Christmas Time Is Here
| "Christmas Time Is Here" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Vince Guaraldi | ||||
| from the album A Charlie Brown Christmas | ||||
| Released | December 1965 | |||
| Genre | Jazz, Christmas music | |||
| Length | 6:05 (instrumental version) 2:43 (vocal version) | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Composer(s) | Vince Guaraldi | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Lee Mendelson | |||
| Vince Guaraldi singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Christmas Time Is Here" is a popular Christmas song written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi for the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas,[1] one of the first animated Christmas specials produced for network television in the United States.
Two versions were included on the album A Charlie Brown Christmas: an instrumental version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio and a vocal version by choristers from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California who had previously performed with Guaraldi on At Grace Cathedral (1965).
Cover versions
The first person to record a cover version of the song was jazz guitarist Ron Escheté on the album Christmas Impressions (1982). David Benoit followed him on the album Christmastime (1983). They were followed by Patti Austin and Debby Boone (both in 1989); Mel Tormé (1992), then Rosemary Clooney, R.E.M., and Stone Temple Pilots before the turn of the century.[2]
- Mel Tormé – Christmas Songs (1992)[3]
- Melissa Manchester on her album Joy (1997)[4]
- Steve Vai – Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas (1997)[5]
- Chicago – Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (1998)[6]
- Kenny Loggins – December (1998)[7]
- Shawn Colvin – Holiday Songs and Lullabies (1998)[8]
- Fourplay – Snowbound (1999)[9]
- Cyrus Chestnut – A Charlie Brown Christmas (2000)[10]
- Nancy Wilson – A Nancy Wilson Christmas (2001)[11]
- Johnny Mathis – The Christmas Album (in a medley with "Snowfall") (2002)[12]
- Ivy – Maybe This Christmas (2004)[13]
- MercyMe – The Christmas Sessions (2005)[14]
- Diana Krall – Christmas Songs (2005)[15]
- Sarah McLachlan (featuring Diana Krall) – Wintersong (2006)[16]
- Jars of Clay – Christmas Songs (2007)[17]
- The Four Freshmen – Snowfall (2007)[18]
- Al Jarreau – Christmas (2008)[19]
- A Fine Frenzy – Oh Blue Christmas (2009)[20]
- Straight No Chaser – Christmas Cheers (2009)[21]
- George Winston – Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2 (2010)[22]
- Take 6 (featuring Shelea Frazier) – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2010)[23]
- Canadian Brass – Christmas Time is Here (2013)[24]
- Michael W. Smith (featuring Vince Gill) – The Spirit of Christmas (2014)[25]
- LeAnn Rimes – Today Is Christmas (2015)[26]
- Sam Sparro – Christmas in Blue (2017)[27]
- Khruangbin – "Christmas Time Is Here" (2018, single)[28]
The song was also re-released on the soundtrack of The Peanuts Movie (2015).
See also
References
- ^ "The BMI Holiday Countdown: Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Christmas Time is Here"". BMI. December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- ^ Bang, Derrick (2012). A Charlie Brown Christmas (booklet). Beverly Hills: Concord Music Group. p. 12.
- ^ "Christmas Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Joy". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ "Chicago 25: The Christmas Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "December". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Holiday Songs and Lullabies". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Snowbound". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "A Charlie Brown Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "A Nancy Wilson Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "The Christmas Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Christmas Time Is Here". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "The Christmas Sessions". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ "Christmas Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Wintersong". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Christmas Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Snowfall". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ "Christmas - Al Jarreau". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Oh Blue Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ Collar, Matt. Christmas Cheers at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Vol. 2 - George Winston | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Christmas Time Is Here". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "The Spirit of Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "Today Is Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Sam Sparro Goes From "Black And Gold" To "Blue" With Jazzy Christmas Album". Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "Christmas Time Is Here (N & S America Edition)". Retrieved 28 December 2018.
 | This article about a jazz standard or composition written in the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |