White Christmas (album)

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White Christmas

Studio album by Bing Crosby

White Christmas (formerly Merry Christmas) is a collection of holiday recordings by Bing Crosby first released in 1945. It is the best-selling Christmas album of all time and has remained in print for over 60 years.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Silent Night," recorded March 19, 1947 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers.
2. "Adeste Fideles," recorded June 8, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Max Terr's Mixed Chorus.
3. "White Christmas," recorded March 19, 1947 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers.
4. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," recorded June 8, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Max Terr's Mixed Chorus.
5. "Faith of Our Fathers," recorded June 8, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Max Terr's Mixed Chorus.
6. "I'll Be Home For Christmas," recorded October 1, 1943 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra.
7. "Jingle Bells," recorded September 27, 1943 with the Andrews Sisters and Vic Schoen and His Orchestra.
8. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," recorded September 27, 1943 with the Andrews Sisters and Vic Schoen and His Orchestra.
9. "Silver Bells," recorded September 8, 1950 with Carole Richards and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra.
10. "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas," recorded October 1, 1951 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires.
11. "Christmas in Killarney," recorded October 1, 1951 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires.
12. "Mele Kalikimaka," recorded September 7, 1950 with the Andrews Sisters and Vic Schoen and His Orchestra.

[edit] Trivia

The March 19, 1947 recording of "White Christmas" heard on this recording, and almost all other extant pressings, is actually a re-recording of the song with the same orchestra and chorus, in an attempt to re-create the original May, 1942 recording as closely as possible. The reason was an unprecedented occurrence: The original 1942 recording rapidly became the largest selling record in history up to that time. By 1947, the original master had actually worn out, and was no longer useable, hence the neccesity to re-record the song. The versions are, of course, very similar, but conductor Trotter took a somewhat gentler approach to the song in the 1947 recording.

The recording of "Silver Bells" credits the female vocalist with Crosby as "Carole Richards", which is a pseudonym. According to George Jonescu, a recognized authority on the music of the era, and a broadcaster for CHWO AM 740 in Toronto, when the song was recorded in 1950, Crosby had a long-term contract with Decca records, and the female vocalist had a long-term contract with Columbia records. Generally, record companies were gracious about letting their artists appear on other labels, with a jacket disclaimer that said, for example: "Jane Doe appears courtesy of XYZ records". But in 1950, Columbia and Decca were in the midst of a feud, and the only way for the female vocalist to sing with Crosby on a Decca recording was under a pseudonym. "Carole Richards" was in fact Rosemary Clooney.