Owl Be Home For Christmas Part 2 Quiz

Answer: Let

While stuck in a hot room together in the summer of 1945, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne talked about snow days when they were kids. Using these memories, Sammy and Jule composed a 16 line song about a couple stuck inside on a snowy night and neither wanting to leave. Vaughn Monroe was the first to record the song under RCA and released it a week after Thanksgiving.

Answer: Kissing

Inspiration for the song came from a Neiman Marcus print ad from the 1950's. Tommie Connor wrote the lyrics and Columbia Records hired twelve year old Jimmy Boyd to sing the song. Catholic churches everywhere condemned the song as adulterous and immoral.

It wasn't until Boyd explained that the Santa Claus in the song is really the father in disguise and the mommy is kissing her husband did the Catholic churches remove their ban on the song.

Answer: Home

Robert Allen and Al Stillman wrote this song for Perry Como. Al Stillman was Jewish so when it came time to write the lyrics for the song he substituted 'Holidays' for 'Christmas'. When writing the lyrics for both men thought about the lengths people endure to get home for the holidays.

It was after this song, that many people began using the word 'holiday' when speaking of the Christmas season.

Answer: Jingle

Joe Beal and James Boothe wrote "Jingle Bell Rock" while trying to recreate a song based on a Currier & Ives painting of a sleigh ride. Bobby Helms performed the song with backup by the Anita Kerr singers at a studio on music row.

Answer: Red

"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was the first holiday book to become a holiday song and have the song outperform the book. "Rudolph" originated from the mind of Bob May while telling his four year old daughter a story to keep her mind of her sick mother. Eventually, Bob had a book made up for his daughter.

His boss at Montgomery Ward enjoyed the story and set up a promotion for the next Christmas. The book became such a success that a short movie was made about "Rudolph". When singer/songwriter, Johnny Marks became involved, he wrote a song based on the exploits of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore passed the song over and Gene Autry took the song to number one after being convinced he needed another song on his album.

Answer: Sleigh

Leo Anderson, a musical genius, put to music what he thought a sleigh ride would be like in New England in 1946. He worked on other music and didn't finish "Sleigh Ride" for another two years. Anderson gave it to Fielder from the Boston Pops to perform. Mitchell Parish put lyrics to the music.

The Andrew Sisters were the first to record the song with lyrics, but Andy Williams' rendition has been the most played.

Answer: Blue

Jay Johnson came up with the idea for "Blue Christmas" after driving his 1939 Mercury in a rainstorm to the train station. The roof was ripped and he had to use an umbrella to keep the rain out of the car. All in all, Jay was having a very blue christmas. Billy Hayes helped write the music and Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra recorded the song. Elvis Presley's rendition garnered the writers more royalties than any other singer.

Answer: Bells

"Silver Bells" was written for the Bob Hope movie, "The Lemon Drop Kid". The title of the song was supposed to be "Tinkle Bells", but Ray Evans, co-writer of the song, was told by his wife that the word 'tinkle' had a different connotation so the word was changed to 'silver'. Before the movie was released, Bing Crosby performed the song with Carol Richards.

By the time, "The Lemon Drop Kid" was released, people were familiar with the song.

Answer: Beginning

The Christmas movie "Miracle on 34th Street" was the inspiration for the Christmas song, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas". Meredith Wilson wrote the lyrics while living in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Perry Como picked up the song immediately and recorded it under RCA with the Fontane singers as backup and the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra providing the music.

Answer: Frosty

"Frosty the Snowman" was performed by Gene Autry one week after his hit, "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" appeared on the radio. Little Golden Books published a book based on "Frosty the Snowman" and CBS produced a short movie on the antics of "Frosty the Snowman".