Merry Christmas (Johnny Mathis album)

Merry Christmas
Studio album by Johnny Mathis
Released	1958
Genre	Christmas music
Length	44:08
Label	Columbia
Producer	Mitch Miller
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Johnny Mathis chronology
Swing Softly (1958) Merry Christmas (1958) Open Fire, Two Guitars (1959)

Merry Christmas is the seventh album and first Christmas album by singer Johnny Mathis. Released in 1958 by Columbia Records (CL 1195/CS 8021), it was also the sixth original studio album by the singer.

The album ranks highly among the many holiday albums released throughout the years due to its skillful blend of traditional Christmas carols ("Silent Night, Holy Night", "O Holy Night" and "The First Noel") with popular Christmas songs ("The Christmas Song", "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells"). As with a number of Mathis's previous albums, Percy Faith provided the album's musical direction.

In the first flush of his success, Mathis offered a safe popular music alternative to rock 'n' roll rebelliousness of Elvis Presley, also in the first flush of his success and born in the same year as Mathis. On this album, Mathis tries his hand at a Christmas song associated with Presley, "Blue Christmas".

Track listing

1. "Winter Wonderland" – 3:19
2. "The Christmas Song" – 4:18
3. "Sleigh Ride" – 2:58
4. "Blue Christmas" – 3:02
5. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" – 4:04
6. "White Christmas" – 3:32
7. "O Holy Night" – 4:35
8. "What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)" – 3:58
9. "The First Noel" – 3:49
10. "Silver Bells" – 3:34
11. "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" – 3:08
12. "Silent Night, Holy Night" – 3:51

Billboard Album Chart

Continuing his run of highly successful albums, this album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart in 1959, the year following its release, and peaked again at number 10 in 1960 and at number 12 in 1962.^[1] The album also spawned a hit single, "Winter Wonderland", that peaked at number 17 on the UK singles charts in 1958.^[2]

Johnny Mathis Christmas Albums

Bette Midler describes Mathis as "the king of Christmas" in the banter at the outset of the Mathis/Midler duet "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (from Midler's 2006 holiday album Cool Yule), a fitting tribute given his many best-selling holiday albums. He has recorded five holiday albums to date^[3]:

Album Title	Year
Merry Christmas	1958
Sounds of Christmas	1963
Give Me Your Love For Christmas	1969
Christmas Eve With Johnny Mathis	1986
The Christmas Album	2002

References

1. ^ All Music Billboard Album Chart Position
2. ^ Johnny Mathis Hit Singles Billboard Singles Chart Positions
3. ^ Johnny Mathis Official Website Johnny Mathis Holiday Albums listed on Discography page

External links

• All Music Review