Jolly Christmas [Extra tracks]

A question for Christmas trivia buffs: What did Frank Sinatra have in common with Andrae Crouch? ("father of modern Gospel music"). Both men instigated changes to the beloved seasonal classic, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." And both singers enjoyed the approval of the song's composer, Hugh Martin, who died last March 11th, five months shy of his 97th birthday.

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It was 54 years ago this month (November, 1957) that Frank Sinatra's "A Jolly Christmas" album was released by Capitol Records - barely one month after the release of "Elvis' Christmas Album" -- which became the "Number 1" best-selling LP of the 1950s -- despite composer Irving Berlin waging a conspicuously unsuccessful campaign to keep Elvis' version of "White Christmas" off the radio: Elvis' Christmas Album sold 7 million copies!

Since then, "A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra" -- a collaboration with "the orchestra and chorus of Gordon Jenkins" -- eventually sold one million copies (and is listed as the "Number 13" best-selling LP of the 1950s). But at the time of its release, the sales outlook for this LP wasn't nearly so bright . . .

[In 1957 Sinatra's career had reached a new peak, with albums that same year, including the masterpiece, "CLOSE TO YOU" (with the "Hollywood String Quartet") and an up-tempo classic, "A SWINGIN' AFFAIR." It was the same year his PAL JOEY ("Lady is a Tramp") movie soundtrack held the "Number 2" position in album sales (for one week -- and sold 500,000 copies.]

But at this time in 1957, music critics weren't in the spirit for a `traditional-style' Christmas LP. Some suggested that Gordon Jenkins' string arrangements and vocal choruses were "passé" and in "poor taste." (!)

Those critics are almost certainly all dead and gone, -- while this sublime Christmas collection touches the hearts of new sub-generations of Sinatra fans. Many of us consider this album quite simply the greatest ever -- especially among those which give us the best of the popular 'secular' Christmas songs, combined with traditional 'sacred' carols.

Friends with `high end' stereo systems insist that "NOTHING compares" with hearing an early, black vinyl version of this LP -- "the ones with the gray label," when played on "a decent" (read "costly") turntable.

Audiophiles at the "sinatrafamily" website seem to agree, that the original CD release of "A Jolly Christmas" - the one from 1987, "mastered by Larry Walsh" -- is still the best-sounding CD version of this album. Whereas, this latest edition is simply a re-packaging of the 1999 CD version which featured "24-bit, digital re-mastering by Bob Norberg at Capitol Mastering."

Sinatra's voice sounds a little more `up-front' in this version (and the orchestra not quite so well-balanced and a little more `distant'). Purists believe the earlier re-mastering by Larry Walsh is better -- more "faithful" to the original recording engineering. But in a blindfold test, on a portable CD player with good headphones, BOTH versions sound mighty fine!

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"What's your favorite track," a friend asked. Well, if I can have only ONE . . . it would have to be, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas " - a song for which Frank Sinatra suggested composer Hugh Martin "change a line" - to make it more up-beat, and in keeping with the title of this album!

A few years ago, in a radio interview, Hugh Martin revealed that he had written BOTH words and music for this one - but changed the original lyric --at Sinatra's request. Frank, in preparing this "Jolly Christmas" album, and was concerned about the words,

"Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow . . ."

"I got a phone call from Frank, saying, `Hey, I like your Christmas song, Hugh . . . but I'm doing an album called A JOLLY CHRISTMAS. Do you think you can jolly it up? (replace that somber, penultimate line).

"And I said, `Well, of course!' You don't say `No' to Frank Sinatra!

"So I went for a walk, and when I came back, I had the line about `Hang a shining star upon the highest bough' -- which Frank LOVED, and recorded."

40 years on, Hugh Martin (a late-in-life convert to Christianity) approved one final change to his beloved lyric, when the `father of modern Gospel music,' Andrae Crouch (on a recent, majestic, Christmas album produced by Quincy Jones) substituted the words, "If the LORD allows," for the original, "If the Fates allow". [Which Tony Bennett further refined to "Should the Lord allow" (perfecting the rhyme during his 16th annual (2009) Christmas appearance on Conan O'Brien).

Those who celebrate the true sanctity of Christmas are bound to cherish these changes, especially when those "faithful friends, who are dear to us, gather near to us, once more."

"Through the years we all will be together, if the Lord allows.
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough!
And have yourself a merry little Christmas . . .
Now."

I have another Sinatra Christmas CD but it was made in his early days at Columbia Records. I like the more mellow sound of his hey day years. I especially bought this CD for the GREAT Jingle Bell song. This rendition is really neat.

Simply one of Sinatra's best ever, along with his excellent other works with Antonio Carlos Jobim. A real classic not to be missed if you are a Sinatra fan.