Moving along with "Jingle Bells," we come across another family group which was around even longer than the Ames Brothers - The Mills Brothers!
The core group of Donald, Herbert and Harry Mills had been performing and recording successfully for over 25 years when they cut a version of "Jingle Bells" for their 1959 "Merry Christmas" album on Dot Records:
That's another album that splits the sides between familiar holiday pop songs on one and traditional carols on the other. Very nice, as is to be expected!
We had heard the Mills Brothers here with a terrific Christmas single from 1949, at which point the group still included their father, John, Sr., who had taken the place of brother John, Jr. when the latter tragically passed away in 1936.
Dad hadn't retired yet when the group had another Christmas single on Decca Records in 1954. Here are both sides:
I think the guys sound great on these, but I think the songs themselves are a bit clunky, so I can see why neither went anywhere.
Of note is that "You Don't Have to Be a Santa Claus" was written by Seger Ellis, who co-wrote "You're All I Want for Christmas," which the Mills Brothers did not record, but should have!
Since we don't have a lot of holiday material from the Mills Brothers, let's watch a clip of them performing "Tiger Rag," their big hit from 1931 that put them on the map:
I've always been fascinated by their early style of imitating musical instruments and am particularly drawn to John, Jr. on guitar and bass vocals.
And here they are with a "Soundie" of their huge 1943 hit "Paper Doll" (with John, Sr.):
How awesome that the paper doll is young Dorothy Dandridge!
I notice that Harry sings his verse to Donald rather than in the first person as on the record. I guess for plot purposes?
Always great stuff from the Mills Brothers!
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