FIRST TIME HEARING | Home Free | The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole Trio Cover) #musicreaction

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, back frost snipping at your nose. Hi, I'm Brad. Hi, I'm John. So, naturally, you know, we've already hit up the Pentatonix with one of their Christmas numbers this year, and we've hit up Cartoon Anime. Christmas number this year, and pretty sure we've done one from Voiceplay. We did one from Voiceplay, didn't we? Did we? Or haven't we done one yet? We did one, didn't we? Wasn't that Jeff's? I know we did one from Jeff. Maybe we haven't done Voiceplay's yet. Hasn't Voiceplay even released theirs yet? I'll have to actually double check that one. If we haven't, I know what I'm doing. We all know what we did five minutes ago. That's true. If we haven't done Voiceplay's, that one's coming up soon. Anywho. It's easier for you guys to pause. Go look at our last video. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, the third one of the little pile that we always hit up around Christmas time is Home Free. So, this is Home Free's Christmas song. Okay. They did the Christmas song. Because, yeah, why wouldn't they? Christmas. Yeah. So, the Christmas song, it's commonly subtitled as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, although it was originally subtitled as Merry Christmas to You. Thank you, Wikipedia. It was a Christmas song written back in 1945 and first recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio in June of 1946. That original 1946 recording has actually been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974 because of its significance. However, this is where it gets a bit weird. Over the objections of his record label, Cole requested a second recording was made, which they did in 1946 using a small string section. That version, oddly enough, became a massive hit, both pop and the R&B charts. He then recorded more of a hit than the first version, which was done in June. Christmas song, June. You know, it did better when they released it in August. Should have been in July. Christmas in July. Exactly. He recorded the song again in 1953. Same arrangement, but for orchestra this time. You're just talking about that in our form from yesterday. Yeah, orchestra. Everything better. And then he did it again in 1961 in stereo, again with a full orchestra. Hey, you know, if you could... Might as well keep doing it if you're still getting great hits out of it. Obviously I didn't mute my phone. Yes. I thought I did. So, yeah. So, re-recorded in stereo, because prior recordings were all mono. And that version is effectively regarded as the definitive version of this song. And in 2022, was actually put by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Registry. Due to its cultural, historical, and, you know, aesthetic significance. That was a lot of take in. Yes. But, yeah, effectively did. Kept re-recording it, and then, yes, stereo became really the thing. Yeah. You know, yeah, it was that version. And it's hard to believe that was 1946. What is that, like 80 years ago? It dates from 1945. He just recorded it in 1946. So, yeah. Originally written in 1945. So, yeah. That's a minute. Yeah. That's amazing. And here we have Tom Frey covering it. Yeah. But then you stop and you think six years. But then it's kind of like you think so many of these Christmas songs and stuff. It's kind of like you realize there's that point of... Oh, wait. It's only 80 years old. So many of them. It's kind of like... Yeah. It's like, oh, there's Silent Night. When was that written? Oh, well, the earliest record that we have of it being written down was like in 18 something or other. But it, you know, dating from, you know, somewhere back when monasteries were popular and, you know. Yeah. All that kind of stuff. All right. Now that we've rambled on for five minutes, let's check it out. Before we do, make sure you hit the like and subscribe. Check out the description down below. You're going to find all the links and information down there, including links to the shop where we have Christmas shirts and stuff on sale. Okay. Remember, the more you know. Yes. Now we know a lot more about the song than we did before. Yes. Admittedly, I've already forgotten all of it. 45 feet. We've heard it many times. We got it. Smacked my head too many times. Anyway. Shoot. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost snipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos. Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright. Tiny tots with their eyes on the glow. We'll find it hard to sleep tonight. Pause this for YouTube. Are they into those? Yes. They are in video. I will point that out. Because this is the official Christmas video that goes along with Yuletide Roses. And they are in video. Maybe I'd have their story video too. Yeah, exactly. And I'm also going to say that this song, weirdly enough, they've gone a bit Pentatonix-esque on it. It's not completely a cappella. No. The singing part is. But, well, we'll get there. We'll find it hard to sleep tonight. They know the Santa's on his way. He's bringing lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh. And every mother's child is going to spy. To see if reindeer really know how to fly. And so I'm offering this simple phrase. To kids from one ninety-two. Although it's been said many times, many ways. Merry Christmas to you. Oh, they're not doing that a cappella? No. Probably could have done a beatbox. But, yeah. And surprisingly enough, one of the current members of Home Free. This trumpet. There you go. Anyway, they actually mention that in the credits while they're thanking their Patreons. They acted surprised as if they didn't know. I'm sure you knew he played the trumpet. Come on. It's the kind of thing that tends to come up in the music group. This simple phrase. To kids from one ninety-two. Although it's been said many times, many ways. Merry Christmas to you. That was short. Was that three? Uh-huh. That was about three minutes. I guess we did break twice, huh? Yeah. Yeah, it's another one of those songs that it's kind of like you hear it done like that by a group like Home Free. And it's kind of like, have they actually really done anything to it? Because your mind starts playing tricks and stuff. Obviously, the way it was done originally in the first place. The actual trio and everything. It's kind of one of those. Your brain starts playing the tricks of, isn't that just like a straight cover? Because, I mean, you can. You can imagine that song being done just like that back in 1946. Right. And being a massive hit. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it is. It was done very, very tastefully. Yeah. I would have to listen to one of his versions of it. Probably the original version. I mean, so many people have covered that. It's like, who knows what version I'm actually in reality. I would say, I think. Again, this is a memory thing. So, pinch of salt here. I think it probably is most similar with that original 1946 version of it. Probably. Because, like I said, even later on in 1946, it had a small string quartet added in. And then a full orchestra. But still, yeah, it's a great throwback. And it is, let's be honest, a really great Christmas song as well. Yeah. It's one of those really timeless Christmas songs. And it's probably going to be a song that's going to be around forever, like some of the other songs have. Already been around forever. Do I want to have Christmas? No. Don't mention that one. Well, we're definitely going to hit them up some more. So, if you want to see any of those, make sure you hit that like and subscribe. Don't forget to check out our Nostalgia Channel. New Nostalgia Channel, I should say. If you've played in the past, if you're into 60s, 70s, 80s, nostalgic videos, quizzes, trivia, the Music Rewind, which is the quick little shorts of the great music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. For example, the 60s version. Anyway. Yeah, and we're replaying the past. We'll be having it coming up here soon. We'll be having the 2025 in memoriam of the stars that have passed away this year. Unfortunately, it's a long list, it seems like. Quite a list, it seems like. Just had two within the last couple of days here. Yeah. And that's it. Is that it? Yes. Yeah. It just helps to support us. Yeah. So, comment suggestions down below. I know, you did the like and subscribe bit, and then we did the then bit. But we've got to get our plug in. Comment suggestions down below, and if you hit the notification bell, YouTube will think about telling you when we do the suggestions that you commented down below there. It's going down next time. Thanks for watching. ♪♪♪♪