Maps of Music

Pretty Paper (1979)

Where the lyrics of Pretty Paper take you, and where it was really made.

Willie Nelson's first Christmas album came out in 1979, and its title track had already been a Christmas hit for Roy Orbison in 1963.

Place unknown

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Pretty Paper: first Christmas album by country singer Willie Nelson
Nelson's 24th studio album
Released November 1979 on Columbia Records
Last release of Nelson's 1970s
Twelve tracks: ten Christmas standards, one instrumental, and the title track
Track order: the 1984 CD release moved the title track from last to first
Credits: Nelson on vocals and guitar; Booker T. Jones on arranger and keyboards; Bradley Hartman on engineering

Nelson reunited with producer and arranger Booker T. Jones
The two had worked together on the acclaimed Stardust album, released the year before
Nelson was still under a songwriter contract when he wrote the title track
The title track is self-composed by Nelson
Roy Orbison's 1963 recording made it a Christmas hit
Nelson recorded the song himself in 1964

1	Pretty Paper	2:28
2	White Christmas	2:46
3	Winter Wonderland	2:26
4	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer	2:12
5	Jingle Bells	2:12
6	Here Comes Santa Claus	1:53
7	Blue Christmas	2:40
8	Santa Claus Is Coming to Town	2:14
9	Frosty the Snowman	2:28
10	Silent Night, Holy Night	3:46
11	O Little Town of Bethlehem	1:28
12	Christmas Blues	3:15

Born Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas.
Wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band, Bohemian Polka, as a guitarist at age nine.
Attended Baylor University for two years before dropping out to pursue music.
Moved to Nashville in 1960 and joined Ray Price's band as a bassist.

Songs such as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline), "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Pretty Paper" became hits for other artists.
Debut album ...And Then I Wrote was released in 1962; joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965.
Helped lead the outlaw country movement after moving to Austin, Texas in 1972.
Red Headed Stranger (1975) was a critically acclaimed concept album; the single "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became his first number one hit.
Co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 with Neil Young and John Mellencamp.
Acted in over 30 films, including The Electric Horseman (1979).
Received a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance for "Ride Me Back Home" (2019).
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

First Christmas album by Willie Nelson, released November 1979 on Columbia Records
Release date given as 6 November 1979
His 24th studio album, and his last release of the 1970s
Reunited with producer and arranger Booker T. Jones, who had worked with him on Stardust the year before
The album mixes standard Christmas songs with the self-composed title track
Nelson had recorded the title track in 1964, before this album

Roy Orbison's 1963 version of the title track reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The 1984 CD release placed the title track first, while the other tracks kept their original order.
Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson re-recorded the song with him for the album Hill Country Christmas.
The disc was manufactured in Japan by CBS/Sony, Tokyo, according to a note on the release.