Some months ago, I bought a piece of gear for my home recording studio, and ended up on the Musician's Friend e-mail list. Among the various ads from the company, I also get a weekly feature called "The Week In Review," and I love getting it each week. At the risk of repeating something covered some time ago, this was the second entry this week:

1957, Al Priddy, a disc jockey at station KEX in Portland, Oregon, is fired for playing Elvis Presley's version of "White Christmas" … the station had instituted a ban of the song due to a behind-the-scenes deal with original song composer Irving Berlin, who detested The King’s version of his tune … KEX management released a statement which said the song was "not in the spirit we associate with Christmas" … whatever that means …

("Bah, humbug!")

It's been revealed here on pdxradio in the past, this was a KEX publicity stunt at the time. Although Irving Berlin, who wrote "While Christmas" did attempt to get Elvis's 1957 recording of "White Christmas" banned from radio air play, deeming it "vulgar and disrespectful."

I remember when that happened. I used to listen to Al when I was a kid. He was the all night dj. I met Al in 1965 when I was in the Air Force Reserves. He was a Chief Warrant Officer. Real nice guy. He talked about those days as a dj often.

This from UPI:

--------Singer Wants Radio Stations To Boycott Holiday Recording---------
Gayla Peevey, a child singer in the 1950's is upset with a "duo" who has just recorded the song Peevey made famous. "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" has just been released by Captain & Tennille. Peevey recorded the song in 1953 when she was 11 years old.

"I think it's a travesty that anyone over the age of 15 would even attempt to record this celebrated childrens Christmas classic." said Peevey, and went on to say she wants all radio stations to boycott The Captain & Tennille's version of the holiday standard.

I swear I heard C and Ts version last year.....

C'mon Gayla get up to speed..... or record Muskrat Love to get even!

Heirs of Bing Crosby want radio stations to ban all versions of White Christmas...I think it's a travesty that anyone would even attempt to record this celebrated Christmas classic."

wanna have some fun this Christmas Season?(flame on)
Invite listeners to send "Merry Christmas" cards to the ACLU!
(this from the guy that put a Christmas Tree on the roof of K--- in Eugene because the City Manager banned 'em downtown in the City Hall....)

Send Lee/Jackson day cards to the NAACP, or Martin Luther King bday cards to the daughters of the Confederacy.

I just played Elvis White Christmas not 5 minutes ago. Neat!

I understand Bing Crosby almost didn't sing "White Christmas", believing it sacrilegious to record a secular Christmas song.

Mikel Chavez: Iving Berlin is turning over in his grave for what You have done!

Ron Gallagher: You're correct. Before recording "White Christmas" Bing Crosby had only recorded two religious Christmas songs: "Silent Night" and "Adeste Fideles" (Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful). Both from 1935, issued on a 78 RPM.

"White Christmas" was mostly responsible for ushering in the secular Christmas music we all know today. After the immense popularity of "White Christmas" in 1942 other writers got on the band wagon, plus it was not looked upon as sacrilegious as it once was. Radio stations also found secular music more acceptable by the general listener.

"Ron Gallagher: You're correct. Before recording "White Christmas" Bing Crosby had only recorded two religious Christmas songs: "Silent Night" and "Adeste Fideles" (Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful). Both from 1935, issued on a 78 RPM."

I doubt it is the same 78 Graig mentions in his post, but I came across/purchased a copy of Bing's "Silent Night/O Come ALl Ye Faithful" 78 at an estate sale last Summer, Decca "Personality Series" DLA3025/3026, record #23777 apparently as sides 1 & 2 of an 8-side album. This particular single seems to be isolated from the rest of its respective album; as I searched the sale but couldn't find the rest of it.

I believe the album this isolated 78 is the same as the 1950(?) 10" 33 1/3 RPM LP titled "Merry Christmas". Merry Christmas was also re-released in rechannelled Stereo and included four additional songs in the 1960s (Decca LP# DL 78128).

Playlist:
Side 1--(note, my abbreviation "RC" means "Rechannelled Stereo")
1) Silent Night (RC)
2) Adeste Fidelis (RC)
3) White Christmas (RC)
4) God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (RC)
5) Faith Of Our Fathers (RC)
6) I'll Be Home For Christmas (RC)

Side 2--
--It should be worth noting that only the songs on side 1 are the same as they were on the 10", the two songs that also appeared on the 10" version on side 2 are #1 & 2, but they were "new recordings" that I believe were prepared for the rerelease...
1) Jingle Bells (With the Andrews Sisters)
2) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (With the Andrews Sisters & Vic Schoen's orchestra)
--and the rest are new recordings that didn't appear at all on the 10".
3)Silver Bells (duet with Carole Richards; I have heard this one playing on K103 quite a bit this year ;o)
4) It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (w/ Jud Connor's Rhythmaires & John Scott Trotter's orchestra)
5) Christmas In Killarney (w/ Jud Connor's Rhythmaires & John Scott Trotter's orchestra)
6) Mele Kalikimaka (with the Andrews Sisters)

In the 1980s (or maybe '90s?) this version was re-re-released on CD by MCA (currently the owner of Decca) as #MCAD-33143. (You should be able to schnagg a copy of this at Freddy's currently for maybe $10... ;o) Interestingly (though not surprisingly) MCA re-titled the CD release as "White Christmas" even though WC & the 1960s version of MC are *exactly* the same record!

My Grandparents used to play the 10" version of WC on the stereo every year at Christmas. I have their well-worn copy of it now (they have it on CD as they don't have a record player at the present time.......although MotoSanta has considered bringing them a brand-new Stanton in the near future ;o) but the record is at home in a box with some of my other stuff, and it may be a while before I can get more information from it.......................

Motozak2: You are correct. The Bing Crosby 78 RPM you own of "Silent Night" backed with "Adeste Fideles" on Decca 23777 was issued 12 years after the 78 was first released. The original was on Decca 621 (Silent Night recorded: February 21, 1935 & Adeste Fideles on: November 13, 1935). A re-recording of both songs was made on June 8, 1942 and issued on Decca 18510. "Silent night" was re-recorded yet again on March 19, 1947 and this is this version You have on your 78. All three versions are available on a CD album titled: "Bing Crosby - The Voice of Christmas" MCA MCAD-11840.

The original album "Merry Christmas" by Bing Crosby was first released in 1945 on Decca A-403 and packaged previous Crosby single releases. Here's what was included:
White Christmas / Let's Start The New Year Right | Decca 18429 (1942).
Silent Night / Adeste Fideles | Decca 18510 (1942).
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Faith of Our Fathers | Decca 18511 (1942).
I'll Be Home For Christmas / Danny Boy | Decca 18570 (1943.)
Jingle Bells / Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town | Decca 23281 (1943) with The Andrews Sisters.

In 1947 Decca took out two songs "Let's Start The New Year Right" and "Danny Boy" and changed two flip sides that remained. Decca also added a new recording of Bing's "White Christmas". This is the version we still hear today. The album was given a new number, Decca A-550. Here's the line-up of 78 RPM's and flip sides included:
Jingle Bells / Santa Claus Is Comin' Town | Decca 23281 (with The Andrews Sisters).
Silent Night / Adeste Fideles | Decca 23777.
White Christmas / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | Decca 23778.
I'll Be Home For Christmas / Faith of Our Fathers | Decca 23779.

In 1950 Decca issued "Merry Christmas" for the first time on a 10 inch long playing album, Decca DL 5019. Also in 1950 with Decca entering into 45 RPM market, the label issued "Merry Christmas" in a 45 RPM box set (Decca 9-65). In 1953 Decca issued the album as an extended play 45 RPM EP two record set. (Decca ED-547).

In 1955 Decca extended "Merry Christmas" into a 12 inch LP (Decca DL 8128) by adding additional songs:
Mele Kalikimaka | Decca 27228 (1950) with The Andrews Sisters.
Silver Bells | Decca 27229 (1950) with Carol Richards.
It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas / Christmas In Killarney | Decca 27831 (1951).

In 1961 Decca issued "Merry Christmas" in re-channeled Stereo on Decca DL 78128. When MCA took over the Decca name "Merry Christmas" was re-issued in 1973 on MCA-167. Then another re-issue when MCA created its Holiday Series in 1977 (MCA-15024). In 1987 "Merry Christmas" was first issued on CD as MCA MCAD-31143. In 1994 additionally the CD was issued on Excelsior/MCA Special Products MCAD-20820.

In 1998 the CD album titled "Merry Christmas" was changed to "White Christmas". This most likely was done to compete with the label "Laserlight" which had a CD album of old Crosby radio broadcasts with Bing singing Christmas songs. The CD was titled "White Christmas". That CD had been making the Holidays charts for the past few years, competing and winning against MCA on the charts. It was thought, buyers were picking up the Laserlight CD because of name recognition alone. However the MCA & Excelsior CD numbers did not change with the title change.

Now, there's a statement I never thought I'd hear from an adult: (My grandparents) "don't have a record player right now".

Well, they don't! Their '70s JVC Nivico console stereo went out about ten years ago (more or less) and Gran didn't want to spend money to get it fixed (dreadful decision, I think) and the record player in it went out probably five years prior.

However, I did keep the reel to reel deck that it had (a JVC 4-track 990 Deluxe), put it in its own wooden chassis with its own power supply, and that is what I used when I was in high school, before I got Grampa's other Akai.

I *think* Grampa *may* still have his 1993 Pioneer turntable but I haven't seen it for a few years. And if I remember right it still doesn't have a cartridge..........

Hey Craig--

Didn't MCA also produce a Quad mix of "Merry Christmas" in the '70s (or maybe very early '80s?)

And if they did, do you have any info on it?

I seem to vaguely remember seeing something along the lines of a "Merry Christmas" LP with a big "Quadraphonic" banner across the top of the jacket, in a used record shop up in Victoria several years ago.......

I don't think so, not in America. Maybe Canada.