ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS (Part 1)

WE ALL KNOW THE

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAROLS
AND OVER THE YEARS THE WORLD OF POP MUSIC 

 HAS TURNED OUT THEIR OWN RENDITIONS OF THEM.

THEY'VE ALSO PRODUCED
 SOME NEW FAVORITES ALONG THE WAY

B O B B Y   H E L M S

Bobby Helms was a hugely successful country artist who's best remembered for his crossover, 

Top 10 hit, "My Special Angel" (#7 Pop) from 1957.  He had an even bigger hit that same year with "Jingle Bell Rock."

"Jingle Bell Rock" rose to #6 on the Pop chart and returned to the #6 spot again the following year.  It would eventually go on to sell over one million copies and be awarded Gold record status.

TO LISTEN TO "JINGLE BELL ROCK" click here:

http://youtu.be/itcMLwMEeMQ

T H E   D R I F T E R S

 The Drifters' long string of hits began in 1953 with 'Honey Love.'  The following year they released their unique take on the Irving Berlin classic 'White Christmas.'  It would rise to the #2 spot on the 
R&B Charts in '54, and upon re-release in '55 it rose to #5 R&B.  Released again in 1956, it topped out at #12 R&B.   Years later it would be used in the movie Home Alone.

VARIOUS TRADE ADS FOR THE DRIFTERS' 
"WHITE CHRISTMAS" 

 TO LISTEN TO 'WHITE CHRISTMAS' click here:
http://youtu.be/GfZPtkqXQIA




 

  E L V I S   P R E S L E Y

 

Well, here's a man who certainly needs no introduction.  
In 1957, with a growing line of #1 popular records that had begun the year before; 
Presley released "Elvis' Christmas Album."

 It consisted of eight Christmas songs and four gospel songs.

One of the most played tracks from this album is 'Blue Christmas'
which had been a big hit for Ernest Tubb in 1949.
Elvis' version would be released as a single in 1964.

 The album did manage to stir a little controversy.

IRVING BERLIN

On the traditional side; the old Crosby favorite, 'White Christmas'
was included.  Presley's rendition was similar to that of The Drifters' and upon hearing it
composer Irving Berlin labeled it a "profane parody of his cherished yuletide standard,"
and demanded that it be banned from radio airplay.  His call went largely unheeded, and it's been suggested that Berlin didn't voice any objection to the Drifters' R&B hit version in '54 because it
was played almost exclusively on black radio stations.

TO LISTEN TO 'WHITE CHRISTMAS' BY ELVIS PRESLEY click here:
http://youtu.be/SNLpawUrfcc

JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER AND ELVIS

Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, the writers and producers of several of Presley's previous hit records ('Hound Dog,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' and "Don't") were called upon to provide new material for the album and the result was "Santa Claus Is Back in Town," a great blues ballad.

Another original entry was "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me,"
which sounded like a combination of previous Elvis hits.

The two were paired up on a single which was released in the UK at the same time
as the album.  The single rose to #7 on the UK singles chart.

"Santa Claus Is Back in Town" was paired with "Blue Christmas" and released in 1965.
This single would go on to be certified Platinum by RIAA thirty-four years later.

TO LISTEN TO "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" click here:
http://youtu.be/EVpoIbDpWIU 

TO LISTEN TO  'SANTA BRING MY BABY BACK TO ME'  click here:
http://youtu.be/kZdQ0x_1WSo

A HOLIDAY AD PLACED IN THE TRADES

C H U C K   B E R R Y

Chuck Berry was riding high in 1958, and it was in that year that he recorded the
12 bar blues number, 'Run Rudolph Run.' 
Written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie, the single reached #69 on
the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

TO LISTEN TO 'RUN RUDOLPH RUN' click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCTeXUkTFwQ&feature=share&list=PLD104FAECADC5F176

B R E N D A   L E E

 Christmas 1958 was a busy season for Mr. Johnny Marks.  

Not only did he co-write Chuck Berry's classic 'Run Rudolph Run' - he also penned 

Brenda Lee's beloved 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' the same year.  

Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded the perky little number which features 

Hank Garland on guitar and Boots Randolph on sax.

Decca Records re-released the single in 1959, but the sales didn't really take off until it was
released again in 1960.  It rose to the #14 spot on the Billboard Pop Chart that year due to Lee's
incredible chart successes during 1960.

TO LISTEN TO 'ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE' click here:
http://youtu.be/bnIqLlBwzrc

C O N N I E   F R A N C I S

By Christmas of 1959 Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (Connie Francis)
was a bona fide star. In just two years she'd racked up four Top 10 records,
one Top 20 and four Top 40 hits.  I guess it just made sense to have her
record a Christmas album.

The album was called Christmas In My Heart and Francis traveled to London to 

record it at the now famous Abbey Road Studios.

It consisted of twelve tracks; all popular Christmas songs on the A side (including a syrupy, non-rhythm & blues version of 'White Christmas' that was sure to please Mr. Berlin),
and all traditional sacred songs on the B side.  There was no original material.

TO LISTEN TO CONNIE FRANCIS' "WHITE CHRISTMAS" click here:
http://youtu.be/mVyGPA3vxow



Well, that brings us to the end 
of the 1950's.

My next post will examine 1960's pop artists 
that contributed to the music of Christmas


UNTIL THEN

M  E  R  R  Y    C  H  R  I  S  T  M  A  S   !