My Favorite Christmas Album of All Time: The Williams Brothers Christmas Album-NOW CLEANED UP! November 20, 2007
Posted by alleee in Easy Listening, Holiday, sharity.Tags: Andy Williams, Christmas, sharity, vinyl
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Edit: I have a much cleaner version available–same link! KTHNXBYE!
My parents must have bought this gem sometime between 1968, when we moved to Wenatchee, and 1969, when we moved to our first real house. I imagine it may have been purchased from J. C. Penney, where we bought the Magnavox console, and most of our vinyl entertainment. Back then, hi-fis and stereos were still thought of as furniture, save for the eight-track thing that was happening.
This album always meant Christmas to me. It is ultimately singable. If one is so musically inclined, one can attempt the complex harmonies arranged by W.Earl Brown, as mentioned in the liner notes. I know ‘em by heart. I can scarcely sing any of the traditional songs without thinking of these arrangements.
Two songs are closest to my heart. First, “To Santa Claus’ House We Go.” It’s fun, but not embarrassingly so (if you know what I mean). Then there’s “Sleep Well, Little Children.” It’s short, but to the point (and I’m typing this lyric by heart):
Sleep well, little children;
Pleasant dreams through the night.
Tomorrow is Christmas;
So Merry and Bright!
Soon, you’ll hear the bells ring,
Time for dreams to come true,
As the world waits to bring
Merry Christmas to you!
That little song captures everything I loved about Christmas, and still love. It both excited me and calmed me, if such a thing is possible. I hear the song and immediately smell that lovely artificial and extremely harsh smell of Christmas Pine Scent.
Finally, the song began my interest in making mixtapes–I had to have copies for my room once I managed to get a little tape recorder in there. Rewind, play, rewind, play, rewind…and sorta harsh out the record I share with you today. I’m so sorry about that. It’s very well loved. Perhaps you might want a copy from ebay–’cause Lord knows there aren’t any other pressings of this out there.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this!!!!! It was always one of my favorites growing up, now my kids listen to it. Thank you so much for posting this!!!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I bought this record back when it first came out and I was a young adolescent with a HUGE crush on Andy Williams. I loved it then and played it all the time at Christmas–it came to mean Christmas to me too! Over the years, though, the album (along with all my other albums) was put away, my turntable died, and I kind of figured “that was that.” Then last year I saw a show on PBS that was a collection of clips from Andy Williams Christmas specials from years ago, and so many of the songs sung on that special were sung by the brothers. Hearing the voices again was so thrilling I determined to apply myself to obtaining a listenable copy of the album (as my album was rendered unlistenable owing to the scratches), and preferably a cd. (I was–and am, still–surprised that a cd was never mastered for this album.) Couldn’t get a cd, and ebay has had only 2 copies of the record for sale in the last year. I was outbid on both of them. Then I found this website and your zip file. I’ve just now burned a cd and am on top of the world. Again. Thanks so very much for your kindness in posting this. You have made my day, my Christmas, and many Christmases to come.
Thank you so much … I’ve got the old scratched record from my childhood and have been looking for a good copy of this for literally years!
Thank you for the kind comments. Just for that, my link is updated with a MUCH cleaner copy of the album. Enjoy!
This is the best x-mas album ever! I loved listening to this when I was younger. Luckily my mom gave me this album (she knew I loved it) one x-mas many years ago. The record is still in pretty good shape. I was wondering on the download – is there a song missing? When I downloaded it I didn’t seem to find the very first song on the album “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Anyway, this album should be put out in a CD version.
I don’t know–I looked at the zip, and it all seems to be there. Maybe try downloading again?
Whoa!!! Fantastic! My mom, brothers and sister are all rejoicing! We love this album and have been scouring to find it for a long time!
Terry Butler
I loved this album as a kid, and couldn’t believe a CD of it wasn’t available in the US. But believe it or not, a bona-fide CD of this album IS available…in the Netherlands, of all places. It cost me a pretty penny to buy it and ship it here, but it was worth it. No more scratches! The CD goes by a different, odd title: “Christmas with Andy Williams and The Williams Brothers: Andy and His 3 Brothers Sing Seriously Tight Vocal Harmonies”.
I can’t tell you how happy this makes me! I grew up listening to this album and love it so much, as does my whole family. My mother still has the ancient vinyl and while I was able to transfer it to CD a few years ago it still has the pops and hisses that the vinyl has.
I’m so thrilled to be able to offer her a cleaner version — thank you so very, very much!
I was turned on to this from my best friends Terry Butler and although I’m getting this just after Christmas this year , I absolutely love this, I remember some of the tunes but never heard all of it and so wonderfully clear!! Thanks for this!!
I found your site today doing some searches about Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers after viewing a recording of one of the PBS shows about his annual Christmas shows. After a little more searching, I found Andy’s home site and it looks like he’s offering this album for sale on his site.
Hope this helps. The price is a tad high, but not really when you consider it’s OOP now. I also tried finding something on eBay and no luck.
I had this album when I was in Junior High School. I had it on my turntable and left to go shopping. When I returned I found my room had started on fire!!!! Alas, I had a candle making kit….. Oh well, I lost the album, melted on the turntable. It has haunted me for well over 37 years. My sister made an effort to replace it with a CD, but I knew it wasn’t the same. I never knew why it was so hard to find. I am attempting to download it from this web site. I hope it works. That’s a very long time to wait to replace a lost “treasure”.
Thank you for making this recording available on your website. However, the same album of Andy and his brothers was released on CD in 2001 called “HOLIDAY MAGIC WITH ANDY WILLIAMS & THE WILLIAMS BROTHERS”. It was released by Definitive Records. It is the exact album you have on your site with the exception of an additional bonus song of Andy singing “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”. The cover artwork is also different. I purchased my copy at FYE. I’m sure anyone who is interested can order a copy from FYE or any other major record outlet. The CD number is 60039.
After submitting my comment, I realized I had omitted another bonus song on ‘HOLIDAY MAGIC WITH ANDY WILLIAMS & THE WILLIAMS BROTHERS”. Andy also sings “Christmas Is A Feeling In Your Heart”. So this CD has two additional bonus songs performed by Andy that were not on the original album “The Williams Brothers Christmas Album”. I purchased my copy in 2001, the year it was released. I’m sure it’s still available. Enjoy!
I have a copy of this on CD from the Andy Williams Theatre in Branson, Mo.
They are available at a great price there.
Just contact the Moon River Theatre 2500 W Highway 76 Branson, MO 65616
You are awesome! I loved this album and was so happy when I thought I bought a copy…. but it was a remix on Columbia records, and they totally ruined it! The long medley was broken up into two cuts, and not all the songs survived. Your fav.. Sleep Well Little Children… was lost! I am so grateful you made this available. Thanks!
hey Bob-where did you get that cd from columbia? that’s the one i am looking for. i grew up with that version and am just as passionate about the remix as everyone seems to be about this version.
Are the William’s brothers still alive?
As of 2000, they were:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0008/22/lkl.00.html
Wow … memories of my childhood are flashing before my eyes! This is so great – I’ve been smiling all morning! Thanks!
If I may also ask …. I’ve been looking (for years!) for a copy of the “Christmas with Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers” album. I don’t suppose you have that as well? It’s possible that many of the songs might be the same but that is the recording I had as a child and is the one that will make my holiday’s complete!
Well, I’ve had it before–but not right now. I think you can find it on cd–if not, ebay has it right now.
To Ardys: the songs found on Christmas with Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers are slightly edited or rearranged and taken from the Williams Brothers Christmas record.
To alleee: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, and a very BIG THANK YOU so much for sharing this record!!! My dad has the Christmas with Andy Williams and The Williams Brothers record and I’ve always wanted to hear the rest of the Williams Brothers Christmas lp. You’ve made my life much brighter this Christmas. I cannot thank you enough. God bless you! My dad will absolutely LOVE this!!! Do you know where I can find the Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians Christmas lp? There are a few of those tracks on a compilation lp entitled Christmas with Nat King Cole/Fred Waring which my dad has as well. Again, thank you so very very much!!!
You can get the record of the Meaning of Christmas from amazon, I think.
We had that Fred Waring/Nat King Cole record, too.
My mother still has a copy of this album– in reasonably good condition– but she lives half a continent away and is electronically challenged. I taped her copy, 3o years ago, while home for my freshman Thanksgiving. Last night, my husband and I spent an hour unsuccessfully looking for that tape, found the scratchier copy my father made about ten years ago, and discovered that my tape deck didn’t work anyway. I’ve been contemplating decorating the tree without my favorite soundtrack for the first time. No doubt, the ornaments would have been hung with less enthusiasm. Now I can transfer to CD and “hang away.” Thank you for posting this!
This record played at my house every holiday season as far back as I can remember. As my siblings and I got into our teens and became far too cool for such stuff, we made fun of our mother each time she would play it. Her vinyl copy was so wrecked that you couldn’t play the thing without putting a couple of coins on the tone arm so it was heavy enough to get through the scratches. Even then there was a skip at the beginning of “Hark” which wouldn’t be surmounted and if you weren’t near the turntable to fix it quickly you’d be listening to, “Hark the herald ang/erald ang/erald ang/erald” until you could get to it and push it through. Having gotten through the coolness of our teens, we all find ourselves in agreement that this is the best Christmas album of all. I think my mother takes a great deal of pleasure in listening to this with her children.
I’ve been seeking and not finding for a good many years and am sincerely grateful to you for getting us back to a place where we can hear it without stacking coins on it. Cheers!
This is wonderful! I spent many a holiday hour as a child in the 60’s listening to Andy Williams and others on my mother’s fine wooden Magnavox stereo console. The radio and turntable still work! My 87 year old dad still has it in his home because he could not bear to part with it.
My 15 year old son just burnt this file onto a CD for me, placed it in my CD player, and cranked it up to eleven. Andy and his brothers sound better at a lower volume, and once I turned them down, the cat re-emerged from under the bed and we are chillin’ out to the smooth sounds of a Williams Family Christmas.
Thank you for an unexpected Christmas present! It will be enjoyed for years to come.
Thanks a bunch. I’m a bit young to remember this at my house, but we saw the one hour special on PBS twice this past few weeks and couldn’t turn it off. The second time my mom was over and she really enjoyed it also. How about those lovely all-green and all-red outfits. Fabulous!
I love having all the brothers together instead of just Andy himself (but I’m going to get one of his solo works too).
I sent an email to the Andy Williams official site and asked about the CD. I received an email back that they did have a few for sale. I ordered one and got it in the mail yesterday! I’m listening to it now! It is amazing!!
This album has been my favorite since I was a child. But like most of my old albums they were put to rest or lost when the turn tables were no longer made. I have been looking for a CD of this album but with no luck. I would love to know if anyone has this in a CD that they could make for me or have one that I could buy.. Thank you…Vicki C
You can buy Holiday Magic with Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers from Amazon.com . See the site if you think it’s the same thing. It might be:
http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Magic-Andy-Williams-Brothers/dp/B0000DESIC
Dear Mondo Diablo, I couldn’t agree with you more. This is my all time favorite Christmas album too. I have been caring for my parent’s vinyl copy of this incredible Williams Brothers Christmas LP for many years now. Listening to your downloads, finally after all these years, actually put a tear in my eye, bringing me back to my Christmas youth. It is filled with beautiful vocal harmonies that continue to give goosebumps throughout Sides A and B, reminding me that The Beatles were not my only “harmony” influences for my music career. It is a priceless recording of Christmas Joy, and your description above says it all. Thank you so much for posting you pristine stereo download. Merry Christmas.