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22 Merry Christmas Favorites (CD)
Year: 1987
Label: Ranwood
Catalog Number: RCD-7029
Number of Discs: 1
Editor's Rating:  (Read Review)
Where to Buy
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Track Listing:
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This CD is Christmas (and Lawrence Welk) at its finest, with all of the
recordings coming from the 4-record set issued by Reader's Digest in 1970, with
the exception of "Christmas in Los Angeles". When I first got this CD,
my principal regret was that it didn't include Jo Ann Castle's fabulous
honky-tonk piano version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Happily,
that cut is included in the newly-released "Christmas Memories". Buy
this CD, buy that CD, and buy "Jingle Bells", which includes some
different (though perfectly legitimate) versions of familiar favorites, such as
the Lennon Sisters' recording of "Merry Christmas from Our House to Your
House".
Don't bother with the 10-song CD "Merry Christmas from Our House to Your
House", as it doesn't contain any songs/versions that aren't already
covered on the other three. Sadly, there are still some songs from the box LP
set that are conspicuously absent on any CD, and we can only hope that those
will be included in a future release, or that the box LP set itself will be
released in its entirety on CD. Some of the missing classics: "Twas the
Night Before Christmas", "Christmas Dreaming", "I Heard the
Bells on Christmas Day", "High on a Housetop", "Ho Ho
Ho", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Let's Have an Old
Fashioned Christmas" among others. Still, though I don't pretend to know
how Ranwood went about selecting songs for these compilations (even "Jingle
Bells" doesn't quite match the 1957 LP of the same title), if you like
Lawrence Welk (and even if you DON'T like his non-holiday stuff), you simply
can't go wrong here. Light a fire, fix yourself a glass of eggnog, and listen to
this wonderful CD as you watch the snow falling outside your window. Have a
Merry Christmas!
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Where to Buy
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Song Information
Merry Christmas from Our House to Your House
Featured Performer(s):
Lawrence Welk Singers
Song Credits:
George Cates (Composer), Green (Composer)
The warm, neighborly spirit of friendship that lights up all our houses at
Christmastime glow through this inviting song, composed by Lawrence Welk's
musical director, George Cates. The lyrics, expressing the heartfelt emotions of this holiday season, are sung by the twenty-eight voices of the Lawrence Welk
Singers. This group, which has a remarkably intimate feeling for such a large ensemble of voices, is conducted by Lyn Murray, who led vocal groups for Andre Kostelanetz and on the Hit Parade radio show before he brought his talents to the Welk organization. He has also served as an arranger for such singers as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and the late Judy Garland. This paragraph taken from the Reader's Digest collection, "Merry
Christmas from Lawrence Welk", © 1969 The Reader's Digest Association,
Inc.
This version also appears on:
An alternate version of this song appears on:
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Silver Bells
Featured Performer(s):
Norma Zimmer (Vocal), Jimmy Roberts (Vocal)
Song Credits:
Ray Evans (Composer), Jay Livingston (Composer)
The exciting sights and sounds of Christmas in the city come sparklingly
alive as Jim Roberts and Norma Zimmer join their voices to sing this unique
Christmas song. Most Christmas songs are built around the religious aspects of
the holiday or family gatherings or, if an outdoor scene is depicted, it is the
snow-covered country or a cozy small town. But in this song, the big city, with
its lights, glittering shop windows and busy shoppers, also has a warm,
Christmas feeling which has been caught by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston. This paragraph taken from the Reader's Digest collection, "Merry
Christmas from Lawrence Welk", © 1969 The Reader's Digest Association,
Inc.
This version also appears on:
An alternate version of this song appears on:
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White Christmas
Featured Performer(s):
Lawrence Welk Singers
Song Credits:
Irving Berlin (Composer)
Irving Berlin had been a successful songwriter for almost forty years by
1942, with more hits to his credit than any other popular composer. But there
were still many, many more great songs to come and, in that year, he set a
challenge for himself by undertaking to write a film score that would include
songs for all the national holidays. The song he wrote for Christmas was
"White Christmas", which has been estimated to be the most valuable
popular song in the world. Bing Crosby, who added immeasurably to his own wealth
by singing it, introduced it in the motion picture Holiday Inn. This paragraph taken from the Reader's Digest collection, "Merry
Christmas from Lawrence Welk", © 1969 The Reader's Digest Association,
Inc.
This version also appears on:
An alternate version of this song appears on:
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Thanks for Christmas
Featured Performer(s):
Steve Smith (Vocal), Charlotte Harris (Cello)
Song Credits:
George Cates (Composer), Codian (Composer)
The simple joys of Christmas, the gratitude and appreciation for those who
are close to us and for men of good will all over the world, are an integral
part of this joyous season. The rich, mellow combination of Charlotte Harris's
singing cello and Steve Smith's clear baritone voice add meaning to the
thoughtful philosophy expressed in this song. Redheaded Steve Smith is one of
those who have worked their way up through the ranks in Lawrence Welk's
Champagne Music Makers. He originally joined the troupe as a member of a vocal
quartet called The Blenders. He was the group's lead singer and, when the
members of the quartet decided to break up the group and go their separate ways,
Lawrence Welk knew enough about Steve Smith's singing talents to invite him to
stay on. This paragraph taken from the Reader's Digest collection, "Merry
Christmas from Lawrence Welk", © 1969 The Reader's Digest Association,
Inc.
This version also appears on:
An alternate version of this song appears on:
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