Search - Frank Sinatra :: Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra

Hang a shining star upon the highest bow!

Mark Blackburn | Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada | 11/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A question for Christmas trivia buffs: What did Frank Sinatra have in common with Andrae Crouch? ("father of modern Gospel music"). Both men instigated changes to the beloved seasonal classic, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." And both singers enjoyed the approval of the song's composer, Hugh Martin -- still with us, we hope, for Christmas 2007 in his 94th year!



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It was 50 years ago this month (November, 1957) that Frank Sinatra's "A Jolly Christmas" album was released by Capitol Records - barely one month after the release of "Elvis' Christmas Album" -- which became the "Number 1" best-selling LP of the 1950s -- despite composer Irving Berlin waging a conspicuously unsuccessful campaign to keep Elvis' version of "White Christmas" off the radio: Elvis' Christmas Album sold 7 million copies!



In the 50 years since then, "A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra" -- a collaboration with "the orchestra and chorus of Gordon Jenkins" -- eventually sold one million copies (and is listed as the "Number 13" best-selling LP of the 1950s). But at the time of its release, the sales outlook for this LP wasn't nearly so bright . . .



[In 1957 Sinatra's career had reached a new peak, with albums that same year, including the masterpiece, "CLOSE TO YOU" (with the "Hollywood String Quartet") and an up-tempo classic, "A SWINGIN' AFFAIR." It was the same year his PAL JOEY ("Lady is a Tramp") movie soundtrack held the "Number 2" position in album sales (for one week -- and sold 500,000 copies.]



But at this time in 1957, music critics weren't in the spirit for a `traditional-style' Christmas LP. Some suggested that Gordon Jenkins' string arrangements and vocal choruses were "passé" and in "poor taste." (!)



Those critics are almost certainly all dead and gone, -- while this sublime Christmas collection touches the hearts of new sub-generations of Sinatra fans. Many of us consider this album quite simply the greatest ever -- especially among those which give us the best of the popular 'secular' Christmas songs, combined with traditional 'sacred' carols.



Friends with `high end' stereo systems insist that "NOTHING compares" with hearing an early, black vinyl version of this LP -- "the ones with the gray label," when played on "a decent" (read "costly") turntable.



Audiophiles at the "sinatrafamily" website seem to agree, that the original CD release of "A Jolly Christmas" - the one from 1987, "mastered by Larry Walsh" -- is still the best-sounding CD version of this album. Whereas, this "50th anniversary" edition is simply a re-packaging of the 1999 CD version -- which featuring "24-bit, digital re-mastering by Bob Norberg at Capitol Mastering."



Sinatra's voice sounds a little more `up-front' in this version (and the orchestra not quite so well-balanced and a little more `distant'). Purists believe the earlier re-mastering by Larry Walsh is better -- more "faithful" to the original recording engineering. But in a blindfold test, on a portable CD player with good headphones, BOTH versions sound mighty fine!



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"What's your favorite track," a friend asked. Well, if I can have only ONE . . . it would have to be, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas " - a song for which Frank Sinatra suggested composer Hugh Martin "change a line" - to make it more up-beat, and in keeping with the title of this album!



A few years ago, in a radio interview, Hugh Martin revealed that he had written BOTH words and music for this one - but changed the original lyric --at Sinatra's request. Frank, in preparing this "Jolly Christmas" album, and was concerned about the words,



"Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow . . ."



"I got a phone call from Frank, saying, `Hey, I like your Christmas song, Hugh . . . but I'm doing an album called A JOLLY CHRISTMAS. Do you think you can jolly it up? (replace that somber, penultimate line).



"And I said, `Well, of course!' You don't say `No' to Frank Sinatra!



"So I went for a walk, and when I came back, I had the line about `Hang a shining star upon the highest bough' -- which Frank LOVED, and recorded."



40 years on, Hugh Martin (a late-in-life convert to Christianity) approved one final change to his beloved lyric, when the `father of modern Gospel music,' Andrae Crouch (on a recent, majestic, Christmas album produced by Quincy Jones) substituted the words, "If the LORD allows," for the original, "If the Fates allow".



Those who celebrate the true sanctity of Christmas are bound to cherish these changes, especially when those "faithful friends, who are dear to us, gather near to us, once more."



"Through the years we all will be together, if the Lord allows.

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough!

And have yourself a merry little Christmas . . .

Now."

"

Sinatra + Ralph Brewster Singers + Gordon Jenkins = fantasti

Mary Whipple | New England | 11/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Digitally remastered in 1999, and released again in 2007, this Christmas album, arranged and directed by Gordon Jenkins, is one of the very best musical celebrations of the holiday season. Throughout, Sinatra's sounds are accompanied and enhanced by the Ralph Brewster Singers, whose unusually sweet voices and wonderful soprano high notes add warmth and holiday cheer as they echo Sinatra, provide choral variations between stanzas, and sometimes even harmonize with him.



Six modern Christmas songs begins the CD, including a swingy "Jingle Bells" ("I love those J-I-N-G-L-E Bells"), Mel Torme's "Christmas Song," and a song Sinatra has made his own, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." He follows these with six traditional carols. In "The First Noel," the Ralph Brewster Singers' large chorus sings behind him, featuring fine harmonies, expression, and counterpoint. Sinatra, with his trademark phrasing and sure sense of tempo, slightly changes some of the traditional lyrics on this song so that he escapes the standard phrasing and the lyrics flow more gracefully, something he also does on "Little Town of Bethlehem," resulting in new appreciation of the words and meanings.



Two bonus tracks, both directed by Nelson Riddle, include Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Sinatra's original 1954 recording of "Christmas Waltz," which gets a different tempo from the Jenkins arrangement, which is also presented on the CD. With style and panache, leavened with holiday emotion, Sinatra, the Ralph Brewster Singers, and Gordon Jenkins present Christmas favorites, many of which (like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") have become forever identified with Frank Sinatra. If I could have only one Christmas CD, this one would be high on the list of choices. Mary Whipple



Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection

The Christmas Album

Happy Holidays With Bing & Frank

Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas

Christmas Songs By Sinatra



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Bad sound by Bob Norberg strikes again

Charles F. Held Jr. | Charlotte, NC United States | 12/01/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Frank Sinatra's recordings on Capitol represent the pinnacle of American popular song. So why can't the label release the man's work as it was intended to be heard? So far Sinatra's Capitol albums have gone through two "complete" remasters - in 1987 by Larry Walsh and in 1999-2000 by Bob Norberg. The Walsh issues have their problems (Larry himself acknowledges that (a) he was given the wrong tapes to work with for most of the albums; and (b) he misinterpreted some of the reverb instructions on the tape boxes), but they are still far superior to the dead-sounding Norberg series (marketed as "Entertainer of the Century" and in the dark "Concepts" boxset).



Confusing things even further, Capitol has reprinted liner notes crediting Walsh on some of the discs that were actually mastered by Norberg, including this reissue of A Jolly Christmas. They've also changed the cover from the original so you think you're getting something "new" or "different." Sorry, but I can sacrifice hearing a 30-second Public Service Announcement in order to avoid the awful sound of a Norberg Sinatra disc.



There is good news however: The Norberg versions have never been sold in the United Kingdom, so if you know what to look for you can find some Frank that sounds reasonably good on CD. The Walsh version of A Jolly Christmas is available on two different UK CDs, both entitled "The Christmas Album". One has a white cover with a large picture of Frank wearing a fedora looking off to the side; the other has Frank looking at you with a blue snowflake background. I've seen them both new and used from US and UK Amazon, so grab one and have yourself a merry little Christmas now!"