Advent calendar—December 3: Johnny Cash, “The Little Drummer Boy”

Advent calendar—December 3

Johnny Cash, “The Little Drummer Boy” (1959)
from The Best-Loved Music of Christmas
Columbia House DS 822

Drummer Buddy Harmon takes up where Sam Woodyard left off on Johnny Cash’s chart-hit version of this chestnut. You’re not always sure what you’re going to get from Johnny in this period (Thunderball?), but this is a thoughtful rearrangement that shakes some of the fake snow off the song. Found on a Columbia House collection that featured the usual record club loss-leader mish-mosh—Johnny shares side two with the Moog Machine and Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The best thing about it is that when you open up the gatefold, you get this:

It’s not an advent calendar, but its not bad.

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