CD SHOWCASE MEMORIES

HOLIDAY EDITION
From now until 01/06/2016, the regular features of “Wednesday Wrap: CD Showcase Memories” (9p US central) & “CarTunes Saturday: CD Showcase Memories” (8a US central) are pre-empted by highlights from the “CD Showcase – Holiday Edition” radio shows I hosted 12/24/2009, 12/24/2010 & 12/24/2011.

This entry features 3 songs from the 4th hour of my 12/24/2009 radio show: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock”, Brenda Lee’s “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” & Elvis Presley’s “Silver Bells”. Also featured: Ford Mustang, photographed by OC,SHer CHRIS L S at the 2015 Ocean Gate Car Show….

#1 “Jingle Bell Rock” | Bobby Helms
Composed by Joseph Carleton Beal & James Roth Boothe, this song was 1st recorded & released by Helms in 1957; it has been recorded by a plethora of fine artists since. The song’s title & some lyrics are parodies of & references to other Christmas standards & songs, including “Jingle Bells” & “Rock Around The Clock”. Interestingly, with the name “Rock” in the title, this song has never entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Instead, it has registered on the country & adult contemporary charts. In 1957, it peaked at #13 on the country charts. In 1996-7, the song reached #60 on the country & #18 on the Adult Contemporary charts after usage on the movie soundtrack of 1996’s ‘Jingle All The Way’.

#2 “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” | Brenda Lee
Written by Johnny Marks, this song was 1st recorded & released by Lee (a Lithonia GA native) in 1958 … when she was just 13 years old. A plethora of artists have recorded it since, but Lee’s remains the favorite & most known. However, while she released it originally in 1958 & again in 1959, the song did not become popular until she became a well-known singer in 1960. That season (1960), this song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been played every Holiday season since on many genres of radio stations: Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Oldies, Adult Contemporary & Country. Known as “little miss dynamite”, Lee was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1997.

#3 “Silver Bells” | Elvis Presley
This song was composed by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans; it was 1st performed by Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell in the movie ‘The Lemon Drop Kid’, filmed July-August 1950 & released March 1951. The 1st recorded version was done by Bing Crosby & Carol Richards, released by Decca Records, October 1950. Interestingly, after the Crosby-Richards version became popular, the studio called Hope-Maxwell back to re-film a more elaborate production of the song. According to Evans, the song title was originally “Tinkle Bells”, until Livingston’s wife pointed out the word’s other meaning (to urinate).