"Jingle Bells" - Part 87 - Easy Aces!

We're still hanging around the early to mid-1950s with "Jingle Bells" as we turn our attention to popular vocal groups of the time.

One such group that was extremely popular was the Four Aces, who scored such big hits as "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" and "Three Coins in the Fountain."

They included a version of "Jingle Bells" on their 1955 LP "A Merry Christmas" on Decca Records:

That sounds just as it should with lead singer Al Alberts leading the way.

The flipside of the single version was this by-then familiar tune:

The whole album is actually familiar songs done in typical Four Aces style, with pop songs on the first side and hymns/carols on the second side, a common practice which I always liked, so I'm sure the album was pleasing to their many fans.

The group had recorded a much less familiar Christmas song in 1951 on the small Victoria label:

That song is just too much of a buzzkill for me. There's also a version of the song by Eddy Howard, and I can't even listen to that one too many times in a season!

The interesting (to me anyway) thing is that the Four Aces hit the big time with their version of "Sin" earlier in 1951 on Victoria Records, leading to their contract with the major Decca label. The biggest hit version of "Sin" was by Eddy Howard, so the A-sides of the two records by the Four Aces on the Victoria label (that I'm aware of) were also recorded by Eddy Howard at the same time. These things fascinate me!

Anyway, the Four Aces also released a Christmas single in 1958 that paired a couple of lesser-known songs:

I can't say I really dig either side, as I could never understand why a tree would want to become a Christmas tree (they should follow the lead of "Guffy the Goofy Gobbler" rather than Charlie the Tuna - huge plot hole) and "Ol' Fatso" also has a major plot holes (what's the kid's "proof" despite a sleigh and reindeer on his roof? Does he need some ghosts to visit him too?)!

If "Ol' Fatso" is remembered at all, it's probably because it was also recorded by Augie Rios as the flipside of "¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?" from 1958, which is a cute novelty.

I'll mention that "Ol' Fatso" was written by Irving Gordon, then I will stop going down the rabbit hole!