A Country Christmas Collection from 1949

My friend Lee brought this 10-inch LP to my attention not long ago, after I had expressed admiration for Ray Smith's recording of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," which it contains.

I'm glad I acquired the album - it's very enjoyable and the sound came up nicely.

Ray Smith

Half the LP is devoted to Gene Autry, one of the best known Christmas troubadors and one of the stars of Columbia's artist roster. But let's first discuss the relatively obscure Ray Smith, who despite his talent was with the label only for a year or two. Born in California, Smith was working in New York when he managed to get a contract with Columbia Records in 1949. He had already produced a few sides for National the year before.

Columbia had Smith record "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" and "An Old Christmas Card" in one of his first few sessions for them. The former tune dates from the 19th century, while the latter was a new item by Vaughn Horton. The single did relatively well, but Smith only had a few more dates for the label and, as far as I can tell, never recorded another Christmas song.

Smith was from the Eddy Arnold school of singing, but when I first heard his voice, it put me in mind of Jim Reeves, a later artist. Reeves in fact remade "An Old Christmas Card" in 1963, and his version is the one that is heard today, if the song is heard at all.

The label of Smith's 78 says he is accompanied by string band, but it sure sounds like organ and chimes on "An Old Christmas Card" and guitar and organ on "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas."

Gene Autry's records, in contrast, feature his version of a Western swing band, with trumpet and twin fiddles prominent. The big hit on this LP was "Here Comes Santa Claus," released in 1947. On 78, that tune was coupled with "An Old Fashioned Tree," also included here.

The other Autry songs, "Santa, Santa, Santa" and "He's a Chubby Little Fellow," date from 1949. Although less familiar than some of Autry's fare, they are no less enjoyable.

Columbia really didn't have much of a country artist roster. The back cover of this LP shows that its early long-playing catalog could offer only albums by Bob Wills, Roy Acuff, Bob Atcher, Al Dexter, George Morgan and Spade Cooley.

To fill out its country Christmas collection, Columbia had to reach back to its predecessor ARC, whose catalog it acquired in 1938. Fortunately, the two items it chose from that source are good ones, even though one is in no way countrified.

The Hoosier Hot Shots

First, we have the wonderful Hoosier Hot Shots with a rollicking version of "Jingle Bells," with the conceit that they are playing the tune while riding in the sleigh. The Hot Shots recorded the number in 1936, relatively early in their recording career. ARC issued it on Melotone, Conqueror and perhaps other labels.

The earliest item on the LP, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" dates from 1934, and was originally issued on Melotone and Conqueror as by the American Novelty Orchestra. ARC used that orchestra name as a pseudonym for a variety of bands, including Victor Young, Johnny Messner, Jack Shilkret and Joe Green. Discographer Brian Rust shows Johnny Messner's brother Dick as having recorded "Jingle Bells" in 1935 for ARC, which issued the title under the American Novelty Orchestra name, so his band is another possibility. (UPDATE: Allan Sutton's Pseudonymns on American Records, which I recently acquired, confirms my surmise that this was Dick Messner's orchestra.)

Whatever the case, it's a spirited rendition with a reedy vocal entirely characteristic of the period, and great fun - as is the whole LP.

The Billboard ad below shows the Columbia Christmas issues for 1948, which included four of the numbers from this LP. Also included are the wonderful Sinatra holiday records from that period, and a set by the Lyn Murray Singers, which appeared on this blog in 2013 and is still available. Unfortunately, the Country Christmas Collection does not include the Korn Kobblers' "Don't Give Me No Goose for Christmas, Grandma," which either has to do with poultry or tickling, not sure which.

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