Blue Christmas / Santa Clause Is Back In Town 

Modified: December 31, 2022

Artist: Elvis Presley
Release: RCA Victor 447-0647 Blue Christmas / Santa Clause Is Back In Town (45)
Release Date: 10/26/1965

Gold Standard Series

447-0647-cover-side1447-0647-cover-side2

Cover: 1965. Gold Standard picture sleeve.

447-0647-1965-side1-r-wlp447-0647-1965-side2-r-wlp

Disc: White label, NOT FOR SALE. NOT FOR SALE on one line. Matrix numbers above time. On side 1, Hibo Music, Pub. Inc. Hooked single and double quotes.1
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–1S / H2PW-5532–1S (Rockaway pressing ?)2

447-0647-side1-wlp-var447-0647-side2-wlp-var

Disc: White label, NOT FOR SALE. NOT FOR SALE on one line. Matrix numbers above time. On side 1, Hibo Music, Pub. Inc. Straight single and double quotes.3
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–2S / H2PW-5532–2S (unknown pressing?)3

Disc: White label, NOT FOR SALE. Tight font. NOT FOR SALE on two lines. Matrix numbers below catalog number. On side 1, Hibo Music, Pub. Inc.5
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–?S / H2PW-5532–?S (Hollywood pressing)

447-0647-side1447-0647-1965-side2-i

Disc: 1965. Gold Standard. Black label, dog on side. Both sides with recorded date on left side. On side 1, Hibo Music, Pub. Inc. On side 2, title on one line and credits on two lines.6
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–1S A1 / H2PW-5532–1S A3 (Rockaway pressing)7
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–1S A2 / H2PW-5532–1S A1 (Rockaway pressing)

447-0647-1965-side1-r447-0647-1965-side2-r

Disc: 1965. Gold Standard. Black label, dog on side. Both sides without recorded date on left side. On side 1, Bibo Music, Pub. Inc. On side 2, title on one line and credits on three lines.
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–1S A3 / H2PW-5532–1S A2 (machine stamped) (Rockaway pressing)

447-0647-1965-side2-cor447-0647-1965-side1-cor

Disc: 1965. Gold Standard. Black label, dog on side. Both sides with recorded date on left side. On side 1, Bibo Music, Pub. Inc. On side 2, title on two lines with SANTA CLAUS on one line and IS BACK IN TOWN on another with credits on three lines.8
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–2S / H2PW-5532–1S (Rockaway pressing)7

447-0647-1965-side1-cor-i447-0647-1965-side2-cor-i

Disc: 1965. Gold Standard. Black label, dog on side. On side1 without recorded date on left side and on side2 with recorded date. On side 1, Bibo Music, Pub. Inc. On side 2, title on one line and credits on two lines.10
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–3S B1 / H2PW-5532–2S C2 (Indianapolis pressing)

447-0647-1965-side1-h447-0647-1965-side2-h

Disc: 1965. Gold Standard. Black label, dog on side. Both sides without recorded date on left side. On side 1, Hibo Music, Pub. Inc. On side 2, title on two lines with SANTA CLAUS IS BACK on one line and IN TOWN on another with credits on three lines.11
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–7S / H2PW-5532–3S (machine stamped) (Hollywood pressing)

Very early pressings, incorrectly list Hibo Music, Pub. Inc. as the publisher for Blue Christmas. Later releases from the black label, dog on side onward correctly lists Bibo Music, Pub. Inc. as the music publisher.

447-0647-side2-1968447-0647-side1-1968

Disc: 1968. Gold Standard. Orange label. Does not include (from the RCA Victor album LPM-1951 “Elvis Christmas Album”) on both sides. SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN on two lines.
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–8S A1D / H2PW-5532–7S (Rockaway pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–9S B / H2PW-5532–7S A1E (Rockaway pressing)

447-0647-1971-side1447-0647-1971-side2

Disc: 1970. Gold Standard. Red label. Includes (from the RCA Victor album LPM-1951 “Elvis Christmas Album”) on both sides. SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN on one line.
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–3S B6? / H2PW-5532–2S A3 (Indianapolis pressing)

447-0647-cover-side1-1977447-0647-cover-side2-1977

Cover: 11/1977. Picture sleeve.

447-0647-1977-side2-gstop447-0647-1977-side1-gstop

Disc: 11/1977. Gold Standard. Black label, dog near top. Gold Standard on top in white.
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–3S B6? / H2PW-5532–2S A5 (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–3S B6? / H2PW-5532–2S A6 (Indianapolis pressing)

447-0647-side2-1977447-0647-side1-1977

Disc: 11/1977. Gold Standard. Black label, dog near top. Gold Standard on side.
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–3S D2 / H2PW-5532–5S B3 (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–11 A1 / H2PW-5532–11 A1 (machine stamped) (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–11 A6 / H2PW-5532–11 B3 (machine stamped) (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–12 A7 / H2PW-5532–12 B1 (Indianapolis pressing)7
Matrix numbers: H2PW-5525–12 A7 / H2PW-5532–13 A2 (Indianapolis pressing)

  1. Images from the collection of DarylR. ↩
  2. eBay reference 150908944516 (September 28, 2012) ↩
  3. eBay reference 222108707409 (June 19, 2016) ↩
  4. eBay reference 222108707409 (June 19, 2016) ↩
  5. Jerry Osborne and Bruce hamilton, Presleyana I (Chicago: O’Sullivan Woodside & Company, 1980), p. 23. ↩
  6. Image of side 2 from the collection of Roberto. ↩
  7. Matrix numbers from the collection of Roberto. ↩
  8. Images from the collection of Roberto. ↩
  9. Matrix numbers from the collection of Roberto. ↩
  10. eBay reference 280938216080 (August 15, 2012) ↩
  11. eBay reference 160872005964 (September 1, 2012) ↩
  12. Matrix numbers from the collection of Roberto. ↩