Everybody knows that the biggest Christmas hit of the first half of the 20th century was Bing Crosby's "White Christmas." Now, the question is whether you know that Gene Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" comes in second on that list (no idea what is third, sorry). The story is that Autry only recorded the song because his wife told him to. The singing cowboy had already had a major holiday hit with "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" and would have another with "Frosty the Snowman" to cement his reputation as the Christmas Cowboy. Autry had a rather large catalogue of Christmas songs, as this collection amply proves. Autry recorded from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s and on this album I absolutely guarantee you will find some Christmas songs you have never ever heard before unless you were weaned on Autry's music, such as the Autry originals "He's a Chubby Little Fellow" and "I Wish My Mom Would Marry Santa Claus."

The "Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings" provides just what the title indicates: all 27 songs recorded by Autry for Columbia. That makes this the best Autry Christmas collection available by virtue of its completeness. Once you get past the three biggies pay attention to the other songs written by Johnny Marks, who wrote "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," namely "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas Day," "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter," "The Night Before Christmas Song," and "Everyone's a Child at Christmas." Marks was almost as prolific a writer of Christmas songs as Autry was a singer of same, and as you can see not all of them are novelty songs. This is a perfect coupling of songwriter and singer, so pay special attention to these particular songs. Other than that the novelty songs certainly stand out, as amply proven by the immortal, "(Hard Rock, Coco and Joe) The Three Little Dwarfs" (they help Santa, in case you were wondering, Joe is a girl, and the song involves yodeling).

I also learned thatGene Autry was the first person to put pictures on a record sleeve to help sell his image and his music. No wonder the man ended up owning the Los Angeles Angels (who became the California Angels, Anaheim Angels and several other permutations thereof). The songs have all been remastered so that they sound great; you will probably forget that they were recorded a half-century ago because they simply do not sound that old fashioned any more. The collection tries to end on more of a spiritual note with "You Can See Old Santa Claus (When You Find Him in Your Heart)," but clearly Autry is a singer of secular Christmas songs. The "Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings" constitute nostalgia and not kitsch and if you want to recall when Christmas was a simpler time (and nobody complained about calling it Christmas), then listening to these songs might do the trick.

During my childhood I grew up listening to Gene Autry's Christmas music...there isn't a more special way to celebrate Christmas than hearing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer performed by Gene...now that I have my grandchildren, I want them to have the same wonderful memories that I experienced...this was good old fashioned Christmas spirit that the entire family loved and enjoyed.

Varese Records presents "The Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings, featuring Gene Autry who was responsible for keeping one of the world's greatest Christmas traditions alive the "Hollywood Christmas Parade", when bad times surfaced and needed some assistance financially...it was Gene who came to the rescue as Johnny Grant (Honary Mayor of Hollywood) did whatever it took to keep the parade the class-A Holiday event from going under...drawing approximatley one million spectators along the parade route each year, Hollywood's biggest single-day event and the kick off for the Holiday Season...this was all from Gene's generous support and giving spirit.

By 1969 Gene's version of "RUDOLPH" had sold 6,500,000 copies and was the all-time top selling single for Columbia Records (the 1957 version, recorded for Gene's Challenge label, is included here)..."RUDOLPH" ranks as the second favorite Christmas song right behind Irving Berlin's "White Christmas".

But let's go back to the 1946, on a Thanksgiving weekend and a Gene rode tall in the saddle, and Santa Claus was right around the bend, heard the children excited chants of "HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS"...and a song was born from Gene and co-written by Oakley Haldeman...recorded on August 28th, 1947 and became an instant hit. Then in 1949 songwriter Johnny Marks composed a tune from a poem - "RUDOLOPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER" many artist turned down the chance to record this classic, but Ina Autry, Gene's first wife loved the song and felt the children would love it too...she was right...and the rest my friends, is history.

Some stand outs never before on compact disc are "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS SONG", featuring Gene and Rosemary Clooney released in 1952, reaching #9 on Billboard Pop Charts..."LOOK OUT THE WINDOW (the Winter Song)", featuring the "B Side" of the record..."(HARD ROCK, COCO AND JOE) THE THREE LITTLE DWARFS", "TIRTY-TWO FEET-EIGHT LITTLE TAILS" and "POPPY THE PUPPY", featuring Gene with Carol Cotner's Orchestra and Chorus recorded and released in 1951...this is just a small portion of the 27 songs that will fill your Christmas stockings.

Varese Sarabande and Gene share with fans old and new these popular Christmas songs recorded in the late '40s and mid '50s...hope you enjoy them and they bring you wonderful memories with many happy returns from "America's Favorite Singing Cowboy" - GENE AUTRY!

Total Time: 72:05 on 27 Tracks ~ Varese Records 65932 ~ (9/21/2004)

In These songs I listen to them on cassete, From Up on the rooftop when Santa comes down the "Chimnley" To the santa claus is comin' to town with the horrible doll that says "MAMA". But all the songs are GREAT most of them I never even heard.