Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Frosted windowpanes, candles gleaming inside. Sleigh bells jingling (ring-ting-tingling too)! All of these images are among the most evocative in popular song, and all are linked to the most wonderful time of the year: the holiday season. Catalogue enthusiasts traditionally have their holiday wishes granted each year with a spate of new/old releases, and this year is no exception. In November, Collectors' Choice Music offers a trio of remastered holiday classics sure to go along well with the eggnog and mistletoe.

First up, on November 9, is the latest collection from perhaps the most beloved Christmas crooner of them all, Bing Crosby. Part of CCM's ongoing series of definitive Crosby reissues, the 19-track The Crosby Christmas Sessions brings together material both familiar and unreleased. Two weeks later, the label offers The Complete Christmas Collection from another much-anthologized artist, the late Perry Como. There have been many holiday-themed Como compilations before, but this two-disc set  brings together (nearly) all of his Christmas recordings in one package comprising 51 tracks from the vault of Como's longtime label, RCA Victor. (More on that "nearly" after the jump.) Lastly, CCM dips into the Cameo-Parkway catalogue for Cameo Parkway Holiday Hits, an eclectic 17-track compilation. Hit the jump for full details, track listings and select discographical information for all three releases!

Arguably no artist is as associated with Christmas as Bing Crosby. To this day, it's impossible to turn on a radio station during the holiday season and not hear his famous original recording of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," still the biggest-selling single of all time. Not far behind is the now-standard arrangement of "Jingle Bells," with The Andrews Sisters vocally supporting Crosby. The Crosby Christmas Sessions, like the other releases in CCM's Crosby series, draws on the singer's vast personal archive to present some true rarities. Frank Sinatra joins Crosby for two tracks from Reprise's 12 Songs of Christmas album, including "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and the instant earworm, Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's brassy "We Wish You the Merriest." Peggy Lee guests on "Here Comes Santa Claus," while Ella Fitzgerald duets on "Silver Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." These performances appear to be drawn from Crosby's immaculately-preserved collection of radio performances. Of course, no Crosby yuletide celebration would be complete without his famous duet with David Bowie on "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth." Further Reprise tracks are heard with the lesser-known "White World of Winter" and "It's Christmas Time Again," while two rare sides make their official CD debut, "The Secret of Christmas" and "Just What I Wanted for Christmas," both written by Cahn and Van Heusen. While the crooner's legendary Decca sides have been oft-anthologized, The Crosby Christmas Sessions sheds light on some true hidden gems from a master of his craft. The Bowie duet will also be reissued as a special 7-inch single, also due on November 9.

In other Crosby-related news, Collectors' Choice will be making further additions to its Crosby series soon. January 25, 2011 will see the CD debut of Bing's 1975 U.K.-only LP Southern Memoir augmented by alternate takes and bonus tracks; the 18-track Sings the Sinatra Songbook with liner notes by Michael Feinstein; and Bing & Rosie: The Crosby/Clooney Radio Sessions with a whopping 59 unreleased tracks! Details on all of the Bing-related releases can be found at his official site.

Along with Crosby and Andy Williams, another veteran singer whose catalogue receives special attention during the holiday season is Perry Como. Between 1946 and 1982, the sweater-clad entertainer recorded four albums for RCA Victor and a handful of singles, all of which are collected for the first time on The Complete Christmas Collection. With new liner notes by Richard Carpenter (who knows a bit about holiday music himself, having penned the beautiful "Merry Christmas, Darling"), The Complete Christmas Collection also offers some rarities alongside the more familiar material. "Some Children See Him" is a 1968 album outtake, while Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice made their bid for a seasonal standard with 1974's "Christmas Dream" from the film The Odessa File. The final track is 1982's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever."

Oddly, some holiday-related songs included on past Como anthologies are not present here. Among the missing tracks are 1958's traditional "All Through the Night;" the following year's "I Know What God Is;" 1962's "My Favorite Things," the Rodgers and Hammerstein perennial written for The Sound of Music but much-associated with the holiday season; the same session's "The Bells of St. Mary's;" 1967's "What Love is Made Of" and "The Father of Girls;" 1968's "Turn Around" and the Johnny Mercer/Gene de Paul collaboration "Love in a Home;" and Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield's infectious 1970 "Love is Spreading All Over the World." All of the above tracks are available on RCA's 2001 A Perry Como Christmas (RCA CD 07863 68041-2). Taken together, that disc and The Complete Christmas Collection really does present each note of holiday music and its periphery recorded by Como.

Finally, a little rock & roll is just what many of us are looking for during the holiday season, whether it be the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" or any of the tracks off A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Most labels during the heady, early days of rock offered Christmas sets, and Philadelphia's Cameo Parkway family was no exception. Cameo Parkway Holiday Hits boasts the presence of Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker, along with a very young Bob Seger and many of the label's lesser-known acts such as Beethoven Ben, Bobby the Poet and the Mexicani Marimba Band! Only four of the album's seventeen tracks have ever seen the light of day on CD before, making this set an essential purchase for any Cameo Parkway collectors.

The Crosby Christmas Sessions can be pre-ordered here, while Perry Como's Complete Christmas Collection can be found here and Cameo Parkway Holiday Hits here.  Happy holiday shopping, all!

Bing Crosby, The Crosby Christmas Sessions (Collectors' Choice WWCCM21612, 2010)

1. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Ella Fitzgerald)
3. Just What I Wanted for Christmas (Columbia single)
4. Jingle Bells (slow version)
5. Deck the Halls with Boughs Of Holly, Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, The First Noel
6. Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful)
7. Here Comes Santa Claus (with Peggy Lee)
8. White World of Winter (Reprise U.K. single)
9. The Secret of Christmas (Columbia single)
10. Go Tell It on the Mountain (with Frank Sinatra)
11. White Christmas
12. Its Christmas Time Again (Reprise U.K. single)
13. The Christmas Song
14. Silver Bells (with Ella Fitzgerald)
15. Jingle Bells (fast version)
16. Sleigh Ride
17. We Wish You the Merriest (with Frank Sinatra)
18. Silent Night
19. The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth (with David Bowie)

Track 2 from The Bing Crosby Show (General Electric),  broadcast of 12/18/52
Tracks 3 & 9 recorded 3/25/59, Hollywood, CA for the film Say it for Me
Tracks 5-6 possibly from The Bing Crosby Show (General Electric), broadcast of 12/25/52 or 12/20/53
Track 7 from Chesterfield Presents the Bing Crosby Show, broadcast of 12/7/49
Track 8 recorded 9/28/65, Los Angeles, CA (Reprise Records)
Tracks 10, 12 & 17 from The 12 Songs of Christmas (Reprise LP FS-2022, 1964)
Track 14 from Chesterfield Presents the Bing Crosby Show, broadcast of 11/29/50
Track 19 from RCA single BOW 12, 1982

Perry Como, The Complete Christmas Collection (Collectors' Choice WWCCM21652, 2010)

Disc 1

1. That Christmas Feeling
2. Winter Wonderland
3. I'll Be Home for Christmas
4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
5. Silent Night
6. O Little Town of Bethlehem
7. O Come All Ye Faithful
8. Jingle Bells
9. White Christmas
10. Ave Maria
11. The Christmas Symphony
12. There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas
13. The Story of the First Christmas (radio promo single)
14. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
15. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)
16. The Twelve Days of Christmas
17. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
18. Joy to the World
19. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
20. Frosty the Snowman
21. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
22. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
23. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
24. There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
25. Ave Maria

Disc 2

1. There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
5. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
6. White Christmas
7. Here We Come A-Caroling/We Wish You a Merry Christmas
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. O Holy Night
10. The Story of the First Christmas
11. Christmas Bells
12. Love is a Christmas Rose
13. Christmas Eve
14. Do You Hear What I Hear?
15. Christ Is Born
16. The Little Drummer Boy
17. There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas
18. O Holy Night
19. Caroling, Caroling/The First Noel/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Silent Night
20. Silver Bells
21. Toyland
22. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
23. Ave Maria
24. Some Children See Him
25. Christmas Dream
26. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever

Disc 1, Tracks 1-8 from Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music (RCA Victor P-161, 1946)
Disc 1, Track 9 from Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music later pressings (RCA Victor 78 20-1971)
Disc 1, Track 10 from RCA-78RPM 12" 28-0436/RCA-45RPM 52-0071-A, 1949
Disc 1, Tracks 11-12 from RCA Victor single RCA-78/45RPM-20/47-3933-B, 195
Disc 1, Track 13 from The Story of the First Christmas, promo rec. 1950 (reissued RCA Victor EYA-19, 1953)
Disc 1, Track 14 from RCA-78/45RPM-20/47-4314-A, 1951
Disc 1, Tracks 15-22 from Around the Christmas Tree (RCA Victor LPM-3133, 1953)
Disc 2, Tracks 1-10 from Season's Greetings from Perry Como (RCA Victor LSP-2066, 1959)
Disc 2, Tracks 11-12 from RCA Victor single 47-9366, 1967
Disc 2, Tracks 13-23 from The Perry Como Christmas Album (RCA Victor LSP-4016, 1968)
Disc 2, Track 24 rec. for sessions for The Perry Como Christmas Album (Matrix WPA1-5620, Take Eight)
Disc 2, Track 25 from RCA single PB-10122-A, 1974
Disc 2, Track 26 from RCA single PB-13307-A, 1981

Various Artists, Cameo Parkway Holiday Hits (Collectors' Choice WWCCM21662, 2010)

1. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker (Cameo C205A, 1961)
2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Rudolph Statler Orchestra
3. Winter Wonderland - Rudolph Statler Orchestra
4. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Rudolph Statler Orchestra
5. Joy to the World - International Pop Orchestra (Wyncote LP 9117, 1965)
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - International Pop Orchestra (Wyncote LP 9117, 1965)
7. The First Noel - International Pop Orchestra (Wyncote LP 9117, 1965)
8. Deck the Halls - International Pop Orchestra (Wyncote LP 9117, 1965)
9. Merry Christmas - Cameos (Cameo C123A, 1957)
10. New Years Eve - Cameos (Cameo C123B, 1957)
11. Auld Lang Syne  - Beethoven Ben
12. White Christmas (3 O'Clock Weather Report) - Bobby the Poet (Parkway P7057, 1967)
13. I'll Stay Home New Years Eve - Jaynells (Cameo 286A, 1963)
14. Twelve Days of Christmas - Mexicani Marimba Band
15. Donde Este Santa Claus (Where is Santa Claus)? - Toni Stante (Parkway 970, 1966)
16. Auld Lang Syne - Lonesome Travelers (Parkway LP 7017, 1962)
17. Sock It to Me Santa - Bob Seger & the Last Heard (Cameo C444A, 1966)
18. Jingle Bells Imitations - Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker (Cameo C205B, 1961)
19. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker (Cameo 13E, 1961)