Our 1940s Christmas music playlist certainly includes some songs that have more or less slipped through the cracks and we have another one today: "Merry Christmas Waltz."
This one did get a couple of recordings at the time, including this gem from Buddy Clark on Columbia Records:
This was one of the last songs recorded by Buddy Clark, who tragically passed away in a plane crash on October 1, 1949, about a month after the recording date.
Capitol also got in on the tune with Gordon MacRae:
I think Buddy Clark and Gordon MacRae offer an interesting contrast in their vocals.
Buddy, to me, is kind of conversational and sounds like what a normal person would sound like if said normal person had a really great voice. Gordon also had a great voice, but sounds like a singer, you know?
We have one more recording of "The Merry Christmas Waltz" from 1949, this one on Decca from the ubiquitous Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians:
That is full-on Lombardo, which must have seemed so dated to anyone with even the slightest amount of hipness in 1949!
I think Kenny Gardner was a good vocalist. He can't compete with Buddy Clark or Gordon MacRae, but he goes along with the schmaltz instead of fighting it!
I don't think RCA Victor had a recording of "Merry Christmas Waltz" for whatever reason, but they did have society pianist/bandleader cut a competing 1949 song, "Our Christmas Waltz":
That's pleasant, but not a lot of oomph.
Decca also got out a version of "Our Christmas Waltz" by country superstar Red Foley with Judy Martin:
Same song, totally different style. Larry Green and Red Foley weren't competing for the same gigs!
I feel I must point out that while Red sings "Our Christmas waltz," Green Vocalist Ray Dorey sings "The Christmas Waltz." Was there a reason?
The smaller Rondo label also got out a version that wouldn't be confused with either of the other two. It features star organist Ken Griffin with vocalists Karen Ford and Bill Snary:
The organ certainly gives it a holiday vibe. And this uses both "our" and "the" in there!
If we jump back a year to 1948, there was a different song titled "The Christmas Waltz" and think it got just one recording, which was by country artist Cliffie Stone on Capitol:
That's very nice too and pairs well with Red Foley's record.
None of these songs went anywhere, but a Christmas waltz song finally broke through in 1954 with Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's "The Christmas Waltz" recorded by Frank Sinatra on Capitol:
Frank re-recorded it a couple of times and several other artists have also recorded it, so Christmas waltzing goes on!
Let's sneak in one more unique recording, this one also titled "Merry Christmas Waltz," by Gene Autry on Columbia in 1955:
Nice tune and rare non-novelty holiday offering from Gene!
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