Christmas by the Bay
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Christmas by the Bay, recorded at the Sail Loft in the Washington Navy Yard, is Burl Ives's last original Christmas album. It includes only one new Christmas song by Ives: "The Sense of Christmas." The other songs are new performances of previously recorded songs: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; "A Holly, Jolly Christmas"; "Christmas by the Bay" (cf. Christmas at the White House, 1972); "White Christmas" (cf. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, 1966); and "The Friendly Beasts" (cf. Christmas Day in the Morning, 1952). On all of these songs he is accompanied by the United States Navy Band, conducted by Ned Muffley.[1]
Ives had performed previously with Muffley and the Navy Band: at a Christmas concert in Washington D.C. in 1974 and at the Boy Scout Jamboree in 1977. On the basis of these encounters, Muffley invited Ives to participate in a 1977 Christmas Concert at the DAR Constitution Hall: "The weeks that followed were busy indeed as a special production, the brainchild of Master Chief Jere Wallace, entitled For the Love of Christmas, was scripted, focusing around a musical adaptation of Burl telling the story of Christmas to a group of children ... the personification of Santa Claus himself." The concert was broadcast on national television.[2]
The album represents a different product of their collaboration that year. The genres of the songs range from folk ("The Friendly Beasts") to pop ("A Holly, Jolly Christmas"). Classic Ives songs are given a new feel by the involvement of the Sea Chanters, the official chorus of the U.S. Navy.[3]
Track list[4]
Side 1
| Track | Song Title | Performer(s) | Writer/Arranger | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Christmas by the Bay | Burl Ives & Sea Chanters | Traditional/J. Chattaway | 2:05 |
| 2. | Winter Wonderland | Sea Chanters, Evangeline Taylor, Jessica Farrow, Heidi Hunter | F. Bernard, R. Smith/B. Kidd | 2:00 |
| 3. | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Burl Ives & Sea Chanters | J. Marks/J. Taylor | 2:10 |
| 4. | I Sing Noel | Tom VanVranken | Medley/J. Brubaker | 5:59 |
| 5. | The Sense of Christmas | Burl Ives & Kids | R. Chiles, J. Wallace/R. Gingery | 4:00 |
Side 2
| Track | Song Title | Performer(s) | Writer/Arranger | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | A Holly, Jolly Christmas | Burl Ives & Sea Chanters | J. Marks/R. Gingery | 1:59 |
| 2. | Christmas Festival | The United States Navy Band | L. Anderson | 6:05 |
| 3. | The Friendly Beast [sic] | Burl Ives | Traditional/Burl Ives | 2:40 |
| 4. | Sleigh Ride | The United States Navy Band | L. Anderson | 2:37 |
| 5. | White Christmas | Burl Ives & Sea Chanters | I. Berlin/J. Taylor | 2:34 |
References
- ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: Roster/Credits: link.
- ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: Liner Notes: link.
- ^ The United States Navy Band: Sea Chanters Chorus: link.
- ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: link. All of the information about the tracks comes from this source and the back of the album cover.
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