I Wish You a Merry Christmas was a long-playing vinyl album of Christmas themed songs recorded by Bing Crosby for his own company, Project Records at Radio Recorders, Hollywood and issued by Warner Bros. (W-1484) in 1962. The tracks were arranged by Bob Thompson, Peter Matz and Jack Halloran and each conducted the orchestra for their own arrangements. The musical accompaniment was recorded on 23 and 25 July 1962 and Crosby over-dubbed his vocals on October 5, 1962.[1]
The album was re-released by Capitol in 1977 on vinyl and in 1988 (on CD) as "Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics" with one track - "Pat-a-Pan/ While Shepherds Watched Their Sheep" - omitted. All the songs from the original album were included on an EMI CD called "Winter Wonderland" (7243 4 96829 2 4)in the UK in 1998 and on a Capitol CD in the USA in 1999 called "Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics".[2]
Billboard reviewed the album saying "Crosby is a perennial holiday seller, and this LP should prove an important Christmas item for all dealers. The Crosby touch is everywhere evident and the material is drawn from the great Christmas catalog. Chorus and ork assist der Bingle on such Christmas standards as “Winter Wonderland”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.[3]
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