"To Heck with Ole Santa Claus" Released: November 1966
Country Christmas is the eighth solo studio album and first Christmas album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on October 17, 1966 by Decca Records.[1] Lynn would not release another Christmas album until 2016's White Christmas Blue, fifty years later.
In 2005, MCA Records reissued the album on CD as a part of their 20th Century Masters series, under the title The Christmas Collection: The Best of Loretta Lynn, with modified cover art.
In the issue dated October 29, 1966, Billboard published a review of the album, which said, "The album's beautiful songs include "Country Christmas", "Away in a Manger" — all great programming material for country music stations, and this will create high sales. The "Manger" tune deserves a single. Possibly her best effort to date."[3]
Commercial performance
The album did not appear on any music charts.
The only single, "To Heck with Ole Santa Claus", was released in November 1966[4] and did not chart.
Recording
Recording sessions for the album took place on July 7, 13, and 15, 1966, at Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.[5]