Luther and Buddy Houts
“An Old Christmas Card” by Jim Reeves was one of the top holiday favorites in the 60s, 70s and even 80s.
Songwriter Vaughn Horton penned “An Old Christmas Card” in the late 40s. It was recorded by hillbilly artist Ray Smith and released by Columbia Records, but little is known about Smith, who died in 1979.
Horton wrote several Top 10 recordings including, “Sugar Foot Rag” by Red Foley, “Mockingbird Hill” by Les Paul and Mary Ford and “Mule Skinner Blues” recorded by Bill Monroe and Dolly Parton. Vaughn co–wrote “Choo Choo Ch'Boogie” by Louis Jordon. There’s not a lot of history about Horton’s writing “An Old Christmas Card.”
The Forester Sisters from Rising Fawn – Trenton, Ga., were one of the top county singing groups of the 1980’s. The group released “A Christmas Card,” LP in 1987. Warner Brothers transferred the Christmas LP to Compact Disc in 1992 including the song, “An Old Christmas Card.” The Forrester Sisters sang the song during a performance at the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga.
Country Singer Mickey Gilley recorded “An Old Christmas Card” in 1981 but it didn’t get a lot of radio play.
The late country singer and Grand Ole Opry star Charlie Louvin said the words suggest the song was written during the Korean War about a mother, wife or sweetheart who may have lost a young man overseas.
The Henagar, Ala, native remembered when RCA released the Reeves recording in 1963 and nearly every radio station in the United States played it. Louvin said the Vietnam War was heating up, young men were coming home in body bags and the song connected with the American public.
Louvin said he found it very interesting that the original 1949 version by Smith didn’t have the spoken word. The Forrester Sisters version is also minus the reading.
Louvin speculated producer Chet Atkins with permission of the writer added Reeves reading (Reeves started out on radio and had the voice) but Louvin said that’s only speculation.
“You know, I don't know why I get to feeling
Sentimental about this time every year
But every time I see a Christmas card
I somehow can't help reminiscing
About the very first Christmas that you and I spent together
What a beautiful Christmas card you gave me that year
Why I know you must have looked through thousands of cards
To find that wonderful poem
That still brings a tear to my eye.”
Louvin said, “He even wondered what the poem on the card said, listening to the song we don’t know.” Louvin said this song was the topic of discussion several times over coffee with other Grand Ole Opry Stars. Louvin said one singer thought the song could have been about an experience in one of the World Wars.
The late Gaylord McPherson was on the radio in Chattanooga in 1950 and remembered the Smith recording. McPherson said it didn’t become popular until Jim Reeves' recording in the 60’s.
WDEF’s Luther Masingill said he started playing the record the day it came in the mail and it remained a holiday favorite for years. Luther said, “An Old Christmas Card” was a favorite of the late Buddy Houts: “Buddy would insist we play it every morning.” Luther didn’t remember the original version.
Johnny Eagle with WFLI remembers getting a lot of requests for “An Old Christmas Card” during the 1963 and 1964 Christmas seasons. Eagle said listeners with sons, husbands and boyfriends overseas could identify with the song.
The late Lloyd Payne was working at WDXB when “An Old Christmas Card” was released and it became one of his favorites. Payne said, “Our listeners loved the Reeves version and we played it several times a day during the Christmas season.”
WDOD changed its format to county music a short time after the song was released. It became their most requested Christmas song and remained at the top of the holiday request list well into the 70’s.
While this writer was stationed at the American Forces Network, Europe during the 1972 Christmas season, “Old Christmas Card” was next to “White Christmas” in the number of requests. The GI’s loved it and so did the Europeans.
Louvin also speculated the song could have been written when a young man broke up with his sweetheart during war time and he sent her the card. She found the Christmas card later in a trunk. Louvin said he never heard for sure what prompted songwriter Horton to write the tune.
The song never charted as a single according to Billboard music historian Joel Whiltburn but was released in Jim Reeves' 1963 Christmas album, “Twelve Songs of Christmas.” Whitburn’s “Christmas in the Charts” book listed the LP as being one of the top selling Christmas albums for the rest of the decade.
“Twelve Songs of Christmas” was one of the first Christmas Compact Discs released by RCA and today you might find it at a used music shop.
I still have Luther’s original RCA 45 rpm single he gave to me in later years. Although it’s very worn, every time I play it I think of how much Luther loved Christmas music and especially “An Old Christmas Card” by Jim Reeves. Luther said it was Reeves’ smooth velvety voice and the tender words that made the song a lasting holiday favorite.
Click here to listen to Jim Reeves - An Old Christmas Card.