“The Christmas Song” sometimes titled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” or, as it was originally subtitled, “Merry Christmas to You” is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Torme.
According to Torme, the song was written in July during a blistering hot summer. In an effort to “stay cool by thinking cool”, the most-performed Christmas song was born. “I saw a spiral pad on his (Wells’s) piano with four lines written in pencil”, Torme recalled. “They started, ‘Chestnuts roasting…, Jack Frost nipping…, Yuletide carols…, Folks dressed up like Eskimos.’ Bob didn’t think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics.”
The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song in June 1946.
Dedicated to all beautiful peoples of our world!
Peace and Joy is my wish for all!!!
Time to put out a whole Christmas album! Also, when do we get a tour of that music room of yours?? I swear, on every video I see something new I hadn’t noticed before. It’s like one of those “I Spy” picture books
A lovely rendition, Rene! Guitar and vocals are precious, but the recording is not up to your usual standards. The guitar is only on the left, vocals only on the right, and ithe guitar sounds too loud. It might give you more post recording options, but raw it is too raw!
Love your pimp on an album, and much appreciation @holster !!!
I might need to record a couple more to have an album.
I also need to tidy my music room, to be ready for a tour, and what a lovely idea, indeed!!!
Love your feedback and responses, ALWAY!!!
Respectfully,
Rene
Centered and remastered. There are still places where the recording is peaking a bit
but she has such a beautiful voice, it doesnt even matter!
with crackling fire
Hi Steve, you hear the lead vocals on the right? I hear them on the left, strange. It seems there was some issue during the recording but this is a very beautiful rendition by father and daughter. I fixed what I could in post. Please do give the above two versions a listen and see if the issues you noted were fixed.
Me and the wife are just finishing with our Covid positive bout.
We had our 2nd booster 2 weeks ago, so our Covid experience is quite mellow.
As soon as we can record together, Clarissa and I can go in our recording space.
Merry Christmas, @FluteCafe !!!
Rene and Clarissa
Much better now, Michelle! But it is a loud recording I have to listen to less than 50% volume. That actually eliminated all the background hiss too. I am not a great judge of what a proper recording level ought to be, I notice harder rock is recorded much louder than acoustic, so not sure why that is.
As to the song performance itself, it was super lovely, pleasantly peaceful. I prefer the crackling fire version!
