Ray Conniff - We Wish You A Merry Christmas (6 Medley songs)

Ray Conniff

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 1962
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000024RK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,817 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #43 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Holiday Music
  #50 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Pop Vocal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Between 1957 and 1968, Ray Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40. He started out at Columbia Records as their home arranger, backing artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, and Johnnie Ray, with his orchestra and was eventually offered the chance to do his own record. We Wish You a Merry Christmas is packed with traditional holiday tunes that Conniff and his (25) Singers wove into a series of medleys. This album has a retro studio sound, which, upon listening, may conjure up images of Lawrence Welk singers strolling the stage, dressed in matching holiday garb. Sometimes melodramatic ("Ring Christmas Bells"), other times, bright and exuberant ("Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"), it's good, clean fun for the whole family and a solid addition to any Christmas catalog. --Renata Sadunas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prime Time Christmas Music, October 15, 1999

By	"rss28" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

Some Christmas albums are good for the weeks leading up to Christmas, when you are in the holiday spirit decking out the Christmas tree or baking cookies. Then, there are those Christmas albums, such as this one, that are so special that you play them while opening up presents around the Christmas tree.

I grew up listening to this album every year at Christmas time. Back in the '80s, we misplaced our copy of it, and Christmas was just not the same to me without it. One day, a family member came home with Ray Conniff's "Christmas Caroling" (1984) on CD. Everyone was excited to have some Ray Conniff Christmas music again. It consisted of previously released material off of three different albums. It was a good album, but we were mildly disappointed with it compared to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (WWYMC)--which is a true classic. Finally, they released WWYMC on CD, and everyone was happy again! (Afterwards, we relocated our copy of WWYMC on vinyl.)

According to the Official Website of the Ray Conniff International Fan Club, WWYMC is Ray Conniff's most popular Christmas album, and it is RIAA Certified Gold and Platinum. It was originally released back in 1962.

This album is prime time Christmas music. It captures the spirit of the event with its beautiful singing. It has great dynamics and it contains a nice mixture of slow and fast songs. The instrumentation gives it a real charm, with its use of harp, sleigh bells, chimes and bells. The instrumentation is similar to the 1959 "Christmas with Conniff" album, except that this album contains medleys instead of individual songs. Once Conniff gets rolling on a medley, you don't want him to stop! In 1965, they replaced the harps with guitar for "Ray Conniff's Christmas Album" and his sound lost a touch of its charisma to me. I highly recommend this album.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Happy Zippy Christmas Album, September 24, 2003

By	Timothy Kearney (Hull, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ray Conniff and the Conniff singers always remind me of Christmas, probably since I cannot remember a Christmas without hearing the Conniff singers version of famous Christmas carols. Growing up, my parents listened to this album, along with HERE WE COME A CAROLING. My siblings and I used to make fun of it, but I secretly enjoyed it since I have purchased the LP, then the cassette, and finally the CD. I usually listen to it when I need to get in the Christmas mood. The CD contains the snippy renditions of popular Christmas carols that is part of the Ray Conniff style. It also has an original song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" and an interesting rendition of the Carol of the Bells. Though it is a mid-priced compact disk, it has full price joy and no doubt, will connect with memories of Christmases past and Christmases yet to come.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Amazon!, December 11, 2000

By	jan gillespie (ajax, ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Ray Conniff's "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" holds so many precious memories for my family and me. We first got the album Christmas of 1965. I had just turned 10. It was not until I heard this album did I fully appreciate Christmas Carols. Ray Conniff has a wonderful gift for touching the harts of both young and old, for my grandparents enjoyed Conniff's Christmas music as well. My father often said that that so much of Christmas is Conniff's Christmas music. In those days we had a "mono" phonograph". By the time we got a stereo, the album was not available. For over 20 years I have been searching for this album. With the advent of CD's, I was hopeful that I would find it reproduced on CD. In Canada, this CD or any Christmas CD by Conniff is not available. So I checked Amazon.com. Lo and behol, there is was. The delivery was prompt, and I am listening to it as I write this. Again, a huge thank you, Amazon!! P.S. I ordered 2--one for Dad for Christmas and one for me!