Phil Spector's Christmas Album

[rrussi]

While the release of the original lp on Philles label in November 1963 was 50 years ago this past November, I had hoped for a little more fanfare than it received, but all was favorable with a few incorrect details. This lp was originally titled "A Christmas Gift For You from Philles Records". There was a 4 song promotional ep sent to radio stations which included "White Christmas" [[Darlene Love), "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [[Crystals), "Sleigh Ride" [[Ronettes), and "The Bells Of St. Mary" [[Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans). Also issued on 45rpm was the one original on the lp, "Christmas [[Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love. The album and the single didn't do well that first year. By the holidays of the next year, Philles issued the single "Christmas [[Baby Please...)" a second time and still nothing. I bought the lp on November 16, 1963 [[Saturday) at Burdines Department Store's record room which is where I first saw it and this was the first I knew of it. That was the Saturday before the Friday, November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was shot. Therefore, the lp was NOT released that fateful day in America's history. I also don't believe the record or single didn't do well as a result of the shooting. Radio stations had to play something. They just weren't playing this ep or single that they all should have received. I never heard it on the radio, but did hear a commercial for a local store in Miami on the radio that played "Santa Claus Is Coming". In fact it was at least two or three years before I heard any of it on the radio and even then, all I remember hearing around the holidays was the Ronettes' "Sleigh Ride". The album was reissued with a new cover [[Spector wearing a Santa suit) and a new title, "Phil Spector's Christmas Album", in 1972. Again, I don't think it did anything spectacular as far as sales and again, not very much airplay either. Finally, by the 1980s, every major city had at least one oldies radio station. The lp was released with the original cover artwork, but retitled "A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector". It began to get heavy holiday airplay each year and then became a hit classic. As for "Christmas Baby" by Darlene Love, Phil had reissued it on a single in either '74 or '75 when he had the Warner Spector label, but it still didn't hit. I believe it didn't become the classic hit that it now is until she started making her yearly appearances on TV performing it on the David Letterman Show in 1986. I will never forget that day in 1963 when I bought the album and then went home and listened to it. After all, I couldn't imagine the Ronettes singing "Frosty the Snowman" or the Crystals doing "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer". What a thrill! Every song on the entire lp sounded like a hit record. But again, with no airplay the public doesn't even know it's available unless the come across it while shopping for records. Finally, the motto of Philles Records was "Tomorrow's Sound - Today"; not "Tomorrow's Music for Today". That being said, with recent passing of singer Jay Traynor, the lead voice on Jay & the Americans' hit "She Cried", I remember meeting him many years ago. He told me worked with Phil Spector on "The Little Drummer Boy" for the Christmas album, but was then drafted. I can imagine how great that recording would be and wonder if does exist. I had also tried to get Rolling Stone to recreate the cover of the lp with all the people on it 50 years ago. That didn't happen. Yes, some of them have passed on like Bobby Sheen and Lilian Washington of Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans; Estelle Bennett of the Ronettes, and possibly even Pat Wright of the Crystals as no one can find her and no one has heard from her in many, many years. Thanks for reading this and I was glad to write it because too often errors are made that then become part of historical documents. Happy 2014 to Everyone!!!

[antceleb12]

Are you sure about the release date? All the sources I've read, including that from Darlene Love, says it was released on Nov 22.

[rrussi]

I am positive! That is my birthday and that is the album I chose for my mother to buy. They've all heard that story of the same day as the president being shot; they all think it's correct and it is definitely not. I don't know how long that lp had been on the rack in that shop, but it was there Nov. 16th. It had come in also without the wrap, which the saleslady said some albums were coming in like that [[you know the seal wrap). Again, all those sources are wrong and I wonder if Phil Spector started that as the reason his album didn't do well. It wasn't played on the radio!

[marv2]

Randy, I remember hearing "Christmas [[Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love on the radio back in the sixties but not a lot as you do now.

[rrussi]

I am sure Phil's promotional people were able to get it played in some places, just not enough to sell it.

[marv2]

I am sure Phil's promotional people were able to get it played in some places, just not enough to sell it.

Well I'm talking stations in Michigan, Northern Ohio and Canada at the time 63-64 and holiday seasons thereafter. I do recall hearing the story about album originally being released on November 22, 1963 which is why it did not do so well sales wise. Darlene's song and others from the album were played each year regularly during the holiday season from roughly 1964- 71 and then you started not to hear those songs much on the radio.

[rrussi]

I believe Phil Spector is responsible for the story of the incorrect release date and the Kennedy shooting being responsible for the lack of sales. Most people who bought those records by the Crystals and the Ronettes were kids themselves and even though you felt a sadness for the loss of the country's leader, you wouldn't stop listening to the radio or playing records. But again, if you didn't hear it you didn't know it was available and where I lived in south Florida the radio stations were not playing it. And they were playing something, just not Phil Spector's Christmas recordings. Miami was also a great test market for breaking records too.

[milven]

... I bought the lp on November 16, 1963 [[Saturday) at Burdines Department Store's record room which is where I first saw it and this was the first I knew of it. That was the Saturday before the Friday, November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was shot. Therefore, the lp was NOT released that fateful day in America's history. I also don't believe the record or single didn't do well as a result of the shooting. Radio stations had to play something.

As far back as I can remember, LP's were released on a Tuesday and also as far back as I can remember, many stores had it in their store by the Friday before release date, but were not supposed to sell it till Tuesday. Most of the small independent stores broke the release date and sold their new releases on the weekend before the release date. So it is perfectly possible [[and probable) that you bought the LP on November 16th, the weekend before its release date of Tuesday, November 19th. Sources like Wikipedia list the release date as Friday, November 22d. I think that is folklore possibly started by Phil Spector.

Nov 22 to Nov 25 were called the Four Days That Shocked The World. During those four days, there was no popular music played on radio, or TV Shows broadcast on network TV. But things slowly got back to normal by November 26th and I do remember the LP selling for Christmas although it did sell better in later years. I don't think the assassination was responsible for its tepid sales. I probably have that LP from 1963 somewhere in my garage [[I haven't touched those records since I moved 26 years ago) Maybe I should look for it. I just read how much it is worth.

[rrussi]

I don't know when the release date was, but I bought it on my birthday, November 16th, and I do know when my birthday is and I definitely bought it that day. My mother even questioned the sales lady as to why it didn't have the seal wrap. Again, she said a lof of them [[albums) have been coming in like that. Miami was also a big market for breaking records.

[rrussi]

I do think a lot of Christmas records released that year [[1963) didn't fare so well as far as sales. This was the year of "Christmas With The Miracles" and a single "Christmas Everyday", which was the only original on the album. I never heard that one played on radio either.

[Soul Sister]

Great album & great story Randy, thanks.

S.S.
***

[marv2]

I do think a lot of Christmas records released that year [[1963) didn't fare so well as far as sales. This was the year of "Christmas With The Miracles" and a single "Christmas Everyday", which was the only original on the album. I never heard that one played on radio either.

I think the only Christmas albums we got that year were given away at Service Stations for gas purchases. You know those Firestone, Goodyear compilations?

[rrussi]

milven, maybe the distributor in Miami went ahead and placed the record ahead of time. I do remember a few kids in the neighborhood upon hearing and seeing my record , got their mother to buy them the record too. And I don't think theirs had the seal wrap either.

[milven]

Most LPS were not factory shrink wrapped back then. I have albums with the price tag still on the cover because they was no shrink wrap to put them on. Also back then, record shops still had listening booths and displayed empty covers on the wall with the actual record filed in a greensleeve behind the counter. It was a different world back then

[rrussi]

Yes, it was! This was not an actual record shop where I got the album, more like a record room in this department store. But I do remember record shops with headphones and listening booths.

[rrussi]

By the way, the Rocky Fellers had a great single issued on Scepter Records, "Santa, Santa", written by Neil Diamond. It was issued in '63 and I think again in '64, but never heard that one on the radio either. Again, they don't sell if no one hears them on the radio.

[rrussi]

Actually, I think the Rocky Fellers' Christmas single was issued in '62 and then again in '63. I was just checking some info I have on the group. Anyway, Iots of records weren't hits during the season of '63, which may have been a direct result of the president being shot, but once again, I never heard them played on radio either.

[robb_k]

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j56/Robb_K/Image1.jpg [[http://s77.photobucket.com/user/Robb_K/media/Image1.jpg.html)
I think I remember "Christmas, Baby Please Come Home" being played a few times on Chicago's WVON, but, only for a week or so. It probably was played some on WLS, too.