Recording: White Christmas with verse?

Subject: Rec: White Christmas with verse?
From: Mysha
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 07:13 PM

Hi,

I'm trying to find a recording of White Christmas that includes the verse. So far I've managed to find one by Darlene Love, that definitely does not resemble the sheet music that I somehow can't find any more.

Would anyone happen to know a (CD?) recording that is more or less true the score? Or are there any tips on where sheet music hides after you've moved house trice?

Bye
                                                                Mysha

Subject: RE: Rec: White Christmas with verse?
From: Rumncoke
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 07:41 PM

There are only eight lines - at least that is all I have heard, with the last four repeated.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones used to know
Where the tree tops glisten and children listen
To hear sleigh bells 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

as for things hiding after moving house - there are things hiding and I have not moved house for over 30 years - I think they just hide.

Subject: RE: Rec: White Christmas with verse?
From: Genie
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 08:35 PM

Bing Crosby recorded the full song, I'm pretty sure.

The verse/intro is:

The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There's never been such a day
In Beverly Hills, L. A.,
But it's December the twenty-fourth
And I am longing to be up north.

Subject: RE: Rec: White Christmas with verse?
From: Genie
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 08:50 PM

I can't play any videos on YouTube today, for some reason (all the screens are black and there's no "play" button).   But here are links to a couple of youtubes that have the intro as well as the main part of the song:

White Christmas (with intro) Ukulele Ukester Brown

from the film "Holiday Inn"

Bing Crosby Sings "White Christmas" - 12/21/68 Hollywood Palace including the intro verse

Subject: ADD: White Christmas (Irving Berlin) with verse
From: Genie
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 08:56 PM

Apparently, The Carpenters actually recorded the whole song, including the intro. It's on this album:

"Christmas Portrait" is the first Christmas album recorded by The Carpenters, originally released on October 13, 1978 (A&M 4726).

WHITE CHRISTMAS
(Irving Berlin, ©1942)

Intro:

The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
I've never seen such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A.,
But it's December the 24th
And I am longing to be up north.

Verse:
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the treetops glisten, and children listen
To hear sleigh bells 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."

"White Christmas" - The Carpenters

I actually hear this recording sometimes on radio at this time of year.

Subject: RE: Rec: White Christmas with verse?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 08:58 PM

Yes, it's intreresting there's no play button on YouTube today. Wonder what the story is on that.

It is a great verse, really sets the stage.   We sing it in my door to door caroling group every year, then for the chorus break into multipart harmony made up on the spot.   Admittedly we have at least one person just fabulous on improv harmony--and some others not bad at it.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Genie
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 09:11 PM

Now YouTube seems to be back to normal operation, at least on some videos. DK what the glitch was.

Improv harmony is great, and if you do White Christmas a cappella, I imagine the harmonies can get pretty interesting. I love the harmony(ies) on the old Bing Crosby recordings though, and the chords aren't that tricky.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 10:06 PM

The lyrics Jeanie posted above are exactly what gleaned from The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin (Robert Kimball and Linda Emmet, 2001). Excerpts from notes from the book:

The Paramount movie Holiday Inn was released in August, 1942, starring Bing Crosby (Jim Hardy) and Fred Astaire (Ted Hanover). Also starring were Marjorie Reynolds (Linda Mason) and Virginia Dale (Lila Dixon). Music and lyrics were by Irving Berlin. During the late 1930s, Irving Berlin and Moss Hart discussed writing a revue based on the major holidays. In the movie, Crosby buys a Connecticut farm and turns in into a hotel that is open only on holidays.

Songs in Holiday Inn:

1. Special Opening for Main Title
   
2. You're Easy to Dance With (only song without "Holiday" idea)
   
3. Happy New Year's Blues (New Year's Day)
   
4. Father Abraham (Lincoln's Birthday)
   
5. Be Careful, It's My Heart (Valentine's Day)
   
6. I Can't Tell a Lie (Washington's Birthday)
   
7. A Little Bit of Irish (St. Patrick's Day)
   
8. Easter Parade (Easter)[published in 1933, used in Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Holiday Inn (1942), and Easter Parade (1948)]
   
9. I Pledge Allegiance to My Flag (musical version)(Decoration Day and Flag Day)
   
10. This Is a Great Country (July 4th)
    
11. The Wedding of Capital and Labor (Labor Day)
    
12. If Columbus Came Back Today (Columbus Day)
    
13. Jack O'Lantern (Halloween)
    
14. We Fought the War to End All Wars - Hurray for Armistice Day (Armistice Day)
    
15. Plenty to be Thankful For (Thanksgiving)
    
16. White Christmas (Christmas Day)

I gather from this YouTube video that Crosby didn't sing the verse in the movie Holiday Inn. This appears to be a duet with Marjorie Reynolds, but the singing was dubbed by Martha Mears. Get a load of Crosby's whistling.

---

The 1954 movie White Christmas Starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Music and lyrics were by Irving Berlin. This is a story about a Vermont lodge that's having financial problems, and the stars team up to save it.

The song "Sisters" appeared in this movie, along with "White Christmas" and a number of other songs. Oh - "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" was another hit from this movie.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 10:09 PM

Actually the harmonies we use are pretty straightforward--lots of thirds and sixths--and you know where the song is going.    But with several octaves being heard, it's pretty rich.

And yes, there is nothing like good improv a cappella harmony.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 05:43 AM

Here are the Penkhull pub carol singers practising White Christmas. Note the daring key change, rather advanced for us. It's an cappella piece really, the guitar is just keeping things vaguely on track at the practice. Very fine chords this song has, the 13th and the minor 9th which are structural rather than jazzy add-ons make it very satisfying.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 06:19 AM

Greg, I tried to click on it, got Facebook and something totally different. Do you have the right link?

My group doesn't practice anything--we're not even a group--just whoever shows up (SATB) on the day.   We run 3 songs (10 min. total) and hit the street.

I'd be curious to see and hear the pub singers.

Thanks

Ron

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Mysha
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 08:46 AM

Hi,

Rumncoke: Sorry, I should have mentioned the verse wasn't normally sung. That I neglected to do so was more or less because this happened to several Christmas songs of the classics decades, and to quite a few other songs as well. To me, asking for the verse is in itself an indication that there's another lost verse there. I also don't have a decent recording of Santa Claus is Coming to Town including the verses, for example.

Genie: Thanks: As Crosby was the performer of the film versions, without, I wouldn't have guessed he had also done a version with. Unfortunately, this appears to be video-only, though. The one behind the ukulele seems very close to the original score, but the cutting tones of the instrument make it a bit hard on the hearing for me.

Joe: Indeed, in the film versions the verse isn't sung. The first time, not in your list but it would obviously become 2a, Joe Hardy plays this song, with Linda Mason joining in, while in the final song it's the other way around. Since both versions are connected to a Connecticut farm, the verse wouldn't make sense there. The verse, IMO, would never make sense in the film at all, which is why I doubt that it really was written for Holiday Inn, even though that's the official story.

Ron: Yes, that's more or less why I'm looking for it as well. It's a nice song, but it with the verse the music gets a build-up and the lyrics become more than just a romantic image. (But the USA had become involved in the WWII by the time this song came out, and everybody probably longed for just a romantic image.) Nothing wrong with a romantic image, but I like a good song to tell a bit of a story.

OK, I've found the CD that has the medley where the The Carpenters version was taken from, and I've now found that Wikipedia lists a few artists as well. I may have a better White Christmas this year. (Well, it's white when I look out of the window now, but that's because the painters wrapped almost the entire house, and left the stuff there so they can continue first thing Monday morning.)

Bye,
                                                               Mysha

If stuff hides anyway, regardless of moving house, does anyone know where in the house the favourite hiding place of sheet music might be?
                                                                  M.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 08:50 AM

I have the sheet music also, play it at this time every year--with verse, of course.    Don't have scanning capacity unfortunately.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Rumncoke
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 10:49 AM

It is something I have never heard before - perhaps not surprising when I come from the North of England and my brother sold his sports car because he couldn't find it some Winter mornings unless he'd seen the forecast and stuck a couple of bamboo canes with red flags on top into the bumpers - it stopped the snow plough hitting it too.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 12:02 PM

Ron Davies: White Christmas link is working now OK. Doesn't start for a few seconds.

Subject: White Christmas harmonies
From: Genie
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 02:34 PM

@ Ron Davies -
I agree that the harmonies used by Bing et al. are pretty straightforward (not complicated chords), but I find them more interesting than many harmonies because they don't stay above or below the melody, but 'cross over' in several places.   

And, Joe, yes, Bing's whistling - like Al Jolson's - was pretty impressive.

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 04:05 PM

Hi, Greg - the Facebook link doesn't work for me, either. Maybe it's not set for public access, and will work only for certain people.

-Joe=

Subject: RE: Recording: White Christmas with verse?
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 04:08 PM

Maybe so. It's a link to a Facebook page belonging to someone who is a friend of mine. And, indeed, a "friend" of mine.So maybe only her friends can see it?