Merry Christmas (Johnny Mathis Album)

Merry Christmas (Johnny Mathis album)

Merry Christmas is the seventh album and first Christmas album by Johnny Mathis. Released in 1958 by Columbia Records (CL 1195/CS 8021), it was also the sixth original studio album by Mathis.

The album ranks highly among the many holiday albums released throughout the years due to its skillful blend of traditional Christmas carols ("Silent Night, Holy Night", "O Holy Night" and "The First Noel") with popular Christmas songs ("The Christmas Song", "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells"). As with a number of Mathis's previous albums, Percy Faith provided the album's musical direction.

In the first flush of his success, Mathis offered a safe popular music alternative to rock 'n' roll rebelliousness of Elvis Presley, also in the first flush of his success and born in the same year as Mathis. On this album, Mathis tries his hand at a Christmas song associated with Presley, "Blue Christmas".