This album represents the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of albums. As you might know, I have two Dean Martin Christmas albums (The Dean Martin Christmas Album and Winter Romance) as well as White Christmas by Jackie Gleason. So when I cannot decide which to listen to, I can drop this platter on the turntable and enjoy the best of both.
This album collects some of the Capitol songs of both from the aforementioned albums and mixes them together. So you have songs with Martin’s warm flair followed by instrumental big band numbers by Gleason’s orchestra.
The track list includes:
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Dean Martin)
- Winter Wonderland (Dean Martin)
- You’re All I Want For Christmas (Jackie Gleason)
- I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Dean Martin)
- It’s Christmas Time All Over The World (Jackie Gleason)
- Blue Christmas (Jackie Gleason)
- The Christmas Song (Jackie Gleason)
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Dean Martin)
- Snowbound For Christmas (Jackie Gleason)
- White Christmas (Dean Martin)
Of the selections, most are standards, but “Snowbound for Christmas” is the new song, and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” might be from the original Winter Romance; it is not on either the reissue of Winter Romance I have nor The Dean Martin Christmas Album.
So it lies in the sweet spot between a compilation album of many different voices and a record with a single singer or group. It’s two acts I enjoy greatly, and I’m happy to have picked this disc up this year. I’d recommend it if you can find it for a couple of bucks out in the wild. Or, like I did, for a buck at a book sale.
Album mentioned in this review:
