Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/428873
T he song a nd a r ra ngement were gent le enough to reflect the lonely universality of the Berlin classic, yet the track was more youthful and urgent, thanks largely to one of Elvis' most convincing vocals. There was so much demand for the LP, titled simply Elvis' Christmas Album, that it shot to No. 1 on the national pop charts and has become a holiday staple with estimated sales of more than 9 million copies. The tradition of Christmas rock was ce- mented in pop culture. In time, artists as varied as Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, The Pretenders and Bob Dylan wou ld joi n t he C h r i st m a s-r o ck pa r ade. Some tracks — notably by Phil Spector, John Lennon and U2 — were as artful and as mov- ing as anything released in the rock era. There are scores of Christmas recordings buried deep within the country, blues, and rhythm and blues roots of rock, going all the way back to such cowboy epics in the 1940s as Gene Autry's massively popular "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It wasn't a hit. Teens wanted music by Elvis, not about him. W hen RCA execs finally moved on the Elvis Christmas album in 1957, they were ner vous. To adu lts who v iewed this hip- swinging singer as a bad influence on their children, a rock Christmas album might bor- der on sacrilege. Hoping to ease the culture shock, RCA urged Elvis to devote one side of the LP to traditional religious songs, includ- ing "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and to include "White Christmas" along with "Blue Christmas" on the other side. The latter move backfired. As feared, the album was met with out- rage — chiefly over the rock-edged version of "White Christmas." Berlin led the charge, sending a letter to radio stations urging them not to play the recording. Not only did scores of stations take up the ban, but a Portland, Oregon, disc jockey was fired for ignoring Berlin's request. While adults were busy debating "White C h r i st m a s," E lv i s ' fa n s were fa l l i ng i n love with "Blue Christmas," and justly so. In R&B/ blues, Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas, Baby" (with Johnny Moore and the Three Blazers) highlighted a series of holiday songs in the 1940s and '50s that also included such colorful entries as Amos Mil- burn's "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" and, most significantly, The Drifters' highly energized treatment of "White Christmas." Featuring a marvelously dramatic vocal by Clyde McPhatter, The Drif ters' single went to No. 2 on the national R&B charts in late 1954 — a nd you could feel echoes of The Drifters' approach in Elvis' version of the song on his Christmas album. By con- trast, Elvis' "Blue Christmas" felt more per- sonal and revolutionar y — something his young fans could call their own. And, as it turned out, "Blue Christmas" wasn't the only Christmas rock hit of 1957. Weeks after Elvis' album hit the stores, Bobby Helms, a young country singer with two Top 10 pop hits behind him, recorded a good-natured rockabilly tune that lit up the request lines. "Jingle Bell Rock" went to No. 6 on the pop charts and remains a staple of CHRISTMAS ROCK 8 2 D EC E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY