Gift of Christmas #11: The Strange Christmas Collaboration of Goodyear Tires and Petula Clark

I grew up in a simpler time…or at least in a time when people did not question the vinyl and voice collaboration between a leading tire company and the top recording artists of the music industry. I grew up during the years of the Goodyear Great Songs of Christmas Albums.

Every December, my father would bring home the latest album of holiday music that he purchased at, of all places, an auto repair shop.  As our collection grew, these albums would be stacked up on the center arm of the record player. We would wear out the tracks on these albums turning the stack over hour after hour so our house would be filled with the strains of music, of carols and choirs.

Goodyear (1969) Christmas Album

One of my favorites was  The Great Songs of Christmas Album #9 (1969), mostly because of the opening song “The Happiest Christmas” sung by Petula Clark.  I am not sure why this song never caught on as one of the most beautiful songs of the season, and I missed it when my family moved west taking the album with them. Several years later, my sister Kate found a copy at a tag sale for me, and I was careful to make a recording before I began to wear it out.

Album #9: inside cover featuring artists

Now, the song is available through different music services, and I am hopeful Petula’s recording will find new appreciative audiences.

Album #9-Side A

Here is the song for your enjoyment (re-released under another album) as well as a list of the other recordings on Album #9 that were available thanks to the Goodyear Tire Company.

Song	Performed By
The Happiest Christmas	Petula Clark
Secret of Christmas	Bing Crosby
Twelve Days of Christmas	Joan Sutherland
The First Noel	Connie Francis
O Come All Ye Faithful God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	Richard Kiley
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Good King Wenceslas It Came Upon A Midnight Clear	Lawrence Welk
In Dulci Jublio	London Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf The Roger Wagner Chorale
O Holy Night	Mantovani and His Orchestra
Silent Night, Holy Night	Petula Clark
Winter Wonderland	Lena Horne
Skater’s Waltz	Mantovani and His Orchestra
O Little Town of Bethlehem	Connie Francis
Panis Angelicus	Richard Kiley
Jingle Bells Edited version	Lena Horne
O Sanctissima	London Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf The Roger Wagner Chorale
A Christmas Tale for Children [correct title Fairy Tale in A Major, Opus 51 No. 3 by Nikolay Medtner]	Vladimir Horowitz
Ave Maria	Joan Sutherland

Petula Clark by way of Goodyear Tire Company is the gift of Christmas #11!