Bing Crosby is one of the iconic voices of Christmas. Now, fans have the opportunity to hear even more holiday classics from the legend himself with Bing Crosby’s Christmas Gems. The album finds holiday classics sitting alongside deep cuts pulled from the archives.
Among the 14 tracks are classics like “Let it Snow,” “Joy to the World,” and “Little Drummer Boy,” along with hidden gems “Christmas Star,” “Christmas Island,” “Good King Wenceslas,” “How Lovely is Christmas” and more. The album also boasts Crosby’s collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald on “Marshmallow World,” David Bowie on “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”—which they originally sang together on Crosby’s 1977 TV special, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas—and his wife Kathryn Crosby on “Away in a Manager.”
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The album, released as a joint venture by the Estate of Bing Crosby and Primary Wave Music, also features a recitation of “The Night Before Christmas.” “Christmas Gems has been a special project we’ve been working on for some time now, and on behalf of the Crosby family, we are thrilled to share it with you all,” said Crosby’s son, businessman and philanthropist Harry Crosby, in a press release. “It’s been a joy to celebrate my father’s legacy and love for the holidays with this record. These songs and recordings hold such wonderful memories for us, and we hope the same for everyone who listens along.”
The music icon established himself as the king of Christmas with the release of his signature hit, “White Christmas,” in 1942. The song appeared in the 1942 film, Holiday Inn, starring Crosby. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943 and remains the best-selling single of all time with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide. “White Christmas” also appeared on Crosby’s 1945 compilation album, Merry Christmas, which featured his other famous recordings of “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
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