O/T: Christmas In Dixie - Alabama
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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Printed Date: 27 January 2026 at 7:42am
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Topic: O/T: Christmas In Dixie - Alabama
Posted By: NightAire
Subject: O/T: Christmas In Dixie - Alabama
Date Posted: 30 November 2025 at 9:56pm
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I accidentally discovered tonight that the common version of "Christmas In Dixie" by Alabama is apparently edited from a slightly longer version. I can't figure out where the longer version originated. The version you're likely familiar with ends with singing, no spoke elements, going straight from, "from Fort Payne, Alabama..." to "...Merry Christmas tonight!!!" while the "long" version has spoken segments from each of the members after "from Fort Payne, Alabama..." * "God bless y'all" * "We love you" * "Happy New Year" * "G'nite" * (together, shouted) "MERRY CHRISTMAS" ...and then picks up with the acapella "Merry Christmas tonight..." The "regular" version runs about 3:35 while the "long" version runs about 3:42. The song first appeared on the 1982 RCA Victor compilation, "A Country Christmas," alongside Christmas tracks form Charlie Pride, Louis Mandrell, Steve Wariner, and Willie Nelson. Wikipedia would tell you this was where the long version originated, but the timing listed in Discogs suggests otherwise. I don't have an LP myself to compare, though. It was released as a single the same year, where it went to #35 on the country charts. This version also appears to be the edit. It was released once with the Mandrell/Bannon duet from "A Country Christmas," and again with another Alabama song, "Never Be One." A 1983 promo was re-released with "White Christmas" by Earl Thomas Conley on the B side. It was re-REreleased in 1987 with Amy Grant's "Tennessee Christmas" on the B-side this time. 1995 sees yet another 7" re-re-rerelease with the B-side this time being Alabama's "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear." In 1985, Alabama released their first Christmas album, cleverly titled "Christmas," and it also appears to have the edit length. RCA Special Products / BMG Direct Marketing / Audio Treasures released a curious compilation in 1991 titled "Christmas Memories From Elvis & Alabama." This appears to be the edit, too. In 1994, we get "Christmas With The Judds And Alabama" which also appears to have the edit. SO, where do you find the "long" version, you ask? Two places that I know of: Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin' - The 25th Anniversary Collection (3x CD compilation) --and-- The Time Life Treasury of Christmas... despite Discogs' protest to the contrary. My disc is buried at the moment, but the rip I have on my hard drive is too clearly labeled to have come from anywhere else, and the Time/Life version is significantly more dynamic/less peak limiting than the version of the 25th Anniversary Collection. Does anybody know if the first place this "long" version was released really was the Treasury of Christmas, or did "A Country Christmas" actually have the full version and Discogs is labeled wrong? Is the long version available anywhere else? ------------- Gene Savage http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage Tulsa, Oklahoma USA |
Replies:
Posted By: EternalStatic
Date Posted: 01 December 2025 at 8:41am
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Hi Gene, I have the long version on an RCA compact disc compilation entitled The Best of Christmas, which I randomly found in a second-hand store a few years ago. According to Discogs, this compilation was first issued on LP in 1985; however, what's not clear is what version is actually on the LP, as the label states a running time of 3:21, which is surely a misprint but gives no clue as to which version is actually contained. https://www.discogs.com/master/608042-Various-The-Best-Of-Christmas" rel="nofollow - https://www.discogs.com/master/608042-Various-The-Best-Of-Christmas For the record, "Christmas in Dixie" sounds good and looks pretty dynamic with no clipping on the CD version of this comp. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 02 December 2025 at 10:33am
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For the 40+ years this song has been around, I guess I never paid attention to the details at the end. Thank you Gene for noticing this. The longer version is available on Qobuz for anyone looking for it. Looks as though the shorter version was the hit? ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA Celebrating 29 years as a full-time wedding & special event DJ! |
Posted By: NightAire
Date Posted: 02 December 2025 at 11:36am
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Yes, it appears the shorter version was the commercial 45 and the promo 45 as well. ------------- Gene Savage http://www.BlackLightRadio.com - http://www.BlackLightRadio.com http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage - http://www.facebook.com/TulsaSavage Tulsa, Oklahoma USA |
Posted By: CountryPD
Date Posted: 02 December 2025 at 12:09pm
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Gene: To reply to your original question, just two versions of Christmas In Dixie were released by Alabama. 1) Original longer version first issued in 1982 with spoken greetings from each band member @ 3:05 – TIME: 3:37 2) Shorter version first issued in 1983 WITHOUT spoken greetings TIME: 3:33 Shorter version not just an edit, it is a remix. The spoken greetings talked over the edge of the instrumental fade @ 3:05 so it had to be mixed out. Some of the levels were changed most notably the “Jingle Bells” electric guitar “ riff @3:23 of the 3:37 version is a bit louder. Printed timings are incorrect on many releases. A 3:21 version is listed on multiple albums but does not exist. Here are the LP & CD releases in my library that I play-checked for the actual timing RCA 45 single releases PB 13358 [1982] red vinyl - B side by Louise Mandrell & RC Bannon 3:37 PB 13664 [1983] B side Alabama - Never Be One 3:33 [printed time 3:37] JB 13664/JB 13668 [1983] flip side by Earl Thomas Conley 3:33 [printed time 3:37] 5051-7-R [1986] – B side Alabama - Tennessee Christmas [3:33] RCA Alabama album releases ASL1-7014 (LP) & PCD1-7074 (CD) [1985] Alabama “Christmas” album 3:33 RCA Various Artist compilations A Country Christmas CPL1 4396 (LP) [1982] 4812-2-R (CD) [1987] 3:37 LP printed time: 3:21/CD printed time 3:28 A Country Christmas Vol. 2 AYL1-4809 (LP) [1983] 4809-2-R (CD) [1987] 3:33 LP & CD printed times 3:21 A Country Christmas Vol. 3 CPL1-5178 (LP) [1984] 5178-2-R (CD) [1987] 3:33 LP & CD printed times 3:21 Best Of Christmas CPL1-7013 (LP) [1985] 3:37 [Note: I don’t have the 1990 CD release of this LP to check time] LP printed time 3:21 Edit: Thanks to EternalStatic who confirmed that the 1990 CD release RCA 7013-2-R has the same 3:37 version Nipper’s Greatest Christmas Hits 9859-2-R [1989] 3:33 Christmas Classics Volume 1 66301-2 [1993] 3:33 Printed time 3:32 Country Christmas Classics 67698-2 [1998] 3:33 Time/Life Compilations Time/Life Treasury Of Christmas TCD-107B Disc B [1987] 3:37 Country Christmas TCD-109B Disc B [1988] 3:37 The version first released in 1982 on both the RCA 45 & the first Country Christmas compilation LP was the 3:37 track that included the spoken greetings. Many country stations including mine continued to program that version even after the shorter version became available the following year. That was the dawn of the CD era and the shorter version was first to debut on CD on the Alabama Christmas album in 1985. So some stations may have switched to that one. As I recall the longer version did not make it's CD debut until 1987 when all four volumes of the Country Christmas albums were re-issued on compact disc by RCA. I do remember getting calls from some listeners asking why the version that we were playing had the spoken greetings but their copy - on the Alabama Christmas album - did not. |
Posted By: CountryPD
Date Posted: 02 December 2025 at 12:15pm
John: I addressed that point in my reply to Gene. The longer version was released first in 1982 and would be considered the holiday "hit" version. |
eriejwg wrote:Posted By: LunarLaugh
Date Posted: 02 December 2025 at 6:08pm
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Regardless of what was on the original single, I've only ever heard the short version without the spoken parts at the end on the radio during every holiday season in the past 20 years or so. ------------- https://thelunarlaugh.bandcamp.com/ - Listen to The Lunar Laugh! |
Posted By: CountryPD
Date Posted: 03 December 2025 at 6:15am
Perhaps due to the fact that it is more commonly available on CD as opposed to the 3:37 version. Also many younger programmers may not even be aware of the longer version - or care. My experience is that the majority of country programmers view Christmas music as a necessary nuisance and do not put a lot of time or effort into programming it. |
Posted By: LunarLaugh
Date Posted: 03 December 2025 at 9:01am
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I have heard it more on the AC stations that switch format to full Christmas music in November/December more than country stations. ------------- https://thelunarlaugh.bandcamp.com/ - Listen to The Lunar Laugh! |
Posted By: EternalStatic
Date Posted: 04 December 2025 at 2:56pm
That's a very impressive info. dump on "Christmas in Dixie", CountryPD! Just wanted to clarify that the CD above is the wne I was referring to in the second post. Although the disc face states 3:21 like the LP, it also plays the longer version with the spoken Christmas greetings. (Edited for typos, multitasking as per usual.) |