–By Brandon
The popular Andy Williams song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was released in 1963 on his Christmas album but was not made into a single, as the record label opted instead for his cover of “White Christmas.” The song was written by composer George Wyle–who wrote most of the music for The Andy Williams Show as well as the theme song for Gilligan’s Island–and Eddie Pola. The song regales the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, including the “telling of scary ghost stories”–a Victorian tradition which has largely fallen out of use, minus Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. During the 17th century, Puritan Oliver Cromwell tried to abolish Christmas in England; however, Dickens’ story kept alive many of the traditions that we still maintain to this day.