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Christmas Songs by Sinatra (1948)

Where the lyrics of Christmas Songs by Sinatra take you, and where it was really made.

The 1948 album never contained 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!', yet a paper craft version of its cover appears in that song's official music video.

Key places

Recording place listed as Hunter College (1948)

Recording site Hunter College — MusicBrainz lists Hunter College as a recording place for this album. The sources do not say which tracks were recorded there. The Discogs notes list only New York City and Hollywood, California as recording locations. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Christmas Songs by Sinatra is the third studio album by the American singer Frank Sinatra.
• Released October 4, 1948, as a 78 rpm album set of four discs and as a 10-inch LP (CL 6019) of eight holiday songs.
• The eight LP songs: four previously released as singles, four not released as singles.
• Columbia reissued the album several times with alternate track listings and different artwork.
• A 1994 compilation adds the two other Christmas songs Sinatra recorded at Columbia.

Background

• One single-released song was recorded in 1944, four years before the album came out.
• 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' was recorded July 3, 1947.
• Three songs were recorded December 28, 1947, for the album itself.
• Italian Wikipedia: the songs were recorded between 1944 and 1948 and arranged by Axel Stordahl.
• German Wikipedia: the album includes cover versions, such as Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

Recording

• Discogs lists New York City for the November 14, 1944 recording.
• Discogs lists Hollywood, California for the 1945, 1946 and 1947 recordings.
• MusicBrainz lists Hunter College as a recording place for this album.

Cover

• The original 1948 LP cover uses a Christmas tree design.
• A stylized paper craft version of the LP cover is prominently featured in the official music video for 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'.
• The 1948 version of the album did not contain that track.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · de.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants.
• Began singing professionally as a teenager with the Hoboken Four, winning Major Bowes Amateur Hour.
• Joined Harry James's band in 1939, then Tommy Dorsey's band, before going solo in 1942.

Career

• Signed with Columbia Records in 1943 and became a major star of the bobby-soxer era.
• Signed with Capitol Records in 1953; collaborated with arranger Nelson Riddle on albums such as In the Wee Small Hours and Songs for Swingin' Lovers!.
• Founded Reprise Records in 1960, releasing albums including September of My Years and the hit single "My Way".
• Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity (1953).
• Estimated to have sold around 150 million records worldwide.
• Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997.
• Died May 14, 1998 in Los Angeles.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

Reappraisal

• Billboard's Best Bets For Christmas album chart: the 1966 reissue, retitled Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, peaked at No. 42 on December 21, 1968.
• The 1966 retitled reissue dropped 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!', which had been added in the 1957 12-inch release.

Records

• Billboard 200: second place (Italian Wikipedia).
• Billboard's Best Bets For Christmas album chart: No. 42 on December 21, 1968.
• The 1957 12-inch release as Christmas Dreaming (CL 1032) added two songs to the original eight.
• The 1994 compilation brings the total to fifteen recordings, including four previously unreleased rehearsal or broadcast recordings for V-Discs.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The 1957 12-inch release was titled Christmas Dreaming and added 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!', recorded November 5, 1950.
• The 1966 retitled reissue dropped 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'.
• The 1994 compilation opens with an introduction by General Reynolds, Chief of Special Services.
• Four recordings on the 1994 compilation were issued only as V-Discs to American military during WW II.
• On the Discogs release, only 'Christmas Songs by Sinatra' appears on the front cover, while 'Frank Sinatra' appears on the back cover and labels.

Sources: www.discogs.com

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