Track Listing

1. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
2. Silent Night
3. O Little Town of Bethlehem
4. O Holy Night
5. Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child's Prayer)
6. Oh What a Lucky Boy Am I
7. Jingle Bells
8. Santa Mouse
9. Ave Maria
10. Christmas Story
11. Medley: Thy Rebuke /Behold [From the Messiah]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215774 in Music
• Released on: 1995-08-15
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Warm Christmas memories waiting to happen.
Well I remember looking at this album cover as a child and thinking that this bald and bearded man just had to be Santa Claus. And well he might be; with that gentle and ever so slightly husky voice, Burl Ives sings familiar and novel Christmas songs with a charm bringing to mind a kindly grandpa singing softly to the toddlers on his knee. His rendition of the classic "Jingle Bells" evokes the pure spirit of the song: care- free abandon and joyful celebration. The unique

"Santa Mouse" will charm the small children, and may have the adults humming the contagious tune as well. The warmth and sincerity of the entire album are particularly evident in Ives' almost fumbled reminiscence of "Oh, What a Lucky Boy Am I", and whether it be nostalgia or the innocence of the recitation, "Happy Birthday, Jesus" still occasionally brings a secret tear to my eye. Where the more formal tracks ( O, Holy Night, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear) show up Ives' less than perfect sining voice, the songs are unfailingly carried by the earnest and gentle manner of this very genuine artist. A very worthwhile addition to the Christmas collection of any family who believes in the simple charm of Christmas.

A tradition close to our hearts
For years, our family listened to this album at the holidays. It was a part of our Christmas. The album we have is old and scratchy, but it is still a favorite and we are thrilled to find it on CD. "Happy Birthday Jesus" is one of the most beautifully crafted works I have ever known for Christmas.

Great Christmas album
If you appreciate Burl Ives' unique voice and folk approach to singing, you will adore this collection of Christmas songs from 1968. This is a fine and unusual Christmas album, since Burl's versions of these songs are not the standard ones. But they are delightful nonetheless. My only criticism is that the album omits Burl's greatest Christmas song, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," one of the stellar songs from his 1964 Christmas special, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Burl Ives is an American icon and it's a pity that his style of music has gone out of fashion. This album is a feel good effort and it's impossible not to listen to it without smiling, laughing and wishing Burl was still around to sing his special brand of music. Hopefully this album will induce you to sample some of Burl Ives' other non-Christmas efforts. He was uniquely talented and a pleasure to listen to.