When we think of "The Christmas Song," our minds often go to the wonderfully magical vocals of Nat King Cole. He was actually the first singer to record it in 1946, and the first African American singer to release a holiday tune. Written by Robert Wells and Mel Torme, the song came together in July of 1945 at Lake Tahoe. The duo were gathering for a regular writing session and by the time Torme arrived, Wells had already jotted down what would become the iconic first four lines of the song. Torme asked what inspired those lyrics, and Wells mentioned he was feeling overwhelmed by the heat of the summer and started to think of Christmas and cooler weather. And that first line of lyrics captured a childhood memory for Wells, who grew up in Boston and remembers street vendors selling roasted chestnuts around the holidays. I'm sure all my fellow New Englanders would appreciate this piece of holiday music history!
In their new book, Carpenters: The Musical Legacy, it mentions the release of this song as a single in November of 1978 that also included a B-side bonus of "Merry Christmas Darling"
(I'll be sharing my cover of that song next Monday)! With Nat King Cole serenading us with what I believe to be the best male vocals, arguably, I will say that Karen is one of the best female vocalists to cover the song.
Recently, I actually watched Karen's version several times for inspiration when she performed the song on their very first Christmas special, The Carpenters at Christmas (1977). It's such a cozy and magical moment because we get to see Karen singing on her own and genuinely expressing her love of the holiday season. She is wearing a comfy and festive green jumpsuit while hanging out near the fire to wrap presents. Halfway through the song, she takes a break from wrapping presents, grabs a stuffed koala, and sings to it from the soul of her inner child. She taps into the magic we all felt as kids that is harder to channel these days as adults.
So, I made it my focus to tap into the magic too with my recording and video. When I was recording the song, I thought about the the inclusion of "kids from one to ninety-two." The song not only acknowledges all the joy-filled favorites of the season as adults, like "turkey and some mistletoe," but it also poetically captures "tiny tots with their eyes all aglow" who believe in Santa and flying reindeer. We are encouraged to embrace being kids at heart, which helps us truly appreciate all the little things about Christmas that we love. In the music video, I wanted to literally create magic! At the snap of my fingers, and the tap of a nose, decor, lights, and my Reesee girl, all come to life to welcome in the holidays. I did include a few references to Karen's TV performance. Feel free to tell me if you were able to pick up on those!
Singing holiday tunes and watching my favorite holiday movies are two ways that connect me back to my joyful inner child. What helps you connect to this magic of childlike wonder during the holidays? Let me know in the comments!
"Although it's been said, many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you!"