Bing Crosby

My mission at Hip Christmas is to trumpet the merits of Christmas music that "rocks, rolls, swings, or twangs." In that light, writing about Bing Crosby becomes problematic, because Der Bingle did none of those things. Unlike many of Crosby's crooning peers - including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat "King" Cole, Johnny Mathis - Bing remained resolutely square throughout his career. Regardless of how many records he sold - and he sold a lot - Crosby's music began and ended as something your grandmother would (and probably did) like. Was he popular? Very. Talented? Surely. Hip? Not even close.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to discuss modern Christmas music without careful consideration of Bing Crosby's enormous holiday oeuvre. Why? Well, it all boils down to "White Christmas," a song written by Irving Berlin and first recorded by Crosby for Holiday Inn, his 1942 film with Fred Astaire. An Oscar winner that year for best song, "White Christmas" was also a humongous smash (#1 on the pop and R&B charts) and continued to chart nearly every year for the next three decades, selling untold millions of copies. Crosby recorded "White Christmas" again in 1947, this time in a polished arrangement that became the definitive rendition of the most pervasive song ever. Arguably even more famously, Crosby waxed yet another version in 1954 for White Christmas, a new film (starring Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Allen) that transformed its title song from a mere smash hit into a modern manifesto.

What exactly made "White Christmas" - a simple song written by a Jew - so captivating and so revolutionary? The fact that it sold so many copies can't be, well, undersold. Popularity has a way of begetting itself. More profoundly, the song was instrumental in transforming Christmas from a religious holiday into a secular one. Irving Berlin's Christmas was pure and white, indeed - cleansed of any mention of God, with nary a trace of Jesus and barely a hint of Santa Claus, yet full of warm, fuzzy, familial feelings. It was a holiday made safe for humanism - and that, folks, is modern!

The Sacred and the Profane

Consider, then, another Crosby-sung, Oscar-nominated song on the White Christmas soundtrack, "Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep." The song contains neither explicitly religious nor obviously seasonal imagery, yet most listeners assume it is a deeply religious, seasonal song. This effect is a testament both to the power of Irving Berlin's songcraft and the force of Bing Crosby's personality. Arguably, however, this meager song represents the birth of modern marketing - the triumph of context over content, the commingling of sacred and profane, the substitution of meaningless for meaningful. Perceptual sleight of hand or the death of organized religion? Tough call.

Bing Crosby, it should be noted, was a pious man - so much so that he initially balked at the idea of a pop singer such as himself even recording Christmas songs. Not surprisingly, then, his first Christmas sessions in 1935 for Decca Records produced songs full of piety, but little else. Both of these songs ("Silent Night" and "Adeste Fideles") charted, but it was Holiday Inn - which introduced "Happy Holiday" and "Let's Start The New Year Right," in addition to "White Christmas" - that started Crosby down his singular road. Bing's roughly 20 years at Decca produced roughly 40 official Christmas masters that introduced a number of important new songs, including "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "A Marshmallow World," "You're All I Want For Christmas," and "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas."

Just Like The Ones We Used To Know

All those recordings, however, produced just one full-length album. Remember, Bing Crosby recorded many of his Decca sides before the advent of the 12-inch LP, so most of his "albums" were 45- or 78-rpm boxed sets, EP's, and 10-inch LP's. These included Merry Christmas (1945) and Christmas Greetings (1949). The former would be retooled multiple times through the years, including several variations in cover art and track listing. But, when it was finally expanded and reissued as 12-inch record in 1955, it was graced with the iconic artwork we all know and love, featuring a beaming Bing in a Santa hat.

Eventually - starting in the 1970's in some parts of the world - Merry Christmas was renamed White Christmas. The various incarnations of this LP add up to one of the most popular albums - Christmas or otherwise - in the history of the known universe. But, at just 12 songs, White Christmas barely scratches the surface of Der Bingle's hefty Decca legacy.

Thankfully, as the 21st century approached, MCA Records (soon to be known as Universal Music), which now owned the Decca masters, upgraded Bing Crosby's holiday catalog with a series of lovely compact discs (all later available for download and streaming). First and foremost is The Voice Of Christmas (1998), a 44-track, two-disc set that incorporated nearly everything from his dozens of Decca holiday releases, omitting mostly songs that were, strictly speaking, not Christmas songs (e.g. "Count Your Blessings" and "Faith Of Our Fathers"). The following year, Universal issued The Very Best Of Bing Crosby Christmas, a single-disc version of the same material that, while acceptable, places too much emphasis on predictable carols ("The First Noël") at the expense of more esoteric originals ("Poppa Santa Claus"). In 2003, the label repackaged the latter album as 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection.

There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

Universal's next collection addressed the fact that throughout his career, Bing Crosby frequently collaborated with other artists, including on holiday hits like "Little Jack Frost Get Lost" with Peggy Lee (1952) and "Silver Bells" with Carol Richards (1950). His partnership with the Andrews Sisters was the most significant, resulting in six of the best holiday tracks either artist ever committed to wax - 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 roughly 20 years with the label, Bing Crosby parted ways with Decca in the mid-50's, and on his way out the door they issued A Christmas Sing With Bing Around The World (1956), taken from a 1955 radio show. Subsequently, 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 while recording for a dizzying number of labels.

In 1957, Crosby waxed "How Lovely Is Christmas" (with Arthur Norman's orchestra and choir) as a single for Kapp Records. The same year, he recorded a children's album called A Christmas Story for Golden Records backed by Mitch Miller, which incorporated "How Lovely Is Christmas," albeit split into two parts. The album has been reissued several times by several labels under several titles - including A Christmas Story and How Lovely Is Christmas - but the complete Kapp master wouldn't be reissued until it popped up in 2023 on Christmas Gems, a collection of rare tracks organized by the Crosby estate.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

In 1959, Bing Crosby recorded a non-LP single for Columbia, "Just What I Wanted For Christmas," written by the legendary team of Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. It was backed with "The Secret Of Christmas," also written by Cahn and Van Heusen, taken from his movie, Say One For Me - one of several films that had Crosby playing a priest. Perhaps it was a sign of the times, but the single generated no chart action.

In 1962, Bing Crosby produced a brand new LP for his own company, Project Records (distributed through Warner Brothers), I Wish You A Merry Christmas. Arguably, it was his first formal holiday album, since everything up till then had been soundtracks or collections of previously released singles, plus a children's album and a radio show. The highlights were jaunty, brassy arrangements of modern songs like "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow," and "Frosty The Snowman," but elsewhere the album was weighed down fairly dull traditional carols. Tellingly, however, Crosby chose not to revisit his greatest hit, "White Christmas," and the album stalled at #50 on Billboard's Christmas chart.

He quickly followed the album with a truly significant release for Capitol Records: the definitive recording of the now-classic "Do You Hear What I Hear," which had been debuted by the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1962. 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 canceled only by the Grim Reaper. For a sampling of those specials, see A Crosby Christmas, The Crosby Christmas Sessions, and the aforementioned Christmas Gems, a trio of rarities collections released well into the 21st century.

In 1964, Papa Bing lent a hand to his buddy Frank Sinatra's nascent record label, Reprise Records, collaborating with Ol' Blue Eyes and Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians on a traditional LP, 12 Songs Of Christmas, with arrangements by Nelson Riddle and Harry Simeone. Crosby followed that in 1965 with a non-LP single for Reprise, "The White World Of Winter," written by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish.

A Christmas Toast

Both records proved among the highest charting releases of his post-Decca career, but for some reason, the Reprise portion of Crosby's Christmas catalog has rarely been anthologized. Moreover, the widely revered 12 Songs Of Christmas has rarely been properly reissued in the digital age, though a total of six tracks showed up on Frank Sinatra's Christmas Collection (read more) and The Crosby Christmas Sessions. "White World Of Winter" has appeared only on Bing's Christmas Sessions and Christmas Gems, as well as an obscure Sony budget collection, Winter Holiday (2001).

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) was an impressive effort, featuring a decidedly 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 mostly of 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. Altogether, despite pushing 70 years of age, Bing clearly wasn't phoning it in! 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 in 1973 by 20th Century Records as A Christmas Toast, and it's been reissued on CD by Polygram both as A Christmas Toast (1993) and Christmas Album (1994). Much later, nearly the whole album was included in the digital deluxe edition of Ultimate Collection (2024).

The Poor Relation from America

It would take a team of researchers many years to unravel all the Christmas sides Bing Crosby recorded - believe me, I've tried - not to mention the hundreds of albums issued by dozens of labels on LP, tape, CD, and digital. But, I can say with confidence that Bing generated very little new holiday music during the last few years of his life. In late 1972, he recorded two songs for a super-rare 1973 benefit LP for San Francisco's Old St. Mary's Church; the title track, "Christmas Star," was later included on Christmas Gems. And, if you count this sort of thing (which I don't), he recorded "When A Child Is Born" as a United Artists single in 1976; it was subsequently included on his album Beautiful Memories (1977) and later included on The Complete United Artists Sessions (1997).

Just before his death, Bing 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 on 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."

More Than Covered

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 Warner LP, I Wish You A Merry Christmas, and in 1977 they compiled it all along with both sides of their own 1963 single, "Do You Hear What I Hear," on a new LP, Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics, with new artwork. By 1998, they also had access to the Bowie duet through their Virgin subsidiary, and they added it to the CD reissue to form a near-perfect companion to MCA's Voice Of Christmas. Then, a 2006 repackage (pictured) reincorporated the original artwork and added more tracks - even better!

When I wrote this review around the turn of the century (revised many times since), about 200 albums answered to the query "Bing Crosby Christmas" on Amazon . Since then, every year brought a few more entries to an overcrowded market - most recycling the same material - and I long ago lost count. But, just two of those releases - Voice Of Christmas and Christmas Classics - 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 radio broadcasts and post-Decca rarities, and you are more than covered.

That is Hip!

Much later, Universal issued Ultimate Christmas (2024), a 28-song compilation on CD and double-LP. At first glance, it would appear to just be an updated, slimmed-down version of The Voice Of Christmas, which ran a full 44 tracks. It was, however, offered in a variety of cool colored vinyl options, which wasn't really a thing when Voice Of Christmas was released. And, it was also issued as a 58-track digital deluxe edition, so there's a lot more to explore. That version includes lots of Decca recordings, some later singles (including "Do You Hear What I Hear?"), and, as mentioned above, a big chunk of A Time To Be Jolly.

But, ultimately, 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]