Winter Wonderland

Words and Music by Felix Bernard and Dick Smith

First recording 1946:

~ from the Musical Smart Set "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music"

With Russ Case and His Orchestra

and The Satisfiers

Recorded at RCA Victor Studio 2, New York City

Recording Time 2:37

Recorded August 01, 1946 ~ Matrix No. D6VB - 2569 Take 1 - 1A

Single release: RCA-78RPM-20-1968-B

Single release: RCA-45RPM 47-2969 ( 1949 )

Single Flip Side: "That Christmas Feeling"

US Chart Position No. 10 Chart Debut: December 28, 1946

UK Single release: HMV-78RPM-BD-1187 ( December 1947 )

Single Flip Side: "Jingle Bells"

Original 78RPM Musical Smart Set "Merry Christmas Music" P-161 1946/47

Original 45RPM Musical Smart Set "Merry Christmas Music" WP-161 1949 & EPB-3023 1952

Album issue: RCA-LP10 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" LPM-51 / LPM-3023 MONO 1951/52

Album reissue: RCA-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" LPM-1243 MONO 1956

Album issue: RCA-45RPM EP "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" EPA-920 MONO 1956

Album Re- issue: RCA-45RPM EP "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" EPA-920 MONO 1957

Album: RCA-UK EP "A Merry Christmas" RCX-120 MONO U/K

Re-issue: Camden-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" CAL-660 MONO 1961

Re-issue: Camden-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" CAS (e)-660 ELECTRONIC STEREO 1964

Album issue: Pickwick-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" CDM-1030 MONO 1969

Re-issue: Pickwick-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" CDS-1045 ELECTRONIC STEREO 1972

Re-issue: Camden-LP12 "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music" CAS (e)-660 ELECTRONIC STEREO 1987

Re-issue: Special Products-LP12 "Christmas with Perry Como" Noel-5211 ELECTRONIC STEREO 1987

Merry Christmas Music ~ LPM 3023 circa 1951

Santa Claus Us Comin' To Town ~ EPA-920 circa 1957

Merry Christrmas Music ~ 1961 Camden alternate cover

Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music - UK Camden 1969

Merry Christmas Music ~ 1964 Camden Reissue

1946 Version | Lyrics | CD-Finder |

Note: a number of Perry's original RCA Camden albums were later issued in Electronically Reprocessed Stereo during the mid-1960s when it became important for recordings to be available in a stereo format. Generally speaking, results were not very good but this was largely dependent on the remastering engineer. Oddly, a number of recordings previously recorded in real stereo were also remastered in this "fake" stereo for reasons assumed to be associated with the project budget but, nevertheless, in direct contradiction to RCA General Manager George R. Marek's original mission statement for RCA Camden recordings in 1958.

Second recording 1959:

Arrangements by Joe Lipman and Jack Andrews

With Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra

Produced by Charles Grean and Lee Schapiro

Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City

Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson

Recording Time 3:25

Recorded July 14, 1959 ~ Matrix No. K2PB 4547 Take 7

Stereo Compact 33 Double release: RCA VP-1-2066 ( M2PO-5356 1S )

Single Flip Side: "Home for the Holidays"

Album issue: RCA-LP12 "Seasons Greetings from Perry Como" LSP-2066 STEREO 1959

Album issue: RCA UK-LP12 "The Songs of Christmas" SF-5045 STEREO 1959

Album issue: RCA-COMPACT 33 DOUBLE "Seasons Greetings from Perry Como" VP-2006 STEREO 1961

Album issue: Pickwick-LP12 "The Christmas Collection" PDA-027 STEREO 1979

Album issue: RCA-CAMDEN-LP12 "Christmas Greetings" PICKWICK UK CDS-1113 STEREO 1972/76

Album issue: RCA-JAPAN-LP12 "The Perry Como Christmas Album" SRA-5032 STEREO 1976

Album issue: Box Set Bonus "Christmas With Perry Como" RD US STEREO RDA-144/A 1983

This perennial favorite was written in 1934 by Dick Smith and Felix Bernard. One of the first recordings of "Winter Wonderland" was by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (Decca 294) in 1934. The next year, Ted Weems and His Orchestra, with vocal by Parker Gibbs, had a popular recording (Columbia 2976). Guy Lombardo with the Andrews Sisters had a million-seller with "Winter Wonderland" (Decca 23722) in 1946, as did Perry Como for RCA Victor (RCA 1968) that same year. Collective sales of "Winter Wonderland" by all artists through the years has exceeded 45 million copies. Perry Como recorded the song again in his 1959 RCA Victor album "Season's Greetings from Perry Como" LPM/LSP-2066.