Blue Christmas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The heart-broken tale of unrequited love during the holidays had long been considered a Christmas staple of country music, having been recorded by Ernest Tubb in 1948. In 1957, Elvis Presley effectively made "Blue Christmas" a steadfast rock-and-roll holiday classic by placing his indellible mark on the song. It has since been recorded by a host of rock and country artists alike, as well as those of other genres. The song was also featured in the children's Christmas special, The Year Without A Santa Claus. More recently, the song has been covered by Céline Dion as well as the indie band Bright Eyes.
Probably the best known version of "Blue Christmas" is the one recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1957 LP "Elvis' Christmas Album." It was also released as a single. Ernest Tubb's version of the song included an extra verse not used by Elvis' later version.
Contents |
[edit] Beach Boys version
"Blue Christmas" | ||
---|---|---|
Single by The Beach Boys | ||
from the album The Beach Boys' Christmas Album | ||
Released | November 16, 1964 | |
Format | Vinyl | |
Recorded | Unknown | |
Genre | Pop music | |
Length | 4 min 41 sec for both songs | |
Label | Capitol Records | |
Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |
Chart positions | ||
• #3 (US) |
||
The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||
"Dance, Dance, Dance"/"The Warmth of The Sun" (1964) |
"The Man With All The Toys"/"Blue Christmas" (1964) |
"Do You Wanna Dance?"/"Please Let Me Wonder" (1965) |
The song was covered by the American pop band The Beach Boys. The song was released as the B-side of the "The Man With All The Toys" single on November 16, 1964; it charted at #3 in the U.S. christmas charts but did not chart in the U.K. The song was also released on the bands 1964 album The Beach Boys' Christmas Album on the same day. The song featured Brian Wilson on lead vocals.
[edit] Details
- Written by: Billy Hayes/Jay W. Johnson
- Album: The Beach Boys' Christmas Album
- Time: 3 min 09 sec
- Produced by: Brian Wilson
[edit] Performers
- Brian Wilson: Lead Vocals
[edit] Other recordings
- Chet Atkins
- Glen Campbell
- Earl Thomas Conley
- Sheryl Crow
- John Denver
- Face To Face
- David Frizzell
- Highway 101
- Gary Hoey
- Englebert Humperdinck (singer)
- Stonewall Jackson (musician)
- Jingle Cats
- Laima
- Mahogany Christmas Players
- Dean Martin
- Johnny Mathis
- Willie Nelson
- The Oak Ridge Boys
- The Partridge Family
- Joe Perry
- The Platters
- Porky Pig
- Leon Redbone
- Jim Reeves
- Sawyer Brown
- The Ventures
- Lawrence Welk
- Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson
- Wynonna
- Frank Yankovic