I'll Be Home for Christmas

Last updated

"I'll Be Home for Christmas"
I'll Be Home for Christmas Bing Crosby.jpg
The original 1943 release by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra on Decca, 18570A
Single by Bing Crosby
B-side Danny Boy [1]
PublishedSeptember 27, 1943 (1943-09-27) by Charles Warren, Hollywood [2]
ReleasedOctober 26, 1943 (1943-10-26)
RecordedOctober 1, 1943 (1943-10-01) [3]
Studio Decca Recording Studio, Los Angeles, California [4]
Length2:58
Label Decca 18570 [3]
Composer(s) Walter Kent
Lyricist(s) Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
Bing Crosby singles chronology
"Pistol Packin' Mama"
(1943)		"I'll Be Home for Christmas"
(1943)		"I Love You / I'll Be Seeing You"
(1944)

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard. [5] [6]

Contents

Theme

The song is sung from the point of view of a soldier stationed overseas during World War II, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells his family he will be coming home and to prepare the holiday for him, and requests snow, mistletoe, and presents "on" the tree. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying, "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". [7] [6] The flip side of the original recording (Decca 18570B) was "Danny Boy." [1]

The song was written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent. Songwriter Buck Ram, known for his hits including "Only You", "The Great Pretender", "Twilight Time", and "The Magic Touch", wrote the original lyrics in 1922, while a student at the University of Illinois, as a poem for his mother. Kent and Gannon were acquaintances, and the three discussed the song during a chance meeting in a bar in 1941. A songwriter, producer and manager for groups that included The Platters, The Penguins, and The Flares, Ram was credited as a co-writer as a result of a lawsuit brought by his publisher, Mills Music. [8] Bing Crosby's original 1943 release of the song on Decca Records listed only Walter Kent and Kim Gannon as the songwriters on the record label. Later pressings added the name of Buck Ram to the songwriting credit.

Bing Crosby recording

On October 1, 1943, Crosby recorded the song under the title "I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)", with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records; [3] it was released as a 78 rpm single, Decca 18570A, Matrix #L3203, and reissued in 1946 as Decca 23779. Within a month of release, the song charted for 11 weeks, with a peak at number three. The next year, the song reached number 16 on the charts. [9]

The U.S. War Department also released Bing Crosby's performance of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from the December 7, 1944, Kraft Music Hall [10] broadcast with the Henderson Choir, J.S.T., on V-Disc, as U.S. Army V-Disc No. 441-B and U.S. Navy V-Disc No. 221B, Matrix #VP1253-D5TC206. [11] The song from the broadcast has appeared in many Bing Crosby compilations.

In the midst of World War II, the song touched the hearts of Americans, both soldiers and civilians, and it earned Crosby his fifth gold record. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows. [6] The GI magazine Yank said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era". [5]

1945 V-Disc release by the U.S. Army of "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Bing Crosby as No. 441B Bing Crosby V Disc 441 Christmas.jpg
1945 V-Disc release by the U.S. Army of "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Bing Crosby as No. 441B

Despite the song's popularity with Americans at the front and at home, in the UK, the BBC banned the song from broadcast, as the Corporation's management felt the lyrics might lower morale among British troops. [12] [6]

Seventy-seven years after its original release, Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (at number 50 on the chart dated January 2, 2021). [13]

Charts

Chart (1943–2021)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] 50
US Best Sellers in Stores ( Billboard ) [15] 3
US Hot 100 Recurrents ( Billboard ) [16] 13
US Streaming Songs ( Billboard ) [17] 30
US Holiday 100 ( Billboard ) [18] 28
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [19] 23

Notable history and cover versions

Elvis Presley recorded the song in September 1957, and was featured on the LP Elvis' Christmas Album .

Singer Johnny Mathis also covered the song on his Merry Christmas album in 1958, which was the #2 Christmas album of 1963 and 1964 as there were no Christmas album rankings prior to 1963. In December 1965, astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, while on Gemini 7 , requested "I'll Be Home for Christmas" be played for them by the NASA ground crew. [20] Since the incarnation of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, cover versions by Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello and American singers Kelly Clarkson and Josh Groban are the only versions of the song to enter the chart.

Certifications and sales

Michael Bublé

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [48] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O Holy Night</span> Christmas carol

"O Holy Night" is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described as 'the dear Saviour' in the original, and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Originally based on a French-language poem written in 1843 by poet Placide Cappeau, it was set to music by composer Adolphe Adam in 1847. The English version, with small changes to the initial melody, is by John Sullivan Dwight.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. In 2007, ASCAP ranked it the third most performed Christmas song during the preceding five years that had been written by ASCAP members. In 2004 it finished at No. 76 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs rankings of the top tunes in North American cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town</span> 1934 Christmas song

"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song featuring Santa Claus, written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Band. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show in November 1934 it became a hit; within 24 hours, 500,000 copies of sheet music and more than 30,000 records were sold. The version for Bluebird Records by George Hall and His Orchestra was very popular in 1934 and reached the various charts of the day. The song has been recorded by over 200 artists including Mariah Carey, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, the Crystals, Neil Diamond, Fred Astaire, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Mitch Miller, Boxcar Willie, Bill Evans, Chris Isaak, the Temptations, The Pointer Sisters, the Carpenters, Michael Bublé, Luis Miguel, Michael Bolton, and the Jackson 5.

"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Christmas (song)</span> Original song written and composed by Irving Berlin

"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The song was written by Berlin for the 1942 musical film Holiday Inn. The composition won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards. Bing Crosby's record topped the Billboard chart for 11 weeks in 1942 and returned to the number one position again in December 1943 and 1944. His version would return to the top 40 a dozen times in subsequent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter Wonderland</span> Original song written and composed by Felix Bernard (music) and Richard B. Smith (words)

"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season.

"Mele Kalikimaka" is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase Mele Kalikimaka, meaning "Merry Christmas". One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 on Decca. It has been covered by many artists and used in several films.

"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas". The song has been recorded by many artists, but was a hit for Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra on September 18, 1951, and released on RCA Victor as 47-4314 and 20-4314. Bing Crosby recorded a version on October 1, 1951, which was also widely played.

<i>Merry Christmas</i> (Bing Crosby album) 1945 compilation album by Bing Crosby

Merry Christmas is a Christmas-themed compilation album by Bing Crosby that was released in 1945 on Decca Records. It has remained in print through the vinyl, CD, and downloadable file eras, currently as the disc and digital album White Christmas on MCA Records, a part of the Universal Music Group, and currently on vinyl as Merry Christmas on Geffen Records. It includes Crosby's signature song "White Christmas", the best-selling single of all time with estimated sales of over 50 million copies worldwide. The album was certified 4× Platinum by RIAA for selling over 4 million copies in United States. The original 1945 release and subsequent re-releases and re-packages spent a total of 39 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard pop albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Bublé discography</span>

Canadian singer Michael Bublé has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, nine EPs, eighteen singles, and fourteen music videos. He has recorded for Warner Bros. Records, Reprise Records, and 143 Records. Bublé has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Canadian artists in history. Billboard listed him as the 3rd Top Canadian Artist of all time. He has scored 4 No. 1 albums on Billboard 200. He was listed by Billboard as the 47th Top Artist of 2010s decade. He also placed three albums on Billboard 200 Albums of the Decade which includes: Christmas, To Be Loved and Crazy Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bing Crosby discography</span>

American singer Bing Crosby has released 71 studio albums, 83 compilation albums and 409 singles over the course of his career. Crosby is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold more than 200 million records as of 1960 according to different sources his sales could be 300 million, 500 million records, tapes, compact discs and digital downloads globally. Guinness World Records recognizes "White Christmas" as the best-selling single of all time, selling 50 million copies globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)</span> 1949 Christmas song by Johnny Marks

"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a song by songwriter Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company. Gene Autry's recording hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camila Cabello</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1997)

Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in Fifth Harmony, Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of her collaborative singles "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Bad Things" —the latter peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. She left the group in late 2016.

<i>St. Patricks Day</i> (album) 1947 compilation album by Bing Crosby

St. Patrick's Day is a compilation album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby released in 1947 featuring songs with an Irish theme. This includes one of Crosby's most-beloved songs, "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" which was number four on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, and topped the Australian charts for an entire month, on shellac disc record. This version, the 1945 re-recording, was released earlier in another Crosby album, Selections from Going My Way.

<i>Christmas Greetings</i> (album) 1949 studio album by Bing Crosby

Christmas Greetings is a studio album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby released in 1949 featuring popular Christmas songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Eve (Kelly Clarkson song)</span> 2017 single by Kelly Clarkson

"Christmas Eve" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson. Written by Clarkson with Jason Halbert, who produced it, it is a Christmas-themed song about witnessing the festive joys of the Christmas season, primarily on Christmas Eve. Released as a companion track to Clarkson's children's book River Rose and the Magical Christmas, it was later issued as a single by Atlantic Records on November 30, 2017. The song is included on Clarkson's second Christmas album When Christmas Comes Around... (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need You Christmas</span> 2020 single by Jonas Brothers

"I Need You Christmas" is a Christmas song by American group Jonas Brothers. It was released on October 30, 2020. It is the fifth Christmas song released by the band after "Girl of My Dreams" in 2007, "Joyful Kings" in 2008, "Summertime Anthem" in 2009 and "Like It's Christmas" in 2019.

<i>Billboard</i> Christmas Holiday charts Music rankings by the trade magazine Billboard of Christmas Holiday Music

Billboard magazine only charted Christmas singles and albums along with the other popular non-holiday records until the 1958 holiday season when they published their first section that surveys only Christmas music.

References

  1. 1 2 "Decca 18570 (10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1943). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1943 1 Music New Series Vol 38 Pt 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  3. 1 2 3 "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Decca matrix L 3203. I'll be home for Christmas / Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  5. 1 2 PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from I'll be home for Christmas [Song Collection]. Library of Congress.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Society What's the best Christmas song?". Maclean's. December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ Collins, Ace (May 4, 2010). Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. ISBN   9780310873877 . Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  8. ↑ "The Jews Who Wrote Christmas Songs". InterfaithFamily.com. December 28, 2012.
  9. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.  109. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
  10. ↑ Pairpoint, Lionel. "And Here's Bing!". BING magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  12. ↑ Rodriguez McRobbie, Linda (April 18, 2013). "11 Reasons the BBC Has Banned Hit Songs". Mental Floss . Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ "The Hot 100: The week of January 2, 2021". billboard.com. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Song Collection: I'll Be Home for Christmas". Library of Congress . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Hot 100 Recurrents)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Streaming Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone . December 24, 2020. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  20. ↑ "I'll Be Home for Christmas". The Library of Congress. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  25. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 3 January 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1661. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 3, 2022. p. 4.
  26. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Michael Buble Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Michael Buble Chart History (Jazz Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Pentatonix Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Josh Groban Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Josh Groban Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Josh Groban Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Josh Groban Chart History (Christian AC Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  41. ↑ "Sara Evans Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  42. ↑ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 52" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard . Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  48. ↑ "British single certifications – Michael Buble – I'll Be Home for Christmas". British Phonographic Industry.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.