Track Listing

1. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Sammy Davis, Jr., Carmen McRae
2. Frosty the Snowman - Bing Crosby
3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Lena Horne
4. Jingle Bells - Johnny Mercer
5. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Wayne Newton
6. That's What I Want for Christmas - Nancy Wilson, Nancy Wilson
7. Winter Wonderland - Dean Martin
8. Do You Believe in Santa Claus? - Billy May
9. White Christmas - Peggy Lee
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Al Martino
11. Marshmallow World - Ray Anthony Orchestra, Ray Anthony
12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Lou Rawls
13. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Julie London
14. Buon Natale (Means Merry Christmas to You) - Nat King Cole
15. Sorry to See You Go - June Christy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12684 in Music
• Released on: 2005-09-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

Lesser of the 3, But Still
Volumes 1 and 2 of the Ultra-Lounge Christmas series are classics, hands down. So stick with them if you don't have any of these already. But, for completists, this CD is well worth having. (And the 3-CD boxed set is a great buy).

This CD does have one OUTSTANDING track that's a must-have: Julie London's recording of "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" is probably the sultriest, sexiest wintertime song ever. No wonder it sat unreleased in the vaults of Capitol for more than 45 years. Her voice just drips with insination; it's like she's singing it in a whisper right into your ear. Plus she changes the lyrics slightly at one point:

Off with YOUR overcoat
Off with YOUR gloves
YOU need no overcoat
I'm burning with love

Ho ho hoochie mama.

A Big Disappointment
Christmas Cocktails, Vol. 3, was a big disappointment, and a closer look at the liner notes reveals why: the compilation producer of the first two (and the original Ultra-Lounge Series) was Brad Benedict, whose selections for Volumes 1 & 2 were truly inspired.
The compilation producer for Volume 3 is a Frank Collura, who apparently doesn't get the concept. The result is a very pedestrian Christmas album with none of the flair of the Ultra-Lounge series.
It also has no bonus tracks and is missing the extensive liner notes of the original series.
Too bad.

going downhill...
The Ultralounge series was always very cool, and as pointed out in another review, was compiled by an ealier regime, but these days it seems that the glory days are over. New team. Capitol seems to be reverting back to their 1970s ways of reissuing music with minimal liner notes, no information and a total lack of follow-through. The Ultralounge 1 & 2 have an actual booklet, listing when the songs were recorded, and also giving extra info, drink tips, etc. Volume Three does not have a booklet, doesn't list recording dates and doesn't even list who the singer is when the track features a bandleader like Ray Anthony (who's the female singer?). Very disappointing.

A quick trip to www.ultralounge.com will glean the original tracklist for the CD, which is NOT the tracklist Vol. 3 ended up with. (The tracks from Keely Smith, Bobby Darin and Steve & Eydie are missing, and the June Christy track is replaced with another one) Shame on Capitol for giving fewer songs than the others in the series and for holding back these gems! I will say that the June Christy track included (Sorry To See You Go) is very good. The Julie London track is extremely slow; it almost loses me half way through. The track with Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers sounds great (at least I'm pretty sure it's the Pied Pipers - the CD doesn't say!).

I hate to think the wonderful era of Capitol reissues that started circa 1990 is over. It seems that there's a new sherrif in town... :-(