Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians - Auld Lang Syne (1947)

Born Gaetano Alberto Lombardo in Ontario 1902, this Canadian-American was a largely successful bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane speedboat racer. Coming from Italian parents who had moved to Canada, Guy and his brothers had always been singing since a very young age. Guy himself put on his first vocal performance at the age of twelve, and was recording in studios by twenty-one. He formed The Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, Victor, and other friends from his hometown and led them to international success through the late ‘20s and 1930s. At the time of the band’s success, many jazz and big-band purists had found their music to corny. Fortunately for them, the general public loved it.

Lombardo and his band would also go on to be associated with New Year’s Eve, as they played on the radio (and later television) each New Year’s Eve from 1928 until 1976. This song, now associated with the New Year’s Eve celebration and New Year’s Day itself, was popularized by Lombardo and his band when they began playing it each year starting in 1929. This particular version of the song was recorded on September 29, 1947 and was published by Decca Records as a single. Although Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve would eventually become popular with younger viewers, Lombardo’s New Year’s Specials remained popular with older viewers. Traditionally, Lombardo's version of the song is the first song played after the ball has dropped on midnight in Time Square, New York.

Also, see what other New Year's Eve related music we have.



Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians - Auld Lang Syne (1947)

Loading the ABLYAM player...(Might not work on mobile devices)

Lyrics:

Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And days of lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Elvis Presley - If Every Day Was Like Christmas (1966)

Born Elvis Aaron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935, this iconic singer is one of the most popular acts of the 20th century and the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Spending his teen years in Memphis, Tennessee, he disappointingly got a C in his eighth grade music class and was told by the teacher that he had “no aptitude for singing.” He was rejected by local quarters and bands after auditioning, because, as they all noted, he didn’t have an ear for harmony. Not to be deterred, Elvis kept on singing and eventually got his foot into Sun Records. His big break came in July 1954, after “acting the fool” with “Scotty” Moore and Bill Black in a recording session held by Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Studios and Sun Records. Astounded, Phillips asked Elvis what he was doing, to which he was told “We don’t know!” Having been looking for a white performer “with the Negro sound and the Negro feel,” Phillips found his man and the rise to stardom was just beginning.

Written by Red West, this song was recorded on June 10, 1966 and released as a single on November 15th, the same year. Backed by the song “How Would You Like To Be” from Elvis’ 1963 movie, It Happened at the World’s Fair. The backing vocals in the song were performed by The Jordanaires and The Imperials Quartet. The song spent a combined eight weeks on Billboard’s Christmas charts in 1966 and 1967.

Merry Christmas…and a Happy New Year!



Elvis Presley - If Every Day Was Like Christmas (1966)

Loading the ABLYAM player...(Might not work on mobile devices)

Lyrics:

I hear the bells
Saying Christmas is near
They ring out to tell the world
That this is the season of cheer

I hear a choir
Singing sweetly somewhere
And a glow fills my heart
I'm at peace with the world
As the sound of their singing fills the air

Oh, why can't every day be like Christmas?
Why can't that feeling go on endlessly?
For if every day could be just like Christmas
What a wonderful world this would be

I hear a child
Telling Santa what to bring
And the smile upon his tiny face
Is worth more to me than anything

Oh, why can't every day be like Christmas?
Why can't that feeling go on endlessly?
For if every day could be just like Christmas
What a wonderful world this would be

The Beach Boys - Mele Kalikimaka (1977)

The Beach Boys had intended to release a Christmas album in 1977 titled Merry Christmas from The Beach Boys. Although it was eventually aborted (as only Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson had shown up for the recording sessions), some of the songs would later appear on their 1978 album, titled M.I.U Album. Heard below is the original version of a song that was later reworked and released on that album. Given that there was quite a bit of Christmas music recorded by the group over the years, Capitol records decided to release Ultimate Christmas in 1998, an album which contained every Beach Boys’ song that had to do with the Christmas topic. In 2004, the album was put out of print and replaced with Christmas with The Beach Boys, an identical album which differed only in its album art and the omission of the song “Christmas Time Is Here Again”.

Although there is a famous Christmas song with this name that was written by Robert Alex Anderson in 1949 (famously sung by Bing Crosby in 1950, and later many others), this is actually an original song by The Beach Boys that borrows the same title. Written by Mike Love and Al Jardine, it was alternately known as “Kona Christmas” or "Kona Coast" when it was revised and rereleased on the M.I.U. Album in 1978. Love and Jardine provided the lead vocals on this original version, which was recorded on November 18th, 1977 but not released until September 22nd, 1998 on the Ultimate Christmas album.



The Beach Boys - Mele Kalikimaka (1977)

Loading the ABLYAM player...(Might not work on mobile devices)

Lyrics:

It's been my secret passion to try it
To spend my Christmas surfin', I can't deny it
I wanna spend my Christmas on the Kona Coast in Hawaii

For years I saved my pennies and planned it
The great Pacific Ocean, we'll span it
I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii

(Go to Hawaii, Hawaii)
Mele Kalikimaka is "Merry Christmas" in Hawaii talk-a
And at Lahaina we'll count the shooting stars
And it will be just you and me in Hawaii

The suntanned beauties are everywhere
If you're comin' to the islands then you might stare
And find a girl waiting for you there in Hawaii

Kani and Wahini and the haoles, too
Wish a Mele Kalikimaka to you
They're the friendliest people anywhere in Hawaii

(Go to Hawaii, Hawaii))
Mele Kalikimaka is how they say it in island talk-a
The island flower fragrance in the air
We'll write a card and underneath the mango trees
We'll say, "Wish you were here with us in Hawaii"

Winter in the sun and surf'd sure be nice
In a south sea garden paradise
I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii

(Honolulu, Waikiki)
(Do you wanna come along with me?)
(Waimia up to Hanalai)
(I'd love to take you to the islands today)