Category: Flashbacks

From the MCRFB news archive: 1966

Spending On New and Old Christmas Tunes Spread $$$ For Artists, Holiday Market Share

NEW YORK — The singles record action on Christmas songs this year is getting a spinning and buying spread on old and new tunes  Unlike past Christmas seasons when disk like and among a wide variety of artists. Unlike past Christmas season when one disk like Jimmy Boyd’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” on Columbia would dominate the field, this year the benefits of the Yule buying spree is being shared by several companies, both in the major and independent fields.

And unlike past seasons, there’s no novelty Christmas song stepping to the forefront this year. The new songs that are breaking through are of a standard stature and of a serious nature.

Heading the list of the new Christmas songs this 1966 season is Elvis Presley’s “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” on RCA Victor. The big point in this disk’s favor is that it is getting airplay on both Top 40 and MOR radio stations.

“Sweet Little Baby Boy,” which has been recorded by James Brown and his Famous Flames on the King label, is another new Christmas entree picking up lots of action. Unlike the Presley disk, however, the spin on Brown’s record, so far, is confined to the Top 40 radio station category. It’s also interesting to note that the flip side of “Sweet Little Baby Boy” is the “Christmas Song,” an oldie made famous by the late Nat King Cole. This, too, is getting heavy play on the Top 40 network.

Also in the new Christmas song category are “Barefoot Santa Claus” by Sonny James on Capitol and “Someday At Christmas” by Motown’s Stevie Wonder on the Tamla label. The James disk has already broken through on country music stations and there’s been some indication that it’s being picked up for airplay by Top 40 disk jockeys.

Other Christmas disks that are kicking up a storm are by Barbra Streisand on Columbia and Joan Baez on Vanguard Records. In these instances, though, the recordings are fresh covers of old songs. Miss Streisand’s Christmas pick is a re-make of “Silent Night.” In an attempt to give it a “new look,” Columbia has titled it “Sleep In Heavenly Peace.”

But no matter what it’s called, the jockey on the middle-of-the-road stations, especially, are giving it heavy play. Miss Baez Christmas winner is the now traditional “Little Drummer Boy.” Although she’s competing with the Harry Simeone Chorale’s classic version on the 20th Century-Fox label, which has been coming to the top for the past several Christmas seasons, the MOR disk jockeys are giving Miss Baez’s platter a good share of their turntable spins.

Aside from the aforementioned records, Christmas 1966 is much like previous Christmases, with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and Johnny Marks’ “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer” leading the way.

Other Christmas repeaters this season are “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms on Decca; Presley on RCA Victor; “Silver Bells” by Al Martino on Capitol; and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee on Decca. Although Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is by far “the Boss” Yule disk of them all, the Drifters have have come up with a version of the Berlin classic on Atlantic Records that’s scoring pretty good, too. END

(Information and news source: Billboard; December 17, 1966).