Or how to make millions in royalties for an 18-minute film. On this day in 1942, Bing Crosby recorded Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
The song was first performed publicly on Bing Crosby's NBC radio show. Craft Music Hall It was Christmas Day, 1941, a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[10] Crosby subsequently recorded an 18-minute version of the song with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers on May 29, 1942 for Decca Records' Radio Recorders.[2] It was released on July 30th as part of a six-disc 78 rpm album of musical films. Holiday Inn.[7][11] At first, Crosby didn't see anything special about the song, simply saying, “Irving, I don't think there's anything wrong with this song.”[12]
The song became the best-selling single of all time. Bonus tidbit: it had an opening verse that isn't usually recorded.
Irving Berlin's opening verse, in which the narrator contrasts the sun and warmth of a California Christmas with the traditional holiday snow of winter, is often omitted from recordings. Phil Spector's Christmas presentsung by Darlene Love. Barbra Streisand's Christmas Album; The Carpenters Christmas Portraitsung by Karen Carpenter. Neil Diamond's Christmas albums; Bette Midler's Cool YuleRivera's Christmas Album;and crash test dummies Jingle All the Way.[9]
The sun is shining, the grass is green,
Oranges and palm trees swaying.
This is the first day I've ever had
Beverly Hills, Louisiana
But today is December 24th.
And I want to go north.[36]The poem's melancholy tone is sometimes associated with the death of the Berlins' son, Irving Berlin Jr., on Christmas Day in 1928, less than a month after he was born. [37]
Kitchen Table Kibiting is a Community Series It's for people who, rather than throwing pies at each other, would like to share a virtual kitchen table with other Daily Kos readers. Stop by to chat about music, the weather, the garden, what we made for dinner, etc. If you're new here, you may notice that many of the people posting to this series already know each other to some extent, but we welcome guests to our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.
