Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1948
Blue Christmas (song)
Buy Blue Christmas (song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Blue Christmas'" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley; it was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music, especially in the country genre.
History
Initial recordings and major versions
The song was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948, and was popularized the following year in three separate recordings: one by country artist Ernest Tubb, one by musical conductor and arranger Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra and chorus, and one by bandleader Russ Morgan and his orchestra (the latter featuring lead vocals by Morgan and backing vocals by singers credited as the Morganaires). Tubb's version spent the first week of January 1950 at No. 1 on 'Billboard' magazine's Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records chart, while Winterhalter's version peaked at No. 9 on 'Billboard'
Elvis Presley cemented the status of "Blue Christmas" as a rock-and-roll holiday classic by recording it for his 1957 LP 'Elvis' Christmas Album'. Presley's version is notable musicologically as well as culturally in that the vocal group the Jordanaires (especially in the soprano line, sung by Millie Kirkham) replace many major and just minor thirds with neutral and septimal minor thirds, respectively. In addition to contributing to the overall tone of the song, the resulting "blue notes" constitute a musical play on words that provides an "inside joke" or "quail egg" to trained ears. "Blue Christmas" was also included on a 1957 45 EP (Extended Play) entitled 'Elvis Sings Christmas Songs' (EPA-4108), which also included "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" on side one, with "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" on side two. Presley's original 1957 version was released as a commercially available single for the first time in 1964. This single was also a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 11 on the British singles chart during the week of 26 December 1964.
On January 1, 2021, the British Phonographic Industry certified the single with a Gold award, reflecting sales in the UK in excess of 400,000 copies since its release in 2004. On 'Billboard' magazine's January 5, 2019, edition the song reached the #40 position inside the Billboard Hot 100, the latter for the first time since its release in 1964.
The rock band The Beach Boys recorded a version featuring Brian Wilson on lead vocals, releasing it in the United States on November 16, 1964, in two separate formats simultaneously:
('a') the B-side of "The Man with All the Toys" single.
('b') a track on 'The Beach Boys' Christmas Album'.
The song also appears in the 1974 Rankin/Bass animated special, 'The Year Without A Santa Claus'. In the cartoon, Santa is considering skipping Christmas one year, thinking no one believes in him, and there is very little good will on the planet. Children around the world respond by sending Santa presents, and one little girl sends him a letter, telling Santa it will be a "blue Christmas" without him, while the song plays, and is sung by a little girl.
Personnel
Elvis Presley versions
Original 1957 versionSourced from Keith Flynn.
* Elvis Presley lead vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
* Scotty Moore lead guitar
* Bill Black double bass
* D. J. Fontana drums
* Dudley Brooks piano
* The Jordanaires backing vocals
* Millie Kirkham backing vocals
1968 live version
Sourced from Keith Flynn.
* Elvis Presley lead vocals, electric rhythm/lead guitar
* Scotty Moore acoustic rhythm guitar
* Charlie Hodge backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
* D. J. Fontana percussion
* Alan Fortas percussion
* Lance LeGault tambourine, possible backing vocals
Other charting versions
Following the success of Presley's version, the song has been recorded by a host of rock and country artists, as well as some working in other genres. The following are charting recordings.
* 1960: The Browns' version peaked at No. 97 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 singles chart in December 1960.
* 1982: Shakin' Stevens' version featured on 'The Shakin' Stevens EP' which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart
* 1992: Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson from Heart recorded a version featured on 'A Very Special Christmas 2' album.
* 2008: Martina McBride's virtual duet with Elvis Presley on the album 'Christmas Duets' reached No. 36 on the US Country Chart (also included on a re-released version of her 2013 album 'White Christmas' entitled 'The Classic Christmas Album')
Charts
'Elvis Presley version'
Certifications
'Elvis Presley version'
References
Buy Blue Christmas (song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1948