| "Silver Bells" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song byBing Crosby andCarol Richards withJohn Scott Trotter and his Orchestra and the Lee Gordon Singers | |
| Released | October 1950 (1950-10) |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Songwriter(s) | Jay Livingston,Ray Evans |
"Silver Bells" is aChristmas song composed byJay Livingston andRay Evans.
It debuted in the motion pictureThe Lemon Drop Kid (1951), where it was started byWilliam Frawley,[1] then sung in the generally known version immediately thereafter byBob Hope andMarilyn Maxwell.[1] The first recorded version was byBing Crosby andCarol Richards on September 8, 1950, withJohn Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and the Lee Gordon Singers.[2] The record was released byDecca Records in October 1950.[3] When the recording became popular, Hope and Maxwell were called back in late 1950 to re-shoot a more elaborate production of the song.[1]
"Silver Bells" started out as "Tinkle Bells". Songwriter Ray Evans said: "We never thought thattinkle had adouble meaning until Jay went home and his first wife said, 'Are you out of your mind? Do you know what the wordtinkle is?'"[4]
This song's inspiration is the source of conflicting reports. Several periodicals and interviews cite writer Jay Livingston stating that the song's inspiration came from the bells used by sidewalkSanta Clauses andSalvation Army solicitors on New York City street corners.[5][6][7] However, in an interview withNPR, co-writer Ray Evans said that the song was inspired by a bell that sat on an office desk that he shared with Livingston.[8] Evans's hometown ofSalamanca, New York has taken credit for being the city mentioned in the song's lyrics and holds a "Silver Bells in the City" festival each December.[9]
Kate Smith's 1966 version[10] of "Silver Bells" became popular and has since been featured prominently infilm[11] and on holiday albums.[12]Elvis Presley recorded a version which was released in 1971.[13] The song was recorded by Americancountry duothe Judds and was released as a single in 1987,[14] charting for one week in 1998 at No. 68 on theHot Country Songs chart.[15] In 2009 the song charted in the United Kingdom for the first time when a duet byTerry Wogan andAled Jones that had been recorded for charity reached theTop 40, peaking at No. 27.[6]
We wrote a song called 'Tinkle Bell,' about the tinkly bells you hear at Christmas from the Santa Clauses and the Salvation Army people. We said 'this is it, this will work for the picture,' so I took it home and played it for my wife. She said 'you wrote a song called 'Tinkle Bell'? Don't you know that word has a bathroom connotation?' So I went back to Ray the next day and told him we had to throw the song out, and we did.
Release Date November 28, 1966Alt URL[permanent dead link]
