The cover of "The Beatles Christmas Album" as released
by the Beatles Fan Club. (Apple Corps Ltd.)
Here is a sad little holiday tale:
Once upon a time, the Beatles, in the spirit of holiday giving, recorded Christmas messages to their fans each year beginning in 1963. (You can hear the 1965 message above.)
The messages, some with music and with a lot of "larking about," were distributed to their fan club members on flexi discs. Then, in 1970, they were assembled on a vinyl album and again sent free to fan club members.
And then they disappeared. Sort of. Oh, fans that had them played them for themselves and their friends.
They were played on the radio occasionally. Later, bootleggers released them in various forms, even finding outtakes to add to the collection.
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But the recordings have never been re-released in their original form for everyone. Why not? They may not be Beatle songs, but they were great examples of Beatle wit and charm. They've been treated almost like a dirty secret. But, of course, they're a wonderful part of Beatle history.
Suddenly, this year, though, "The Beatles: Rock Band" became the first place since the fan club records to include any of the Beatles Christmas Records. But as of this moment, they still don't have a legitimate release.
Maybe the "Rock Band" "prize" is a trial balloon. But really, though. It's time for a legitimate release.
There is, of course, the Fab Four tribute band's "Hark!," a great Beatley Christmas album.
But it's not the Beatles Christmas album.
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Comments
Hi Steve - I think you've identified a genuine omission from the boxed set. I wonder if Apple even thought about it. In the lead-up to the boxed set release, there was plenty of speculation about what 'extras' might have been included - but this surely was *the* option. Low cost, without the pressure 'new material' would have brought, and a nice little bonus. Perhaps most fans already have the album courtesy of the bootleggers, but it would have been a reward for everyone who shelled out (again) for the boxed set; moreso now with the discount cycle underway.
Not the first official release of any of the material. There's an Anthology era single with "Christmas Time Is Here Again" on it, mixed with a bit of the spoken word Xmas messages at the end.
SirPaul54 - you're right. Christmas Time (Is Here Again) was an (edited) extra track on the Free As A Bird single. Ringo also re-recorded it for his 1999 Christmas album I Wanna Be Santa Claus.
On the Love album, All You Need Is Love closes with Lennon saying "This is Johnny Rhythm, just sayin' good night to youse all, and God bless ya!". This snippet was taken from the 1965 Christmas record.
My mother handed me down her 1963 and 64 flexi discs. I still have them, in the original envelopes with the thankyou slips from the Beatles fan club. One day I'll probably buy all the others, but they're not cheap!
As for a legitimate release, they're obviously of historical interest, but they really don't bear repeat listens. Maybe a Beatles/solo xmas compilation would be better, including the fan club tracks, Wonderful Christmastime, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), something from Ringo's album and a suitable George song (Give Me Love?).
Issuing the Christmas recordings at this time every year on CD (and as a download) seems like a no-brainer - an easy way for Apple to keep the Beatles in the minds of holiday consumers. Yet every year bootleg copies of this LP go for obscene amounts on eBay...
While some of the messages are more durable than others, whether or not they bear repeated listenings is beside the point. Every Beatles fan should have the opportunity to own a copy.
I would love a legit Xmas album release, but I think it would be a huge disappointment to most consumers. They'd expect a polished record, and be ticked off at the free-form content. I agree with Ian--this would have been great as a boxed set extra, where there would be no pressure for this album to be something it is not. How's this for a wild idea: Maybe just make the messages available online for free via the Beatles web site? It would be a great online foray, would get good publicity, would make hardcore fans ecstatic, and wouldn't disapppoint paying fans hoping for something more.
Most people who want this already have on a CD-R, but really, Hollywood Bowl should be released before this.
If this ever sees "the light of day" it should be a budget item ($7.99 CD), but knowing Apple, it will be a Limited Edition Collector's item and retail for $34.99.
I would love a legit Xmas album release, but I think it would be a huge disappointment to most consumers. They'd expect a polished record, and be ticked off at the free-form content. I agree with Ian--this would have been great as a boxed set extra, where there would be no pressure for this album to be something it is not. How's this for a wild idea: Maybe just make the messages available online for free via the Beatles web site? It would be a great online foray, would get good publicity, would make hardcore fans ecstatic, and wouldn't disapppoint paying fans hoping for something more.
I LOVE the Fab Four Christmas recordings Steve. Thanks for linking to them. I haven't pulled them out yet this year and it's time.
Ian: Well, they still could release it and hopefully one day (soon) they will.
I would LOVE to see the Beatles Xmas Album see the light of day as a legitimate release. In the end, though, it is something that would probably only appeal to fans as The Beatles really used their holiday records as more of a chance to joke around and give a personal thank-you rather than have it be a straightforward "Christmas song" a la Andy Williams. Have any of you ever listened to the Beatles Xmas album all the way through? It is actually really funny! Reminds me quite a lot of Monty Python. In the early years they actually record their holiday message together in the studio; in the later years it sounds like they recorded their pieces separately and then edited them all together.
I've had Rock Band, for Wii, since its release day. And I STILL can't figure out how to 'earn' the Christmas album.
I got the original fan club vinyl LP (not a boot...)at my first Beatles' convention Joe Pope's MMT 1975 in Boston(for $10!!), but have re-purchased it a few times on CD since and certainly expected that Apple would have released it in some form by now!!
a REAL lost opportunity not to have used it as a boxed set extra
I always thought that there was some legal reason (as fan club product) that they could not be sold but as a promotion or bonus it might be different.
isn't the ROCKBAND "prize" only the 1963 record not the compilation?
I have collected several boots on CD over the years and I suppose it's really not a boot as a "pirated" copy. I have made a whole Xmas album using John (Happy Xmas), Paul (Wonderful Christmastime), George (Ding Dong, Ding Dong), and Ringo (Little Drummer Boy - ;-) and I Want To Be Santa Claus) to fill in the album as well as the B-Side of Free As A Bird CD EP: Xmas Time Is Here Again and some bootlegged outtakes. I have it on my iPod as well as a CD for my car. Xmas isn't Xmas without a listen or two during the holidays. It also keeps you laughing all the way (like Jingle Bells says) while driving or stuck in holiday traffic.
I too expected a bonus in either the stereo or mono boxed sets. Maybe the USB apple will surprise me? Ha ha ha! Yeah right!
Maybe if they ever finish the Beatles on Capitol Records series?
Just as the Stereo Box Set had the Mini-Documentaries bonus DVD, the Christmas Album would have been the perfect extra for The Beatles In Mono box set. I do have a promo CD that I purchased at a record convention years ago. It's from On the Radio's Rarities on Compact Disc series, and it has all seven of the Christmas Messages, plus the solo singles from John & Yoko (Happy Xmas/Listen the Snow is Falling), Paul (Wonderful Christmastime/Rudolph), and George (Ding Dong), two spoken-word holiday promos that George did in the late '80s (one as himself, one as Nelson Wilbury) and Nora Bryan's novelty record, "All I Want for Christmas is a Beatle." I'm sure Apple will release the fan club messages at an appropriate time, perhaps with the full version of "Christmas Time Is Here Again," the BBC Chrimble Medley, and maybe the Kenny Everett interview that was issued only on an Italian promo.
Ya know, Steve, I rather think you and I will be dead by the time the "official" release of a Beatles Christmas CD comes out.
Perhaps we can also add the DVDs "Let It Be" and "Shea Stadium" to the list as well. We've only waited forever, haven't we?
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