Looking for an old version of Silent Night

December 22, 2021 3:28 PM

I'm looking for a specific version of Silent Night. It's sung by an old male crooner from the 50's-70's, my brain is saying Bing Crosby but I'm not sure.

It starts with the singer speaking over a chorus humming the tune of Silent Night with a story of some kind, and then when the singer is finished with the story, he begins to sing the tune with the chorus backing.
I don't know why this is stuck in my head. I remember hearing it sometime a couple years ago and I can't find where it came from. Is it just a fabricated memory? Am I misremembering a version of "O Holy Night?". Help in this search is greatly appreciated, as this is now my second Christmas season in search of this track.

posted by Philipschall to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

This would accurately describe the John Denver and the Muppets version except for the crooner part. youtube
posted by drezdn at 4:02 PM on December 22, 2021

This is the John Denver & the Muppets version, just in case (after all, the given timespan does include the 70s!). It starts with them singing "Stille Nacht", then John Denver tells the story over the humming background, then they sing "Silent Night": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O8PfL0QnXc
posted by theatro at 4:08 PM on December 22, 2021

In case it's not John Denver and the Muppets, there's a version of Silent Night where the orchestra starts playing softly, and Bing Crosby starts by addressing the audience - it sounds like he's addressing soldiers overseas in WW2 - and then he starts singing. I posted a short excerpt here, in case it sparks your memory.
posted by moonmilk at 4:25 PM on December 22, 2021

The Harry Chapin song Mr. Tanner (about a small-town clothes cleaner who tries to make it big as a singer and fails) features the titular character mournfully singing O Holy Night. The fact that you say the song you remember features a story makes me think it might be what you're thinking of...?
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 4:29 PM on December 22, 2021

Could it be Simon and Garfunkel's 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night?
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:40 PM on December 22, 2021 [3 favorites]

Bing Crosby does this story-telling intro on several of the songs on this "White Christmas" album: The Christmas Song, White Christmas, Away in a Manger, and Oh Little Town of Bethlehem. Silent Night is also on the album but doesn't have the spoken intro. I'm guessing you're mixing a memory.
Other than Oh Little Town, I can't find those specific recordings on the web. I enjoy this CD a lot though.
posted by evilmomlady at 7:40 PM on December 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh I think moonmilk has it. It seems he sang the song on many, many different radio and TV appearances.
posted by evilmomlady at 7:54 PM on December 22, 2021

I can't link it, but try Tennesse Ernie Ford "Silent Night" on You Tube. He is backed by a chorus.
posted by effluvia at 7:56 PM on December 22, 2021

Burl Ives Silent Night with spoken intro lyrics.
posted by effluvia at 8:12 PM on December 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Perry Como does the "Story of the First Christmas" that then turns into "O Little Town of Bethlehem" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nURwwY29Os8

(And yes, Perry Como is the best at Christmas, second only to Harry Belafonte.)
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 5:24 AM on December 23, 2021