On the Fourth Day of a Tony Bennett Christmas

On the fourth day of a Tony Bennett Christmas, Wednesday, December 17, 2014, Tony sings for us “The Christmas Song.”

“The Christmas Song” was written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells. Sometimes known by its first line ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” this song was written on a very hot summer day and Tormé and Wells were trying to think cold Christmasy thoughts in an effort to cool off. The entire song was written forty minutes and is one of America’s most classic Christmas songs. The first recording was by Nat King Cole in 1946.

Tony Bennett recorded “The Christmas Song” in 1967 and released it on his 1968 album of Christmas music, Snowfall. This song, as well as all of the Christmas songs on this very fine album, was arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2IncC8fMEs7tY4pFIrS32u
“The Christmas Song,” as well as Snowfall, is available from iTunes.