CIJ 2023 Christmas Through the Decades -1960‘S

[Myron's Mom]

Music:
Did you know? The first song broadcast from space was Jingle Bells on December 16, 1965 from Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Walley Schirra.

The 60’s was prolific with great Christmas music. The Beach Boys, The Temptations, The Everly Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis and the list goes on, released Christmas albums. Some of them such as Jonny Mathis and Andy Williams remain popular today.

Top Christmas albums:
1961, and one of my favorites! Remember the bouncing ball on Mitch’s TV show?

Mitch Miller And The Gang ‎– Holiday Sing Along With Mitch - full vinyl album

Originally released in 1958, this Jonny Mathis album was a top seller through 1962.
Johnny Mathis ~ Christmas Album

1963 and 1964 best seller, classic Andy Williams!
Andy Williams 1963 The Andy Williams Christmas Album

Best seller 1965, Little Drummer Boy (written in 1941 as Carol of the Drum) was originally released in 1958.

The Little Drummer Boy (1965 Version)

Another best seller from Andy Williams, 1966
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

1967, Christmas as only Barbara can sing it.
1- "Jingle Bells" Barbra Streisand - A Christmas Album

1968, released the year before the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

Glen Campbell 1968 That Christmas Feeling

1969, who could forget Gomer Pyle!
Jim Nabors Jim Nabors Christmas Album Full Album

Top 40 Christmas hits

TV:
While Christmas books and movies were not that prolific in the 60’s, TV was a treasure trove of classic specials that we still enjoy today. Because taping a show wasn’t possible, families would comb the TV Guide to see when the specials would air so they could plan their evenings.

Mister Magoo Christmas Carol, 1962. This was the first animated Christmas program produced especially for TV.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, 1964. The first appearance of a Mrs Claus on TV.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965. Network execs were not happy with this show. They didn’t like the children’s voices, the religious message, and the music. If it wasn’t for funding by Coke it would not have happened. The program took only 6 months to complete. The night it debuted 1/2 of America was watching.

How the The Grinch Stole Christmas, 1966
Narrated by Boris Karloff.

The Little Drummer Boy, 1968. First released in Canada.

Frosty the Snowman, 1969. Narrated by Jimmy Durante.

Not only were the 60’s known for its classic animation specials but also a number of variety Christmas specials each year. All our favorite stars would have a special with singing, dancing and corny jokes that the entire family could enjoy.

Bob Hope/ USO Christmas shows. For 40 years Bob Hope entertained deployed troops at Christmas time all over the world.
Bob Hope Special January 16th, 1969

Christmas as only Dean can do!
The Dean Martin Christmas Show 1968 - FULL EPISODE

There’s nobody like Andy
The Andy Williams Christmas Show (1966)

You can’t have Christmas without Bing!
Hollywood Palace 6-12 Christmas Show: Bing & Kathryn Crosby (co-hosts), Glen Campbell

And who can forget the Christmas commercials!
https://fb.watch/kS62Qv56Ij/?mibextid=IVRVuA

Did you know?
The Yule Log was first shown on TV in 1966. WPIX, New York, aired a 17 second loop of a burning log for 3 hours with holiday music.

Tomorrow: Trees, ornaments and gifts.

 

[farmerswife]

Such great memories of my childhood. I think my dad had every one of those albums, and for sure we watched all those shows. Thank you for sharing. Great memories!

 

[Lori K]

OMG, this brought back such good memories and added information I would not have known about some of those shows. My dad played that Mitch Miller album all the time, when he was home. I think my DM hid it from him on several occasions, LOL. And Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, and those others? The neighborhood adults would gather around the table and one home or another for a game of canasta, while all the kids would sit in front of the TV to watch these specials. So many good times. And given the losses over the years (and one special childhood friend in Jan.), this really warms my heart. Thank you for sharing!

 

[PamelaG]

What classics! I've said before that Johnny Mathis' The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) is one of my all-time favorites.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Gomer Pyle had a Christmas album?! I'll have to let my kids know. They enjoyed Jim Nabors's humor as much as I did.

I didn't realize that Mr. Magoo's Christmas was aired before A Charlie Brown Christmas. Now I want to revist some of those cartoons.

Thanks for those links! It would be fun to watch one of those shows during Christmas in July or on Rudolph Day.

 

[luludou]

Hours of fun here! Thanks!

 

[GrammaDeb]

My parents had a few Christmas albums - The Beach Boys, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams. My earliest Christmas song memory (in 1958-60) is The Chipmunk Song - Christmas Don’t Be Late. As a family, we watched every Christmas special every year - Andy Williams was a favorite, and of course all the cartoons. My first official date with Dh was to go to a theater in Hollywood (we lived nearby) to see Albert Finney’s Scrooge.

After my kids started coming, we bought at least one new album every year, starting with A Child’s First Christmas. We have lots and lots of the classics (and some real duds, such as a rap number “Give Us The Dough“ - ugh). I still add Christmas CD’s to my list for Santa. I just love Christmas music.

I look forward to checking out all these links!

 

[luludou]

I loved the chipmunks!

 

[halimer]

Of course it always looked odd for a Jewish person to be buying Christmas music, but I do have a modest collection of CD's.

At first I compromised by getting only Christmas albums sung by Jewish singers so I have Streisand, Diamond, Midler and Manilow.

I also have Christmas albums with Hanukkah songs on them like PP&M "Light One Candle."

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

What a great selection. My mum and dad liked Glen Campbell but I don't think we had that album.

 

[jampss]

I'm a Chipmunks fan, too! What fun links and memories! I remember Jim Nabors' voice!!

 

[missjane]

I think my mom got tired of my wanting to hear Christmas music over and over on the record player during the holidays! Lol

 

[jampss]

I just listened to the 1- "Jingle Bells" Barbra Streisand - A Christmas Album ... that was fun!!!

 

[AuntJamelle]

I bought Barbara's Christmas album many moons ago - it's a good one! I agree about her version of Jingle Bells @jampss - nice twist on a classic!

THANK YOU @Myron's Mom for the links to the Christmas specials!!! I have seen so few of them and when I do find something on YouTube it is often incomplete. Looking forward to watching these!!!

 

[MinnieCo]

So I own several of those in the picutres....Mitch Miller sing a long and it still has the song pages in it, The Andy Williams Christmas album and the Barbara Streisand album. My stepmom would play the Barbara Streisand album ALOT when I was a kid and it just grew on me. As an adult I bought it on CD, but I also own the vinyl and can sing along to every song. I always say it's probably in my top 5 favorite Christmas albums.
Now everyone keeps talking about the chipmunks, well I remember the Chipmunks and Olivia Newton John were my first records. I was at my grandma's house and I'd play those albums OVER and OVER again. I guess my Christmas love started wayyyyy young. hahaha