Lifetime Intimate Portraits: Christmas Belles

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Christmas Belles is stocked with the crooning, caroling, and scatting of Garland, Fitzgerald, London, Horne, Clooney, Vaughan, Kitt, and others. Although these singers' last names are as memorable as the names of Santa's reindeer, their careers obviously transcend the holiday genre of music. Featuring some of America's primary female vocalists, from pop to jazz, this rich, 14-track sampler seldom disappoints. There's Ella Fitzgerald's lovably upbeat "Sleigh Ride," and Judy Garland's romantically melancholy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," seemingly written just for her. There is so much enjoyable singing on Christmas Belles, in fact, that by the time you reach Sarah Vaughan's lushly orchestrated "Snowbound," you're left wanting to hear more and more from these timeless beauties. --Martin Keller

Tracks:

Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
Warm December - Julie London
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Lena Horne
Christmas Time Is Here - Rosemary Clooney
Jingle Bells Cha-Cha-Cha - Pearl Bailey
Christmas Carousel - Peggy Lee
That's What I Want For Christmas - Nancy Wilson
Papa Noel - Brenda Lee
Ole Santa - Dinah Washington
Silver Bells - Doris Day
Love Turns Winter To Spring - June Christy
Snowbound - Sarah Vaughan
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

Amazon.com

Christmas Belles is stocked with the crooning, caroling, and scatting of Garland, Fitzgerald, London, Horne, Clooney, Vaughan, Kitt, and others. Although these singers' last names are as memorable as the names of Santa's reindeer, their careers obviously transcend the holiday genre of music. Featuring some of America's primary female vocalists, from pop to jazz, this rich, 14-track sampler seldom disappoints. There's Ella Fitzgerald's lovably upbeat "Sleigh Ride," and Judy Garland's romantically melancholy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," seemingly written just for her. There is so much enjoyable singing on Christmas Belles, in fact, that by the time you reach Sarah Vaughan's lushly orchestrated "Snowbound," you're left wanting to hear more and more from these timeless beauties. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

Buy it for Nancy Wilson's "That's What I Want For Christmas".......2004-12-05

I had heard this wonderful, romantic tune "That's What I Want For Christmas" a while back and could only find it on this collection. The piece is so well crafted, and Nancy Wilson sings it with such heartfelt longing, it's just beautiful. This song speaks to what we all truly want in our lives, not just for Christmas (a hint: it's not sugar plums).
I bought the disc solely for this one song, but I have to admit that the rest of the selections are great, too. Highlights for me are "Sleigh Ride", made fresh again for me by this distinctively 'Ella' rendition, Judy Garland's deliciously rich "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and the cute, campy "Jingle Bells Cha Cha Cha" by Pearl Bailey.
Yes, this disc is definitely worth buying- a great find!

"Christmas Belles" CD-It's a wonderful silk stocking stuffer.......2002-12-28

Wow, catch this one. Ella. Sarah. Eartha. Julie. Dinah. Pearl. Rosemary. Peggy. Nancy. Lena. June. Brenda. Judy. See? They're such famous female pop/jazz vocalists,you don't even need their last names to know you they are. Most of the Holiday tunes are perennial hits. But others are obscure treasures. For example, Julie London's "Warm December" and Sassy's "Snowbound" and Peggy Lee's "Christmas Carousel."

By the way, I was really annoyed by the revue written by one Raymond Hughes, of New Castle upon Tyne, Great Britain-- a self-proclaimed professional music critic. Raymond didn't like Rosemary Clooney's rendition of "Christmas Time is Here," the sensitive Vince Guaraldi jazz composition from The Charlie Brown Xmas special.
He said that Rosemary was over the hill when she made the recording, and that it was an embarrassment. Tsk, tsk, Raymond. Did the fact that Rosemary was singing in a lower register bother you? Her sensitivity to the lyrics was beautiful. Yet you didn't like the cut? I'll bet you were also perturbed when Frank Sinatra's voice matured and his voice dropped down to make him a great "saloon singer." Was he then over the hill too?

As a matter of fact, I was in a gift store and heard Rosemary singing the tune. I bought the CD because of her rendition!
Dear readers,"Christmas Belles", is a lovely Holiday CD.

The joyful singing of the Christmas Belles.......2002-02-16

This album oozes class. The voices of these consumate singers in their prime puts most modern renditions to shame. The highlights for me are the oft neglected 'That's what I want for Christmas', sung by Nancy Wilson, and the sultry Eartha Kitt's 'Santa Baby'. Eartha's earthy rendition make's Madonna sound 'like a virgin'. I have only one gripe...the embarassing 'Christmas time is here', sung by Rosemary Clooney. It was recorded in 1994 when Rosemary was way past her prime. But there are 13 pearls on this album and only one piece of grit.

Outstanding collection, wonderful choices.......2000-12-14

Despite the somewhat cheesy "Lifetime Intimate Portraits" branding, this collection of Christmas songs sung by various female vocalists is outstanding. The pacing is wonderful, moving smoothly from more upbest to slower and back again, and some of the choices (e.g., Papa Noel, sung by Brenda Lee) are refreshingly unusual without causing "What the heck is THAT?" shock. My only gripe would be the choice of the ubiquitous "Santa Baby" done by Eartha Kitt - it seems to go on forever, and haven't we heard it enough yet? The liner notes are great, also. I keep this one in my desktop computer at work, and never grow tired of listening to it. Merry Christmas!

Music:

Music

Music