By Steve Marinucci
Published November 25, 1990, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
SURE you know Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas," but maybe you didn't know the Monkees also covered it. Or that David Cassidy did "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" with the Partridge Family. Or that the Ventures' unique version of "Sleigh Ride" begins with a few bars of "Walk, Don't Run."
When it comes to holiday music, everybody wants to get into the act and just about everyone has. You name it: the Osmonds, the Four Seasons, Paul Revere and the Raiders, even Prince and WHAM!, they've all put out platters of yuletide songs.
Roll over, Santa Claus
Chuck Berry issued a two-sided Christmas single in 1958, a "Johnny B. Goode"-type rocker,
"Run Rudolph Run," and a cover of the bluesy "Merry Christmas Baby." Keith Richards covered "Rudolph" on his first solo single, issued in December 1979.
The Hardest Working Man in Show Business is also one of the hardest working artists in the Christmas catalog. James Brown recorded three albums for King Records, plus some additional Christmas singles. Some of the material was reissued on "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag" by Rhino Records in 1988 after being unavailable for years. Gary Walker does his own impersonation of the Godfather of Soul in a song issued in 1965, also called "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag," which uses the melody from Brown's hit, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag."
The King of Christmas, though, is probably (and fittingly) Elvis Presley. As befits RCA's history of Elvis releases, hardly a Christmas season goes by without some new holiday product. His "Elvis' Christmas Album" has been repackaged in numerous ways, most recently in mono with an album of full color photos.
Jingle barks
Perhaps the most unusual Christmas record ever to come along is the Singing Dogs' version of "Jingle Bells," which has been around, according to liner notes on a recent reissue by Dr. Demento, since 1956. You have to wonder how they taught that dog to bark like that.
The Beatles' Christmas records, originally issued to fan club members from 1963-69, featured mostly humor and cutting up by the group but also included music, such as "Christmastime Is Here Again," on the 1967 Christmas record.
As solo artists, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney recorded their own holiday singles. John, also with Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band, recorded "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," which has received a lot of air play since its 1972 release. McCartney released a two-sided Christmas single in 1979, an original song, "Wonderful Christmastime," and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae."
The Monkees also issued Christmas songs to fan club members, "Christmas Is My Time of Year" sung by the group and "White Christmas," sung by Davy Jones.
A very '60s Christmas
One of the rarest holiday albums, Paul Revere and the Raiders' "A Christmas Present. . . . and Past," was finally reissued last year. The album, rooted in the '60s, includes an impression of then-President Lyndon Johnson.
''The Four Seasons' Christmas Album," originally issued on Vee Jay Records, features the voices of Frankie Valli and the boys with half the songs using their falsetto sounds and the other half more traditional arrangements.
''The Beach Boys Christmas Album" features a similar plan, but includes a stunning version of "Auld Lang Syne" done a cappella.
Unfortunately, the album version includes a short voice-over by Dennis Wilson, although the complete a cappella version has been released on a promotional album, and is highly sought after by record collectors.
Teen sensations the Jackson 5, Bobby Sherman, the Partridge Family and the Osmonds have all released albums of holiday music. "A Partridge Family Christmas Card" even came with, yes, a real Christmas card signed by all the Partridges. "A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector," with songs from the likes of the Ronettes, Crystals, Darlene Love and others under the guidance of producer extraordinaire Phil Spector and his "Wall of Sound," is a classic. Originally issued in mono, its numerous reissues include a true stereo version on Warner Bros. Records. It was also released on a now out-of-print CD on Rhino in 1987. And we've only scratched the surface. Dodie Stevens turned "Happy Happy Birthday Baby" into "Merry, Merry Christmas Baby" in 1960. Ike and Tina Turner put their stamp on "Merry Christmas Baby" in 1964. Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters added doo-wop to "White Christmas" in 1954. Huey "Piano" Smith recorded an entire album of New Orleans-type Christmas tunes with Dr. John (Mac Rebennack).
Edd "Kookie" Byrnes lectured on the coolness of "Yulesville." Booker T. and the M.G.s released an album, "Booker T. and the M.G.s in the Christmas Spirit," with funky Christmas tunes. Prince lamented "Another Lonely Christmas" in 1984. Snoopy stopped battling the Red Baron just long enough to celebrate "Snoopy's Christmas" with the Royal Guardsmen. Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker did their imitations of how Elvis, Bobby Darin, Fats Domino and Frank Fontaine would do "Jingle Bells" on an album the pair released on Cameo Records.
The normally staid Everly Brothers counseled "Christmas Eve Can Kill You" in 1972. Golden-throated Roy Orbison covered Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper" (of which there are a couple of versions by Willie himself). The Surfaris warbled about a sleigh led by reindeer named Jan and Dean and carrying autographed photos of the Beach Boys in "Surfin' Santa." Brenda Lee, when she wasn't rockin' around the Christmas tree, warned "I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus."
Other rock 'n' roll Christmas songs came from the Platters, the Trashmen, Johnny Tillotson, Bobby Vee, Bobby Darin and even Screaming Jay Hawkins.
On a more soulful note, Motowners the Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Stevie Wonder all recorded albums of Christmas songs. Albert King gave us a funky "Christmas Comes But Once a Year." Otis Redding put his usual dynamic effort into "Merry Christmas, Baby," while Clarence Carter wails about a raunchy "Back Door Santa." Isaac Hayes soulfully intoned "The Mistletoe and Me." And Jimi Hendrix, the master of the Telecaster, recorded a guitar-laden version of "Little Drummer Boy."
British rockers have numerous contributions to the holiday season, which include Roy Wood and Wizzard's Spectorish parody of the Christmas rush for holiday sales, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," which features a cash register and boys' choir in full stereo. Queen, in their usual excessive style, say "Thank God, It's Christmas," while WHAM! (which then included George Michael) laments about "Last Christmas" and Elton John counsels "Step Into Christmas."
If it's a country music Christmas you seek, how about Ernest Tubb's "I'm Gonna Walk the Floor This Christmas," patterned after "I'm Gonna Walk the Floor Over You." Or Buck Owens' "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" that recalls the humor of many of Owens' big hits. Or yodel master Slim Whitman and sad- voiced Tammy Wynette, who each have seasonal albums. And don't forget Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)," both of which were top-10 hits in the late '40s ("Rudolph" hit No. 1), and paid return visits to the charts in later years.
Some of the best non-traditionalmusic, though, goes back to jazz and swing artists of the '30s and '40s. Louis Armstrong's 1955 "Christmas Night in Harlem," Ella Fitzgerald's "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney" and Benny Goodman's "Jingle Bells" are among the best examples of this material.
Much of this material is available on CDs or albums by the artist or in collections. Rhino, which specializes in re- releases, has a full set of Christmas reissues that cover rock, jazz and swing, R & B and country. "Santa Claus Blues" on Jass is especially recommended to those interested in the jazz and swing material. Used record stores are also a good place to search for the albums mentioned. (box)
Marinucci, a Mercury News copy editor, subjects his co-workers to the "Singing Dogs" every Christmas.
