V/A: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) [MERCURY NASHVILLE]

Why you'll love it

The original soundtrack to Chuck Jones's 1966 TV special, with Boris Karloff narrating the whole Dr. Seuss story on Side A and the songs on Side B. It won the Grammy for Best Album for Children.

This edition

• Original 1966 TV soundtrack
• Narrated by Boris Karloff

About the album

Every family has the Christmas record that comes out the day the tree goes up, and for a great many families it's this one. Chuck Jones, the Looney Tunes director, adapted Dr. Seuss's 1957 book for television in 1966, and Theodor Geisel himself co-produced. Boris Karloff, a man better known for playing Frankenstein's monster, narrates and voices the Grinch with a twinkle you can hear.

Side A is the full story, from Whoville's noisy celebrations to the sleigh ride up Mount Crumpit. Side B gathers the songs Albert Hague wrote with Seuss: "Welcome Christmas," the Whos' gentle carol, "Trim Up the Tree," and the deep, rumbling "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," sung by Thurl Ravenscroft (also the voice of Tony the Tiger), who went uncredited for years while people guessed it was Karloff.

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" has climbed into the Billboard Hot 100 in recent Decembers, nearly 60 years after it first aired. The Grinch's heart famously grows three sizes; our holiday section has grown about the same amount, and we suspect he's responsible.

Also at Kops: more How the Grinch Stole Christmas on vinyl · browse Soundtracks

Tracklist

Listen

On MCA / Mercury / UMe (cat# B0023492-01), a reissue of the 1966 soundtrack.