A Voice Like Velvet: The Soundtrack to Every Perfect Holiday Memory
There are certain voices so intrinsically linked with the sounds of Christmas that they become, quite simply, non-negotiable elements of the holiday season. The voice of Johnny Mathis is one such phenomenon—a voice like warm velvet, instantly recognizable, and infused with an elegance that transports listeners back to a more refined era of American popular song. His rendering of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is not merely a cover; for millions around the world, it is the sound of the lights being strung and the scent of pine filling the air. This track, originally written by the great Meredith Willson in 1951 (the composer behind The Music Man), was first a hit for Perry Como and Bing Crosby in the same year. However, it is Mathis’s 1986 version that has cemented its place in the modern festive canon, providing the definitive, lushly orchestrated take.
Johnny Mathis recorded his version of the song for his fourth Christmas album, Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis, which was released on September 23, 1986, by Columbia Records. While the song itself, being an album track and a revival of a decades-old standard, did not have a conventional chart run at the time of its initial release, its legacy is undeniable. It wasn’t a hit in the 1980s sense, but a classic in the making. In the digital era, its enduring popularity has propelled it onto contemporary charts; the Mathis recording was ranked at Number 10 on Billboard‘s “Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)” list in 2009. More significantly, its inclusion in the 1992 holiday classic film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York permanently enshrined the Mathis version in the popular consciousness, introducing his signature style to new generations who associate his smooth, effortless delivery with the festive chaos of Kevin McCallister’s adventures.
The genius of Willson‘s original composition lies in its focus not on the holiday itself, but on the preceding, anticipatory phase—the week or two leading up to Christmas Day. The song’s meaning is a delightful cataloging of all the small, almost secret signs that the season is upon us. It’s about the transformation of the everyday world into a festive landscape: the snow, the window dressings at the “five and ten,” the garland on the front door, and, most tenderly, the hopeful glint in the eyes of children. “A pair of socks and a pistol that shoots” is a line that immediately evokes a bygone era of simple, coveted toys and practical gifts, grounding the song in a specific, comforting nostalgia.
Johnny Mathis‘s interpretation enhances this feeling of gentle wonder. Unlike the boisterous delivery of some other Christmas standards, Mathis approaches the song with a tender restraint. His voice, accompanied by the sweeping, sophisticated arrangements of Jeremy Lubbock, sounds like a comforting memory made audible. The production is rich yet understated, emphasizing the beauty and clarity of his flawless tenor. Listening to it now, especially for those of us who grew up with his albums as the soundtrack to our own holiday preparations, it evokes a powerful yearning for the simpler, slower Christmases of the past. It’s the sound of chestnuts roasting and fireplaces glowing, even if we were only dreaming of them in a modern suburban home. Mathis doesn’t sing to us; he whispers a shared secret of the heart, reminding us that the greatest joy of the season is often found in the promise, the slow, gorgeous realization that It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. His is the voice of yuletide elegance that time has never managed to dim.