"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!