The Andy Williams Christmas Album
Encyclopedia
The Andy Williams Christmas Album is the first Christmas holiday album released by singer Andy Williams
. It was issued by Columbia Records
in 1963, and it would prove to be the first of eight Christmas albums released by Williams. Though it was also the album that introduced Williams's perennial holiday classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
", Columbia instead opted to release Williams's cover of "White Christmas
" as the album's promotional single at the time.
From 1963 through 1973, Billboard
magazine published special weekly Christmas Albums and Christmas Singles sales charts. For all five weeks that these special charts were published in 1963 (for the weeks ending November 30, 1963 through December 28, 1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album was the number one selling Christmas album, while Williams's cover of "White Christmas" was the number one selling Christmas single. The Andy Williams Christmas Album spent three weeks as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1964, and one week as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1965. It charted on Billboards Christmas Albums chart at least one week for each of the years that the chart was published.
By December 14, 1964, The Andy Williams Christmas Album had been certified Gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. The album was reissued with a different cover in the UK in 1975 and was awarded Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry
in 1976 for selling 60,000 units. Platinum certification in the United States was awarded on November 21, 1986.
", which was first published in 1780. In 1818 "Stille Nacht", which was later translated into "Silent Night
", was first performed in Austria. "The First Noël" debuted in print in 1833. "O Holy Night
" originated in French as "Cantique de Noël" in 1847. The song that came to be known as "Jingle Bells
" was published under the name "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in 1857. And the earliest printing of the lyrics to "Away In A Manger
" dates back to 1885.
Of the songs on the album composed in the 20th century, "Sweet Little Jesus Boy
" is the oldest, written on Christmas Eve, 1932. In the 1942 film Holiday Inn
, Bing Crosby
performed "White Christmas
" and "Happy Holiday
", with the former spending 11 weeks at the top of Billboard
magazine's Best Seller
chart that same year. Kay Thompson
first performed her song "The Holiday Season" as well as her "Jingle Bells" variation on December 22, 1945. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
" was a number three hit for Nat King Cole
's King Cole Trio when it was first issued in 1946. And the Harry Simeone
Chorale reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100
with "The Little Drummer Boy" upon its first release in 1958.
figured into his recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
": "George Wyle
, who's a vocal director, who wrote all of the choir stuff and all of the duets and trios and things that I did with all the guests, he wrote a song just for the show -- I think the second Christmas show we did -- called "Most Wonderful Time of the Year". So I did that, you know, every Christmas, and then other people started doing it. And then suddenly it's become -- not suddenly but over 30 years -- it's become a big standard. I think it's one of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time now."
In the issue of Billboard magazine dated November 28, 2009, the list of the "Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)" places the Williams recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" at number five. 2001 also marks the first year in which the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (also known as ASCAP) started compiling data regarding the radio airplay of holiday songs, and although the Williams classic started out at number 25 of 25 songs that were ranked that year, it gained steam over the next 10 years, reaching number 18 in 2002, number 13 in 2003, and eventually getting to number four in 2010.
Billboard
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
. It was issued by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1963, and it would prove to be the first of eight Christmas albums released by Williams. Though it was also the album that introduced Williams's perennial holiday classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album...
", Columbia instead opted to release Williams's cover of "White Christmas
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" as the album's promotional single at the time.
From 1963 through 1973, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine published special weekly Christmas Albums and Christmas Singles sales charts. For all five weeks that these special charts were published in 1963 (for the weeks ending November 30, 1963 through December 28, 1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album was the number one selling Christmas album, while Williams's cover of "White Christmas" was the number one selling Christmas single. The Andy Williams Christmas Album spent three weeks as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1964, and one week as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1965. It charted on Billboards Christmas Albums chart at least one week for each of the years that the chart was published.
By December 14, 1964, The Andy Williams Christmas Album had been certified Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. The album was reissued with a different cover in the UK in 1975 and was awarded Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
in 1976 for selling 60,000 units. Platinum certification in the United States was awarded on November 21, 1986.
Side one
- "White ChristmasWhite Christmas (song)"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" (Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
) – 2:29 - "Happy HolidayHappy Holiday (song)"Happy Holiday" is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin during 1942.The song was first performed by Bing Crosby for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. While it is often regarded as a Christmas song, in the movie it is performed on New Year's Eve, and expresses a wish for the listener to enjoy "happy...
/The Holiday Season" (Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
/Kay ThompsonKay ThompsonKay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.-Background:Catherine Louise Fink was born in St...
) – 2:38 - "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
" (Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
, Robert WellsRobert Wells (songwriter)Robert Wells was an American songwriter, composer, script writer and television producer. During his early career, he collaborated with singer and songwriter Mel Tormé, writing several hit songs, most notably "The Christmas Song" in 1945...
) – 2:34 - "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The YearIt's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album...
" (Edward PolaEdward PolaEdward "Eddie" Pola was an actor, radio/television producer, and songwriter....
, George WyleGeorge WyleGeorge Wyle , born Bernard Weissman, was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Early Years:...
) – 2:33 - "A Song And A Christmas Tree (The Twelve Days of ChristmasThe Twelve Days of Christmas (song)"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Although first published in England in 1780, textual evidence may indicate the song is French in origin...
)" (traditional) – 3:57 - "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" (James PierpontJames PierpontJames Pierpont may refer to:* James Pierpont , US Congregationalist minister and founder of Yale University* James Pierpont , American songwriter and composer...
, Kay ThompsonKay ThompsonKay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.-Background:Catherine Louise Fink was born in St...
) – 2:06
Side two
- "The First Noël" (traditional) – 3:08
- "O Holy NightO Holy Night"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" (Adolphe AdamAdolphe AdamAdolphe Charles Adam was a French composer and music critic. A prolific composer of operas and ballets, he is best known today for his ballets Giselle and Le corsaire , his operas Le postillon de Lonjumeau , Le toréador and Si j'étais roi , and his Christmas...
, John Sullivan DwightJohn Sullivan DwightJohn Sullivan Dwight was a Unitarian minister, transcendentalist and America's first influential classical music critic.-Biography:...
) – 3:24 - "Away In A MangerAway in a Manger"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in 1885 in Philadelphia and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain it is one of the most popular carols, a 1996 Gallup Poll ranking it joint second.-History of the lyrics:...
" (traditional) – 2:51 - "Sweet Little Jesus BoySweet Little Jesus BoySweet Little Jesus Boy is a Christmas song composed by Robert MacGimsey and published in 1934. Its style is similar to African-American spirituals. It has been recorded by many choirs and solo artists....
" (Robert MacGimseyRobert MacGimseyRobert MacGimsey was an American composer. His most famous song was "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" , a well-known Christmas carol written in the style of an African-American spiritual...
) – 3:17 - "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. DavisKatherine K. DavisKatherine Kennicott Davis was a composer, pianist, and author of the famous Christmas tune "The Little Drummer Boy".-Biography:...
; Henry Onorati; Harry SimeoneHarry SimeoneHarry Moses Simeone was a distinguished music arranger, conductor and composer, best known for arranging the famous Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy", for which he received co-writing credit.-Early years:Harry grew up listening to stars performing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City,...
) – 2:17 - "Silent Night, Holy NightSilent Night"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
" (Franz Xaver Gruber; Joseph Mohr) – 2:15
Song information
"A Song And A Christmas Tree" began as "The Twelve Days of ChristmasThe Twelve Days of Christmas (song)
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Although first published in England in 1780, textual evidence may indicate the song is French in origin...
", which was first published in 1780. In 1818 "Stille Nacht", which was later translated into "Silent Night
Silent Night
"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
", was first performed in Austria. "The First Noël" debuted in print in 1833. "O Holy Night
O Holy Night
"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" originated in French as "Cantique de Noël" in 1847. The song that came to be known as "Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
" was published under the name "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in 1857. And the earliest printing of the lyrics to "Away In A Manger
Away in a Manger
"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in 1885 in Philadelphia and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain it is one of the most popular carols, a 1996 Gallup Poll ranking it joint second.-History of the lyrics:...
" dates back to 1885.
Of the songs on the album composed in the 20th century, "Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Sweet Little Jesus Boy is a Christmas song composed by Robert MacGimsey and published in 1934. Its style is similar to African-American spirituals. It has been recorded by many choirs and solo artists....
" is the oldest, written on Christmas Eve, 1932. In the 1942 film Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn (film)
Holiday Inn is a 1942 American musical film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, with music by Irving Berlin. The film has twelve songs written expressly for the film, the most notable being "White Christmas"...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
performed "White Christmas
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" and "Happy Holiday
Happy Holiday (song)
"Happy Holiday" is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin during 1942.The song was first performed by Bing Crosby for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. While it is often regarded as a Christmas song, in the movie it is performed on New Year's Eve, and expresses a wish for the listener to enjoy "happy...
", with the former spending 11 weeks at the top of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's Best Seller
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart that same year. Kay Thompson
Kay Thompson
Kay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.-Background:Catherine Louise Fink was born in St...
first performed her song "The Holiday Season" as well as her "Jingle Bells" variation on December 22, 1945. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
" was a number three hit for Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
's King Cole Trio when it was first issued in 1946. And the Harry Simeone
Harry Simeone
Harry Moses Simeone was a distinguished music arranger, conductor and composer, best known for arranging the famous Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy", for which he received co-writing credit.-Early years:Harry grew up listening to stars performing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City,...
Chorale reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
with "The Little Drummer Boy" upon its first release in 1958.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
In a 2005 interview Williams discusses how The Andy Williams ShowThe Andy Williams Show
The Andy Williams Show is a television variety show which ran from 1959 to 1971 , and a short-lived run in syndication, beginning in the fall of 1976...
figured into his recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album...
": "George Wyle
George Wyle
George Wyle , born Bernard Weissman, was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Early Years:...
, who's a vocal director, who wrote all of the choir stuff and all of the duets and trios and things that I did with all the guests, he wrote a song just for the show -- I think the second Christmas show we did -- called "Most Wonderful Time of the Year". So I did that, you know, every Christmas, and then other people started doing it. And then suddenly it's become -- not suddenly but over 30 years -- it's become a big standard. I think it's one of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time now."
In the issue of Billboard magazine dated November 28, 2009, the list of the "Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)" places the Williams recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" at number five. 2001 also marks the first year in which the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (also known as ASCAP) started compiling data regarding the radio airplay of holiday songs, and although the Williams classic started out at number 25 of 25 songs that were ranked that year, it gained steam over the next 10 years, reaching number 18 in 2002, number 13 in 2003, and eventually getting to number four in 2010.
BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Christmas Albums chart positions
| Debut date |
Weeks charted |
Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 11/30/63 | 5 | 1 (5 weeks) |
| 12/5/64 | 4 | 1 (3 weeks) |
| 12/11/65 | 3 | 1 (1 week) |
| 12/24/66 | 1 | 60 |
| 12/2/67 | 5 | 6 |
| 12/14/68 | 3 | 17 |
| 12/27/69 | 1 | 30 |
| 12/12/70 | 3 | 4 |
| 12/11/71 | 3 | 4 |
| 12/9/72 | 2 | 8 |
| 12/1/73 | 4 | 6 |
Personnel
- Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
- vocals - Robert Mersey - arranger (except as noted); producer
- Marty PaichMarty PaichMartin Louis "Marty" Paich was an American pianist, composer, arranger, producer, music director and conductor....
- arranger ("Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season") - Johnny MandelJohnny MandelJohnny Mandel is an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. Among the musicians he has worked with are Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, and Shirley Horn.-Life:...
- arranger ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells") - George WyleGeorge WyleGeorge Wyle , born Bernard Weissman, was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Early Years:...
- arranger ("A Song and a Christmas Tree (The Twelve Days of Christmas)", "Silent Night, Holy Night")