Words & Music:
Irving Berlin
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where those tree-tops glisten,
And children listen
To hear sleighbells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write,
"May your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white".
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know.
May your days may your days may your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white.
Recordingdate: 1957/09/06, first released on: Elvis' Christmas Album (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of White Christmas:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
Availability
Find available albums with White Christmas.
They say Elvis stole from black music. Did they mean this song? Here he takes The Drifters classic version and copies Clyde McPhatter's phrasing. We all know he loved Clyde and I'm glad he did. A normal rendition of White Christmas would have been boring. Elvis is the only white artist who could have pulled this off. He almost betters The Drifters version. Almost but not quite.
Elvis' version of the Bing Crosby classic does remind one of the The Drifters' version; but is still uniquely Elvis. As to has the best version of this song, you could get 500 different answers from 500 people. I get enjoyment out of Bing's, Elvis' and The Drifters' version (along with a couple of others).
The snippet of studio banter at the start was very innovatory! Does anyone know if there was a precedent?
I play the Bing Crosby version every Christmas, as to me the warm feeling it conveys epitomises what Christmas should be about. The Elvis version is totally different from Bing's and has the unique stamp of our boy. Is it as good as Bing's, not quite in my eyes, but is still a great track in its own right and is easily worth 4 stars.
I Love this song and version. The way Elvis sings the 3th verse is so powerful and unique that is just perfect. Elvis Christmas Albums are something mandatory for me every Christmas. It makes my Christmas bright...
This is such a beautiful, unique and iconic Christmas song and Elvis' rendition of it is fabulous, underrated and overlooked. It's a true masterpiece of a recording for sure.
1962, I got my first LP. Elvis Christmas Album, on it was White Christmas. Great recording. Different to other folks recording of this famous song. 4 star. To me Elvis & Christmas would always be linked.
I save listening to Elvis Christmas recordings for December each year.
The Irvin Berlin number that didn't quite hit the right note with the composer on hearing Elvis' version.Oh well, at least it made Berlin a little richer.
Not my favourite Elvis rendition of an established song, that goes to Blue Christmas, but I don't skip it either.
I prefer "White Christmas" the old fashioned way, Bing Crosby. But I like Elvis' version, too.
I give this song 5-stars as the entire Christmas album by Elvis released originally back in 1957. One has to remember Elvis patterned his version of "White Christmas" from The Drifters, almost exactly as their version. The Drifters recorded "Under The Boardwalk" some of you out there in "Elvis Land" may remember. I agree Bing Crosby's version is the one that nails it for most folks. Great song.