"Jingle Bells" - Part 67 - Going Hollywood!

We head back to the 1950s and the R 'n' B field with "Jingle Bells" for this cut by the Jackson Trio issued on Hollywood Records in 1955:

That's very cool!

Here's the flipside, which features to Ebonaires vocal group:

An intriguing sound on that one!

The label credits Eugene Jackson on sax on "Jingle Bell Hop" and Freddie Jackson on vocals on "Love for Christmas," and as I understand it, they were brothers and various non-Jacksons filled out the trip at various times.

Whatever the case, I think those sides were first released on the Hollywood label, although they sound to my ears a little earlier than 1955. But not every rhythm and blues act was jumping on the rock and roll bandwagon.

Although the original record is hard to find, those tracks pop up quite a bit on various compilations. The 1956 LP at the top of the page would appear to be the first. (Dig the gift tag in the bottom right that reads "To Baby From Daddy." Is that "Baby" on the later cover at the bottom? 

It includes a lot of great tracks, most of which had been released on other independent labels and were later acquired by Hollywood Records.

The most famous number is also the earliest, the original version of "Merry Christmas, Baby" by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers:

Pianist/vocalist Charles Brown does the heavy lifting on the record (and probably wrote most of the song) and became associated with the song, which has had a ton of covers/remakes over the years.

Here's the label of 1954 reissue of the recording on the Hollywood to help illustrate:

That's a lot of rearranging, including losing the comma in the title!

Also originally on Exclusive is this great 1948 number by Mabel Scott:

I think that's awesome and it's been a mainstay of my 1940s Christmas playlist for years!

Of some note is that Mabel Scott was married to Charles Brown for a time in the late 1940s/early 1950s.

The label of the 1954 Hollywood reissue continues the trend of calling everything the "original":

The term original actually does apply here, as Patti Page released a cover of "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" as the original flipside of her mega-hit "The Tennessee Waltz." A somewhat odd juxtaposition which caused later issues to include a different flipside!

The compilations also always include this one by pianist Lloyd Glenn and his Combo on Swing Time Records in 1951:

Just about every reissue I've seen of this cut just call it "Sleigh Ride," which I think leads to the tune being confused with Leroy Anderson's famous 1949 composition, but it's not an R 'n' B version of that song.

As usual, Hollywood's reissue adds to the confusion by calling it "The Original Sleigh Ride":

But whatever they're called and whatever label they're on, some great tracks!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 66 - Hezzie is Ready!

All this hillbilly talk surrounding "Jingle Bells" makes me think that one version has not gotten its due: the 1936 recording by the Hoosier Hot Shots!

We did hear their version for Vocalion Records back in 1936, but here it is again:

I think that's a lot of fun, as are all their records!

They had this interesting take on the whole hillbilly music thing on this record, also from 1936:

And here's another cut from 1936, just in time for the World Series:

As befitting the group's name, the nucleus of brothers Ken and Paul "Hezzie" Trietsch and Otto "Gabe" Ward were from Indiana. 

They were very popular in the Midwest, with many appearances on the "National Barn Dance" radio show out of Chicago:

They also made a number of movie appearances:

Gabe played clarinet and Ken played guitar and banjo while Hezzie played the slide whistle and a wacky, souped-up washboard known as the Wabash Washboard. They had different bass players to round out the sound, starting with Frank Kettering.

Ken would often kick of a number by asking, "Are you ready, Hezzie?" And he always was!

Here's an interesting video of them back in the day, which shows off their skills:

Corny, but fun! Could have featured more of the boys, though, I think!

As we're always in the Christmas spirit around here, we definitely need to give a listen to their popular Christmas single from 1938:

I think that's a lot of fun and I always enjoy a unique recording like that, as in I don't know if any other act ever recorded that song. 

It was actually quite a few years from when I had learned there was a Christmas record by the Hoosier Hot Shots called "The Man with the Whiskers" and I was almost worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations when I would hopefully someday finally hear it.

Glad to find out that it's awesome!

The two seasonal sides were each released with non-holiday flipsides, but they were joined together as two sides of a Conqueror single in 1939, which is cool: 

There were so many labels in the Vocalion family that it's hard to keep track of all the releases!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 65 - Nashville Cats!

We turn from the cool and crazy sound of Homer and Jethro to the still cool but less crazy sound of their frequent producer/collaborator Chet Atkins!

The brilliant guitarist first recorded "Jingle Bells" as a single for RCA Victor in 1955:

Here's the flipside, a medley of traditional carols:

That's just great!

In addition to his stellar guitar work, Chet was also a prolific produce for RCA and he was (ahem) instrumental in shaping the "Nashville Sound" in the 1960s, making country music accessible to a larger fan base.

By the time he recorded his "Christmas with Chet Atkins" LP just a few years later in 1961, you can already hear the new sound reflected in his new recording of "Jingle Bells" from that album:

The single release of "Jingle Bells" was paired with the newer spinoff  "Jingle Bell Rock":

A very appealing sound with great production and the prolific Anita Kerr Singers on background vocals.

Chet (far right) and Jim Reeves (top) recording Jim's Christmas album,

Chet Atkins was also the producer for another artist who helped popularize the Nashville Sound: the great vocalist Jim Reeves!

Jim cut the tracks for his terrific "Twelve Songs of Christmas" album for RCA Victor in 1962/1963, and he included a version of "Jingle Bells," also featuring the Anita Kerr Singers:

Still sounds fresh so many decades later!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 64 - Cool and Crazy!

We hang around the country music scene of the 1960s with a version of "Jingle Bells" from the Thinking Man's Hillbillies - Homer and Jethro!

The wacky duo recorded this track for their 1968 album "Cool Crazy Christmas" on RCA Victor:

Full disclaimer: I'm a huge Homer and Jethro, so I think that's a lot of fun!

That's my favorite track from the album, of which about two-thirds are remakes of songs that H & J had recorded earlier.

Here are a couple of the new songs, which are fun:

I'm not really crazy (or cool) about the remakes, preferring the earlier versions.

A couple of their Christmas singles were collected on their "Seasoned Greetings" EP in 1953. 

Here's Side One:

And Side Two:

They're just so funny! They're corny, but they know it and we know it, so we're in on the joke with them!

Chet Atkins flanked by Jethro (right) and Homer (left)

Not to be overlooked is the high level of musicianship on their recordings. Homer Haynes played a solid rhythm guitar and Jethro Burns was spectacular on mandolin. Throw in top session players under Chet Atkins as producer and you've really got something!

Here's a fun clip of the boys showing off their chops on the Mike Douglas show:

So, come for the wacky singing, stay for the fancy picking!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 63 - Buck Doesn't Stop!

We move on from Rose Maddox and her brothers to a version of "Jingle Bells" by Rose's occasional recording duet partner Buck Owens!

Buck cut this great instrumental version with the Buckaroos for his 1965 aptly titled "Christmas With Buck Owens and His Buckaroos" on Capitol Records:

The Buckaroos led by guitarist Don Rich were about the best backup band going in those days!

The album yielded a hit Christmas single, which is something of a minor classic:

The flipside slows the tempo down for Buck's take on a familiar Christmas theme:

Among other tracks, the album also included an original instrumental titled "Christmas Morning":

I think that's very evocative and it sounds great in one's 1960s holiday playlist!

Buck and the boys were at it again with "Christmas Shopping," another Christmas album for Capitol in 1968. Here's the single of the title track:

Very clever!

And with a snappy flipside:

A couple of fun sides!

As with probably most non-rural kids of my age group, I first knew Buck Owens from the long-running TV show "Hee Haw," which he hosted with Roy Clark. 

Amidst the corn, there was always solid music mixed in, but it wasn't until a little later that I realized what a brilliant run of recordings Buck had laid down!

These two Christmas albums fall right in line and still sound great in the Capitol Records way!

For sun, here's a short clip of Buck and the Buckaroos performing a bit of "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" on Jimmy Dean's show:

That's just a blast!

And let's not sleep on Buck's great 1988 hit with Dwight Yoakam:

Sounds good!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 62 - Coming Up Rose!

We continue our "Jingle Bells" journey with a 1949 recording by the Maddox Brothers and Rose!

It was originally released on 4 Stars Records, then re-released on Decca Records in 1951:

That's a lot of fun!

Here's the flipside, "Silent Night":

Nice harmonies on that side!

"Jingle Bells" shows the band living up to its nickname of "The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in America!"

Here they further prove the point with a couple of Hank Williams numbers from 1947 and 1948, respectively, also on the 4 Star label:

I hear sometimes that the Maddox Brothers and Rose sort-of-invented Rockabilly back in the day. I don't know that I'd go that far, but they're definitely an influence.

Rose Maddox continued as a solo artist after the band broke up in 1956 and she actually re-recorded both of those Hank Williams tunes on her excellent 1959 album "The One Rose" on Capitol Records:

Great sound there!

She really was the Sweetheart of Hillbilly Swing!

"Jingle Bells" Part 61 - Mum's the Word

When listening to the "Primo Scala" version of "Jingle Bells" backed with "The Mistletoe Kiss" from 1948, I mentioned that the records have an old-timey singalong feel.

That type of thing was really popular in the late 1940s. Let's see what that's all about!

That Primo Scala record was an import from England and was popular in the U.S. during the 1948 holiday season. At that point in time if anything was popular in the music business, everybody would jump on it.

But it was too late to do anything about in 1948, but for 1949, we saw that there were some new versions of "The Mistletoe Kiss." But MGM Records took things to a higher level.

MGM had their own exponent of the banjo-ey singalong type of records on their roster in the person of Art Mooney, so he cut this version of "Jingle Bells" for them in 1949:

That really sounds a lot like the Primo Scala version, even down to the singers singing "o'er the hills we go" rather than fields!

And for the flipside, what else but "The Mistletoe Kiss":

Those sides definitely have the same feel as the Primo Scala sides. The banjo, the unison rather than harmony singing and all.

But to give Art Mooney his due, it was really his recording of "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" from 1948 that really made that style commercially viable. Here's that record:

That thing was huge, but it didn't come out of nowhere.

The origins go back to the Mummers Parade, a tradition in Philadelphia to celebrate New Year's Day. 

A popular feature of the parade has long been the string bands, bands that heavily feature banjos and ensemble singing. 

A popular number for the string bands was "Four Leaf Clover" and the Uptown String Band recorded their version for the small Krantz Records label in 1948:

That record caught the ear of Mercury Records, who picked it up for national distribution. But MGM swooped in with Art Mooney's cover version and that was that!

The most famous string band was (is) the Ferko String Band and they actually had their own "Four Leaf Clover" recording in 1948, but we don't need to hear another version!

More to the point, the Ferko String Band cut this version of "Jingle Bells" for Palda Records in 1948:

The flipside doesn't have any singing:

The Ferko string band actually had a top twenty hit in 1955 with "Alabama Jubilee" on Media Records:

1955 was certainly a wacky year!

We'll stay in 1955 and swing back around to Art Mooney for his most lasting contribution to the holiday music canon:

Still amusing! Barry Gordon really sells it!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 60 - Primo Cuts!

We started off in 1948 blast time, so we'll stay there for this version of "Jingle Bells" by the Keynotes with Primo Scala and his Banjo and his Accordion Orchestra, released on London Records:

I must point out that the Keynotes sing "o'er the hills we go" rather than fields and "Oh what joy..." Is that a British thing?

Anyway, the flipside is the first recording of the never-did-quite-catch-on holiday song "The Mistletoe Kiss":

Those sides have a fun old-timey singalong feel to them, but more on that next time.

I've had that 78 for I don't even know how long and just always figured that Primo Scala was a European banjoist who lead a band featuring accordions. 

At some point I learned that "Primo Scala" was actually a pseudonym used by British musician Harry Bidgood. I'm not even sure if he played banjo!

Incidentally, the London Records label was used by British Decca to release recordings in the U.S. (British and American Decca having earlier split off from each other). The original label is shown at the top.

In any event, "Primo" (billed first this time) and the Keynotes had a big U.S. hit earlier in 1948 with the old British tune "Underneath the Arches":

The success of this record spawned a large number of cover versions of the song by American artists in 1948.

The next year, the whole bunch released their version of "Cruising Down the River," a more recent British song:

This one did moderately well in the U.S. but was essentially buried by a zillion other popular recordings!

The biggest version of "Cruising Down the River" was by veteran bandleader Russ Morgan on Decca Records:

That sounds a lot like the Primo Scala record!

Perhaps coincidentally, Russ Morgan also cut a version of "The Mistletoe Kiss" in 1949 (a year after the Primo Scala record):

That has more of a Guy Lombardo feel!

I do "get" that the vocal group is called the Heartbeats because Russ Morgan's theme song was "Does Your Heart Beat for Me?" I always feel smart when I catch 70-odd year old references!

Perhaps my favorite version of the song is the slightly retitled "Mistletoe Kiss Polka" by Margaret Whiting on Capitol Records in 1949:

Fun that Frank De Vol pops up again!

Next we delve a bit more into the "sound" of the Primo Scala record...

"Jingle Bells" - Part 59 - Light It Up!

We time-hop back to 1948 with this snappy version of "Jingle Bells" by Jimmy Wilber and the Little Band featuring the Three Jills on Radio Artist Records:

I think that's pretty fun! A lot of hyperbole on the label!

What's intriguing, however, is the flipside of the record which is the sort-of-cult song "Let's Light the Christmas Tree":

Intriguing in that there's not exactly an artist credit on the label. It shows who's involved, but who is by, you know what I mean?

But also intriguing for, as we see, the writer of the song, Ruth Lyons, plays piano on the record. She was a legendary radio/TV pioneer in the Cincinnati area and is perhaps whom they mean by "your radio friend!"

"Let's Light the Christmas Tree" is best-known (such as it is) from the 1957 recording on Fraternity records by Ruby Wright, who sang on Ruth's "50/50 Club" TV series.

Here's that record:

And the flipside, also penned by Ruth Lyons:

That's a lot of merrys in there!

I must point out that this Ruby Wright is not the daughter of country music stars Kityy Wells and Johnnie Wright - that's a different Ruby Wright!

Anyway, the Lennon Sisters also had both songs out as a single (on the Brunswick label) in 1957. Here are both sides:

Interesting that they leave out a couple of merrys on the label!

Ruth Lyons "sang" one of her Christmas songs on this Columbia release from 1960:

She sort of talk-sings, and it's a fun (if pretty corny) performance, but you can see why she gave the vocal duties to Ruby Wright on this other songs!

Swinging back around to Jimmy Wilber and the Little Band (and the Three Jills), here are both sides of another 78 on the Radio Artists Records label:

Pretty fun! But I can find no information about Jimmy Wilber at all! Zilch!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 58 - Topo!

While we're in the 1960s with "Jingle Bells" we come across this awesome novelty version from 1963 by Topo Gigio:

And here's the flipside, an Italian language version of "White Christmas":

Your mileage may very, but I think that's awesome, as Topo Gigio was my absolute favorite when I was a little kid!

I remember watching him on the Ed Sullivan show back in the day and Topo always stole the show!

Here's a clip from 1964:

Still adorable!

"Jingle Bells" - Part 57 - Organ-ic!

Remaining in the 1960s with "Jingle Bells," we have versions by three popular organists!

First up is Jimmy McGriff with this track from his 1963 "Christmas with McGriff" album on Sue Records:

Very cool and definitely a memorable album cover!

The title track was edited for a two-sided single:

Jimmy had first attracted national attention with his great version of the Ray Charles tune "I've Got a Woman," released on Sue Records in 1962:

Good stuff!

A little more pop-oriented is this 1965 version of "Jingle Bells" by Earl Grant from his "Winter Wonderland" on Decca Records:

Very solid! What's that beat?

The flipside features Earl crooning "Silver Bells":

That single (as well as the album) was popular for a long time.

As evidenced, in addition to his keyboard prowess, Earl Grant was a talented vocalist of the Nat King Cole school. This really shows up in his big 1958 hit single "The End" on Decca Records:

A great track that belongs on your 1958 playlist!

Another LP from 1965 was Eddie Dunstedter's "Christmas Candy" on Capitol Records, which featuted this Bossa Nova take:

That's really fun!

Here's the title track from the album:

Eddie Dunstedter recorded a few Christmas albums and they still sound great today!

Eddie had a long career and was a professional long before Jimmy McGriff and Earl Grant were even born!

We had heard Eddie backing singer Kenny Baker on a couple of Christmas Carols from 1938 here, so let's hear him do the same for Frances Langford, also from 1938 on Decca Records:

Still sounds good!

So, organists with different styles but all masters of the instrument!