This if from Lou’s first Christmas album which went by the splendid title of Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! – definitely one from a more innocent time. If Ludacris ever records a seasonal disc he’ll be mighty pigged off that Lou got there first with that one.
The arrangements are by H. B. Barnum who worked with everyone from Basie to The Osmonds via Gladys Knight (Help Me Make It Through The Night). He is best known in some quarters for possibly the worst Sinatra recording of a good song* – Some Enchanted Evening from the LP The World We Knew. You might think such notoriety unjust after listening to this. I couldn’t possibly comment.
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? usually enjoys lushly sentimental readings with the line ‘maybe it’s much too early in the game’ implying that a first date is, perhaps, out of the question – whereas Mr Rawls seems to be after charming the babe he’s just met into a booty call. There are, I’m sure, worse ways to spend New Year’s Eve than tucked up with Lou. Play your cards right and you might even end up his Lady Love…
*Footnote: i.e. Mama Will Bark and (God help me) Winchester Cathedral don’t count.