Published on Dec 16, 2013
Andy Williams (1927-2012) enjoyed a career that lasted over six decades. Early on, he was part of a vocal group with his brothers; then as a solo artist, he sold tens of millions of records and had a popular television variety series from 1962-1971. He was an easy listening crooner whose smooth style allowed him to remain commercially successful during the rock ‘n’ roll era.
Real Gone music has now raided the Williams’ vaults and released The Complete Christmas Recordings. They should have put Columbia in the title as he released two albums of Christmas music after he left his longtime label and they are not included. Still, there is a lot of Christmas music here. His three Columbia Label albums, The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963), Merry Christmas (1965), and Christmas Present (1974), are combined with three non-album Christmas singles and previously unreleased Spanish and Italian versions of “White Christmas.” The sound is clean and a booklet of his life and music is included. It all forms the definitive release of his Christmas material.
Williams was a pure pop singer from the beginning to the end of his career. His big hits, “(Where Do I Begin) Love Story,” “I Like Your Kind Of Love,” “Can’t Get Used To Loving You,” “Days Of Wine And Roses,” “The Village Of Saint Bernadette,” and the number one “Butterfly” are all far from a rock ‘n’ roll sound.
The three original studio albums, when combined, form one long Christmas release. The songs are interchangeable as his style was always the same. The music is a combination of traditional Christmas Carols such as “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night Holy Night,” “O Little Town Of Bethlehem,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and pop Christmas songs including “Silver Bells,” “Jingle Bells,” “A Song And A Christmas Tree (The Twelve Days Of Christmas),” and “Sleigh Ride.”
The music of Andy Williams is what it is. If you are a fan or appreciate an easy listening vocal sound and are in a Christmas mood, then this is an album for you. “