’ Apple label in 1972. The reissue renamed the album from “A Christmas Gift from Philles Records” to “The Phil Spector Christmas Album” and eventually to its current title; the original cover art was replaced by a photo of Spector dressed as Santa. A later reissue on Warner-Spector airbrushed away the “Back to Mono” button Spector wore in his beard and produced the tracks in stereo. The sacrilege was reversed and the AM-radio-ready mono mixes returned to print with the record’s first CD issue in 1987. Subsequent CD reissues on ABKCO restored elements of the original artwork, and the last reissue left print in 2007.

With ABKCO’s Allen Klein having passed away earlier this year, and Phil Spector in jail, a new day has dawned for the Philles label as Sony and EMI have gained the catalog’s distribution rights and are planning the archival reissues it deserves. That may be the best Christmas present music lovers will get for years to come. The first result is a fresh reissue of this Christmas classic with a 16-page booklet that includes original artwork and liner notes, contemporary notes by Billboard’s Jim Bessman, and superb photos of Spector with his musicians and singers. Most importantly, of course, is the pristine reproduction of Spector’s musical classics in all their mono glory, recorded as his Wall of Sound was reaching its greatest height. Featured are The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and the Crystals, all recorded at Gold Star Studio with the cream of Los Angeles’ studio musicians.

Spector and his arranger Jack Nitzsche adorned the Wall of Sound with the holiday sounds of jingling bells, bells and the clip-clop of horses’ hooves as they revitalized a dozen holiday classics. Several of these performances became icons that inspired covers of the performances rather than just the underlying songs. To top it off Spector minted his own classic Christmas song with the Spector-Greenwich-Barry composition “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” In an era dominated by singles, Spector created a holiday album that was stocked start to finish with superbly conceived and realized productions – no filler here. It wasn’t the first Christmas album, or even the first rock ‘n’ roll Christmas album, but it was (and remains) the best ever.

Technical note: EMI Legacy’s reissue duplicates the re-master that Bob Ludwig created for the second disc of last year’s UK-released The Phil Spector Collection. This is a complete re-master from the original tape using a full-track mono reproduce head and an Ampex tube-based machine. This replaces the Phil Spector-Larry Levine re-master that was the basis of the fourth disc of ABKCO’s Back to Mono box set and the standalone 1990 version. According to educated ears, the new re-master is less harsh and has smoother bass; it’s also louder, but without any detriment to the dynamics. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

The Hot Toddies: Santa Baby

Free Song Download!

The Oakland, California four-piece girlpop Hot Toddies are gifting fans with a cover of an Eartha Kitt holiday classic.

MP3 | Santa Baby

For more of the Hot Toddies catalog, check out their first full-length CD, Smell the Mitten, or stream their songs on ReverbNation. Favorite cut: “Motorscooter.”

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