Christmas by the Bay, recorded at the Sail Loft in the Washington Navy Yard, is Burl Ives's last original Christmas album. It includes only one new Christmas song by Ives: "The Sense of Christmas." The other songs are new performances of previously recorded songs: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; "A Holly, Jolly Christmas"; "Christmas by the Bay" (cf. Christmas at the White House, 1972); "White Christmas" (cf. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, 1966); and "The Friendly Beasts" (cf. Christmas Day in the Morning, 1952). On all of these songs he is accompanied by the United States Navy Band, conducted by Ned Muffley.[1]

Christmas by the Bay
Studio album by
Released1977
GenreHoliday
LabelUnited States Navy Band
Burl Ives chronology
Hugo the Hippo
(1976)
Christmas by the Bay
(1977)
We Americans: A Musical Journey With Burl Ives
(1978)

Ives had performed previously with Muffley and the Navy Band: at a Christmas concert in Washington D.C. in 1974 and at the Boy Scout Jamboree in 1977. On the basis of these encounters, Muffley invited Ives to participate in a 1977 Christmas Concert at the DAR Constitution Hall: "The weeks that followed were busy indeed as a special production, the brainchild of Master Chief Jere Wallace, entitled For the Love of Christmas, was scripted, focusing around a musical adaptation of Burl telling the story of Christmas to a group of children ... the personification of Santa Claus himself." The concert was broadcast on national television.[2]

The album represents a different product of their collaboration that year. The genres of the songs range from folk ("The Friendly Beasts") to pop ("A Holly, Jolly Christmas"). Classic Ives songs are given a new feel by the involvement of the Sea Chanters, the official chorus of the U.S. Navy.[3]

Track list

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Source:[4]

Side 1

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Track Song Title Performer(s) Writer/Arranger Time
1. Christmas by the Bay Burl Ives & Sea Chanters Traditional/J. Chattaway 2:05
2. Winter Wonderland Sea Chanters, Evangeline Taylor, Jessica Farrow, Heidi Hunter F. Bernard, R. Smith/B. Kidd 2:00
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Burl Ives & Sea Chanters J. Marks/J. Taylor 2:10
4. I Sing Noel Tom VanVranken Medley/J. Brubaker 5:59
5. The Sense of Christmas Burl Ives & Kids R. Chiles, J. Wallace/R. Gingery 4:00

Side 2

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Track Song Title Performer(s) Writer/Arranger Time
1. A Holly, Jolly Christmas Burl Ives & Sea Chanters J. Marks/R. Gingery 1:59
2. Christmas Festival The United States Navy Band L. Anderson 6:05
3. The Friendly Beast [sic] Burl Ives Traditional/Burl Ives 2:40
4. Sleigh Ride The United States Navy Band L. Anderson 2:37
5. White Christmas Burl Ives & Sea Chanters I. Berlin/J. Taylor 2:34

References

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  1. ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: Roster/Credits: link Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today.
  2. ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: Liner Notes: link Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today.
  3. ^ The United States Navy Band: Sea Chanters Chorus: link Archived 2007-02-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ The United States Navy Band: Discography: Christmas by the Bay: link Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today. All of the information about the tracks comes from this source and the back of the album cover.