‘The 25th Day of December’ is a Christmas album by American singer Bobby Darin, released in 1960. The heralded “Christmas Auld Lang Syne“, written by Manny Kurtz (d. 1984; wrote over 250 songs) and co-written by Francis Philip Military, made its debut on this album, and with backing of Darin’s vocals is the Bobby Scott Chorale. The track also was released on the Atco label as a single (6183) and released for the Christmas Holidays, debuting on Billboard, October 31, 1960. The single also made the Billboard special Christmas chart on December 19, three weeks there, having peaked at #51 that year.
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard Christmas in the Charts (2004 Edition)
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“Little Altar Boy” was written in 1961 and first recorded that year by vocalist Vic Dana for his album This Is Vic Dana. Released as a single, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In an introspective moment, Dana performs this quiet song in the 1962 musical-comedy film Don’t Knock the Twist.
The single was released on the Dolton label, making its debut on December 27, 1961 and stayed on the Billboard charts for 8 weeks. Little Altar Boy was re-released on December 17, 1965, having peaked #13 and stayed on Billboard that year for three weeks.
The song was also recorded by Andy Williams on his 1965 album Merry Christmas, by Glen Campbell on his 1968 album That Christmas Feeling, and by Jack Jones on his 1969 album A Jack Jones Christmas.
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Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“The Christmas Song” (commonly subtitled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” or, as it was originally subtitled, “Merry Christmas to You“) is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé.
The contemporary Holiday classic was included as a late-1968 album entry covered by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’ for their ‘Christmas Album’, as it was titled. It was the group’s eleventh release. The LP edition of the album was issued twice. The song was listed as track four on the A-Side of the LP. It was also the B-side to their released Christmas single, “My Favorite Things“.
The single was released on December 7, 1968, according to Billboard. The Christmas Song peaked at #1 and stayed on top of the Christmas charts for 3 weeks.
Collaborating with Alpert in the production was his usual cadre of musicians: Nick Ceroli (drums/percussion), Bob Edmondson (trombone), Tonni Kalash (trumpet), Lou Pagani (keyboards), John Pisano (guitars/mandolin) and Pat Senatore (bass). Perennial sideman, Julius Wechter, appears on marimba and percussion. Alpert provides lead vocals on “The Christmas Song” and “The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle,” and there are also appearances by a studio choir and string instruments, arranged by Shorty Rogers.
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Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“We Need A Little Christmas” is a contemporary Christmas song recorded by the American large-ensemble folk-pop group, The New Christy Minstrels, founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including “Green, Green”, “Saturday Night”, “Today”, “Denver”, and “This Land Is Your Land”. The group’s 1962 debut album, Presenting The New Christy Minstrels, won a Grammy Award and was on the Billboard charts for two years.
The group sold millions of records, was in demand at concerts and on television shows, and helped launch the musical careers of several musicians in the group, including, Kenny Rogers, Gene Clark, Kim Carnes, Larry Ramos, and Barry McGuire.
The single, as titled, was also a musical adaptation from the Broadway play “Mame”. “We Need A Little Christmas” was recorded and released for the holiday season on the Columbia label, November 1966.
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Source: Wikipedia
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“Merry, Merry Christmas Baby” is a Christmas song recorded by Dodie Stevens (born Geraldine Ann Pasquale on February 17, 1946), an American rock and pop singer, notably in late-50s and early 1960s. She is best known for her 1959 song “Pink Shoe Laces.” It debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 when Stevens was one day short of 13 years old, and eventually peaked at number 3.
Stevens’ only Holiday single, “Merry Christmas Baby” was released on Dot Records (16166) in November 1960. Studio orchestration for the recording was conducted by Milt Rogers. The selection continues to enjoy popular airplay during the Christmas season.
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Source: Wikipedia
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“Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” is a Christmas song recorded by Motown girl group The Supremes, and released by Motown Records in November 1965. The song, produced by Harvey Fuqua, having been included in the group’s Christmas album, ‘Merry Christmas‘, added with familiar Christmas songs such as “White Christmas“, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town“, “My Favorite Things“, and “Joy To the World“.
Two originals, “Children’s Christmas Song” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me“, were issued as a single. The latter having debuted on Billboard on December 18, 1965, while the former, a week earlier, on December 11.
In 1965, “Children’s Christmas Song” peaked at number 7, whilst “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Me” peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart (according to Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts; 2004), where it re-entered at number 29 in 1967. In Singapore, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” charted at number 4 on January 1, 1966, before peaking at number 1 on January 15, 1966 — the same week it charted at number 2 in Malaysia. In February 1966, “My Favorite Things” charted at number 10 in Singapore.
In addition, their album ‘Merry Christmas’ (see it here), issued by Motown the same day as the live recording The Supremes at the Copa, was the only holiday album released by the Supremes. They charted four albums in 1965 with one hitting the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 album chart and this hitting the Top 10 of the Billboard Holiday Album Chart.
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” is a novelty Christmas song written by Ross Bagdasarian (under the stage name of David Seville) in 1958. Bagdasarian sang and recorded the song, varying the tape speeds to produce high-pitched “chipmunk” voices, with the vocals credited to Alvin and the Chipmunks, Seville’s cartoon virtual band. The song won three Grammy Awards in 1958, for Best Comedy Performance, Best Children’s Recording, and Best Engineered Record (non-classical). The song was very successful, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, becoming The Chipmunks’ first (and only), as well as David Seville’s second and final, No. 1 single.
It had the distinction of being the only Christmas record to reach No. 1 on the same chart until Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” did so 61 years later in 2019. The single sold 4.5 million copies in seven weeks, according to Ross Bagdasarian Jr.
Between 1958 and 1962, the single re-entered the Hot 100 several times, peaking at No. 41 in 1958, No. 45 in 1960, and No. 39 in 1962. (Starting in 1963, Billboard would list recurrent Christmas songs on a separate chart.) The song charted on the Hot Digital Songs for the first time in 2005, peaking at No. 35.
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“White Christmas” is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The song was written by Berlin for the musical film Holiday Inn, released in 1942. The composition won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards.
Since its release, “White Christmas” has been covered by multiple artists, with the version sung by Bing Crosby being the world’s best-selling single (in terms of sales of physical media) with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. When the figures for other versions of the song are added to Crosby’s, sales of the song exceed 100 million.
In 1952, Mantovani and his orchestra reached No. 23 on Billboard‘s pop singles chartwhile The Drifters showcased the talents of lead singer Clyde McPhatter and the bass vocals of Bill Pinkney in 1954, peaking at No. 2 (one week) on Billboard‘s Rhythm & Blues Records chart on December 18 that year. It returned to the same chart in the next two years. The Drifters rendition of this song can be heard in the films Home Alone and The Santa Clause.
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“Santa Claus and His Old Lady” is a novelty bit by Cheech and Chong, one of their best-known comedy routines. It was the duo’s first single.
“Santa Claus and His Old Lady” did not appear on the duo’s eponymous debut album, although the B-side, “Dave,” did. It has since received continued airplay on radio stations during the Christmas season, particularly those that switch to temporary all-Christmas music formats. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart upon its release in 1971, then peaked again at number 3 on the same chart in 1972 and 1973.
(Entries on any given week’s Christmas Singles chart were ineligible for the corresponding edition of the Hot 100 at the time).
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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“The Little Drummer Boy” is a Christmas song instrumental performed and recorded by Detroit-born jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell in October 1966. It became a track for the Cadet album, ‘Have Yourself A Soulful Christmas’, an LP compilation of Cadet artists released for the holidays that year. The number was also released as a single, Cadet 5555, debuted on December 30, 1967, having peaked #21 for just one week only on the special Billboard Christmas chart.
Sources: Wikipedia; Billboard’s Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004
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