The Christmas Collection [Reprise]

by Frank Sinatra

Overview

The third quarter of each year brings a bounty of Christmas collections on pop artists ranging from Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Bing Crosby to the Beach Boys. Unfortunately, most of them reissue the same ancient material in the same shockingly awful sound (at least they don't charge much for such offensive product). Reprise's issue of The Christmas Collection rectifies the situation, at least for Sinatra, compiling 18 of his holiday recordings from the '60s and '70s (plus one each from the '50s and '90s). Christmas recordings for Sinatra, as for many vocal artists, were informal occasions for friends and family. His two holiday records for Reprise followed that formula, with 1964's The Twelve Songs of Christmas including several duets with Bing Crosby and 1969's The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas featuring Nancy Sinatra, Tina, and Frank Jr. in special roles. Although this compilation doesn't include the complete contents of both, it provides the proper survey of each record and, in an inspired move, adds several inclusions from far-reaching LPs. "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" comes from 1961's Ring-a-Ding Ding!, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was grabbed from a 1963 various-artists Christmas album, and best of all, two additional Crosby/Sinatra duets -- from a 1957 television special -- make their release debut. The two are standards like none other, "The Christmas Song" and "White Christmas," and while the performances on the latter are scattered, Crosby and Sinatra come together on the former for a holiday classic. One final unissued track is a new arrangement around a 1991 version of "Silent Night" that Sinatra only agreed to record because Nancy had a good cause to benefit; it is one of the shakiest Sinatra performances on record. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	10/26/2004
Label:	Reprise
UPC:	0081227654221
Rank:	213289

Tracks

1. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
2. The Christmas Waltz
3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
4. The Little Drummer Boy
5. We Wish You the Merriest
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
7. Go Tell It on the Mountain
8. The Christmas Song
9. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
10. I Wouldn't Trade Christmas
11. Christmas Memories
12. The Twelve Days of Christmas
13. The Bells of Christmas (Greensleeves)
14. An Old Fashioned Christmas
15. A Baby Just Like You
16. Whatever Happened to Christmas
17. White Christmas
18. Silent Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Frank Sinatra   Primary Artist
Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians   Primary Artist
Nancy Sinatra   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Bing Crosby   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Jimmy Joyce Singers & Orchestra   Primary Artist
Frank Sinatra, Jr.   Primary Artist,Conductor
Tina Sinatra   Primary Artist
Timothy Eames   Obbligatto Vocals
Ron Anthony   Guitar
Bill Miller   Celeste
Chuck Berghofer   Bass
Larry Bunker   Percussion
Jim Hughart   Bass
Al Viola   Guitar
Julie Berghofer   Harp
Gus Levene   Conductor

Technical Credits

Charles Pignone   Compilation Producer,Audio Production,Producer
Johnny Mandel   Audio Production,Producer
Michael J. Lloyd   Audio Production,Vocal Producer
Don Costa   Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Sonny Burke   Audio Production,Producer
Daniel Hersch   Remastering
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   Composer
William Read Woodfield   Cover Photo
John W. Work II   Composer
Maria Villar   Design,Art Direction
Joe Henry   Composer
Nelson Riddle   Direction,Arranger
Mel Torme   Composer
Henry Onorati   Composer
Alan Bergman   Composer
Harry Betts   Arranger
Haven Gillespie   Composer
Johnny Marks   Composer
Hugh Martin   Composer
Steven Chean   Project Assistant
Bill Inglot   Remastering
Sammy Cahn   Composer,Adaptation
Robert Finkelstein   Executive Producer
Robert Wells   Composer
Gil Grau   Arranger
Sheryl Farber   Editorial Supervision
Ted Allan   Photography
Traditional   Composer
Terry Woodson   Producer
J. Fred Coots   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Jimmy Webb   Composer
Jack Halloran   Arranger,Adaptation
Steve Woolard   Project Assistant
Franz Gruber   Composer
Dick Reynolds   Arranger
Marilyn Bergman   Composer
Joseph Mohr   Composer
Hugh Brown   Photography,Art Direction
Jule Styne   Composer
James Van Heusen   Composer,Adaptation
James Ritz   Liner Notes
John Denver   Composer
Lee Brown   Composer
Katherine K. Davis   Composer
Ralph Blane   Composer
Al Schmitt   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
Harry Simeone   Composer
Steven P. Gorman   Photo Research
Jimmy Edwards   Executive Producer
Ed Thrasher   Photography