Christmas 2014 Christmas Play (Page Three)

Did You Know? - "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a song with words and music by Frank Loesser written in 1944. Although popular during the Christmas and holiday season, it is strictly a romantic winter song such as "Winter Wonderland" or "Marshmallow World".

Unlike the latter two songs, though, "Baby , It's Cold Outside" had been played on radio all year around throughout the 50's. Until the late 1990's, the song was considered more of a pop standard and not a Christmas song.

Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party, and performed it toward the end of the evening, signifying to guests that it was nearly time to end the party. Garland considered it "their song" and was furious when Loesser sold the song to MGM.

Did You Know? - The song "Sisters" appeared in the movie White Christmas where both parts were sung by Rosemary Clooney (who served as Vera-Ellen's singing vocal dub for this song, while Trudy Stevens dubbed Vera-Ellen's other songs in the film).

The movie White Christmas also starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. It was not possible to issue an "original soundtrack album" of the film, because Decca Records controlled the soundtrack rights, but Clooney was under exclusive contract with Columbia Records.

Consequently each one issued a separate "soundtrack recording": Decca issuing Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas, while Columbia issued Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

On the former, the song "Sisters" (as well as all of Clooney's vocal parts) was recorded by Peggy Lee, while on the latter, the song was sung by Rosemary Clooney and her own sister, Betty.

The Clooney sisters' version, which was also released as a single, was the most popular recording of the song, charting in 1954. The song was also made famous in the United Kingdom by sister act the Beverley Sisters.

Did You Know? - "Go Tell It on the Mountain" is an African-American spiritual song, compiled by John Wesley Work, Jr., dating back to at least 1865, that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyrics celebrate the Nativity of Jesus:

“ Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere;
go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born. ”

 Did You Know? - "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)" is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman.

Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the Hollywood Christmas Parade) in Los Angeles during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus".

This inspired him to write a song that Haldeman set to music. A demo recording was made by singer/guitarist Johnny Bond, whose recording made use of ice cubes to mimic the sound of the jingling sleigh-bells. This inspired the use of real sleigh-bells in Autry's own recording of the song.

Autry first recorded the song in 1947; released as a single by Columbia Records, it became a #5 country and #9 pop hit.[1] Autry performed the song in his 1949 movie The Cowboy and the Indians. He re-recorded it again for Columbia in 1953 and once more for his own Challenge Records label in 1957.

Did You Know? - Lilly is the daughter of Grandson Zack and Becca.  Zachary was in the SAME Mrs. Santa's lap twenty-four years earlier when he was two months old!