Merry Christmas (The Supremes album)

Merry Christmas is a Christmas album recorded by Motown girl group The Supremes, and released on Motown Records in November 1965 (see 1965 in music). The LP, produced by Harvey Fuqua, includes recordings of familiar Christmas songs such as "White Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and "Joy to the World". Two originals, "Children's Christmas Song" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me", were issued as the sides of a late 1965 Supremes holiday single.

Merry Christmas, issued by Motown the same day as the live recording The Supremes at the Copa, was the only holiday album released by the Supremes. And this is the only Supremes' album where neither Mary Wilson or Florence Ballard appear. The Adantes back Ross up as it is stated in the newly released singles collection of 2011. Wilson and Ballard only appear in the songs later released in 1999. Therefore, Merry Christmas by The Supremes is Diana Ross' first solo albim for Motown! It was reissued in 1999 with four bonus tracks, including a cover of "Just a Lonely Christmas" (originally recorded by Harvey Fuqua's group The Moonglows), and a Florence Ballard-led version of "Silent Night". This expanded version of the album was re-released in 2003 as 20th Century Masters - The Best of the Supremes: The Christmas Collection.

Track listing

Side one

1. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin)
2. "Silver Bells" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston)
3. "Born of Mary" (Traditional)
4. "Children's Christmas Song" (Harvey Fuqua, Isabelle Freeman)
5. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Harry Simeone, Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati)
6. "My Christmas Tree" (Jimmy Webb)

Side two

1. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks)
2. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie)
3. "My Favorite Things" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
4. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" (Ron Miller, William O'Malley)
5. "Little Bright Star" (Al Capps, Mary Dean)
6. "Joy to the World" (Traditional)

Additional tracks not used

• "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" (Mel Tormé, Bob Wells)
• "Noël" (Traditional)
• "Silent Night" (Traditional)
• "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" (Traditional)
• "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam)
• "Just a Lonely Christmas" (Alan Freed, Harvey Fuqua)
• "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard-Dick Smith) - Only instrumental track; no vocals recorded

Credits

• Diana Ross: lead vocals
• Florence Ballard: background vocals, lead on bonus track "Silent Night"
• Mary Wilson: background vocals
• The Andantes: background vocals
• Harvey Fuqua: producer
• Gene Page, H.B. Barnum and Ernie Freeman: arrangements

Singles releases

• "Children's Christmas Song" b/w "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" (Motown 1085, November 18, 1965)

Chart history

Album

Singles