One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded: “White Christmas” by Frank Sinatra!!! (The 1944 Columbia Records 78 Version!)

For as long as I’ve been on the radio, and definitely for as long as I’ve been writing a blog, I will occasionally make a reference to a song being “One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded!” (GSER)

I would usually follow that by saying that I would eventually start a category for it, but then never get around to it.

Well, now I’m getting around to it!

My radio show, “Theme Attic,”  is on Wednesdays 12PM-4PM ET.

The show can be heard on WHFR 89.3 FM in the Dearborn-Detroit area of Michigan, or it can be streamed with this link: https://www.whfr.fm/streamer/!

The Greatest Songs will pretty much follow the pattern of The Most Awesomest Song of the Day.

I’ll select a song to celebrate and then give my thoughts about it. Nothing really brand new here that hasn’t been done before. But since I have a website, I can collect them and lay out what my own greatest songs are.

Here’s a link to have a look at “The Greatest Songs Ever Recorded”: https://philmaq.com/the-greatest-songs-ever-recorded/! Occasionally, an “awesome song” crosses over to become a “Greatest Song!”

Even though I always emphasize new music and artists, it’s always fun to take a short drive through the legendary artists, since they influenced those other artists!

But a song doesn’t have to be old or done by a legendary Theme Attic Hall of Fame member to be thus honored.

I can think of several songs that are only a few years old or less that I could identify as One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded.

This will be fun, and hopefully you will join me on my journey!

If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq!

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ 

Preface:

Don’t think this is a version you’ve heard before!
———————————————————————————————————-

Early in the pandemic, when my listening pattern was disrupted, I decided to reassess what I wanted to listen to.

For the past eleven years, my DJ years if you will, outside of The Beatles and a couple of other artists, I had pretty much dedicated my listening to mostly new or relatively unknown musicians.

I felt that pretty much everything else I had listened to up until then, was part of my DNA, so I decided to put most of that on the “back burner” for a while.

Without a stimulus to change things, I might not have come to the conclusion to start to add some classic songs to my player, with a focus on my “Theme Attic Hall of Fame” artists.

It’s a miniscule change, but for the moment, I will continue to slip some of my classic library in between new music.

That brings me up to today’s selection.

I have heard Bing Crosby’s version of  Irving Berlin’s [Hall of Fame] “White Christmas” to last several lifetimes.

I, personally, am not a fan of traditional Christmas music, however, I am a fan of Frank Sinatra! [Hall of Fame]

I’m not knocking your choice if you are a fan of Bing’s version. Part of the reason so many people like Christmas songs are the warm memories they evoke.

But I have to tell you that one of the reasons for me to like any other version of “White Christmas,” is that there isn’t any whistling on it!

Frankie‘s version has much more than that simple qualification!

In particular, it has the immense talents of arranger Alex Stordahl, who followed Sinatra to Columbia Records from Tommy Dorsey!

The string arrangement is One of the Greatest String Arrangements of All Time! 

Throw in some beautiful back up harmonies with some bells, and…well it captures that Christmas feeling of wistfulness!

After some morning shoveling, I went for a walk today, and in Southeastern Michigan, the snow has made the world a magical place!

This song popped up on my player, and the situation couldn’t have been more perfect!

I don’t know if there will be a “White Christmas” where you are or not, but I suggest enjoying it when you can!

One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded is “White Christmas”–The 1944 Columbia Records 78 Version, by Frank Sinatra!!!

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

I have plenty of other musical areas to explore:

Here’s a link for my weekly list of Fave Songs:

https://philmaq.com/phils-lists/phils-faves-songs/

Here’s a link for my weekly Fave Album lists:
philmaq.com/phils-lists/phils-faves-albums

My somewhat unusual Hall of Fame can be explored here: https://philmaq.com/hall-of-fame/!

Lastly, but most importantly, is my Philby Awards link! A Philby is my annual award for outstanding musical achievement! https://philmaq.com/philbys/!

If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq!

#FrankSinatra #IrvingBerln #AlexStordahl  #ABetterVersionofWhiteChristmas #FrankSinatraTheColumbiaYears #PhilMaq #OneoftheGreatestSongsEverRecorded #GSER

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Greatest Songs Ever Recorded, Greatest String Arrangements of All Time, Hall of Fame and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply