Lp Bluebell Christmas Classics

Christmas 2023 is in full swing, and Christmas music makes my Christmas memorable with the love and magic of my family. No doubt this Christmas will be very different since both my parents are now in heaven. So to me many of my favorite Christmas recordings will be extra special to me.

Spend This Holiday With Me – Anita Kerr Singers (1969)

This record tops my list – Mom found this record at a sale table at JCPenney in Chicago. Mo would play this record so many times, and understandably because the music and harmony of the Anita Kerr Singers are spectacular. Anita Kerr Signers (aka Anita Kerr Quartet) initially did backup vocals for many: Jim Reeves, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, Elvis Presley, and Patsy Cline, to name a few. In fact, Anita Kerr Singer backed up Jimmy Helms in the original classic “Jingle Bell Rock” and Anita Kerr arranged the song for the singer. Anita Kerr revolutionized music when she invented the Nashville sound. Spend This Holiday with Me is the perfect record demonstrating the gorgeous 4-voice harmony and captivating music. Anita Kerr had a gorgeous voice. The group retired in the 1990s, and Anita Kerr moved to the Nederland. She started AK Records, bought the rights to most of her albums, and sold them on CDs and digital music streaming. Ironically, I searched for copies of the record for years – two weeks after my Mom passed, Spend This Holiday with Me came out on CD. I emailed Anita Kerr and let her know the family history of this record, and she replied and told me that she loved this record and was happy to see it re-issued. Anita Kerr passed away October 10, 2022 at age 94. Note: Of all of the hundreds of recordings and variations of The Little Drummer Boy, the one on this record is my favorite and the best.

• Spend this Holiday With Me
• Jingle Bell Rock
• Hurry Home for Christmas
• The Gift of Song
• The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• What Month was Jesus Born In?
• Bach Choral-Christmas Oratorium
• Poor Little Jesus
• The Little Drummer Boy
• Do You hear What I Hear?
• Some Children See Him

Eddy Arnold – Christmas With Eddy Arnold (1962)

This Christmas album was my Dad’s all-time favorite. Eddy’s gentle voice bought the gentleness his recordings and sounded so perfectly natural. His famous “Cattle Call” demonstrated not only his gentle sound but also his ability to yodel perfectly. The legendary country singer Eddy Arnold also left a mark in Christmas music. One of his notable contributions is the holiday album “Christmas With Eddy Arnold,” released in 1961. This record showcases Eddy Arnold’s signature gentle voice and natural style, infusing the songs with warmth and sincerity. With a blend of traditional carols and original compositions, the album became an instant classic among country and Christmas music fans. Eddy Arnold’s ability to evoke the spirit of the season through his heartfelt performances continues to make “Christmas With Eddy Arnold” a beloved choice for holiday playlists even to this day. The record has been reissued four different times and in 2016, RCA/Sony released The Complete RCA Victor Christmas Recordings with 20 songs, including original songs before they were recorded on the milestone record. The record however, is the best:

• Christmas Can’t Be Far Away
• Will Santa Come to Shanty Town (co-written by Eddy Arnold)
• Jingle Bell Rock
• White Christmas
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town
• C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S (written by Eddy Arnold)
• I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day
• Winter Wonderland
• Up On The Housetop
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• Jolly Old St. Nicholas
• O Little Town of Bethlehem

Harry Belafonte – To Wish You a Merry Christmas (1958)

To Wish You a Merry Christmas by Harry Belafonte is my Mom’s favorite and one I treasure the most. Next to Kerr’s Spend This Holiday with Me, I still remember listening to this record when I first got my hearing aids and how wonderful, sweet, and warm the sounds of this record collection were. I also remember the cold, snowy duplex when we lived in Minneapolis with the Christmas tree so beautifully decorated by Mom and looking out at the snow while this record was on the old Columbia record player. Not only is this record memorable and a classic but listening to it is like taking a Christmas journey or a Christmas program.

• A Star in the East
• The Gifts They Gave
• The Son of Mary
• The Twelve Days of Christmas
• Where The Little Jesus Sleeps
• Medley: The Joys Of Christmas; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Deck The Halls; The First Noel
• Mary’s Boy Child
• SIlent Night
• Christmas Is Coming
• Mary, Mary
• Jehovah The Lord Will Provide
• Medley: We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Go Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; O Come, All Ye Faithful; Joy To The World
• I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Johnny Mathis – Merry Christmas (1958)

This record is the ultimate classic for millions of people. Another one of my family favorites, this classic and first Johnny Mathis Christmas record marked the perfect voice for the holiday seasons. Johnny Mathis has multiple Christmas albums, but nothing comes close to the original classic Merry Christmas. I am fortunate to found from my Mom and Dad’s collection the original mono record with the original Columbia label. LOVE IT. This record helped my family adjust and adapt to a “snowless” Christmas when we moved from Minnesota to California in 1973. My poor baby sister was so sad thinking because there was no snow that, Santa Claus would not come. Mom and Dad popped this record on the phonograph, reminding us about how Santa comes down the chimney. The music on this record also brings back so many memories of going home to Minnesota for Christmas. I still remember driving home to Minnesota, and Mom and I had the night shift. I bought all my Christmas cassettes, and we listened to this one many times on the drive. Sure, this recording is on CD and streaming, but the record just brings Christmas home to my heart. Many of the songs on this record are used on radios and various Christmas collections. Each song is unique – one special to me is “O Holy Night” – one of the most challenging songs. Johnny Mathis and Percy Faith, directing the orchestra, nail the song perfectly. Except for Mannheim Steamroller’s version, no one in my book to this date has yet sung this perfectly.

• Winter Wonderland
• The Christmas Song
• Sleigh Ride
• Blue Christmas
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas
• White Christmas
• O Holy Night
• What Child is This?
• The First Noel
• Silver Bells
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
• Silent Night, Holy Night

So much for now. More Christmas music to come. Enjoy.