MORE CAROLS AND OTHER SACRED SONGS
By Mahnuel Muñoz
After having analyzed in detail Frank’s Christmas albums and the extra material contained in “The Christmas Collection” in other articles that you can find here, it is time to review other songs of this genre and other religious pieces associated with this holiday, which appear in reissues and compilations.
1 CHRISTMAS SONGS BY SINATRA
(COLUMBIA, REISSUE 1994)
Sinatra’s first Christmas album was offered in compact disc format, and its content was revised and expanded. Many of the original songs were replaced with alternative versions and live and studio recordings from the time were added. I am going to analyze only the unreleased songs, since the differences in the alternative versions are too subtle (1).
CHRISTMAS DREAMING (A LITTLE EARLY THIS YEAR)
Recorded on June 26, 1947, this composition by Irving Gordon (1915-1996) and Lester Lee (1903-1956) was conceived as a tailor-made Christmas carol for Sinatra, but the poor commercial performance of the released single left it off the album. It has a pleasant melody, although somewhat generic, and its message focuses on a love relationship that “advances” the singer’s Christmas feeling, but it fails to move people in the way that “White Christmas” or “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas“.
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!
A song written by Sammy Cahn (1913-1993) and Jule Styne (1905-1994), released in 1945 by Vaughn Monroe and the Norton Sisters. Immediately afterwards it was recorded by leading figures such as Woody Herman and Bing Crosby. At no point does its lyrics mention Christmas, but the omnipresence of snow has caused it to be included in this genre.
Frank’s version, recorded on November 5, 1950, features an exciting jazz arrangement by George Siravo that includes The B.Swanson Quartet choir, which sings a verse that does not exist in other versions. Frank is cheerful and playful when performing his lines and achieves one of his best Christmas pieces.
AVE MARIA
A melody as famous as its true origin is unknown. The “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) has no religious origin; It is actually part of a cycle of seven songs published in 1825 that the Austrian composer wrote based on the epic poem “The Lady of the Lake” by the British Walter Scott, which was published in 1810. The action of the text takes place during a war between Scottish clans and each of the songs develops the plot. “Ave Maria” is the penultimate song and is actually known as “Ellen’s Third Song” or “Hymn to the Virgin.” In the piece, a young woman is hiding with her father in a cave fleeing from the King of Scotland and asks the Virgin Mary for protection. The beginning of his prayer begins with some words to the Virgin, which over time have been adapted to the Catholic liturgy. It is not a Christmas song, but it is usually performed during celebrations.
Frank’s version was recorded during Easter 1945, specifically on March 28, during a broadcast of the program “Songs By Sinatra” on CBS, and was backed by the female choir of the US Army WAVES (2).
It is a hauntingly beautiful performance. The orchestra gives the spotlight to the voices, the women’s choir is excellent and Sinatra, in front, recites in Latin with sobriety and delicacy, making his public image and his stylistic features disappear to put himself at the service of the song. A heavenly gift.
WINTER WONDERLAND
The origins of “Winter Wonderland” are in a poem written by Richard Smith (1901-1935) in 1934, while he was being treated for tuberculosis. He was inspired by the beauty of the freshly fallen snow in the park. That same year, Smith showed the poem to his friend Felix Bernard, who set out to compose a melody to accompany it.
Frank’s recording took place on October 26, 1949 during the broadcast of the radio program “The Guest Star” and is a poorly elaborated reading instrumentally and interpretively.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
The lyrics of this song are the Lord’s Prayer, with a melody written in 1934 by Albert Hay Malotte (1895-1964), organist and composer for Disney (3). He dedicated it to his friend, the American baritone John Charles Thomas. The intensity grows as the piece progresses, and the final part requires an effort that is not within the reach of all singers. Over time, it has been recorded by such renowned artists as Sarah Vaughan (1947), Mahalia Jackson (1951), The Beach Boys (1963) or Andrea Boccelli (2009).
Like the previous song, it was recorded on October 26, 1949, during the radio program “The Guest Star” Frank attacks it with solemnity and accurately reaches the high notes.
2 A JOLLY CHRISTMAS FROM FRANK SINATRA
(CAPITOL, REEDITION 1987)
The popular Christmas album contained in its 1987 reissue two recordings dated August 24, 1954 and that had previously been published on a single and on a Capitol LP titled “Merry Christmas To You!“, which collected songs by various artists. of the seal.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
Sinatra’s third version of this Irving Berlin classic is an impeccable reinterpretation of the 1944 version, beautifully orchestrated by Nelson Riddle. Frank delivers an exquisite and emotional performance, more intense than his predecessor.
CHRISTMAS WALTZ
Sinatra’s first reading of this song by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne features an arrangement by Nelson Riddle. The song is beautiful and each of the three times he recorded it made it something special, but this first version is the one that attracts me the least.
3 CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK
(CAPITOL RECORDS, 2002)
This compilation was released at a time when the remake of Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” made the Rat Pack and the world of Las Vegas fashionable and, consequently, a multitude of related articles were marketed. Contains twenty-one Christmas cuts by Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra (4).
IT’S A MARSHMALLOW WORLD
A song composed by Carl Sigman (1909-2000) and Peter De Rose (1896-1953) that was premiered by Bing Crosby in 1950 and recorded, among others, by Johnny Mathis, Vic Damone and Dean Martin, who sings a duet with Frank during a Dean television special broadcast on December 21, 1967.
His lyrics brim with sugary enthusiasm (he compares the whiteness of snow to marshmallow and whipped cream) that can be cloying in other versions, but since the couple does not take it seriously, the result is very funny. I recommend searching for the video on YouTube; Watching Dean and Frank clown around while singing is pure delight.
AULD LANG SYNE
“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scottish folk song whose lyrics are a poem written in 1788 by the Scottish rhapsode Robert Burns (1759-1796), although part of the text is very similar to that of a rhyme titled “Old Long Syne” first published time in 1711.
It is used in solemn moments, especially the celebration of the New Year in the Anglo-Saxon world. “Auld lang syne” is Scottish for “a long time ago,” although it is more appropriately translated as “for old times’ sake” and is sung to a traditional Scottish melody.
Frank, again in a duet with Dean Martin and a choir of female voices, performs the piece warmly and nostalgically as the closing of “The Dean Martin Show” broadcast on December 31, 1970.
THE OTHER DUETS
Two virtual duets featuring Frank’s Christmas songs were produced in the 1990s. In 1992 Cindy Lauper (1953) joined her voice with Sinatra’s on “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” for a charity album titled “A Very Special Christmas, Vol.2” (A&M Records). The vocals and arrangement were taken from the version Frank recorded in 1947. The result sounds as artificial as it really is.
Much more pleasant is the union, in 1995, of Sinatra with Nat “King” Cole (1919-1965) in a duet produced by Phil Ramone with the song “The Christmas Song“, which appeared on the compilation “Sinatra 80Th-The Best” from Capitol Records, drawing on the voices of Frank in 1957 and Nat in 1961; both match perfectly, and the orchestral arrangement ingeniously mixes those used by Cole and Sinatra, signed by Ralph Carmichael and Gordon Jenkins, respectively.
OBSERVATIONS
- (1) The original versions of the Christmas carols from “Christmas Songs By Sinatra” can be found in the fabulous box set “The Columbia Years 1943-1952. The Complete Recordings” (1993). Also included on this collection is a rare version of “White Christmas” dated December 28, 1947, the session in which “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” were recorded. Although the orchestral arrangement is practically the same, it presents differences with respect to the 1944 recording – which was chosen for the album – as it includes different wind lines and dispenses with the vocal choir, replacing it with a celesta. It is not known what motivated this new version or why it was not added to the album, but the strangest thing is that it was only used for copies of the Christmas LP destined for Australia.
- The 1994 reissue of “Christmas Songs By Frank Sinatra” also includes a medley of “O Little Town Of Bethlehem“, “Joy To The World” and “White Christmas” recorded during the dress rehearsal of the radio show “The Frank Sinatra Show” broadcast on CBS on December 5, 1945
The arrangements of “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” and “White Christmas” are the same as the studio versions and Sinatra’s performance is, once again, captivating. “Joy To The World” is sung solely by The Mitchell Boys Choir - (2) The WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) were a branch of the United States Army created during World War II as part of the Navy. This program allowed women to serve in non-combatant roles to free up men for active duty on the front lines. It was established on July 30, 1942 by an act of Congress and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- (3) Malotte composed music for several animated shorts in the “Silly Symphonies” series, small masterpieces that experimented with new animation and music techniques and were instrumental in establishing Walt Disney‘s reputation as an innovator in the synchronization of music and animation. . One of Malotte’s most notable contributions was as composer of the music for the animated short film “Ferdinand the Bull” (1938), based on the children’s book “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. This short film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and is remembered for its charming combination of music and narrative.
- (4) From Sinatra’s repertoire were chosen “Mistletoe And Holly“, “I Believe“, (which is not a Christmas song), “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing“, “The Christmas Waltz“, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas“, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas“
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