Sounds of Christmas

After a highly successful career as a recording artist with Columbia Records from 1956 to 1963, Mathis moved to Mercury Records, for which he recorded exclusively from 1963 to 1967, releasing thirteen singles and ten studio albums (as well as recording an 11th long player, Broadway, that went unreleased until 2014). The change was motivated by a desire for greater control over his recordings that would include owning the masters. This album was the first to be recorded by the singer's own production company, Global Records, for distribution by Mercury. In the liner notes for The Complete Global Albums Collection, Mathis commented on two of the songs he chose. "For this album, I decided to record the 'Hallelujah Chorus' and the 'Carol of the Bells'—I just sang my part, the part that all the tenors sing in these particular compositions. I had no problem about doing it. My only concern was how I would get my voice to be predominant if I sang only one part of the melody." He continued, "You know, when you’re young, nothing frightens you. The fact that I had sung these songs in school for years, with all kinds of choirs, I thought, why not, let’s do it. And as the years went on, people got used to hearing those songs at Christmas time." ==Reception==

Billboard wrote, "Arrangements by Don Costa are tasteful" and noted that the album included "some fine newer tunes." ==Track listing==

Side one • "The Sounds of Christmas" (Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster) — 2:35 • "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) — 3:34 • "A Marshmallow World" (Peter DeRose, Carl Sigman) — 2:37 • "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (traditional) — 3:19 • "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) — 4:12 • "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) — 3:32 Side two • "Have Reindeer, Will Travel" (Livingston, Webster) — 3:31 • "The Secret of Christmas" from Say One for Me (Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) — 4:12 • "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks) — 2:20 • "Carol of the Bells" (Mykola Leontovych, Peter J. Wilhousky) — 1:22 • "Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart" (Joe Darion, Joe Kleinsinger) — 3:03 • "Hallelujah Chorus" from the oratorio Messiah (George Frederick Handel) — 4:02 ==Recording dates==

From the liner notes for The Complete Global Albums Collection: • July 12, 1963 — "The Secret of Christmas", "The Sounds of Christmas" • July 16, 1963 — "Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart", "Have Reindeer, Will Travel" • July 17, 1963 — "Carol of the Bells", "Hallelujah Chorus", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", "A Marshmallow World", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" • July 25, 1963 — "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", "The Little Drummer Boy" ==Billboard Christmas Albums chart positions==

• Johnny Mathis – vocals; adaptation ("Carol of the Bells", "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", "Hallelujah Chorus") • Don Costa – producer • Glenn Osser – arranger • Jack Feierman – conductor ==References==