''The Complete Christmas Collection 1958–2010'' is a three-disc

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

by American pop singer

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

that was released in 2015 by Real Gone Music under license from

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. The set includes Mathis's five holiday albums from the period in their entirety: ''

Merry Christmas The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...

'', '' Sounds of Christmas'', '' Give Me Your Love for Christmas'', ''

Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis ''Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis'' is the fourth Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 23, 1986, by Columbia Records. This was Mathis's fourth holiday-themed LP and focused exclusively on secular ...

'', and '' The Christmas Album''. It also compiles all of Mathis's holiday songs that were only released as singles, as well as thematically-appropriate tracks from his non-holiday albums: " When a Child Is Born" from ''

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song was written for the 1934 film ''Dames (film), Dames'', in which it was performed by Dick Powell. Several other successful recordings of the song were m ...

'', the holiday version of "

What a Wonderful World "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong on August 16, 1967. In April 1968, it topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom, but performed p ...

" from '' Let It Be Me'', and his two recordings of "

Ave Maria The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical pa ...

" from ''

Good Night, Dear Lord ''Good Night, Dear Lord'' is the fourth album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records on March 3, 1958, and is the first of many projects undertaken over the course of his career that have a specific focus, which ...

'', which bookend the set.

Critical reception

Marc Myers of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' offered high praise. "It's hard to imagine any pop singer who has recorded more definitive versions of holiday songs than Johnny Mathis," He also described the collection as "71 tracks of ecstatic vocals". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote, "Throughout it all, Mathis adheres to his effortless elegance," and that "Mathis's holiday albums are warm and inviting, the ideal soundtrack to snowy evenings or an afternoon of wrapping presents and trimming the tree, so it's nice to have all of them in one handy place."

Track listing

Disc one

# "

" (

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

) – 2:59 #* from his 1958 album ''

'' # "

Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himb ...

" (

Felix Bernard Felix William Bernard (April 28, 1897 – October 20, 1944) was an American conductor, pianist and a composer of popular music. His writing credits include the popular songs "Winter Wonderland" (with lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith) and "Dardanel ...

, Richard B. Smith) – 3:14 #"

The Christmas Song "The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells (songwriter), Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. The Nat K ...

" (

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

, Robert Wells) – 4:18 # "

Sleigh Ride "Sleigh Ride" is a Light music, light orchestra Standard (music), standard composed by Leroy Anderson. He formed the idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and finished it in February 1948. Its first performance was by the Boston Po ...

" (

Leroy Anderson Leroy Anderson ( ; June 29, 1908 – May 18, 1975) was an American composer of short, Light music, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. John Williams descri ...

Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...

) – 2:57 #" Blue Christmas" (Bill Hayes, Jay Johnson) – 3:02 #"

I'll Be Home for Christmas "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed ...

" (

Kim Gannon James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (November 18, 1900 – April 29, 1974) was an American songwriter, more commonly a lyricist than a composer. Biography Gannon was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Irish-American family from Fort Ann in upstate Ne ...

Walter Kent Walter Kent (born Walter Maurice Kaufman, November 29, 1911 – March 2, 1994) was an American composer and conductor. Some notable compositions are: "I'll Be Home for Christmas", "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" and "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The W ...

Buck Ram Samuel "Buck" Ram (November 21, 1907 – January 1, 1991) was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/air play in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Ji ...

) – 4:04 # " White Christmas" (

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

) – 3:28 #"

O Holy Night "O Holy Night" (original title: ) is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described in the first verse as "the dear Saviour", and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Based on the French-language poem ''Minuit, ch ...

" (

Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (; 24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer, teacher and music critic. A prolific composer for the theatre, he is best known today for his ballets ''Giselle'' (1841) and ''Le corsaire'' (1856), his operas ''Le post ...

John Sullivan Dwight John Sullivan Dwight (May 13, 1813 – September 5, 1893) was an American classical music critic, transcendentalist, school director, and minister. He is considered America's first influential music critic. Biography Dwight was born in Boston ...

) – 4:35 #" What Child Is This? (

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English F ...

)" (

William Chatterton Dix William Chatterton Dix (14 June 1837 – 9 September 1898) was an English writer of hymns and Carol (music), carols. He was born in Bristol, the son of John Ross Dix, John Dix, a local surgeon, who wrote ''The Life of Chatterton'' the poet, a boo ...

) – 3:58 #"

The First Noel "The First Nowell" (or Nowel), modernised as "The First Noel" (or Noël), is a traditional English Christmas carol with Cornish origins most likely from the early modern period, although possibly earlier.. It is listed as number 682 in the Ro ...

" (traditional) – 3:49 # "

Silver Bells "Silver Bells" is a Christmas song composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It debuted in the motion picture '' The Lemon Drop Kid'' (1951), where it was started by William Frawley,"The Lemon Drop Kid" in The American Film Institute Catalog of ...

" (

Ray Evans Raymond Bernard Evans (February 4, 1915 – February 15, 2007) was an American songwriter best known for being a half of a composing-songwriting duo with Jay Livingston, specializing himself in writing lyrics for film songs. On music Livingston ...

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison; March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a composing-songwriting duo with Ray Evans, with whom he specialized in composing film scores and original soundtrack ...

) – 3:32 #"

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear", sometimes rendered as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", is an 1849 poem and Christmas carol written by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts. In 1850, Sears' lyrics were se ...

" ( Edmund Hamilton Sears,

Richard Storrs Willis Richard Storrs Willis (February 10, 1819 – May 10, 1900) was an American composer, mainly of hymn music. His best known melody is probably the one called, simply, '' Carol''. This is the standard tune, in the United States, though not in Great B ...

) – 3:08 # "

Silent Night "Silent Night" () is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO The United Nations Educati ...

" (

Franz Xaver Gruber Franz Xaver Gruber (25 November 1787 – 7 June 1863) was an Austrian primary school teacher, church organist and composer in the village of Arnsdorf, who is best known for composing the music to "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night"). Life Gruber w ...

Joseph Mohr Josephus Franciscus Mohr, sometimes spelled Josef (11 December 1792 – 4 December 1848) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol "Silent Night." Early life and education Mohr was born in S ...

) – 3:49 #* tracks 2–13 from his 1958 album ''

'' # "Ol' Kris Kringle" ( Hugh Adamson,

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

) – 2:24 # "Give Me Your Love for Christmas" (1961 version) (Jack Gold, Phyllis Stohn) – 2:55 #* above two 1961 recordings first released on his 2014 compilation '' The Classic Christmas Album'' # "Christmas Eve" (

Allyn Ferguson Allyn Malcolm Ferguson Jr. (October 18, 1924 – June 23, 2010) was an American composer, whose works include the themes for 1970s television programs ''Barney Miller'' and ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976-1981), which he co-wrote with Jack Elliott ( ...

, Sidney Shaw) – 2:56 # " My Kind of Christmas" (Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster) – 3:02 #* above two released as a single on 11/17/61 #"The Sounds of Christmas" (

Jerry Livingston Jerry Livingston (born Jerry Levinson; March 25, 1909 – July 1, 1987) was an American songwriter and dance orchestra pianist. Life and career Born in Denver, Colorado to Sam and Dora (Lazarus) Levinson, Jerry Livingston studied music at the ...

Paul Francis Webster Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United S ...

) – 2:35 #"

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis''. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. ...

" from ''

Meet Me in St. Louis ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is a 1944 American Christmas musical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Divided into a series of seasonal vignettes, starting with Summer 1903, it relates the story of a year in the life of the Smith family in St. Louis ...

'' (

Ralph Blane Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer. Life and career Blane was born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He attended Tulsa Central High School. He studied singing wit ...

Hugh Martin Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis'', in which Judy Garla ...

) – 3:34 #" A Marshmallow World" (

Peter DeRose Peter DeRose (or De Rose) (March 10, 1896 – April 23, 1953) was an American composer of jazz and pop music during the era of Tin Pan Alley. In 1970, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Biography A native of New York City, a s ...

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice ...

) – 2:37 #"

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", also known as "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen", is an English traditional Christmas carol. It is in the Roxburghe Collection (iii. 452), and is listed as no. 394 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It is also known as "T ...

" (

Traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

) – 3:19 #"

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as simply "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945 in Hollywood, California, during a heatwave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions. ...

" (

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

) – 4:12 #* tracks 18–22 from his 1963 album '' Sounds of Christmas'' ;Personnel *tracks 1–17 performed with

Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian–American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizin ...

& His Orchestra *

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

– producer (tracks 1–13) *

Al Ham Albert W. Ham (February 6, 1925 in Malden, Massachusetts — October 4, 2001 in Spring Hill, Florida) was an American composer and jingle writer. He was notable as the composer of the '' Move Closer to Your World'' music package used since the ...

– producer (tracks 2–13); associate producer (track 1) *

Irving Townsend Irving Townsend (November 27, 1920 – December 17, 1981) was an American record producer and author. He is most famous for having produced the Miles Davis album ''Kind of Blue'', which is the best-selling jazz album of all time according to ...

– producer (tracks 14–17) *

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including '' Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way'' ...

– producer (tracks 18–22) *

Lou Halmy Lou Halmy (June 23, 1911 – March 14, 2005) was a jazz musician and music arranger. In the 1930s he played trumpet with Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra and appeared with the orchestra in the film ''The Big Broadcast of 1938''. For ...

– arranger (track 14) * Glenn Osser – arranger (tracks 18–22) *Jack Feierman – conductor (tracks 18–22) ; Recording dates *January 3, 1958 – track 1 *June 16, 1958 – tracks 3, 6, 7, 11 *June 18, 1958 – tracks 2, 4, 5, 8 *June 20, 1958 – tracks 9, 10, 12, 13 *September 11, 1961 – tracks 14–17 *July 12, 1963 – track 18 *July 17, 1963 – tracks 19, 20, 22 *July 25, 1963 – track 21

Disc two

The Little Drummer Boy "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family, the song was further popularized ...

" (

Katherine Davis Katherine Davis may refer to: *Katherine Kennicott Davis (1892–1980), American composer, pianist, and author of "The Little Drummer Boy" * Kathy Davis (born 1956), 46th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana * Katharine Bement Davis (1860–1935), Americ ...

, Henry Onorati,

Harry Simeone Harry Simeone (May 9, 1911 – February 22, 2005) was an American music arranger, conductor, and composer. He spent much of his career working in film and television, but he is best remembered for directing the Harry Simeone Chorale, which popul ...

) – 3:32 #"Have Reindeer, Will Travel" (

) – 3:31 #" The Secret of Christmas" (

Jimmy Van Heusen James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television, and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Awards for ...

) – 4:12 #"

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on C ...

" (

Johnny Marks John David Marks (November 10, 1909 – September 3, 1985) was an American songwriter. He specialized in Christmas songs and wrote many holiday standards, including " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (a hit for Gene Autry and others), " Rockin' Ar ...

) – 2:20 #"

Carol of the Bells "Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, which is based on the Ukrainian New Year's song " Shchedryk". The music for the carol comes from the song written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in or before 1916; the English-la ...

" ( Peter J. Wilhousky) – 1:22 #"Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart" (

Joe Darion Joe Darion (30 January 1911 — 16 June 2001) was an American musical theatre lyricist, most famous for '' Man of La Mancha'', which is considered, by some critics, as a precursor to 1980s sung-through musicals such as '' Les Miserables''. Dario ...

, Joe Kleinsinger) – 3:03 #"

Hallelujah Chorus ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part II in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting the relation of the musical se ...

" (

George Frederick Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, Han ...

) – 4:02 #* tracks 1–7 from his 1963 album '' Sounds of Christmas'' #"

Jingle Bell Rock "Jingle Bell Rock" is an American Christmas music, Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then, and is generally considered Helms' list of sign ...

" ( Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe) – 2:11 #"

" from ''

'' (

) – 3:29 #" My Favorite Things" from ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'' (

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

)– 2:37 #"Give Me Your Love for Christmas" (Jack Gold, Phyllis Stohn) – 2:37 #"

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show in November 1934 it became a hit; w ...

" ( J. Fred Coots,

Haven Gillespie James Lamont Gillespie (February 6, 1888 – March 14, 1975), known under the pen name Haven Gillespie, was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of " You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", " That Luc ...

) – 2:19 #"

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is a popular song written in 1947 by Frank Loesser as an independent song. It was first recorded by Margaret Whiting in 1947 and first charted for The Orioles, peaking at No. 9 on ''Billboard''s Best-Selling ...

" (

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...

) – 2:52 #"

Do You Hear What I Hear? "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a song written in October 1962, with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne. The pair, married at the time, wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney had been invited by a record ...

" ( Gloria Shayne Baker, Noel Regney) – 3:21 #"Calypso Noel" (Gordon Krunnfusz) – 2:13 #"

" (

, Henry Onorati,

) – 2:28 #"Christmas Day" from '' Promises, Promises'' (

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

) – 3:24 #"

The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...

" (

Albert Hay Malotte Albert Hay Malotte (May 19, 1895 – November 16, 1964) was an American pianist, organist, composer and educator, best known for his musical setting of "The Lord's Prayer". Biography and career Malotte was the son of Charles and Katherine (Donav ...

) – 2:40 #* tracks 8–18 from his 1969 album '' Give Me Your Love for Christmas'' # "Sign of the Dove" (Bradford Craig) – 2:49 # "Christmas Is..." (

, Spence Maxwell) – 3:06 #* above two released as a single on 11/23/70 # " When a Child Is Born" (Ciro Dammicco, Fred Jay) – 3:41 #* from his 1976 album ''

'' # "The Very First Christmas Day" (Clark Gassman, Molly-Ann Leikin) – 3:07 # "Christmas in the City of the Angels" (Suzy Elman; Arnold Goland; Jack Gold) – 2:50 #* above two released as a single on 11/8/79 # "

" (

) – 3:26 # " When a Child Is Born" (Ciro Dammicco, Fred Jay) – 3:52 #* above two released as a single on 11/18/80 ;Personnel *tracks 24–25 performed with

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early ...

*Don Costa – producer (tracks 1–7) *Jack Gold – producer (tracks 8–25) *Glenn Osser – arranger (tracks 1–7) *

Ernie Freeman Ernest Aaron Freeman (August 16, 1922 – May 16, 1981) was an American pianist, organist, bandleader, and arranger. He was responsible for arranging many successful rhythm and blues and pop music, pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s. B ...

– arranger (tracks 8–19), conductor (tracks 8–20) *

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffer ...

– arranger, conductor (tracks 21–25) *Jack Feierman – conductor (tracks 1–7) *no arranger is indicated for track 20 ; Recording dates *July 12, 1963 – track 3 *July 16, 1963 – tracks 2, 6 *July 17, 1963 – tracks 4, 5, 7 *July 25, 1963 – track 1 *July 15, 1969 – tracks 10, 11, 14, 17 *September 23, 1969 – tracks 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 *October 30, 1970 – tracks 19, 20 *February 23, 1976 – March 5, 1976 – track 21 *June 5, 1979 – tracks 22, 23 *April 23, 1979 – track 25 *May 21, 1979 – track 24

Disc three

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas". Perry Como was the first to record and release the song in 1951. The so ...

" (

Meredith Willson Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flautist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 1 ...

) – 2:14 #"Toyland" (

Glen MacDonough Glen MacDonough (1870 – March 30, 1924) was an American lyricist, librettist, and playwright. He is best-remembered today as the librettist of Victor Herbert's operetta, ''Babes in Toyland (operetta), Babes in Toyland'' (1903). Early life ...

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

) – 3:41 #"

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, '' The Andy Williams Christm ...

" (

Edward Pola Edward Pola (June 23, 1907 – November 3, 1995)Passenger list, S.S. ''Transylvania'', port of New York, 20 August 1931. was an American actor, radio/television producer, and songwriter. Biography Pola was born Sidney Edward Pollacsek in New York ...

George Wyle George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman; March 22, 1916 – May 2, 2003) was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom ''Gilligan's Island''. He is the grandfather of musici ...

) – 2:45 #"

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the most commonly sung Christmas songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont. It is an unsettled question where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells". It ...

" ( James Pierpont) – 2:54 #Medley – 5:09
a. "Christmas Is for Everyone" (Richard Loring, Dorothy Wayne)
b. "Where Can I Find Christmas?" from '' The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas'' (Doug Goodwin) #Medley from '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' – 4:03
a. "Every Christmas Eve" (

Leslie Bricusse Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' D ...

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

)
b. "Giving (Santa's Theme)" (Leslie Bricusse, Henry Mancini) #"

The Christmas Waltz "The Christmas Waltz" is a Christmas song written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne for Frank Sinatra, who recorded it in 1954 as the B-side of a new recording of " White Christmas", in 1957 for his album '' A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra'', and ...

" (

) – 2:36 #" We Need a Little Christmas" from ''

Mame MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and ...

'' (

Jerry Herman Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre. One of the most commercially successful Broadway songwriters of his time, Herman was the composer and lyricist ...

) – 1:54 #Medley – 3:44
a. "Caroling, Caroling" (

Alfred Burt Alfred Shaddick Burt (April 22, 1920 – February 7, 1954) was an American jazz musician who is best known for composing the music for fifteen Christmas carols between 1942 and 1954. Only one of the carols was performed in public outside his im ...

, Wilha Hutson)
b. " Happy Holiday" from ''

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn by IHG is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division ...

'' (

) #"It's Christmas Time Again" (

Sonny Burke Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer. Early life and career Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Francis P. Burke and Rhoda Nihany, Burke grew up in D ...

, John Elliot, James K. Harwood) – 4:28 #* tracks 1–10 from his 1986 album ''

'' #"

O Tannenbaum "" (; "O fir tree"), known in English as "O Christmas Tree", is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song that was unrelated to the holiday, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree. History The modern lyrics were ...

" (

Ernst Anschütz Ernst Gebhard Salomon Anschütz (28 October 1780 in Goldlauter near Suhl, Electorate of Saxony – 18 December 1861 (other sources: 11 December 1861

) – 2:57 #* from

Mannheim Steamroller Mannheim Steamroller is an American neoclassical new-age music ensemble founded and directed by percussionist/composer Chip Davis in 1974. The group is known primarily for its '' Fresh Aire'' series of albums, which blend classical music with e ...

's 2001 album ''

Christmas Extraordinaire ''Christmas Extraordinaire'' is Mannheim Steamroller's sixth Christmas album overall and the group's fourth Christmas studio album. The album was originally released in 2001. The song "O Tannenbaum" features a lead vocal by Johnny Mathis. Five o ...

'' # "

Joy To The World "Joy to the World" is an English hymn and Christmas carol. It was written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts. It is usually sung to the American composer Lowell Mason's 1848 arrangement of a tune attributed to George Fride ...

" (

Lowell Mason Lowell Mason (January 8, 1792 – August 11, 1872) was an American music director and banker who was a leading figure in 19th-century American church music. Lowell composed over 1,600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His best-know ...

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include " When I Survey th ...

) – 2:01 # "Heavenly Peace" (

Dean Pitchford Dean Pitchford (born July 29, 1951) is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, e ...

Tom Snow Thomas Righter Snow (born 1947 in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American songwriter. Biography Snow has written songs for Gayle McCormick "( Even a Fool Would Let Go" with Kerry Chater – a song covered by a number of artists including Kenn ...

) – 3:30 # "

Away in a Manger "Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in the late nineteenth century and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain, it is one of the most popular carols; a 1996 Gallup Poll ranked it joint second. Although i ...

" ( William J. Kirkpatrick) – 2:30 # "A Christmas Love Song" (

Alan and Marilyn Bergman Alan Bergman (born September 11, 1925) and Marilyn Keith Bergman (née Katz; November 10, 1928 – January 8, 2022) were an American songwriting duo. Married from 1958 until Marilyn's death, together they wrote music and lyrics for numerous celeb ...

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

) – 3:35 # "

Frosty the Snowman "Frosty the Snowman" is a song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 and later recorded by Jimmy Durante in that year. It was written after the success of Autry's ...

" ( Steve Nelson, Jack Rollins) – 2:31 #"

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas ''Have a Holly Jolly Christmas'' is a Christmas album by American folk singer Burl Ives, first released by Decca Records in October 1965 (recorded in 1964). It peaked at #32 on ''Billboards Best Bets For Christmas album chart on December 2, 19 ...

" (

) – 2:00 # "

O Little Town of Bethlehem "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a Christmas carol. Based on an 1868 text written by Phillips Brooks, the carol is popular on both sides of the Atlantic, but to different tunes: in the United States and Canada, to "St. Louis" by Brooks' collabora ...

" (Phillip Brooks, Lewis H. Redner) – 2:44 # "

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular song copyrighted in 1937 by its composer, Irving Berlin, and first recorded by (i) Ray Noble (January 5, 1937), Howard Barrie, vocalist; (ii) Red Norvo (January 8, 1937), Mildred Bailey, vocalist; (i ...

" (

) – 3:34 # Medley – 5:00
a. "Snowfall" (

Claude Thornhill Claude Thornhill (August 10, 1908 – July 1, 1965) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. He composed the jazz and pop standards "Snowfall" and "I Wish I Had You". Early years Thornhill was the son of J. Chester Thornhill ...

)
b. "

Christmas Time Is Here "Christmas Time Is Here" is a popular Christmas standard written by Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson for the 1965 CBS television special ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', one of the first animated Christmas specials produced for network television i ...

" from ''

A Charlie Brown Christmas ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' is a 1965 animated television special. It is the first TV special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'', by Charles M. Schulz, and features the voices of Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Tracy Str ...

'' (

Vince Guaraldi Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...

Lee Mendelson Leland Maurice Mendelson (March 24, 1933 – December 25, 2019) was an American animation producer and executive producer of many ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Biography Mendelson was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Mateo graduating ...

) # "Merry Christmas" (Fred Spielman,

Janice Torre Janice Renée Torre (August 17, 1914 – February 21, 1985) was a songwriter and lyricist best known for the song "Paper Roses", which she wrote with composer Fred Spielman. Early years Janice Torre was born in New Orleans, the daughter of Peter ...

) – 3:12 #* tracks 12–21 from his 2002 album '' The Christmas Album'' # Medley – 2:47
a. "

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, Richard B. Smith)
b. "

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) #* from

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

's 2006 album ''

Cool Yule ''Cool Yule'' is a first holiday album by American singer Bette Midler. It was released on October 10, 2006, through Columbia Records. The album features many standard Christmas tunes as well as a reworking edition of her Grammy-winning hit " Fro ...

'' #"What a Wonderful World" (Christmas Version) (

Bob Thiele Robert "Bob" Thiele (July 27, 1922 – January 30, 1996) was an American record producer who worked on numerous classic jazz albums and record labels. Early life and career Bob Thiele was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, United Sta ...

George David Weiss George David Weiss (April 9, 1921 – August 23, 2010) was an American songwriter and arranger, who was a president of the Songwriters Guild of America. He is an inductee in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Biography Weiss was born in a Jewish f ...

) – 4:31 #* from his 2010 album ''Let It Be Me'' # "

" (

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

) – 4:34 #* from his 1958 album ''

'' ;Personnel *track 5 performed with the Henry Mancini Orchestra & Chorus *track 11 performed with Mannheim Steamroller *track 22 performed with Bette Midler *track 23 performed with

Lane Brody Lynne Connie Voorlas (born September 24, 1955), known professionally as Lane Brody, is an American country music singer-songwriter, active since the early 1980s, best known for her 1984 Billboard-topping country hit "The Yellow Rose" (a duet wi ...

Denny Diante Denny Diante is an American music producer, arranger, and engineer. On March 28, 2012, Diante was announced as the president of eMax Media Group. Diante is listed in Billboard Magazine's Encyclopedia of 100 Most Successful Record Producers. Dian ...

– producer (tracks 1–10) *

Chip Davis Louis F. "Chip" Davis Jr. (born September 5, 1947) is the founder and leader of the music group Mannheim Steamroller. Davis composed the music for several C. W. McCall albums, including the hit 1975 song "Convoy". He has also written and made o ...

– producer, arranger, conductor (track 11) *Robbie Buchanan – producer (tracks 12–22), arranger (tracks 13, 14) *Fred Mollin – producer (track 23) *Mitch Miller – producer (track 24) *

Scott Erickson Scott Gavin Erickson (born February 2, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees over 15 seasons. He ...

– associate producer (tracks 12–21) *

– associate producer (track 24) *Bette Sussman – co-producer, track arranger, vocal arranger (track 22) *Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor (tracks 1, 3, 9, 10) *

Ray Ellis Ray Ellis (July 28, 1923 – October 27, 2008) was an American record producer, arranger, conductor, and saxophonist. He was responsible for the orchestration in Billie Holiday's '' Lady in Satin'' (1958). Biography Raymond Spencer Elli ...

– arranger, conductor (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8); arranger (track 17) *

– arranger, conductor (track 6) *Bob Krogstad – arranger (tracks 12, 16, 19, 20) *

Alan Broadbent Alan Leonard Broadbent (born 23 April 1947) is a New Zealand jazz pianist, arranger, and composer known for his work with artists such as Sue Raney, Charlie Haden, Woody Herman, Chet Baker, Irene Kral, Sheila Jordan, Natalie Cole, Warne M ...

– arranger (track 15) *

Jonathan Tunick Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer. He is best known for orchestrating the works of Stephen Sondheim, their collaboration starting in 1970 with ''Company'' and continuing until Sondheim's death in 2021. ...

– arranger (tracks 18, 21) *Patrick Williams – orchestral arranger, track arranger, vocal arranger (track 22) *Matthew McCauley – strings arranger and conductor (track 23) *International Children's Choir (Irene Bayless, director) – backing vocals (track 5) *The kids from St. Michael's School, North Hollywood – backing vocals (track 5) ; Recording dates *January 3, 1958 – track 24 *July 1986 – tracks 1–10 *2001 – track 11 *2002 – tracks 12–21 *2006 – track 22 *2009–2010 – track 23

Additional personnel

Original recordings

*Johnny Mathis – vocals

Box set

*Gordon Anderson – producer *Didier C. Deutsch – Sony producer *Jeff James – Sony producer *Mike Piacentini – remastering *CEA/Cache Agency – front cover photo *Wayne Knight/Starline Productions – wallet photo & page 11 booklet photo *Tom D. Kline – design *Joe Marchese – liner notes *Remastered at Battery Studios,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Complete Christmas Collection 1958-2010 2015 compilation albums Johnny Mathis compilation albums Columbia Records compilation albums Christmas compilation albums Christmas albums by American artists