Bing Crosby

Thankfully, Universal Music (which now owns the Decca masters) upgraded Crosby's catalog with a series of lovely CD's. First and foremost is The Voice Of Christmas (1998), a 2-disc set that incorporates everything save a handful of non-Christmas cuts (e.g. "Count Your Blessings" or "Faith Of Our Fathers") from his Christmas-related records. The following year, Universal issued a single-disc version of the same (Very Best Of Bing Crosby Christmas) that, while acceptable, places too much emphasis on predictable carols ("The First Noel") at the expense of more esoteric originals ("Poppa Santa Claus"). In 2003, the label repackaged that disc as 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection.

Throughout his career, Crosby frequently collaborated with other artists, including Peggy Lee ("Little Jack Frost Get Lost," 1952) and Carol Richards ("Silver Bells," 1950). His partnership with the Andrews Sisters was the most significant, resulting in six of the best holiday tracks either artist ever committed to posterity - especially "Mele Kalikimaka," a kitschy, counterfeit Hawaiian carol. True, Crosby's Voice Of Christmas has all six sides, but so does A Merry Christmas With Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (2000) - along with a smart selection of solo sides from both Bing and the winsome trio. Excellent one-stop shopping, but probably not sufficient for serious fans of vintage Christmas music.

After parting ways with Decca - his label for nearly 20 years - Crosby entered the long, final phase of his career wherein he quite literally became an American institution - representing Christmas, God, and country in the eyes of many. In the late 50's and early 60's, however, he continued to produce new Christmas records at a rapid pace. In 1957, he waxed "How Lovely Is Christmas" (with Arthur Norman's orchestra and choir) for Kapp Records. The same year, he recorded a children's record also called How Lovely Is Christmas for Golden Records backed by Mitch Miller. The album has been reissued on compact disc several times by several labels under several titles - including A Christmas Story: A Holiday Musical Told and Sung by Bing Crosby (2001).

Then, in 1962, Bing Crosby produced a brand new LP for Warner Brothers entitled I Wish You A Merry Christmas, mixing fairly dull traditional carols with jaunty, brassy arrangements of modern songs like "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow," and "Frosty The Snowman." Tellingly, Crosby chose not to revisit his greatest hit, "White Christmas." He quickly follow the album with a truly significant release for Capitol Records, the debut - and definitive - recording of the now-classic "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Backed with another new song (the clever, unbelievably corny "Christmas Dinner Country Style"), the single was Crosby's last big seasonal hit (#2 on Billboard's Christmas charts), though his amazing run of 42 annual Christmas radio and TV specials would be cancelled only by the Grim Reaper. (By the way, see Varese Sarabande's 2007 compilation A Crosby Christmas for a sampling of those specials.)

In 1964, Papa Bing lent a hand to buddy Frank Sinatra's nascent record label, Reprise, collaborating with Ol' Blue Eyes and Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians on a traditional LP, 12 Songs Of Christmas. He followed that in 1965 with a new single for Reprise, "The White World Of Winter." For some reason, this portion of Crosby's Christmas catalog has rarely been anthologized on CD, with a couple of the Waring tracks showing up on Frank Sinatra discs like Christmas Collection along with some later TV appearances (read more) and "White World Of Winter" appearing only on Sony's Winter Holiday (2001). The Waring recordings do appear, sadly, on chintzy budget albums with alarming frequency - caveat emptor.

Before his final chapter was written, Bing Crosby recorded one more Christmas album - one that would be largely overlooked at the time and largely forgotten by history. It wasn't for lack of trying, however. A Time To Be Jolly (Daybreak, 1971) featured a decidely more modern sound with support from respected show biz types like bandleader Les Brown, choral director Jack Halloran, and producer Sonny Burke. The album consisted of mostly new compositions, and it employed the novel concept of having Halloran's singers introduce the tracks with brief bits of songs by Alfred Burt, the composer of "Some Children See Him" and other modern Christmas carols. Regardless, the album sank like a stone, and it proved to be Crosby's final full-length holiday effort.

By the way, A Time To Be Jolly was reissued in Europe as A Christmas Toast (20th Century, 1973), and it's been reissued on CD by Polygram both as A Christmas Toast (1993) and Christmas Album (1994).

It would take a team of researchers many years to unravel all the Christmas sides Bing Crosby recorded - not to mention the hundreds of albums issued by dozens of labels on LP, tape, and CD. But, I can say with confidence that Bing generated very little new holiday music during the last few years of his life. Just before his death, though, Crosby managed one last session that would cement his legacy as the King of Christmas for a younger generation who thought of him as little more than an old fogey who sold orange juice. Crosby historian Steven Lewis describes the event:

One of the more surreal moments in pop music history took place September 11, 1977, when the leading American pop star of the first half of the 20th century met and performed with one of the most innovative rockers of the last half. Crosby was in London to conduct a concert tour and tape his annual Christmas TV special. It was Bing's idea that he should have as a guest on his TV show a young star. Someone suggested David Bowie. Bing had never heard of Bowie, but his kids had, so an invitation was sent to the rock star. Bowie, as it turned out, was a secret fan of Der Bingle and jumped at the chance to perform with him.

Bing's idea was that he and Bowie would perform "The Little Drummer Boy" as a duet. Bowie felt the song did not showcase his voice very well, so the writers added "Peace on Earth," which suited Bowie's voice quite well. Two musical spokesmen of different generations met for the first time on the morning of the taping, rehearsed for just an hour, and finished their duet in only three takes. Bing was impressed with Bowie and gave him his phone number at the end of the taping. Bing told an interviewer four days later that he considered Bowie "a clean cut kid and a real fine asset to the show. He sings well, has a great voice, and reads lines well. He could be a good actor if he wanted."

Bing died just a month later, dropping dead of heart failure on October 14 while playing a round of golf. Dave and Bing's performance aired, then, after Crosby's death, forming a memorable tribute to his broad appeal. In fact, TV Guide chose the duet as one of the 25 best musical moments in television history. "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" was not released commercially, however, until 1982 when David Bowie's former label RCA issued it on 45 backed with Bowie's "Fantastic Voyage" (later issued on CD single by Oglio Records).

After the fact, Capitol Records gained rights to Bing's 1962 LP for Reprise, and in 1977 they compiled it all along with both sides of their own 1963 single on a new LP, Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics. By 1998, they also had access to the Bowie duet through their Virgin subsidiary, and they added it to the CD reissue (with new cover) to form a near-perfect companion to MCA's Voice Of Christmas; a 2006 repackage restored the original artwork and added more tracks. Last time I checked, nearly 200 CD's on Amazon answered to a query of "Bing Crosby Christmas," but just two of those albums (comprising three CD's) will provide you with roughly 75% of Der Bingle's massive holiday offerings - and an even higher percentage of his most essential songs. Toss in The Crosby Christmas Sessions (Collector's Choice, 2010), which culls an assortment of post-Decca rarities, and you are more than covered.

But, should you care that much? Probably not. A few hits and some sentimental favorites will likely suffice for most listeners. From my perspective, however, Bing Crosby is a towering figure - not for his music, per se, but for how he primed the pump for the rock and rhythm & blues Christmas records I treasure so much. Simply, without Bing Crosby, Christmas records in the popular idiom might have never caught on. Listen for instance, to the Drifter's monumental rendition of "White Christmas," a quantum leap forward for doo wop and one of the greatest Christmas records ever made. Based on an arrangement by the Ravens, the Drifters' song is most important for introducing Clyde McPhatter to a pop audience, and the record literally helped kick-start rock & roll. But, before McPhatter's thrilling tenor trills, before the group's death-defying coda, bass singer Bill Pinkney performs a spot-on impersonation of... Bing Crosby. And that, folks, is hip! [top of page]