# Ghosts of Christmas singers past **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 19, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407 "2020-12-19T18:51:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/1 "2020-12-19T18:51:27Z")
Once a year they come out. We hear the ghosts in the background music at the grocery stores and the big box stores. Singers that a few of us old people remember when they were alive, but no young’uns do. They used to sing other stuff, often on _their own_ weekly TV variety shows. (Young’un asks, “What’s a variety show?”), but now we only hear them at Christmas time. Of course, I’m talking about Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Andy Williams, John Gary, Burl Ives. Only one woman specifically remembered for a Christmas song comes to mind, Brenda Lee for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” And one non-human species, The Chipmunks. This Pinterest page with vintage Christmas album covers is fun to look at. > **[180 Vintage Christmas Albums and Records ideas | christmas albums, vintage...](https://www.pinterest.com/lynnspen/vintage-christmas-albums-and-records/)** > > Nov 30, 2015 - Christmas has always been so much more special with all the great music available to play while decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping presents or baking cookies in the kitchen. Years ago, whenever my dad came home with a new Goodyear... ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/2 "2020-12-19T19:05:58Z")
Right, no one remembers Judy Garland singing, “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas” . 😉 Then there were all those duets of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. I think Ella’s stands out. There were a lot of Christmas songs by Rosemary Clooney. A few of them had to be stand outs for a while. Maybe “Winter Wonderland” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/3 "2020-12-19T20:07:43Z")
Gene Autrey - “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Nat “King” Cole - “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/4 "2020-12-19T20:09:44Z")
Julie Andrews was on several Firestone and Goodyear Christmas albums. Did a version of “The Christmas Song” that blows Nat King Cole out of the water (not an easy task). Not to mention “The Bells of Christmas”. Doris Day did quite a few as well. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/5 "2020-12-19T22:25:16Z")
The OP said, “Singers that a few of us old people remember when they were alive.” Julie Andrews is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/6 "2020-12-19T22:46:40Z")
Sadly, Ross Bagdasarian (aka “Dave Seville”) is no longer with us. ☹ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN_8OlJGs0) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/7 "2020-12-19T22:54:03Z")
Dino and “Let It Snow”! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2TA3IKH8Y5c/maxresdefault.jpg "Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Official Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TA3IKH8Y5c) Even better: Dean and Frank together! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfpiAFXqC7I) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/8 "2020-12-20T00:03:37Z")
“Silver Bells” - Ol’ Ski Nose [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UNwGVgfkcgI/maxresdefault.jpg "Original Silver Bells") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNwGVgfkcgI) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/9 "2020-12-20T00:25:37Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The OP said, “Singers that a few of us old people remember when they were alive.” Julie Andrews is still alive. Nitpick much? This thread wasn’t meant to be about any and every person who ever recorded a Christmas song. The idea came to me this morning in the grocery store when I heard Christmas songs sung by Perry Como, Andy Williams, and Brenda Lee over the store’s music system. Yeah, I recognized their voices. I thought, “Gee, we only ever hear these people now at Christmas time. They’re immortal in a way… they’re the Ghosts of Christmas music.” BTW, that Pinterest page I linked to shows that the Beatles recorded a couple of Christmas albums. That I did _not_ know. 😲 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/10 "2020-12-20T00:31:19Z")
I thought those were special items for just the Beatles Fan Club? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/11 "2020-12-20T00:32:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sadly, Ross Bagdasarian (aka “Dave Seville”) is no longer with us. ☹ > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN\_8OlJGs0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN_8OlJGs0) You can watch him in _Rear Window_ if you like. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/12 "2020-12-20T00:37:17Z")
That’s one of my favorite trivia topics. I’ve never met anyone who isn’t stumped by it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/13 "2020-12-20T01:01:08Z")
George Rock [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hGnPnWVYGE0/hqdefault.jpg "Spike Jones All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGnPnWVYGE0) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/14 "2020-12-20T01:18:29Z")
David Bowie and Bing Crosby [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kfdEyV3RQ) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/15 "2020-12-20T01:48:08Z")
Here’s more: he’s the cousin of Pulitzer Prize winning author William Saroyan. Collectively they wrote the hit single “Come on-a my House,” making Saroyan the only Pulitzer Prize winner the have a #1 hit that wasn’t part of a musical. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/16 "2020-12-20T01:52:05Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@cochrane](#): > > > > The OP said, “Singers that a few of us old people remember when they were alive.” Julie Andrews is still alive. > > Nitpick much? Well, you did say _were alive,_ which implies the past tense as in “not alive now.” Julie Andrews is not yet a ghost. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-of-christmas-singers-past/928407/17 "2020-12-20T01:55:42Z")
Please feel free to continue discussing this among yourself.