Barely four weeks after "Almost In Love" CAMDEN released another budget lp with Presley songs. This time it was "Elvis' Christmas Album", which had already been advertised on the backside of the aforementioned long player. By the end of the year 400,000 copies were sold, today more than 10 million Americans own this album. The RIAA honored the sales with a Diamond Award, which equals 10 Platinum Awards. Outside the US "Elvis' Christmas Album" was quite popular, too. Worldwide the lp was sold 15 million times. Translated to the present this would be 2.25 billion streams of the complete album or 22.5 billion paid streams of individual tracks. Commercially RCA Records (the parent company of CAMDEN) hit the jackpot, because the budget version of "Elvis' Christmas Album" didn't just turn out to be the king's most successful album, but also the most successful Christmas album ever.

Once again the cover shows a photomontage of Elvis and a snowy mountain scenery. This time the picture of Elvis had been shot in conjunction with the MGM movie "Speedway" in 1967. The back cover mirrored more or less the one of "Almost In Love". Instead of "Elvis' Christmas Album" now "Almost In Love" was promoted and of course the track listing was also changed.

With the eight Christmas songs of the original album and "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" the budget version included all Xmas tunes Elvis had recorded to date. As a bonus it also featured "Mama Liked The Roses", which had nothing to do with the festive season, but had not been available on an album before. However, the four gospel songs "Peace In The Valley", "I Believe", "It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)" and "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" were not obtainable anymore.

On the streaming platforms the original version of "Elvis' Christmas Album" is available. "Mama Liked The Roses" can be heared as a bonus song on the digital version of the album "From Elvis In Memphis" and "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" is part of the digital compilation album "Blue Christmas". Therefore the CAMDEN release is obsolete. For a review of the original "Elvis' Christmas Album" tap HERE.

The rock'n'roll king put this one on tape within three takes on September 5, 1957. RCA Victor released it on the ep "Elvis Sings Christmas Songs" (1957), the singles "Blue Christmas" / "Wooden Heart" (1964) and "Santa Claus Is Back In Town!" / "Blue Christmas" (1965) and the album "A Legendary Performer - Volume 2" (1976). A live recording is featured on the album "Elvis" (1968). The song was written by Bill Hayes and Jay Johnson, the first recorded version was done by Doye O'Dell. It finally got popular by cover versions of Ernest Tubb, Hogo Winterhalter & His Orchestra and Russ Morgan & His Orchestra.

This is an adaptation of "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht", a song written by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818. Today this composition is regarded to be the most famous of its kind and was declared "world heritage" by the UNESCO in 2011. Even though I am not religious, this is my favorite piece of music. No other song is so solemn, moving and beautiful like this. Unfortunately Elvis' performance doesn't evoke any emotions, it simply lacks depth and feelings. In 1958 RCA Victor also used "Silent Night" on the extended player "Christmas With Elvis".

The song premiered on the first Christmas day of 1941, when Bing Crosby performed it on his radio show "The Kraft Music Hall". On May 29th of the following year he recorded it with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and The Ken Darby Singers within 18 minutes and released it on July 30th on the album "Songs From The Film Holiday Inn". To Crosby "White Christmas" wasn't anything special, but in 1942 it peaked at the number one of the Billboard Charts and stayed there for no less than 11 weeks. With sales of over 50 million units it's regarded to be the most successful single release of all time. Countless artists have covered "White Christmas", Elvis did it on September 6, 1957 and needed nine takes. It is said that Irving Berlin, the writer of the song, disliked the king's version so much, that he asked the radio stations to boycott the recording. Even though Berlin's reaction was ridiculous, I cannot help to agree to his general criticism. Elvis' version simply lacks all festiveness and emotional depth I expect of a performance of this song. By 1957 he simply lacked the technique and the wealth of experience to do it right. RCA Victor also released "White Christmas" on the ep "Christmas With Elvis" (1958).

In this great, bluesy song Santa arrives in a black Cadillac and it's up to the imagination of the listener what is meant by "Hang up your pretty stockings and turn off the light - Santa Claus is comin' down your chimney tonight". Obviously Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller completely satisfied the wish to deliver a song suitable for the image of the king of rock'n'roll. "Santa Claus Is Back In Town!" was recorded on September 7, 1957 within seven takes. RCA Victor also released the track on the ep "Elvis Sings Christmas Songs" (1957) and the single "Santa Claus Is Back In Town!" / "Blue Christmas" (1965).

Bing Crosby sang this song in 1943 and portrayed a soldier, who promises his family to be back home for Christmas. It turns out that it's nothing but wishful thinking when he sings at the end "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". Elvis' version, recorded on September 7, 1957 within 15 takes, certainly is ok, but it lacks the depth a song of this kind requires. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. To avoid a legal dispute with Buck Ram, who had written a song of the same title, Gannon and Kent credited him and therefore gave him a third of their royalties. RCA Victor also released Elvis' recording on the ep "Elvis Sings Christmas Songs" (1957).

The singer tells us about his pre-christmas impressions and comes to realize how wonderful this world could be if every day was like this one. I like the song a lot, Elvis is in fine voice, especially the chorus is great. The rhythm track was recorded on June 10, 1966 at the RCA Studio B in Nashville/Tennessee. Two days later the king put his voice on the recording and needed two takes to get it right. The song was written by Red West and released on a single in late 1966.

Elvis recorded this nice uptempo song on September 6, 1957 within two takes. He really delivered a great performance, very snappy and catchy. The first version was recorded in 1947 by Gene Autry, who had written "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" with Oakley Haldeman. RCA Victor used the king's version also on the extended player "Christmas With Elvis" (1958).

The song was written in 1868 by Phillips Brooks and Lewis Redner and first recorded by The Trinity Choir in 1916. Elvis did so on September 7, 1957 and needed four takes to create a satisfactory version. He certainly sings well, but by 1957 he was way better on the uptempo stuff. RCA Victor released "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" in 1958 on the ep "Christmas With Elvis".

This song ends the a-side of the album. The catchy uptempo popsong was written by Aaron Schroeder and Claude DeMetrius, but even though it was often played by the radio djs, RCA Victor only released it on a single in Great Britain. It was quite successful and made it in the top 10 of the UK Charts. Elvis recorded "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" on September 7, 1957 within nine takes. His recording was also released on the extended player "Elvis Sings Christmas Songs" (1957).

Originally this ballad had been considered for the album "From Elvis In Memphis" (therefore the song is included in the digital release), but then it was decided to release it on a single with "The Wonder Of You" on the flipside. The rhythm track was recorded on January 15, 1969 at American Sound Studio in Memphis/Tennessee, on January 21st Elvis added his vocals. On the same day he also recorded the harmony vocal, which in the end wasn't used on the master. In the post production Chips Moman and Felton Jarvis added bells (March 18th), strings (March 19th) and harmony voices (March 31st). The song by John L. Christopher is nothing but sentimental kitsch, but somehow Elvis managed to present it with believable emotion and to add depth, if not a kind of solemnity.