Greatest pop Christmas album of all-time? Maybe. It always brings a smile to my face. Phil Spector's Wall of Sound meets Frosty and Rudolph. At the time, Spector's stable of artists included Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. All appear here. This could be the first album that attempted to play Christmas songs in a contemporary style, setting the stage for all pop Christmas albums to follow. I remember once reading that Brian Wilson claimed this was his favorite album of all time. Quite an endorsement.
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| Billboard, November 16, 1963 |
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| CashBox, November 9, 1963 |
Update: In 2017, it was ranked at #130 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #13 on original 1963 release, #6 on 1972 re-release.
Tracks: They're all good, but the standout tracks are Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and the original tune Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) which appeared for the first time on this release.
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Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I grew up hearing these songs, so they're as familiar to me as any original version.
Preaching to the choir, brother.
ReplyDeleteDad played this one, Elvis' Christmas Album and all those Firestone Your Christmas Favorites albums that came out every year - he would take seasonal job at Firestone garage/tire store just to get that year's album it seemed.
The 45 of Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was added to the annual Holiday mix a little later.
Thanks Dad.