ELVIS. “IF EVERY DAY WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS”

It’s a beautiful Christmas song, popularized by Elvis and written in 1965 by his friend and bodyguard Red West.
Red recorded it and released it that same year on his own label for the 1965 Christmas season, but it met with little success.

The following year, Red gave the song to Elvis to record, as he wanted to record a Christmas song. Elvis recorded it on June 10, 1966 at RCA’s Studio B in Nashville.
Reportedly, Elvis had a cold and a strep throat at the time, so he was in no condition or mood to record. For this reason, he asked his friends Red West and Charlie Hodge to come into the studio and fill in for him, providing his vocals while the musicians prepared the tracks.
In addition to providing lead vocals, Red West reportedly recorded ”If Every Day Was Like Christmas” and ”Sleepless Nights, Endless Days” (his own compositions by him) during this session as well.
It was released as a single on November 15, 1966, with the B-side, “How Would You Like to be”, a song from the movie “It’s Happened at The World’s Fair”.
A certainly strange release, and without much logic, in the wrong line with which RCA treated releases and Elvis material.
I hear the bells
Saying that Christmas is near
They ring to tell the world
That this is the time of joy
I hear a choir
Singing sweetly somewhere
And a glow fills my heart
I am at peace with the world
As the sound of their singing fills the air
Oh why can’t every day be like Christmas?
Why can’t that feeling go on without end?
Cause if every day could be like Christmas
What a wonderful world this would be…”
A beautiful song, which Elvis really liked to interpret.
The songs that Red composed for Elvis were always very on point, as Red knew him very well since they were very young and were very good friends. Always reflecting the state of mind and feeling of Elvis at that moment in his life.
That’s why Elvis always loved the songs that Red wrote for him.
Elvis performed “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” with all the love he felt for Christmas and with all the joy and affection he felt for these Holidays, so important to him.
Elvis loved Christmas, it had a very special meaning to him. And really, as the song says, he wanted every day to be like Christmas, because they were magical days of warmth at home, celebration, love for family and loved ones.
Here is the link to the song.