We’ll take a bit of a detour this week and feature the holiday music stylings of singer Andy Williams.
Andy Williams used his weekly variety show for an annual Christmas special on TV each year throughout most of the 60’s and early 70’s. Often the Osmonds would show up. It was a bit like a hipper Lawrence Welk Show, and is was fun for the entire family to watch.
This video is a collection of Andy William’s favorite clips from those specials.
Many people know him best for his rendition of “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” but my favorite is his lightening-paced version of “Sleigh Ride,” which I try to sing along with each year and have never been able to keep his pace.
http://youtu.be/ZeERWYz6n9A
Plus, a bonus video of Jonathan Coulton in San Francisco performing “Chiron Beta Prime,” the holiday song the gets more real each year. Jump to 3:05 or so in the timeline to skip the rambling introduction.
Flashback!
The Andy Williams Christmas specials became a regular fixture in my family’s holiday tv watching. They were part of a tv specials binge that went on for a solid month. Him, Bob Hope, the King Family, Perry Como, Mitch Miller, Kate Smith, everyone did a Christmas show, and our family had to watch them. Boy, what memories.
Moonlight in Vermont
Moonlight in Vermont is performed about 35 minutes into the William’s special. Right after, Sleigh Ride!
Watching these again reminds of how silly those matching outfits look, and how fabulous the stage sets and costumes were. Ice skaters on stage. Real fires. And lots of snow.