Bing Crosby - Bing Crosby's Christmas Gems [Deluxe Edition]

In 2023 the Crosby estate went digging through the archives for Bing Crosby's Christmas Gems, a collection built around rare and never-before-released holiday recordings rather than yet another run through the familiar standards. This Deluxe Edition brings it back with five additional tracks, making it the most complete version of the set yet.

The mood is warm and intimate. Bing duets with his wife Kathryn on "Away in a Manger" and "Christmas Island," and lesser-heard gems like "How Lovely Is Christmas" and "White World of Winter" sit comfortably next to "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Joy to the World." The set also carries his much-loved "Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy" duet with David Bowie, first seen on Crosby's 1977 television special Merrie Olde Christmas.

The deluxe additions lean into the personal side of a Crosby Christmas: another Kathryn duet on "Winter Wonderland," two spoken Christmas messages from Bing himself, "Style," and a second version of the Bowie duet that keeps the dialogue intact. It is a set that feels less like a greatest-hits package and more like being invited into the family's holiday.

This deluxe single LP is pressed on white vinyl. Nineteen tracks of the voice of Christmas, ready for tree-trimming season.