White Christmas is a huge holiday film. People love it and just can't seem to get enough of it. It's become an annual Broadway stage show and is, of course, played on television over and over at this time of year. The music from the film is great featuring such tracks as "Snow", "Count Your Blessings", "Sisters" and many other Irving Berlin greats. Back in 1954 when the film came out, there was a bit of a problem in putting out the soundtrack. There were actually two albums of songs from the movie that were released. However, neither one of them qualifies as an original soundtrack recording. The reason for this was that Bing Crosby was signed to Decca Records and Rosemary Clooney was signed with Columbia. Back then that meant that they could not record together. As a result, one album was issued by Decca entitled, "Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas", while Columbia issued an album called "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". The Columbia album were selections from the film sung by Rosemary Clooney.
The Decca album had songs from the film and featured Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye while Peggy Lee sang the parts that Clooney did in the movie. This was the album that was advertised as the main soundtrack for White Christmas. By the way, if you are wondering where Vera Ellen fits in with all of this, she doesn't. All of her songs were sung by Trudy Stevens both in the film and on the Decca release.In 2005, Pulse records put out what they called "The Ultimate White Christmas". Fans of the film were hopeful that it would release the actual recordings from the film featuring everyone together. Instead, they got a compilation of both of the original records on one disc. Disappointments abound, it is still a great compilation but sadly it was pulled from print after only one Christmas season. If you have read all of this and are wondering where you can this great compilation, look no further. I present it for you now. Enjoy "The Ultimate White Christmas".
The Ultimate White Christmas
4 comments:
Yeah, there are so many songs from that movie I'd like a "movie cut" of, particularly "Snow." Ditto "Holiday Inn." You can't find a movie version of "Silver Bells" from "Lemondrop Kid," either, although the movie version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," w/ Montalban & Williams exists, though not the version w/ Red Skelton. Pity, they really are so much fun.
Thank you so much for this! I've been trying to track down the closest thing to a legitimate soundtrack for ages.
Hello Dartman,
Could you maybe re-up this album.
It is nowhere to be found online.
A re-up would be most welcome. I've been looking for this music for my family for the last five years and every year come up short.
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