- Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra
- Jingle Bells - Glenn Miller and His Orch.
- Jingle Bells - Johnny Cole
- Jingle Bells - Johnny Mercer
- Jingle Bells - Sammy Davis, Jr
- Jingle Bells - The Norman Luboff Choir
- Jingle Bells/Mele Kalikimaka - Alfred Apaka And The Hawaiian Village Serenaders
- Jingling Brass - Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass
- Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells - Andy Williams
(in my humble opinion - your mileage may, and likely will, vary).
The Hawaiian version's long been a favorite but it's just can't cut it against this competition.
Sammy and Frank do great turns but I think they'll do just fine on a supplemental disc - plus both artists are still represented by other songs on the big list.
The Glenn Miller version's straight out of an old radio broadcast and suffers a bit in the audio department - plus the cigarette ad opening's less than ideal.
Johnny Cole's sounds classic on it's own but when placed in direct contrast against the rest it's clear it belongs on a supplemental.
Jingling Brass gets dropped since it's an instrumental version (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Andy Williams' take on Kay Thomson's Jingle Bells makes the cut since the song is enough of a variation that i don't consider it a duplication.
That leaves a pair of brilliant cuts - The Norman Luboff Choir and Johnny Mercer. Both tracks are in heavy rotation at Casa Kringle each holiday and it's hard t choose between the two. But, of the current crop, I'd have to say the Luboff version is so perfectly Christmas that it's starts snowing every time I play it.
So, I managed to drop 7 terrific , but just slightly less than perfect, songs from the master list. Thrilling, ain't it?
For more info on the song that sets the season visit Wikipedia.
karloff3 started a terrific Jingle Bells thread over at the Falalalala forums.
Do you have an absolute favorite vrsion of Jingle Bells I haven't covered yet?
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