"Merry Christmas, Baby" --> Uncut, 1971!

[drjohncarpenter]

"It being the time of year that it is ..."





Outside RCA Nashville's "Studio B" in May 1971
Source: http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/studio71.html





I just found today that someone uploaded the complete jam of "Merry Christmas, Baby" on YouTube.

It is the full, undubbed and unedited take, plus a bit of Elvis instructing the rhythm section before they begin.

So it was kind of a "planned jam" after all. It appeared on an excellent Venus CD release a few years ago, one which is still worth seeking out, if you are another crazy fan. I know I am.

http://www.elvisinnorway.no/uneditedmasters70rev.html

Enjoy!





..

Elvis Presley "Merry Christmas, Baby" (RCA Nashville, Saturday, May 15, 1971)
Track recorded in one take ... "Wake up, Put!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v35LZU6xkGg&t=34s





Note that when RCA released "Merry Christmas, Baby" in 1971, it had stinging lead guitar overdubbed by Eddie Hinton, which I really liked. I still prefer the album cut best, and Hinton's work is one of the reasons why. Plus, the full-length version does seem to go on just a ... tad too long.

Remember, longer is not always better.

Ho, ho, ho!





BONUS ELVIS





In Vernon's office at Graceland - Monday, March 7, 1960



"I'm dreaming ... of a white CHRIS-MUSS ... just like the ones I used to know ..."

[midnightx]

Definitely a version worthy of being on a FTD release before FTD concludes. Perhaps an accidental omission from FTD's The Wonderful World of Christmas.

[Juan Luis]

Yes it was kind of planned. For Elvis had the track on his mind some time before at these sessions. It was a song offered to EP by Hill & Range ever since 1968. More on this great performance via this here thread from last year, some of you older people might remember....https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90813

[stevelecher]

The original LP cut got it about right in editing this song. It ends at the perfect spot.

[goldbelt]

Definitely a version worthy of being on a FTD release before FTD concludes. Perhaps an accidental omission from FTD's The Wonderful World of Christmas.

Are there any differences to that which was included on TWWOC FTD, other than the fade out slightly too early?

[Davelee]

The uncut master is superb! One of the best things he did in the 70s.

I wonder which version prompted Elvis to do it? We know that Charles Brown was the original (1947) but Chuck Berry also did it (1958) and we know Elvis was a big fan of his.

charles-brown-and-band-merry-christmas-baby-aladdin.jpg

chuck-berry-merry-christmas-baby-45rpm-promo-pic.jpg

[TCBell]

The uncut master is superb! One of the best things he did in the 70s.

I wonder which version prompted Elvis to do it? We know that Charles Brown was the original (1947) but Chuck Berry also did it (1958) and we know Elvis was a big fan of his.

charles-brown-and-band-merry-christmas-baby-aladdin.jpg

chuck-berry-merry-christmas-baby-45rpm-promo-pic.jpg

I think the original 1947 was by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, which featured Charles Brown on vocals.

The Aladdin release was I believe, from the 50's.

[Mister Moon]

One of the last songs Otis Redding ever recorded was a version of "Merry Christmas Baby", which only saw the light of day on the "Soul Christmas" various artists compilation issued by Atco Records in late 1968, and as a single, a full year after he had passed away. The album and the single also included Redding's version of "White Christmas".

Redding MCB.jpg

681207 (2).jpg

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

Fantastic song! .

As I stated before, Merry Christmas Baby is one of my favourite Elvis´Christmas songs. I´ve this long unedited master on the mentioned bootleg cd, but still my all-time favourite edit of this song, is the one included on the original cd "Reconsider Baby" PCD1-5418, released in 1985! . Bye for now .


Elvis-Reconsider Baby PCD1-5418, released in 1985. Front cover.


Elvis-Reconsider Baby PCD1-5418, released in 1985. Back cover..

[Davelee]

The uncut master is superb! One of the best things he did in the 70s.

I wonder which version prompted Elvis to do it? We know that Charles Brown was the original (1947) but Chuck Berry also did it (1958) and we know Elvis was a big fan of his.

charles-brown-and-band-merry-christmas-baby-aladdin.jpg

chuck-berry-merry-christmas-baby-45rpm-promo-pic.jpg

I think the original 1947 was by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, which featured Charles Brown on vocals.

The Aladdin release was I believe, from the 50's.

Yes, you're right. Forgot about the two earlier versions. The first release was on Exclusive Records 1947, then it was released again in 1950 on Swing Time Records, the Aladdin record was released in 1956. All three featured Charlie's Brown on lead vocals and piano with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers band.

first78s.jpg

[goldbelt]

What this topic could do with is a few more pictures of record labels.

Meanwhile, Mike Windgren, how does the edit on the Reconsider Baby album differ?

[LSP-4445]

Definitely a version worthy of being on a FTD release before FTD concludes. Perhaps an accidental omission from FTD's The Wonderful World of Christmas.

Are there any differences to that which was included on TWWOC FTD, other than the fade out slightly too early?

The TWWOC FTD "unedited" version is just weird.....havent heard it in a long time but during the middle of the song the mix suddenly changes for approx 1 minute.....very noticable when using headphones.
Sounds like it was spliced for some reason....my favorite is the complete Venus version from Unedited Masters-Revisited release .....as DOC mentioned.

[goldbelt]

Definitely a version worthy of being on a FTD release before FTD concludes. Perhaps an accidental omission from FTD's The Wonderful World of Christmas.

Are there any differences to that which was included on TWWOC FTD, other than the fade out slightly too early?

The TWWOC FTD "unedited" version is just weird.....havent heard it in a long time but during the middle of the song the mix suddenly changes for approx 1 minute.....very noticable when using headphones.

Oh, that was it, thanks!

[jerrynodak]

I prefer the edited version found on The Wonderful World Of Christmas. Of the longer versions I prefer the one heard on Reconsider Baby.

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

What this topic could do with is a few more pictures of record labels.

Meanwhile, Mike Windgren, how does the edit on the Reconsider Baby album differ?

Not much . What I like is that it´s not too short and not too long and overall the mix, love it! . Bye for now .

..

[drjohncarpenter]

The uncut master is superb! One of the best things he did in the 70s.

I wonder which version prompted Elvis to do it? We know that Charles Brown was the original (1947) but Chuck Berry also did it (1958) and we know Elvis was a big fan of his.

charles-brown-and-band-merry-christmas-baby-aladdin.jpg

chuck-berry-merry-christmas-baby-45rpm-promo-pic.jpg

I think the original 1947 was by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, which featured Charles Brown on vocals.

The Aladdin release was I believe, from the 50's.

This is correct.

To be honest, my vote for best Christmas r&b song will always go to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore's "Merry Christmas Baby."

As noted, the 1947 single was led by Charles Brown on vocals and piano, and it is perfection.







Johnny Moore's Three Blazers "Merry Christmas, Baby" (Exclusive 254, November 1, 1947)
Billboard "Most-Played Juke Box Race Records" #3, January 3, 1948.
Billboard "Best-Selling Retail Race Records" #9, December 18, 1948.

Reissues on other labels of this classic master more appropriately read "Charles Brown With Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Brown_(musician)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_Baby





All that said, I revisited the wonderful 1958 single of the song by Chuck Berry.

Guess what?

It is absolutely the 12-bar blues arrangement Elvis revisited in 1971:







Chuck Berry "Merry Christmas Baby" (Chess 1714, November 24, 1958)
Billboard "Hot 100" #71, January 3, 1959, Cash Box "Top 100" #97, December 27, 1958.
Cash Box "Rhythm & Blues Top 50" #15, January 3, 1959.

Berry's vocals are influenced by Brown's 1947 single as much as we hear in Presley's recording, methinks.

All pretty cool!

[drjohncarpenter]

One of the last songs Otis Redding ever recorded was a version of "Merry Christmas Baby", which only saw the light of day on the "Soul Christmas" various artists compilation issued by Atco Records in late 1968, and as a single, a full year after he had passed away. The album and the single also included Redding's version of "White Christmas".

And it's really great. Really, really great.

Many others covered "Merry Christmas, Baby" after the 1947 original, including Chuck Berry (as above), and Booker T. and the MG's.

Interestingly, when Bruce Springsteen debuted his live concert rendition of "Merry Christmas Baby" in December 1980, he chose the Otis Redding arrangement as his template, a perfect decision. No way would he touch the 1947 original, the 1958 cover by Berry, or even Presley's hypnotic, 12-bar blues, extended jam.

Redding's delightful, late 1967 recording was probably just part of an evening where he and the band were feeling the holiday spirit, and so decided to tape some standards just for fun. His recording of "Merry Christmas Baby" was first issued on Atco 6631, a single B-side, around November 30, 1968, slightly less than a year since his awful death on December 10, 1967, at the age of 26. The Atco various artists album immediately followed, as seen in your advert:


..

Otis Redding "Merry Christmas Baby" (Atco 6631, November 30, 1968)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_Baby#Covers

[poormadpeter2]

One has to wonder what quite went wrong with regards to the Wonderful World of Christmas FTD. I'm no fan of the format, as I have said here many times, but back in 2011 when this one was released, they were still extremely good for what they were, put together with care, and more often than not didn't suffer from the mistakes, errors and omissions that the non-classic album series sometimes had. And yet, here we have the most important track of the album not included in its unedited form - and, thanks to the Doc's find, the rather essential information that this was a "planned jam" wasn't included either. For a release intended to be the definitive version of the album, that's a pretty major omission. While much of the studio chatter on outtake releases is pretty innocuous, this is actually rather important within the context of how the track came to be.

[drjohncarpenter]

One has to wonder what quite went wrong with regards to the Wonderful World of Christmas FTD. I'm no fan of the format, as I have said here many times, but back in 2011 when this one was released, they were still extremely good for what they were, put together with care, and more often than not didn't suffer from the mistakes, errors and omissions that the non-classic album series sometimes had. And yet, here we have the most important track of the album not included in its unedited form - and, thanks to the Doc's find, the rather essential information that this was a "planned jam" wasn't included either. For a release intended to be the definitive version of the album, that's a pretty major omission. While much of the studio chatter on outtake releases is pretty innocuous, this is actually rather important within the context of how the track came to be.

Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas FTD does includes the pre-take rehearsal of "Merry Christmas Baby" which we hear in the OP. So anyone who owns a copy of that excellent "classic album" title will be able to make the connection the jam was somewhat pre-planned.

http://www.elvisinnorway.no/wonderfulxmasftd.html

I'm not going to get into your ongoing denigration of the Follow That Dream label. I have no interest in seeing this lovely topic be derailed. Almost no one shares the idea that their efforts since the launch of the imprint in the summer of 1999 are marred in any significant way by "mistakes, errors and omissions."

[Davelee]

The uncut master is superb! One of the best things he did in the 70s.

I wonder which version prompted Elvis to do it? We know that Charles Brown was the original (1947) but Chuck Berry also did it (1958) and we know Elvis was a big fan of his.

charles-brown-and-band-merry-christmas-baby-aladdin.jpg

chuck-berry-merry-christmas-baby-45rpm-promo-pic.jpg

I think the original 1947 was by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, which featured Charles Brown on vocals.

The Aladdin release was I believe, from the 50's.

This is correct. To be honest, My vote for best Christmas blues will always go to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore's "Merry Christmas Baby."

As noted, the performance was waxed by Charles Brown on vocals and piano in 1947, and it is perfection.


..

Johnny Moore's Three Blazers "Merry Christmas, Baby" (Exclusive 254, November 1, 1947)
Reissues on other labels of this classic master more appropriately read "Charles Brown With Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers."
The single made Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Race Records" chart three years running, 1947-1949, #3, #8 and #9, respectively.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Brown_(musician)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_Baby


All that said, I revisited the wonderful 1958 Chuck Berry single.

Guess what? It is absolutely the 12-bar blues arrangement Elvis revisited in 1971:


..

Chuck Berry "Merry Christmas Baby" (Chess 1714, November 24, 1958)
Billboard "Hot 100" #71, January 3, 1959, Cash Box "Top 100" #97, December 27, 1958,
Cash Box "Rhythm & Blues Top 50" #15, January 3, 1959


Berry lead vocals are influenced by Brown's 1947 single as much as we hear in Presley's recording, methinks.

All pretty cool!

Cool indeed! Chuck Berrys our man for Elvis.

Red West told EMM mag that Elvis "loved everything Chuck Berry came out with he was R'n'R all the way".

[Juan Luis]

I doubt he got that single while in the Army. But after that, a possibility.

[Davelee]

I doubt he got that single while in the Army. But after that, a possibility.

What makes you say that?

[elvisjock]

An uncharacteristically laid back vocal from Chuck. Great stuff.

[Juan Luis]

I doubt he got that single while in the Army. But after that, a possibility.

What makes you say that?

He was in the army! You think he was going to record stores looking for obscure non-hit Chuck Berry?

[poormadpeter2]

I doubt he got that single while in the Army. But after that, a possibility.

What makes you say that?

He was in the army! You think he was going to record stores looking for obscure non-hit Chuck Berry?

As far as I'm aware the single wasn't even released in Europe at the time. The B-side, Run Rudolph Run, was released in the UK in 1963 with Johnny B Goode as the B-side, with Rudolph breaking into the top 40. The release then was no doubt to try to cash in on the UK top ten single of Let It Rock/Memphis Tennessee from earlier in that year.