1940s Christmas Playlist - Part 12 - "Blue Christmas" (1948)

We now hit 1948 with our 1940s Christmas music playlist and we run into the first recording of a classic: "Blue Christmas!"

Here's Doye O'Dell on Exclusive Records:

I like that record a lot. Got the singing cowboy vibe going.

Now, I've known for a long time that Elvis Presley was not the first artist to record "Blue Christmas" and I've also known for a long time that Ernest Tubb had a hit on the country charts with the song in 1949.

I guess I had presumed that E.T. had been the first to record "Blue Christmas," so I was really surprised to find out a few years ago that Doye O'Dell (whoever he is) had recorded it in 1948. Not Ravens rendition of "White Christmas" level (see here), but pretty surprised!

Still don't know much about Doye O'Dell, but that's a solid record. Interesting to see that it was on Exclusive, the same label as some of the R 'n' B songs we heard here.

I don't think the record went anywhere, but Ernest Tubb steps into the picture in 1949 and records "Blue Christmas," scoring a number one Country hit in the process!

Here he is on Decca Records:

I think that is just awesome! I like the rare extra verse too!

Someone had the clever idea to put "White Christmas" in the flipside, so let's hear that:

Back in those dark pre-internet days, it could be hard to get your mitts on records at times and it was quite a while from when I had become aware of E.T.'s version of "Blue Christmas" and the time I finally got to hear it, which was on a cassette!

The song has remained very popular in the country field and has been recorded numerous times in the ensuing years.

But there were a couple of pop versions of "Blue Christmas" in 1949 that moved it totally out of the country!

Decca also had veteran bandleader Russ Morgan record it. Here it is:

Not bad! Russ Morgan was actually at the peak of his fame in 1949, much more popular than he had been during the actual Big Band Era, so go figure!

Over on Columbia records, arranger/conductor Hugo Winterhalter had his own version:

Funny to see Hugo Winterhalter on Columbia, as I strongly associate him with RCA Victor. Hugo had joined Victor by the 1950 holiday season and recorded a similar version of "White Christmas" for that label as well.

So by the time 1950 rolled around, it seemed like any artist in any genre could take a crack at the song.

The great Billy Eckstine wrapped his pipes around it for MGM Records in 1950:

That's another great version!

All of this leads to the most famous recording of the song, a cut on the 1957 Christmas album of one Elvis Presley:

I have to confess that although I think Elvis sounds great, I'm not overly fond of the record. I really don't like the soprano singing whatever that is over and over. But it's a classic. 

50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong!