WHITE MANSIONS

White Mansions - A Tale From The American Civil War 1861-1865 was a concept album released in 1978. In this article I will look back at the making and release of the album.

I must point out that this article in no way condones slavery or the wrong-minded and horrific realities of the Civil War or the pre-war South. It is just an album I found interesting, well put together and an enjoyable listen, musically, and one that tackles the story head on with its stories of the various Southern archetypes of the time.

White Mansions, a musical portrait of the American Civil War, was the idea of Paul Kennerley, who was not from the southern states or anywhere in America but born in Cheshire, England in 1948 and the son of a company director based in Liverpool. Following school he became an apprentice at the design studios of a Liverpool advertising agency. He spent part of 1969 in New York at an agency before returning to London where he was employed as a layout artist.

A career change was soon on the horizon. He had a passion for music and in the early seventies managed a London 'Pub Rock' band. Leaving the world of advertising in 1974 to pursue a career as a songwriter he soon discovered country music and in particular Waylon Jennings and his recording, Let's All Help The Cowboys Sing The Blues, which appeared on Jennings 1975 album Dreaming My Dreams. In an interview he recalled, "It really excited me and led me to discover many other artists and an entire genre I had never listened to before."

He only wanted to write country songs but his lack of experience of rural American life and culture seemed inauthentic. This, and his interest in the Civil War, led to his decision to write songs that were set in an historical setting and would become White Mansions, his first major project. 

His songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists including Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, The Everley Brothers, Dave Edmunds, Kenny Rogers, Martina McBride, Marty Stuart and Emmylou Harris, who he married in 1985 and divorced in 1991. He co-wrote most of the songs on Harris' 1986 concept album Ballad Of Sally Rose which was loosely based on her relationship with Gram Parsons.

He has also had songs featured in movies... I Don't Want To Love You (But I Do) (Thelma and Louise), Crazy Old Soldier (The Lost Boys) and Born To Run (Wild Rose).

White Mansions was produced by Glyn Johns, the English record producer who has worked with many of the famous rock artists and groups including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and The Eagles.

In his autobiography he talked about the project, "I have always loved the chemistry part of my job, mixing up musicians who have not played together before, particularly Americans and British."

Kennerley had approached Johns who he felt would be the ideal producer to help with the project. He sent him the lyrics and demos with a covering letter. Johns took the idea to Jerry Moss at A&M Records who didn't delay in signing Kennerley to a record and publishing deal.

With the story of Southern Pride from the point of view of four white Southerners during the American Civil War meant selling the idea wouldn't be easy. However, it was offset with the story being told from an outsiders perspective.

Chosen to play the various roles in the story were Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, John Dillon and Steve Cash, the latter two were members of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and Rodena Preston's 'Voices of Deliverance.' 

Musicians appearing on the album included, John Dillon (acoustic guitars, piano, electric piano, dulcimer and fiddle), Bernie Leadon (acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, mandolin dobro and pedal steel guitar), Waylon Jennings (electric & acoustic guitars), Dave Markee (bass guitar and string double bass), Henry Spinetti (drums), Steve Cash (harmonica) and Tim Hinkley (piano & organ). Strings were arranged by Brian Rogers.

Eric Clapton also appears on several tracks on the album playing electric slide guitar and dobro. 

Backing vocalists throughout the album were Bernie Leadon, John Dillon, Steve Cash and Paul Kennerley.

Although details about the recordings are not known, information about the songs featuring Waylon Jennings is available in the excellent Waylon Discography compiled by John L. Smith.

Sessions held at Olympic Studios in London during January 1978 resulted in the five songs featuring Waylon Jennings with one also featuring Jessi Colter. The songs recorded were, Dixie, Hold On, The Union Mare And The Confederate Grey (with Jessie Colter), The Southland's Bleeding, They Laid Waste To Our Land and Dixie, Now You're Done.

While no exact details are known it is more than likely that the remaining tracks on the album were recorded around the same time at both Olympic Studios and at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood.

In the liner notes, Kennerley wrote, "White Mansions is a portrayal of life in the Confederate States of America 1861-1865. The high hopes and deep sorrows of the Southern people are reflected in the experiences of the four characters whose combined words tell the tale of the American Civil War."

The main characters in the story are...

Matthew J. Fuller (John Dillon) is the twenty-three year old son of a wealthy Georgian cotton plantation owner and typical of the young aristocracy of the South. Brought up on a plantation that was worked by four hundred slaves he attended college, military academy and was dedicated to preserving the lifestyle of 'Old Dixie'. When war breaks out he enlists in the Confederate Army as a Captain.

Polly Ann Stafford (Jessi Colter) plays the love interest in the story as Matthew's sweetheart. The daughter of a nearby landowner she lives an opulent life and after the outbreak of war she does her bit to help the war effort by working in a disease-ridden hospital attending to the dying and wounded soldiers.

Caleb Stone (Steve Cash) portrays and epitomises 'white trash', a class of poor Southerners who lack any professional skills, land or property. Finding work wherever and whenever he can, often overseeing and keeping order among the negro field hands.

He resents the power and status of those who own the plantations but, despite this, has a loyalty to the South. One of his reasons for joining the fight is to preserve his superiority over the blacks.

The Drifter (Waylon Jennings) acts as the narrator of the story. He is descended from good Southern stock and unable to fight following injuries received fighting for Texas during the Mexican War. Roaming from town to town he is not involved in any fighting during the Civil War. He views both sides clearly speaking with a gentle strength and wisdom. 

The Slaves (Rodena Preston's 'Voices of Deliverance') represent the freed slaves of the South. The war was fought because of them and despite representing over a third of the population of the south their voices were seldom heard.

All the songs were written by Paul Kennerley with the exception of White Trash which was co-written with Bernie Leadon.

Part One opens with A Story To Tell, performed by Polly Ann Stafford, and sets the scene for the rest of the story and album. She has a premonition in which she sees the collapse and destuction of the 'Old South' reflected in the face of a white-haired plantation owner.

In Dixie, Hold On The Drifter warns of the pressures on the South by the 'civilised' North. Although at first advising caution and debate, due to the concerns that the United States will be split in two and destroy the strength of America, his good sense finally withers under the strain of his Southern spirit. The song ends with him offering up fighting talk.

Join Around The Flag finds Matthew, like many young men, caught up in the excitement that flowed through the South following the surrender of Fort Sumter, the last Union post in the newly formed Confederacy.

With his enthusiasm for the South and President Jefferson Davis he urges everybody to join the adventure and support the secession of the Southern states from the Union.

Caleb Stone makes his first appearance on the album with White Trash. Living a life little better than the slaves, he was tolerated and frowned upon by the upper and middle class. This was until they needed him to fight. He joins the 4th Texas Volunteers, under the command of Colonel J. Hood, and will find action during various battles including Gaine's Mill, Gettysburg and Chickamauga.

The Last Dance & The Kentucky Racehorse tells of the farewell ball at the luxurious home of Matthew's father where he says his goodbyes to Polly before riding off to join General Beauregard's army in Virginia.

With the war raging Caleb relates the early successes of the Confederacy during the opening year in Southern Boys and the overconfident feelings that success would soon be theirs.

Up till now the approach to war had been amateurish on both sides but was now giving way to bitter relentless fighting at places like Antietam and Fredericksburg. In The Union Mare & The Confederate Grey The Drifter begins to grasp the terrible horror of what was happening and regrets their initial desire to fight their arguments with weapons rather than with words. Polly joins him on a song that tries to put the point across that how much happier they would all be if they acted the way of the Union Mare and the Confederate Grey. The song closes Part One.

Opening Part Two is No One Would Believe A Summer Could Be So Cold, in which Matthew, disillusioned and fearing there will be no Confederate victory, writes to Polly about the woes of war. Robert E. Lee's loss at Gettysburg was catastrophic with Lee losing over 28,000 men while support from Britain and France was dashed. There was no doubt the tide was turning.

The Southland's Bleeding finds The Drifter realising that, despite some victories, the South is crumbling. The pride of the South, J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry, had been smashed, the Shenandoah Valley had been devastated by Sheridan and it wouldn't be long before Atlanta fell. It was time to quit and give up the fight but it would rage on for another year... as The Drifter sang, "It's Just Southern Pride, It's Just Southern Blindness."

By March 1865 it was all but over. Lee's army were badly armed, lacked provisions and shattered. The Confederates had abandoned Richmond and the Union Army had driven through Georgia and South Carolina, bringing Dixie to its knees. Before a surrender at Appamattox Court House on 9 April Matthew hopelessly orders up the twelve-pounders in a vain attempt to hold on. In Bring Up The Twelve Pounders we find him ordering for the guns but the only reply is from the ghosts of the Confederate dead. The war was over but the cost had yet to be counted.

They Laid Waste To Our Land finds Matthew, Caleb and The Drifter return home and find the devastation that was bought to the area by Sherman's 'March To The Sea.' A few days after the surrender Abraham Lincoln was assasinated by Southern fanatic John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was a loss to the defeated Confederates as he had planned the reconstruction of the Union with 'malice towards none' and 'charity for all'. Instead the Federal government treated the surrendered 'rebels' harshly and with bitterness.

Praise The Lord is the only song performed by The Slaves. Although freed on 1 January 1863 by a proclamation made by Abraham Lincoln it was ignored by the Confederacy. It wasnt until the war ended that they were finally free, although many were disillusioned and several stayed loyal to their former masters while over three million headed North. However, many were no better off and in some cases their conditions were worse as they were no longer fed and cared for by their masters. But bondage is the worst state for a human being and although the road to freedom was rocky it was a worthwhile journey.

At the end of the war, and sickened by what he had seen and his own callous attitude to life, Caleb turns to the scriptures. The King Has Called Me Home finds Caleb with a new interest in the teachings of the Lord. He goes from town to town preaching 'fire and brimstone' sermons. His drinking habits though remained.

The penultimate track is Bad Man in which Matthew returns home, only to find his former plantation home has been raised to the ground, members of his family had fled to avoid persecution and, worst of all, his sweetheart Polly had died from an epidemic disease that had killed many thousands. Dixie was in turmoil, greed and corruption were rife and it was hard for Matthew who had lived a privileged life. The laws were often unfair and driven by hate Matthew lived outside of them.

The Drifter brings the album to a close with Dixie, Now You're Done. A simple message... the story is over.

White Mansions (A&M SP-6004) was released in a gatefold sleeve with the album housed in an inner sleeve featuring a needlepoint flag with all the participants, made by Gwen Morris, on one side and comprehensive credits on the other side. The album cover had an old image of a 13-year old Confederate drummer boy centred on the front, characters and songs listed on the reverse while the middle spread was another period image from the 1860s.

There was also an accompanying 24-page booklet, written by Paul Kennerley and visually conceived by Ethan Russell, which told the story of White Mansions with lyrics to all the songs. There was also an opening section which gave an historical background to the American Civil War.

There was a mix of black & white images, some original period photos from the Library of Congress while several others were re-enactments taken by Ethan Russell who, along with Michael Ross, was credited for the art direction.

Among the re-enactments were some featuring the Southern Skirmish Association (London) and were taken at Dodington House, Park and Carriage Museum, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol.

While going through the booklet it is sometimes difficult to tell which images are original and which are re-enactments, so good is the attention to detail by the Southern Skirmish Association.

Very few reviews can be found from the time although one, from the UK music paper Melody Maker was not that impressed. In their review they said, "A dilemma - on the one hand we have some exceptionally good music; on the other, a project of doubtful worth." Reading this it makes you think the reviewer missed the point of the album. However, the reviewer did concede that, "... the songs are outstanding," and that the album was in line with the 'outlaw' style rather than middle of the road country.

Meanwhile, The Guardian described White Mansions as the first and perhaps best outlaw country rock Civil War concept album ever recorded!

The album is a gem in country music but chartwise the album didn't create much interest only reaching #181 on the Billboard Album Chart. However, it fared much better on the Billboard Country Album Chart peaking at #38.

Some of the albums lack of chart success can be put down to the problems associated with promotion. A&M were limited in the amount of publicity they could create especially with all the artists being signed to different labels.

Despite limited radio play and the lack of success on the charts the album did gain a cult appreciation in the years following its release. It is definitely an underrated album and deserves to reach a much wider audience.

Waylon Jennings, in his autobiography, wrote, "White Mansions is a lovely record, and it touched me in a deeply personal way, as a man whose house is built on a Civil War battlefield and a Southerner. Though it probably went over the heads of its intended audience, making the album was one of my most enjoyable experiences."

A couple of years later Kennerley turned to another slice of American history with the concept album The Legend Of Jesse James. For this album he bought together another great line-up of country music artists including Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell and Albert Lee.

In 1999 both albums were issued on CD in a two-for-one package given the title Confederate Tales.

Earlier I mentioned that Kennerley had sent demos to Glyn Johns and it is a shame that nobody has seen it worthwhile to re-issue the album as an expanded/deluxe edition with the original album, demos, alternate/unreleased songs with the booklet reproduced and expanded on. With 2028 being the 50th anniversary of the albums release it would be a good time to re-visit this excellent album.

In a future blog article I hope to look back at The Legend Of Jesse James album.

EUSTON UNDERGROUND: THE LOST TUNNELS

I have recently booked my fourth Hidden London Tour, Moorgate: Metropolitan Maze, which follows my previous tours, Euston Underground: The Lost Tunnels, Dover Street: Alight Here For Green Park and Aldwych: The End Of The Line.

In this article I will look back at my first tour, Euston Underground: The Lost Tunnels, which I went on back in 2023. I will also include a brief history of Euston Mainline Station and Euston Underground along with photos I took during the tour.

Euston Station opened in July 1837 as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR). The original station was demolished in the 1960s and replaced with the modern style new building. During this work the original Euston Arch was also demolished, although the two original Portland Stone lodges still stand on the original site as a reminder of times past.

The demolition was described by the Royal Institute of British Architects as, "one of the greatest acts of Post-War architectural vandalism in Britain."

The replacement building has been described as a,"dingy, grey, horizontal nothingness" and lacked any of the sense of adventure that the original Victorian building gave to the traveller.

Richard Morrison, writing in The Times, felt that even by the bleak standards of 1960s architecture Euston was, "One of the nastiest concrete boxes in London, devoid of any decorative merit and a blight on surrounding streets." He went on to say, "The design should never have left the drawing board - if, indeed, it was ever on a drawing board. It gives the impression of being scribbled on the back of a paper bag!"

Back in 2009 the Euston Arch Trust revealed plans to rebuild the arch in front of the station but so far it just remains a topic of discussion.

Over the years the station and railway, the gateway from London to the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland, has been operated by a number of companies. Between 1837 and 1846 it was owned by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) and from 1846 to 1923 The London and North Western Railway (LNWR). Other companies to operate from Euston were, The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) (1923-1948), British Railways (1948-1994), Railtrack (1994-2002) and currently by Network Rail.

Euston Station was not served well in the early days of the London Underground Network. The closest underground station was on The Metropolitan Line, around five to ten minutes walk away, in Gower Street.

It would be 1907 before a permanent connection was made to the mainline station when, in May,  The City & South London Railway (C&SLR) opened the extension from Moorgate on what was known as the Bank Branch of the Northern Line.

The entrance to the station was on the corner of Seymour Street (now Eversholt Street) and Dorie Way. Designed by Sidney Smith it was Morrocan in style and covered in white tiles. The building was demolished in 1934 and a new one built, Euston House, which was the head offices of the British Railways Board. 

The following month The Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) opened an adjacent station. This was on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line.

Situated to the west of the mainline station, on Melton Street, it was a Leslie Green style building with the familiar ox blood tiles and arched windows.

A deep-level passageway ran between the two stations with lift shafts taking passengers up to the mainline station. There was also an interchange ticket office situated in the passageway, the only one on the whole of the London Underground Network. In the early days of the London Underground the various companies only sold tickets to stations on their own lines.

This meant that passengers travelling on the City & South London Railway (C&SLR) who needed to transfer to the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) to continue their journey would have to purchase another ticket. Having a ticket window between the two stations would save passengers having to exit to the mainline station to purchase a ticket.

New lifts were also installed which surfaced in the main station. However, it soon became clear that running three different entrances to the underground was unnecessary and both the Melton Street and Seymour Street buildings were closed leaving just the one entrance to the underground situated inside Euston Station.

Meanwhile, in 1909, with the recent construction of the two new underground stations, Gower Street Underground Station was renamed Euston Square.

In September 1968 the first section of the new Victoria Line, the first new underground line in more than fifty years, was opened and ran between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington. 

The next section to open was between Highbury & Islington and Warren Street on 1 December 1968. The Victoria Line was officially opened by H. R. H. Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 1969.

The new line was designed to provide the maximum amount of connections to the existing services, both underground and mainline, and to relieve the pressure which was becoming a major issue on other lines. It would give an alternative route through the centre of London.

With the construction of the Victoria Line, which passed through both Euston and Kings Cross/St Pancras Mainline Stations, it was necessary to expand and remodel the existing Euston Underground Station. This work included new platforms, cross-platform interchanges, a new ticket hall and new escalators.

During this work many of the old passages were closed off with some subways retained for ventilation shafts.

This brings us to my visit to the Lost Tunnels of Euston Underground. In the advertising London Transport describe the tour... 'This exclusive guided tour takes you into the labyrinths of secret passageways that are hidden within Euston Tube station. You’ll uncover time-capsules that haven’t been seen by passengers in decades, but which still stand as witnesses to the changes that were made to London’s transport infrastructure over the years.'

They go on to say, 'Explore secret parts of Euston Tube station, including two former passenger galleries that have remained frozen in time since their last commuters passed through in 1962 and 1967. Uncover the vintage advertising posters that still adorn the walls, experience the atmosphere of a bygone age, and spot adverts for famous film productions of that era.'

The 90-minute tour started outside Euston Square Underground Station where we were met by staff from London Transport. Following safety information the guides gave us a short talk on the history and layout of the stations and how they were all linked together. We then took the short walk to the site of The Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway building on Melton Street, a few yards from Euston Mainline Station.

Although now due for demolition, due to the construction of HS2, and with work being carried out in the area, we couldn't enter the old building. It is such a shame that the station, a Leslie Green design with the ox blood tiles, will be, or already is, gone forever and the photo earlier in this article was taken by me a few years before I did the tour.

From here we entered Euston Station and headed for the southbound platform of the Bank Branch of the Northern Line where we would gain access to the disused areas through a door at the end of the platform. I noticed several passengers giving us strange looks and wondering where we were headed. I am sure many were envious and with good reasons.

We walked along what was the interchange tunnel between the two original stations with the blue and white tiles which would not have been updated in many decades. 

After a few steps it was back in time when we came to the old ticket office used by passengers changing between the two different lines. Definitely one of the highlights of the tour and with the window open and surrounded by tiles and the In/Out signs still in place it was a photo opportunity not to be missed!

However, a real journey into the past was waiting for us next and was definitely the highlight of the tour for me.

Covering the walls of the next tunnel was a wealth of old movie and advertising posters from the 1960s. It was incredible to think these had been here for more than sixty years. Yes, some were torn or peeling off the walls and many were covered with other posters but it was still a sight to see. What was interesting to note was how many of them were still colourful and bright, a mark of the 1960s design and print.

There are too many to mention here but these are just a few worthy of mention. Movie posters, blockbusters and some less so, included Spartacus, Terror Of The Tongs, One Born Every Minute, The Errand Boy, Lonely Are The Brave, West Side Story and Hitchcock's Psycho. My love of the 1950s and 1960s 'Kitchen Dramas' was satisfied when I spotted the poster for John Schlesinger's 1962 A Kind Of Loving. The film starred Alan Bates and June Ritchie and portrayed disillusionment and desperation of modern life in the sixties.

There were posters for theatrical productions including  Puss In Boots along with advertising for products like Brushwave (the first permanent wave for colour treated hair), Springbak (a ground-breaking fabric) and even a poster advertising the Theosophical Society, a quasi-religious, esoteric movement founded in 1887 by Russioan Helena Blavatsky! Finally a poster offered The True Story Of Coronation Street, which was only in its first season in December 1960 but would become the world's longest running soap opera.

It wasn't only old movie posters that could be seen. As we approached the corner of another tunnel there were three posters facing you, all of which related to British Rail. The first advertises the Midland Pullman, a first-class express service famous for its luxury that ran between St. Pancras and Manchester in the mid-1960s. In the middle is a poster advertising 'Travel Times Cut!', something many of todays passengers may not totally agree with. 

Lastly is a poster offering 'Bargain Travel' and 'More Miles For Your Money', again something many of today's rail passengers might disagree with. Interestingly on this poster is the British Rail logo designed by Gerry Barney and launched in 1965. The two-way track logo was the new identity for Great Britain's rail network and utilised on trains, advertising and uniforms. The logo has often been ridiculed and referred to as 'Arrows Of Indecision' among other derogatory terms.

Leaving 1960's London behind us we were shown more tunnels and areas that were now being used for storage, ventilation and trunking for the many power cables serving the needs of the station network. Once again you could see the original blue and white tiles.

The next stop was the lift shaft which would have taken passengers up to the mainline Euston Station building. It was impressive looking up and seeing how high it was and the photo I took doesn't do it justice. The lift shafts have been capped and there is no sign of where the original lifts were located when you are inside the current mainline station.

Our final stop on the tour was the ventilation tunnel for the Victoria Line. Built in the 1960s and never intended for passengers to walk along. It was interesting to see that part of the tunnel was built like actual tube tunnels with cast iron segments.

Walking up a slight slope the tour draws to a close with the chance to look down, through the ventilation grills, at passengers waiting on the platforms below and oblivious to us staring down at them from above.

Since going on the tour and whenever I am waiting for a train on the platform, I will look up at the ventilation grills and wonder if there is a group of people looking down at me.

This bought our tour to an end and we returned to Euston Mainline Station where we said our goodbyes and thanks to the wonderful staff and headed home.

The Hidden London Tours are very enjoyable and interesting and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I'm planning on booking more tours and writing about my other tours in future articles.

THE BEACH BOYS CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Between 1962 and 1964 The Beach Boys released six albums, Surfin' Safari, Surfin' U.S.A., Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Volume 2 and All Summer Long and, like many other artists before and since, in 1964 they turned their attention to the Christmas market with an album of classics and original songs.

In this article we look back at the album, it's influence, production, release, reception and success.

In November 1963 Phil Spector released the classic A Christmas Gift For You album featuring The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love and Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans on a selection of Christmas classics with that 'Wall of Sound' production.

The album made a big impact on Brian Wilson and was the inspiration for the Beach Boys to record their own Christmas offering. It is mentioned that Brian played piano on one track, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, but Spector dismissed him due to his substandard piano playing!. Maybe that was another reason that Brian wanted to respond by producing his own collection.

However, before this The Beach Boys did release a single. Little Saint Nick, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

Although it was partly inspired by Phil Spector's plans for a Christmas album, Wilson recalls writing the song, "I wrote the lyrics to it while I was out on a date and then I rushed home to finish the music." Originally credited only to Wilson, years later Love's name was added as co-writer.

Part of it's structure and rhythm can be compared to the groups earlier single, Little Deuce Coupe.

Recorded on two days in October 1963 at Western Studio in Hollywood with a tracking session on the 18th and vocals added on the 20th.

Besides guitar (Carl Wilson), bass (Al Jardine), piano (Brian Wilson), drums (Dennis Wilson) and lead vocals (Mike Love), the song featured celeste (Brian), sleigh bells (Carl), glockenspiel (Al) along with additional sleigh-bells by Murry Wilson and backing vocals by Bob Norberg.

Released on 9 December 1963, Little Saint Nick (Capitol 5096) reached #3 on Billboard Magazines seasonal Christmas Singles Chart. An a cappella version of The Lord's Prayer appeared on the B-side.

In the years that followed it did make chart appearances in several countries including Australia, Canada, Sweden, France, Ireland, United Kingdom and America. In the UK it was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Institute (BPI) for sales of more than 400,000.

Sessions for the album ran from 18th June through to the 30th June 1964 at the Capitol Studios and Western Recorders in Hollywood. Along with the five band members a 41-piece orchestra was also present during the sessions.

Brian only arranged four of the songs handing the task to Dick Reynolds, arranger with The Four Freshman, who worked on the remaining tracks.

Brian produced the sessions with Chuck Britz, who had worked on all their previous albums, engineering the sessions.

At the first session at Capitol Studios on the 18th, between 2:30 - 5:30 pm, orchestral tracking sessions were held for We Three Kings Of Orient Are, Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, White Christmas and Blue Christmas. At this session Brian also stripped the sleigh bells and glockenspiels off the earlier version of Little Saint Nick and added new vocals. This was done to match the sound of the current recordings being made.

On the 23rd sessions moved to Western Recorders where an attempt was made to add a vocal for Little Saint Nick onto the October 1963 instrumental track of the song Drive-In. An odd recording that failed and would not be used on the Christmas album remaining unreleased for more than thirty years. It is more than likely that the original lyrics for Little Saint Nick were meant to go with the melody from Drive-In but when it didn't work Brian was forced to write a new melody for Little Saint Nick.

Instrumental tracks for Frosty The Snowman, I'll Be Home For Christmas and orchestral tracks for Jingle Bells and Christmas Eve were laid down during a three-hour session at Western Recorders on the 24th. The latter two tracks would not be used.

A fourth session, once again held at Western Recorders, on the 25th resulted in tracking recordings for The Man With All The Toys, Merry Christmas Baby and Santa's Beard. Brian, Carl and Al were present for the session. Also tracked was Christmas Day and the session ended with the group recording an a cappella version of Auld Lang Syne. With all the tracking and instrumental work completed the remaining sessions would be for vocal overdubs.

Four more sessions held at Western Recorders would result in vocals added to The Man With All The Toys, Santa's Beard and Christmas Day (on the 27th), Blue Christmas, White Christmas and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (on the 28th) and Frosty The Snowman and We Three Kings Of Orient Are (on the 29th).

The final session, on the 30th, saw the band adding vocals to the final two tracks, Merry Christmas Baby and I'll Be Home For Christmas. With this session recording for the Christmas album was finished.

Multiple attempts at vocal overdubs and backing vocals were attempted during the sessions, many of which would find an unofficial release years later. No vocals were ever added to Jingle Bells and Christmas Eve and the basic instrumental tracks till remain officially unreleased.

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album was released in both mono and stereo formats (Capitol ST-2164 and T-2164) on 9th November 1964. It was their third album to be released in 1964 following Shut Down Volume 2 and All Summer Long.

The cover photo showed the boys, wearing woolly jumpers, decorating a Christmas tree and was taken by Capitol Records staff photographer George Jerman. A change from the Pendleton Shirt and surfin' images. Several photos were taken including the image at the start of this article.

The back sleeve featured a black and white signed image of the group with the heading 'We'd Like To Wish You A Very Merry Christmas.' A track listing and brief liner notes are also included. The notes read in part, 'Because Christmas is a very special occasion, the Beach Boys decided that this should be a very special album... and it is. Here for the first time you'll hear the Beach Boys accompanied by a sonorous forty-piece orchestra, with special arrangements written just for this album by Dick Reynolds.' It goes on, 'The songs the Boys have chosen for their holiday greetings to you range all the way from their own light-hearted seasonal hit "Little Saint Nick" to beautiful traditional favourites done with the orchestra.'

A second single was also issued the same day pairing two of the album tracks, The Man With All Toys and Blue Christmas (Capitol 5312) which would peak at #6 on Billboard Magazines seasonal Christmas Singles Chart. In the years that followed sales would build and it was listed in the Billboard Top 100 Selling Christmas songs, although it was well below Little Saint Nick.

The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Christmas Album Chart during 1964 and in the years that followed would reach, #66 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, #35 on the Billboard Top Catalog Albums and #23 on Billboards Top Holiday Albums Chart.

The Beach Boys Christmas Album opens with Little Saint Nick, the first of five tracks on the album written by band members, four by Brian and Mike and one by just Brian. The best known track on the album it was a re-recorded version that was used, not the original single. With lead vocals by Mike and great harmonies from the remaining band members it is very reminiscent of some of their earlier material.

The Man With All The Toys follows and has a catchy melody, albeit only running for just 92 seconds. The lyrics are simple...A guy in the North Pole peeks into a window and sees a fat man all dressed up in red surrounded by 'little tiny men everywhere' who are making toys. Tempted to go in he decides to stay out in the cold and leaves and tell everybody what he saw. The song features a lead vocal by Brian and Mike.

The child-like tale of a boy who isn't convinced that the Santa he meets at the department store is real is told in the jaunty Santa's Beard. Pulling the pillow out from under his suit and the beard off his face, the child is upset but is consoled when he is told that he is helping the real Santa Claus. Mike sings the lead vocal  

Merry Christmas Baby, with another excellent lead vocal from Mike, has dreamy romanticism as its theme. However, it is not a typical Christmas, cheery song. Having lost his girl the only thing he wants at Christmas is to have her back in his arms.

Up until now Al Jardine hadn't had a lead vocal on any Beach Boys song but this changed with Christmas Day, his first solo vocal. A beautiful song and my favourite on side one of the album. The song includes a fantastic Hammond organ instrumental break.

Recorded by The Ronettes on the Phil Spector produced A Christmas Gift For You album, Frosty The Snowman features a full orchestra on one of the best versions of this fun Christmas song I've ever heard. The song closes the first side of the album in style. 

Side two opens with We Three Kings Of Orient Are, the longest track on the album, running to just over four minutes.  With its beautiful arrangement and harmonies it is by far the best track on the album.

Brian turns in an impeccable lead vocal performance of Blue Christmas with great backing from the orchestra. Recorded by many artists over the years, most notably by Elvis Presley in 1957, this was a great choice for the album. Probably the best Brian Wilson solo vocal on the album.

Santa Claus Is Back In Town. Starting off slow it soon turns into a catchy/jazzy/big band version with both Brian and Mike sharing the vocals, in style. 

Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas back in the 1940s for the film Holiday Inn and the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Recorded by Bing Crosby it has become the biggest selling song of all time with sales of his version exceeding 50 million physical copies. There have been more than 500 recorded versions, many in foreign languages and artist that have recorded the song include Frank Sinatra, The Drifters, Elvis Presley and Darlene Love. Brian's vocals shine, yet again, on this Christmas classic. 

I'll Be Home For Christmas is another song recorded by many artists and, as with Blue Christmas, highlights how exquisite Brian's voice was when used on songs such as this. The remaining band members add some stunning vocal support.

The album is bought to a close with the beautiful harmonies on the a cappella version of the traditional Auld Lang Syne. Dennis Wilson adds a Christmas message during which he messes up the word, "Happen" . Strange, considering how Brian was so particular about perfection on the groups records, that he allowed the mistake to remain. Despite this it is a great way to end an enjoyable album.

Brian called the first half of the album as the 'teen side', hence describing Father Christmas, in Little Saint Nick,  as " a real famous cat all dressed up in red."

Over the years many magazines and on-line sites have reviewed the album. Music historian James Perone wrote, "It is regarded as one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era."

All Music's Jason Ankeny said, "Brian Wilson's pop genius is well suited to classic Yuletide fare, and the group delivers lush performances of standards ranging from Frosty The Snowman to White Christmas as well as more contemporary material like The Man With All The Toys and Blue Christmas."

Meanwhile Jason Birchmeier stated, "Beach Boy's Christmas Album features the Beach Boys performing a variety of holiday favourites. Most of the featured songs are well known, some of the more popular being Frosty The Snowman, White Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and I'll Be Home For Christmas, among others. Furthermore, there are four songs composed by the Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick, The Man With All The Toys, Santa's Beard and Merry Christmas Baby - which begin the album. This mix of favourites and originals makes this a balanced holiday album that should please both Beach Boy admirers and those unfamiliar with the group."

Finally, in 1971 Billboard wrote, "At some time or another, most major artists have recorded either albums or singles devoted to the holiday season, and from there, it's only logical that a few would create classics in this manner. But if we were to chose just one out of the wealth of pop Christmas albums, it would have to be The Beach Boys endearing efforts of a few seasons back." They went on to say, "While the thrust of the album is directed at Christmas as a fun-time event, there are elements of (well...) social commentary (Santa's Beard) and straight emotionalism (Auld Lang Syne), all covered over those uniquely transcendent Beach Boy harmonies and a 'sonorous' (yep, that's what is says in the liner notes) 40-piece orchestra."

Talking about the album, Brian Wilson said, "For our Christmas album we more or less made one side in our own style and the other side in a more traditional style. My memory of recording that album was that it was a real happy time for us, It took about a month to record at Western. I liked that studio because they had a good sounding bass and good-sounding highs."

In 1991 the album was re-issued on CD with bonus material. Along with the twelve original tracks the CD included the single version of Little Saint Nick,an a-cappella The Lord's Prayer, which had been the B-side of The Man With All The Toys single, and alternate takes of Little Saint Nick and Auld Lang Syne without the Dennis Wilson message.

These sessions have been well covered on the unofficial market. The bootleg label Sea Of Tunes have released many CDs under the title Unsurpassed Masters covering The Beach Boys career up to the end of the 1960s. many of these are multi-CD sets covering individual albums.

Among these is the 3-CD set Christmas Sessions - The Alternate Beach Boys Christmas Album.

Over the three CDs are multiple takes of all the tracks on the album with instrumental takes, instrumental overdubs, try-out takes, vocal overdubs, alternate vocals, mono takes, stereo mixes and much more. Also included is the instrumental Jingle Bells but unfortunately no takes of Christmas Eve. An interesting listen for completists only.

The best summary of The Beach Boys Christmas Album is to be found on the original notes on the back sleeve which end with... 'Here, certainly, is an outstanding Christmas album - one that you'll enjoy for many seasons to come.'

How true, as sixty-one years since it's original release many tracks can still be heard on the radio today and the CD will be spinning this festive season in my office.

Check out my other Christmas articles here:

Christmas With Elvis

A Christmas Gift For You

Do They Know It's Christmas @40

All that leaves is for me to wish you all,,,

...A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year