Why Collecting Christmas Albums is a Sound Investment

You’re lastly within the Christmas temper. Maybe you need to trim the tree or wrap presents or take pleasure in cookies and eggnog. You need the complete throwback expertise, however you don’t have any Christmas music to spin in your turntable, and also you don’t need to hear the identical outdated stuff from the native holiday-hits station. What now?

Among the best elements of amassing Christmas music is you could get hold of a superb assortment for not some huge cash. Apart from music that’s collectible for different causes — for instance, doo-wop, punk/different, audiophile reissues, Nineties vinyl — most Christmas albums are widespread and low-cost. Many are prone to lurk within the discount bins at thrift retailers and used report shops. However don’t let that deter you! If it’s that old-time feeling you need, the $1-or-less stuff is strictly what you need. As a result of most of the albums have been performed just one month a yr, even a budget stuff usually is in nice form. Really, as a result of the albums weren’t all the time saved with care, a mint-minus cowl may be more durable to search out than a mint-minus report.

For this survey, the main target can be on vinyl albums. Gathering Christmas music on 45 is totally different; in recent times, some 45s, particularly people who nonetheless get performed on the radio, have grow to be costly. And CDs are one more dialogue.

Basically, Christmas albums fall into two primary classes: varied artists collections and single artist information.

VARIOUS ARTISTS ALBUMS

In relation to the genuine classic Christmas expertise, nothing beats an album with favourite vacation songs carried out by quite a few totally different singers. The variations may not be probably the most well-known, however they’ll nonetheless be good. With one exception, we’ll deal with these collections put out by the report labels’ special-markets divisions.

Within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, the most typical approach to get such an album wasn’t by going to a report retailer, however to locations that hardly ever provided music the remainder of the yr — tire shops, {hardware} shops, banks and the like. These albums have been designed as impulse buys, usually saved by the money registers. That is removed from a whole listing, however under are 4 of probably the most well-known sequence.

The Nice Songs of Christmas, 1961, provided by Goodyear.

Goodyear

Although just a few predated it, the golden age of the Christmas premium album begins in 1961, with The Nice Songs of Christmas. Provided at Goodyear tire sellers, it was such an exceptional success that the press run of 900,000 albums was fully offered out by December 1. This resulted in bigger pressings in future years — which is why these albums, low-cost within the Nineteen Sixties, stay widespread and low-cost right now.

Goodyear provided a brand new album yearly from 1961 by 1977. The primary 9 all have been consecutively numbered editions of The Nice Songs of Christmas. The tenth was Better of the Nice Songs of Christmas, with highlights from earlier volumes. Beginning in 1971, the Goodyear albums had a distinct title annually, however all of them had the Goodyear emblem on the duvet.

The primary three albums have been issued solely in mono. Albums 4 by seven have been out there in both mono or stereo. All of the volumes beginning with eight have been in stereo solely.

As these albums grew to become extra in style, Columbia, which launched a lot of the volumes by way of its Columbia Particular Merchandise label, started to have its artists make particular Christmas recordings that have been, on the time, unique to Nice Songs of Christmas. The New Christy Minstrels and Tony Bennett are simply two examples. For the ninth quantity, Goodyear bought two new recordings by Petula Clark, who was on Warner Bros. Information within the U.S. on the time.

The 1972 quantity, Christmas Is, is value discovering as a result of it marked the primary time the Carpenters’ 1970 hit “Merry Christmas Darling” appeared on an album. The tune additionally sounds actually good right here.

In 1975, the Goodyear albums switched from Columbia to RCA. The primary of those was known as Henry Mancini Selects Nice Songs of Christmas. For 2 extra years, the Goodyear sequence held on, however these final two LPs — Mancini Moods at Christmastime, mainly a straight reissue of Mancini’s 1966 Christmas album, and The Nice Songs of Christmas, with tracks solely by Perry Como and the Philadelphia Orchestra performed by Eugene Ormandy — are comparatively onerous to find.

Firestone

A yr after Goodyear launched The Nice Songs of Christmas, its fierce crosstown rival, Firestone, bought into the Christmas album market as effectively. Not like Goodyear’s method, the Firestone LPs, below the auspices of promoting jingle agency Forrell & Thomas, have been constructed virtually as cantatas, with unique variations and full lyrics on the again cowl. Seven volumes have been issued on this sequence (1962-68).

In 1966, Firestone pulled off a significant coup by touchdown a whole new Christmas album by Julie Andrews, then throughout film screens because the star of The Sound of Music. This album, with a distinct order and a pair extra songs, was reissued by RCA Victor in 1967 as A Christmas Treasure.

Many of the volumes had barely totally different titles annually (Your Favourite Christmas Music was used greater than as soon as), however they’re all simply identifiable by their package-with-a-bow cowl design. The primary quantity was issued in mono solely; the final was stereo solely; the others have been in both mono or stereo.

The 1967 mono model may be somewhat more durable to search out, however in any other case, all seven of those “cantata” albums are widespread.

After these seven albums, Firestone provided Christmas albums in the course of the Seventies, largely by Capitol Particular Markets. The one approach to know these are Firestone LPs, although, is that if the shrink wrap remains to be on the duvet, because of a pink sticker stating “Seasons Greetings Firestone.” Having solely a sticker on the shrink made it simpler to repurpose these albums that didn’t promote the primary time. There could also be others, however the 4 Firestone albums from the Seventies I do know of are Christmas America (1973), Christmas America Album Two (1974), The Great World of Christmas (1975), and The Great World of Christmas Album Two (1976). All are widespread, however discovering one with the sticker is more durable.

In 1988, Firestone issued a two-record set commemorating the unique sequence titled Your Favourite Songs of Christmas: twentieth Anniversary Collectors Album. That is a lot more durable to search out than the unique seven albums. It additionally incorporates nothing from the mono-only 1962 album, nor does it have any of the Andrews tracks.

The “cantata” format for a Christmas album was revived by Hallmark Playing cards in 1985; that sequence developed over time into single-artist albums and lasted effectively into the CD period. The final Hallmark album on vinyl was in 1991.

True Worth {Hardware}

After Goodyear and Firestone, probably the most fondly remembered Christmas sequence is Comfortable Holidays, the albums offered by True Worth {Hardware}.

The primary Comfortable Holidays got here out for the 1965 Christmas season. Uniquely for its time, it contained each Christmas and seasonal songs in hopes that consumers would possibly play it into January and past. After the primary two years, True Worth dropped the dual-purpose format and went to all Christmas music.

The primary quantity was launched solely in mono. Quantity 2 got here out in each mono and stereo, and all later volumes have been stereo.

What Comfortable Holidays typically lacked in heft — many albums had solely 10 cuts on them — it greater than made up for in longevity; together with CDs, the sequence made it to Quantity 40 earlier than it was discontinued after 2005.

It additionally had a greater variety of artists than most, not solely due to how lengthy it lasted, however as a result of it repeatedly modified labels. In simply the primary 10 years, Comfortable Holidays went from Columbia to RCA to Capitol and again to Columbia once more.

Volumes 11 and 12, from 1975 and 1976, respectively, consisted fully of recordings by easy-listening duo Sandler & Younger. These offered so poorly that True Worth didn’t launch Quantity 13 till 1978 — and that one went again to the various-artists format that had labored up to now. Volumes 13-22 all got here from RCA; Volumes 23 and 24 (1988-89) have been produced by MCA’s special-markets division, which allowed “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby to seem on Quantity 23 and three Motown Christmas tracks to indicate up on Quantity 24.

Now and again, Comfortable Holidays would come with a Christmas tune onerous to search out elsewhere. Album Six, launched on Capitol Inventive Merchandise in 1970, contained each side of Les Baxter’s 1954 single, “Santa Claus’ Occasion” and “Hold Your Needs on the Tree.” Quantity 19 (RCA Particular Merchandise, 1984) is one other supply for the unique 1970 model of “Merry Christmas Darling” by the Carpenters. Quantity 21 contained an unique, “Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas” by James Galway, and it additionally included “God Relaxation Ye Merry, Gents” by Nat King Cole, which had been deleted from Cole’s Christmas album when it was reconfigured into The Christmas Music in 1963.

The primary 25 volumes have been launched on information. Volumes 1 by 23 are all widespread, although Volumes 18, 20 and 21 used to have a barely elevated value as a result of they every contained an Elvis Presley minimize. Quantity 24, from 1989, is scarce on vinyl, and 1990’s Quantity 25, a two-record set with 25 alternatives, together with one from Elvis, is downright uncommon.

Grants

Grants, often known as W.T. Grant and Grant Metropolis, was one in all two large five-and-10-cent chains that survived, to a point, the transfer from downtowns to suburban purchasing facilities. In the long term, it was unable to compete with Woolworths and the rising department-store chains similar to Kmart. Grants filed for chapter in 1975 and had what was then the most important going-out-of-business sale in American historical past in early 1976. However earlier than that, Grants had one other fondly remembered sequence of Christmas premium LPs.

In comparison with the others on this listing, A Very Merry Christmas was a latecomer; the primary quantity was launched in 1967. However its eight albums not solely are straightforward to gather, however are excellent.

The primary quantity, from 1967, is a basic of special-markets releases. For a few years, it additionally was fairly collectible although it’s pretty widespread, as a result of for nearly 15 years, it was the one supply of the Simon & Garfunkel model of “The Star Carol.” As well as, it incorporates the seldom anthologized “Sweetest Goals Be Thine” by Theodore Bikel; it additionally contains music from such Columbia and Epic artists of the period as Patti Web page, Jimmy Dean, Burl Ives and Bobby Vinton, and it closes with the “Hallelujah Refrain” by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Not one of the different seven editions of A Very Merry Christmas match that peak, however every of them has highlights. For instance, Quantity 3 has the uncommon “Christmas Lullaby” by Cary Grant, and Quantity 4 incorporates one unusual monitor every by Gary Puckett and Mark Lindsay. However one can see the approaching destiny of Grants at a look by noticing the variety of tracks on every report; Quantity 1 has 14, a few of the center volumes have 12, and Quantity 8 has solely 10.

Others from company America

Many different manufacturers and shops provided Christmas albums to their prospects within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies. A partial listing contains Zenith, the stereo, radio and TV maker; Philco, one other electronics model; JC Penney; Useful Finance; Acme Markets, a mid-Atlantic grocery chain; door-to-door cosmetics vendor Avon; Ace {hardware}; a number of airways; and plenty of others. A second golden period of retailer Christmas-music premiums occurred in the course of the CD period; these are past the scope of this text.

Phil Spector’s nice vacation basic, A Christmas Present for You.

A Christmas Present for You/Phil Spector’s Christmas Album

Lastly, we attain an album that no severe Christmas collector needs to be with out. Certainly, it usually makes lists not solely of best Christmas albums of all time, however best albums, interval.

Launched in 1963 below the title A Christmas Present for You from Philles Information, it offered decently when first launched, opposite to many historians’ perception (it made the Billboard Christmas Albums chart in the course of the 1963-64 season). However most hit Christmas albums have been by easy-listening artists on this period, and Phil Spector’s masterpiece was largely ignored the remainder of the last decade; it ended up in cutout bins by the top of the Nineteen Sixties.

In 1972, after just a few years out of print, Apple Information reissued it as Phil Spector’s Christmas Album, the title it retained till 1987. Each a number of years, Spector would license the album to one more American label. Round 1975, the album was launched by the short-lived Warner/Spector label; although the entrance album cowl states “Genuine Mono,” this marked the primary launch of the stereo mixture of the LP. Reissues on Pavillion/CBS (1981) and Passport (1984) adopted, each of which remained in stereo.

Spector briefly assigned the rights to his again catalog to Rhino, which reissued the basic album in 1987 with the virtually authentic title A Christmas Present for You from Phil Spector; it additionally restored it to its authentic mono. Two years later, ABKCO bought the rights and rereleased it but once more. In 1991, the album was included within the vinyl field set Again to Mono, additionally launched by ABKCO. The vinyl model then went out of print.

That’s the place issues stayed till 2009, when EMI-Blackwood Music obtained the rights to Spector’s catalog. Sony Legacy rereleased the CD, whereas Sundazed reissued the vinyl model. In 2014, a red-vinyl version was issued for Document Retailer Day, and in 2016, a white-vinyl urgent was finished for Barnes & Noble, whereas the unique black vinyl remained out there elsewhere.

In 2020, Sony Legacy reissued the album on vinyl but once more, this time restoring the unique title, A Christmas Present for You from Philles Information, and even utilizing the outdated blue-gray Philles label on the information themselves.

It’s not going you’re going to discover a copy of this album in a thrift retailer or a discount bin; its popularity is simply too robust for that. For that matter, regardless of which model of the LP you get hold of, anticipate to pay an honest value. First editions of the Philles model with a blue-gray label are the rarest by far; a pleasant copy of the second Philles version, with the yellow and pink label, is extra affordable however nonetheless dear.

For the most effective sound, I can’t converse to the 2020 model, so not together with that, the Sundazed LP is head and shoulders above any prior mono urgent, with Rhino in second place. Not one of the three stereo editions are all that nice, however if you wish to hear it that means, the Pavillion/CBS version is greatest, and it’s not overly costly.

SINGLE ARTIST ALBUMS

A whole lot, if not 1000’s, of artists have recorded Christmas albums. Analysis is ongoing, however the first Christmas album by a preferred (non-classical) artist to encompass all-new recordings seems to be ‘Twas the Night time Earlier than Christmas by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, recorded on July 15, 23 and 29, 1942 and launched within the 1942 Christmas season as a booklet of 4 78s (Decca A-350). That was the identical yr “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby was first issued as a 78; it was No. 1 on the Billboard best-seller charts by Halloween and stayed there till the start of 1943.

The primary golden age of Christmas albums didn’t begin till the LP dimension grew to become standardized at 12 inches round 1955. That nice period lasted roughly from 1957 by 1967. I’ll highlight a number of artists and their Christmas albums launched throughout these years, chosen once more for each good listening experiences and, for probably the most half, ease of finding for reasonable.

Barbra Streisand

Most likely the simplest one-artist Christmas album to search out low-cost is A Christmas Album by Barbra Streisand. Launched in 1967, it was that yr’s top-selling new Christmas report, and it didn’t decelerate a lot within the years afterward. It remained in print on vinyl till Columbia discontinued most of its information in 1990.

To today, most Streisand albums are straightforward to search out, particularly her Nineteen Sixties releases, which have been largely consigned to the album charts and easy-listening stations. A Christmas Album isn’t any exception.

Streisand’s LP is an effective, largely mellow listening expertise. It does begin with the novel reimagining known as “Jingle Bells?”, which some folks love and others hate; it may be probably the most controversial model of that historical commonplace amongst Christmas-music followers, much more so than the Singing Canines or the “St. Nick” all-laughing model. However from there, it’s easy crusing. It’s no surprise A Christmas Album offered and offered.

Stereo copies of the album are straightforward to search out, particularly on the orange Columbia label in use from 1970-90. Considerably tougher, however removed from unimaginable, is an early red-label “2-eye” stereo copy. However when A Christmas Album was first launched in 1967, it got here out in each mono and stereo; the mono (Columbia CL 2757) was in print solely in the course of the 1967 vacation season and is uncommon.

A associated album that is also straightforward to search out is Seasons Greetings from Barbra Streisand…And Mates, a premium album for Maxwell Home espresso launched in 1969. Facet 1 has tracks from A Christmas Album; Facet 2 has alternatives from Jim Nabors, Doris Day and Andre Kostelanetz.

Nat King Cole

With the doable exception of “White Christmas,” no secular tune is as evocative of the season as “The Christmas Music (Merry Christmas to You),” first recorded by Nat King Cole as a 78 in 1946. Cole made quite a few Christmas singles, each new and covers, from the chic to the ridiculous, from 1949 by 1958, however he didn’t lastly report a whole album of Christmas music till 1960.

Even then, the LP didn’t attain its last, acquainted type till 1963. That yr, a 1961 rerecording of “The Christmas Music,” made for the three-record retrospective The Nat King Cole Story, was added to the 1960 album, and one monitor from the unique was eliminated. The ultimate outcome, The Christmas Music, was immensely in style; it stayed in print on vinyl till 1990, and with the vinyl revival, you should buy a contemporary new copy right now.

As a result of The Christmas Music is widespread, it gained’t take lengthy to discover a good used copy for a lot lower than the fashionable reissue.

The Christmas Music offered effectively by the years; it may be discovered on Capitol’s lime-green (1969-71), pink (1971-72), orange (1973-76) and yellow budget-line variations — and all these are earlier than the Nineteen Eighties! Even the unique, with the black rainbow-ringed label, isn’t that onerous to find. Barely tougher may be a mono copy, as these have been in print solely till 1967.

More durable to search out is the primary model of the album. When first issued in 1960, the report was titled The Magic of Christmas. It didn’t embody “The Christmas Music,” but it surely had a rendition of “God Relaxation Ye Merry, Gents” that was deleted in 1963. This model of the LP was solely out there for 3 Christmas seasons, and consequently, it’s unusual. It does pop up periodically, although, so maintain a watch out for it.

One other curiosity is the 1966 Capitol Inventive Merchandise album The Magic of Christmas with Kids, which is unrelated to the unique model of Cole’s Christmas album. This one, all copies of that are in mono, incorporates six of Cole’s pre-1960 Christmas singles. That is the simplest means of discovering such songs as “Mrs. Santa Claus,” “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot” and his model of “Frosty the Snowman” on vinyl — and it’s cheap, too.

Percy Religion

In relation to easy-listening Christmas, Percy Religion is at or close to the highest of the listing. He recorded three Christmas albums; two are straightforward to search out and the third is a bit more difficult, however not costly when it exhibits up.

His first, Music of Christmas, was launched in 1954 in mono solely. It was so in style that Religion rerecorded it in stereo in 1959; this model stays in print to today. Even right now, the stirring brass fanfare of Religion’s model of “Pleasure to the World,” the opening quantity on this album, is a daily characteristic of Christmas radio.

The second Religion Christmas LP, Hallelujah!, got here out in 1958 and was recorded in stereo; this was re-released with the title Music of Christmas, Quantity 2 in 1965. His third and last Christmas album, Christmas Is…Percy Religion, was launched in 1966. Religion’s first two Christmas LPs include solely the occasional wordless vocal, however Christmas Is has a refrain on most numbers.

The stereo variations of Music of Christmas and Music of Christmas, Quantity 2 have been in print in varied types by the Nineteen Eighties; later pressings with both the orange label or particular “Columbia Restricted Version” labels are pretty straightforward to search out low-cost.

Mono editions aren’t onerous to search out, both, however each albums sound wonderful in stereo, so except you’re making an attempt to gather each, select the stereo. An exception: The unique Music of Christmas is mono solely. This has a canopy with Santa Claus holding a sleeping lady; this model of the album was out there solely from 1954 by 1958. Additionally, the Hallelujah! model of Religion’s second Christmas album is a bit more durable to search out than the retitled model, in both mono or stereo.

Christmas Is remains to be a superb album, even when it lacks the majesty of Religion’s first two Christmas LPs. The title tune is sweet, and probably the most generally heard model of “We Want a Little Christmas” is on Christmas Is. Stereo variations aren’t onerous to search out; the mono model was out there for less than two years and is more durable.

One much less widespread variation of Religion’s first two Christmas albums is a two-record set with the title The Columbia Album of Christmas Music (Columbia C2L 15). Launched in mono solely, this gatefold LP was made out there in the course of the vacation season of 1958, the identical yr that Hallelujah! was first launched. I’m unsure how lengthy it remained in print, however as a result of the unique Music of Christmas was changed in 1959, I think it went out of print pretty rapidly.

Andy Williams

This very temporary survey of widespread Christmas albums ends with one other bargain-bin staple artist.

The yr that A Christmas Present for You from Philles Information was launched (1963), the most well-liked new Christmas album was The Andy Williams Christmas Album. His model of “The Christmas Music” was launched as a single that yr, however in the long term, the most well-liked tune on the album was “It’s the Most Great Time of the 12 months.” That and “The Vacation Season,” a medley with “Comfortable Vacation,” are staples of Christmas radio.

Solely two years later, Williams adopted up his first Christmas album with Merry Christmas. It might not have been as immediately memorable as its predecessor, but it surely does have an association of “Sleigh Trip” that also will get airplay.

These two albums are typically often known as the “pink” and “inexperienced” albums, respectively, due to the background colours of their covers. Each stayed in print on report with virtually unchanged covers till the top of the Nineteen Eighties.

Discovering clear copies of both album isn’t onerous. Even authentic with “2-eye” labels aren’t too tough as a result of they offered so effectively initially. The primary version of The Andy Williams Christmas Album options all-black print and the phrases “Assured Excessive Constancy” on the labels; the primary stereo model has “360 Sound Stereo” in black. Second editions, and the primary editions of Merry Christmas, have “360 Sound Stereo” in white and “Mono” in white on mono copies.

In 1974, Williams recorded a 3rd seasonal album, Christmas Current. It, too, is kind of widespread, but it surely doesn’t have fairly the old-time really feel as its Nineteen Sixties predecessors.

A pair special-products albums prominently characteristic Williams’ Christmas music. The most typical of those is Christmas with Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers, launched in 1970 and in print all through the last decade (no less than).