The Friday Cocktail Hour comes early on Christmas Day. We want to catch Santa before he’s hungover, after all. Besides, Santa Donald has driven us to drink with his unpardonable pardons. I hope he gets coal in his stocking.

Mel Tormé and Bob Weiss wrote The Christmas Song on a boiling hot day in the summer of 1945. The two were trying to stay cool by thinking of winter. It’s unclear if that worked but the song certainly does.

Last Saturday, reader Christflora shared a link to a story from the News From Me blog about the Velvet Fog and some carolers. There’s always a good story when Mel Tormé is involved.

We begin with the songwriter himself.

Nat King Cole was the first to record The Christmas Song. Here he is in toon form:

The first version I ever heard of this song was by the patron saint of the Friday Cocktail Hour;

A nice jazzy interpretation by the great Ella Fitzgerald:

Finally, a 21st Century cover by Aimee Mann:

That’s it for the first Christmas day edition of the Friday Cocktail. I hope everyone had a Merry Xmas. Time to spike some eggnog with Jack Daniel’s.  It’s what Bogie, Betty, and Frank would want. Never argue with them.