The Beach Boys: The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (Capitol/1964)

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album was released just in time for the Christmas holiday season, on November 9th 1964. The album was undoubtedly conceived as a result of Capitol's persistent pressure for product from the band for the Holiday season. But it was perhaps inspired by Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift To You, which Brian Wilson has stated is his all-time favorite recording. So how do the boys of Summer from Hawthorne California fare on a recording of Christmas music? Exceptionally well.

The record was split into two conceptual sides; side one is the pop side for the teens and features the band on all instruments while side two is the traditional side for the adults. Side two was arranged and orchestrated by Dick Reynolds, whose work with The Four Freshman Brian Wilson was a fan of. The band was backed on the Dick Reynolds tracks by a forty-one piece orchestra.

"Little Saint Nick" returns here as it had already been a hit from the prior holiday season of 1963 (reaching #3 on Billboard's Holiday Charts). And it has gone on to become something of a holiday classic. "The Man With All The Toys" was the single from the album and  while not becoming the classic that "Little Saint Nick" has, it was successful, reaching #6 on Billboard's Holiday Charts.
"Merry Christmas Baby" was also eventually released as a single in 1966 in the German market.
"Christmas Day" (which was Al Jardine's first lead vocal performance with the band) and "Santa's Beard" round out the originals.

"White Christmas", "Blue Christmas" and "We Three Kings Of Orient Are" are Wintery-cold in the vocal performances and the arrangements mirror that. "Frosty The Snowman" and "Santa Claus Are Coming To Town" are playful and lighthearted and these are the two non-singles that still get airplay around the holidays. "Auld Lang Syne" closes things out and features a flubbed spoken-word thank you from Dennis Wilson over the band's accapella version of the song.

The album reached #6 on Billboard's Top 100 charts and has subsequently gone Gold.  It has been released numerous times over the years in many different variations. The best of these is Ultimate Christmas, which was released in 1998 and also features the bands later holiday recordings from the the mid 70's. It's one of my favorite holiday recordings by default as it features the ultimate Summer band in Winter holiday mode.

Here's the video review:

A Very Special Thanks to: Cassandra Fowler.