Elvis’ Worldwide Christmas Vinyl (1950’s-60’s)

By Bob Pakes
 
 

Santa Claus is back in town!

(well, almost …)

In this article we take a look at the worldwide releases
of Elvis Presley’s Christmas recordings in the 50’s and 60’s.

All releases that came with a picture cover are presented here. And there were some real beauties among them, many of which have become extremely rare and very collectible.

First up are the American releases, followed by all other worldwide releases in alphabetical order.

Happy Holidays!

 

 

USA

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LOC-1035

This deluxe release from 1957 was a true work of art! The beautiful fold-out cover opened up into a booklet that was loaded with cool color photos.
Elvis’ Christmas Album was an instant classic, and it would return to the charts for many years to come.

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

EPA-4108

Also released in 1957, this EP contained half of the Christmas songs that could be found on the album.

Two cover-variations of this title exist. The later pressing did not mention the songtitles on the frontcover.

 

Christmas With Elvis

EPA-4340

The 2nd Christmas EP, from 1959, consisted of the other half of the album songs.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LPM-1951

When the album was re-released in 1959, the artwork had changed dramatically. But once again a lot of effort seemed to have gone into the presentation of this album.
No new Elvis Christmas records would be released for the next 5 years.

 

Blue Christmas

447-0720

A single was released in 1964 which coupled two old songs, “By Popular Request”.

The cover artwork of this single was very original and deserves a special mention.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LSP-1951 (e)

Also in 1964, the LP was re-released in Reprocessed Stereo. The army pics on the back cover were now gone while other Christmas and Gospel records were being advertised. The mono version of this LP (LPM-1951) was also re-released with the new back cover.

 

Santa Claus Is Back In Town

447-0647

1965 saw the release of a Christmas single that didn’t make sense at all.

The cover was a straight copy of the 1964 single, while the song Blue Christmas had also already been used that previous year.

 

If Every Day Was Like Christmas

47-8950

The last Christmas release in this decade was the first truly new Christmas song since 1957.

Released in 1966 and written by Red West, it was coupled with a children’s song that was recorded 4 years earlier.

 

 

AUSTRALIA

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

L10341

The front cover of the US album was also used for the Australian release in the 1950’s. There was however no fold-out cover with book of photos. The back cover was also very different and included a nice story about the young Elvis Presley.

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

20126

Released in 1958, this EP came with a different back cover compared to the US pressing.

 

Christmas With Elvis

20218

Also the 2nd Christmas EP was released in Australia, in 1959, and again with a different back cover.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

L10341

For the Australian re-release of the Christmas Album in 1964, the same beautiful front and back artwork was used as in ’59 in the USA. Though, by the mid 60’s, it must have been odd to see pics of Elvis from a long gone era.

 

If Every Day Was Like Christmas

47-8950

Different colors on the front, and a totally different back cover for this 1966 single.

 

Christmas With Elvis

EPA-4340

When re-released in 1967, this EP was asigned the orginal US catalog number, plus a complete new front-cover was chosen (the image of the How Great Thou Art album).

 

 

BRAZIL

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LOC-1035

Here we have a rare pressing from Brazil, released with a gate-fold sleeve. The image on the front also appeared in the booklet of the ’57 US album.

Going by the 1961 calendar on the back, this LP appears to be from 1960.

 

 

CANADA

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LPM-1951

Released in 1958, there was no nice fold out cover for the Canadian fans, while the back cover was the most boring of all worldwide releases. The text referencing the booklet, was replaced by a “Best Wishes!” message.

 

 

CHILE

 

Felices Navidades

LOC-1035

From 1957, a true rarity.
 
Pictured here is the 2nd pressing, which was released the same year.

 

 

DENMARK

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

EPB-1035-1 and EPB-1035-2

The two German EP’s (see below) were also released in Denmark in 1958, but unlike the Germans, the Danes too (like RCA Canada) had found a more effective way to cover up the message on the front: “Merry Christmas And Happy New Year”.

 

Silent Night

47-9279

From 1964, an early German single that originally came without a cover. The Danes added a nice front insert.

Since this single came with just a front insert (and no back cover), an image of the single is added for good measure.

 

 

FRANCE

 

Noël Avec Elvis

85.249

Another unique and very nice release, this time from RCA France: Christmas With Elvis, released in 1958.

 

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

430-334

The Christmas album was released on numerous occasions in France. Here we have an early 1960’s pressing which came with a different back cover.

 

 

GERMANY

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LOC-1035-C

The German LP from 1957 did not come with the foldout cover and the “album of new full colour photos”, so RCA Germany covered the reference to the booklet with ugly yellow bars. Ouch! A page from the US booklet was used for the rather nice back cover.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

EPB-1035-1 and EPB-1035-2

These two EP’s were released in 1958. Each contained half of the 8 Christmas songs that were on the original LP.
 
For the first pressing, RCA Germany failed to remove the obsolete “plus an album of new full colour photos”.

Here we have the corrected covers of these EP’s (also from 1958), with loud yellow bars now covering up the words.
 
It makes you wonder why the German art-department did not use the colour red to cover up the words. Photoshop was obviously still far, far away.

The two EP’s were re-released in 1964 and a different photo of Elvis now graced the cover.
 
 
The backcovers of all pressings of these two EP’s were nearly identical and resembled the backcover of the German album (LOC-1035-C).

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

EPA-4108

This EP was released in 1959. The cover was the same as the US pressing.
 
For the 60’s re-release of this title, the new photo of Elvis was used.

 

Blue Christmas

47-9674

Santa Bring My Baby Back

47-9143

In 1965 and in 1966, two more Christmas singles were released in Germany. These two are pretty rare.

 

If Every Day Was Like Christmas

47-8950

This single from 1966, was the last new German Christmas release in the 60’s.
 

The album’s re-release in the early 60’s also featured the new cover photo.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LSP-1951 (e)

For the 1966 re-release of the album, RCA Germany used the same beautiful front- and back cover that was first seen in the USA in the late 50’s.

 

 

ITALY

 

Rock And Roll Rhapsody

A72V 0068

In December 1956, RCA in Italy re-released the EP Rock And Roll Rhapsody (which included 1 Elvis track) as a special edition Christmas ornament suitable to hang in a tree. This EP is the world’s first commercial Elvis-related Christmas release.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LOC-1035

The album was released in Italy in 1958, with the US artwork. But unlike the Germans, the Italians got rid of the words “plus an album of new full colour photos” in a most professional way. The Italian back cover was quite nice and colorful.

 

Christmas With Elvis

EPA-4340

This Christmas EP, from 1959, is identical to the US release, except for the back cover.

 

Blue Christmas

45N 0939

RCA Italy is known for its often unique artwork, and here we have an awesome Christmas single from 1959.

The back cover shows us the Christmas albums of RCA’s three biggest sellers: Presley, Como and Belafonte.

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

EPA 4108

Released in 1960, notice how the titles on the front and the back don’t match. White Christmas is not on this EP, Santa Bring My Baby Back is. The backcover also lists Christmas With Elvis as EPA 4344, but the correct number is 4340.

 

 

JAPAN

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LS-5038

Released in 1957, this very unique album!

 

White Christmas

SS-1045

Released in both the 78 rpm (SS-321) and 45 rpm (SS-1045) format, this single from 1957.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Songs

EP-1334

RCA Victor in Japan released this Christmas EP in 1958, however, not with the regular 4 songs (as was done around the world) but with no less than 6 songs.

 

Blue Christmas

SS-1174

For the 3rd year in a row, from 1959, a Christmas release in Japan.

 

Christmas With Elvis

CP-1032

This EP from 1962, contains 4 of the songs of the 1958 Christmas EP.

 

Here Comes Santa Claus

SS-1593

In 1965, RCA Japan released a single with a cover that was very reminiscent of the original Christmas album.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

SCP-1205

Using the same cover design, the Japanese Christmas EP from 1958 was re-released a second time, but this time with all 6 songs.

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

SHP-5495

The (by 1965) classic Christmas album was also re-released in Japan in 1965, with a new front- and back cover.

 

 

NEW ZEALAND

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

LOC-1035

From 1957: one of the most beautiful and rarest Elvis albums in the world!

 

Christmas With Elvis

RPX 1110

Both US Christmas EP’s were released in New Zealand in the late 50’s.

Unlike the unique cover of the New Zealandic LP, the covers of the two EP’s that were released in this country resembled their US counterparts.

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

RPX 1111

Going by the presence of the Touch Of Gold EP’s on the back cover, these EP’s appear to be from 1959.

 

 

SOUTH-AFRICA

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

31.118

Here we have the mega rare and totally unique South African variation of the Christmas album!

The LP was re-released with the same catalog number, but with the original US front-cover.

 

 

SPAIN

 

Noche De Paz

3-21024

Another unique EP, only released in Spain, in 1967.

 

 

UK

 

Elvis’ Christmas Album

RD-27052

The Brits also had a totally different cover for their X-mas album in 1957.

 

Elvis Sings Christmas Songs

RCX-121

Not just the UK Christmas album, but also the British variation of the EP Elvis Sings Christmas Songs came with a different artwork when it was released in 1958.

This EP was also released with a special fold out cover that offered the opportunity to present the EP as a gift (with “To …” and “From …”) which was reminiscent of the sticker on the front of the US album.
 
The Christmas message on the front cover, wrongly gave the impression that this might be the title of this EP.

 

 

URUGUAY

 

Merry Christmas

AVE-113

Another rare beauty, this EP from 1958. Also released in Brazil in the exact same style.