The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were a U.S… Read Full Bio ↴The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were a U.S. jazz and pop vocal quartet.

The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio: John Jr (1911-1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor. Their father owned a barber's shop, and founded a barbershop quartet called the Four Kings of Harmony. As the boys grew older, they began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. After their lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they would gather in front of their father's shop on Public Square or at the corner of Greene and Main to sing and play the kazoo to passersby.

They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House, but while on stage Harry discovered he had lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet. The success of his imitation led to all the brothers taking on instruments to imitate and created their early signature sound. John Jr accompanied the four-part harmony first with a ukulele and then a guitar. They practised imitating orchestras they heard on the radio. John, as the bass, would imitate the tuba, Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet, Herbert became the second trumpet, and Donald the trombone. They entertained on the Midwest theatre circuit, at house parties, tent shows, music halls, and supper clubs throughout the area, and became well known for their close harmonies, mastery of scat singing, and their ability to imitate musical instruments with their voices.

In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The band was not hired, but the Mills brothers were. With the help of Seger Ellis, WLW Cincinnati D.J. and a music legend of the 1920s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records, who signed them and took the group to New York.

In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at CBS Radio in New York, to turn on his office speaker and listen to an audition of four young men. For the audition they were "The Mills Brothers", but they had been known by many other names. They were billed as "The Steamboat Four" when they sang for Sohio, and had been called the "Four Boys and a Guitar" on their Sunday shows. When Paley heard their performance, he immediately went downstairs and put them on the air. The next day, the Mills Brothers signed a three-year contract and became the first black group to have a network show on radio.

Their first recording for Brunswick Records, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard "Tiger Rag" became a nationwide best-seller and a number-one hit on the charts in a version with lyrics by Harry DaCosta. Other hits followed: "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "Nobody's Sweetheart", "Ole Rockin' Chair", "Lazy River", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with Decca, where they stayed well into the 1950s. On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Deccas, the label stated:

"No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar."

They were a hit on CBS in 1930–1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. They had their own popular radio series in 1932–1933, one of the earliest built around a black act, billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers commonly explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass or tuba.

The Mills Brothers were sponsored by some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, The Big Broadcast (1932) was an all-star radio revue that included Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. They also made three "bouncing ball" cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. In 1934, the brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones", "Sweet Sue", "Lulu's Back in Town", "Bye-Bye Blackbird", "Sleepy Head", and "Shoe Shine Boy". Their film appearances included Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) and Broadway Gondolier (1935).

In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first U.S. black musicians to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V, Queen Mary, and their mother. While performing in England, John Jr became ill. It took him months to recover from battling pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the brothers returned to England. John Jr once again became sick and died at the beginning of 1936.

The remaining brothers considered breaking up, but their mother told them John Jr would have wanted them to continue. They followed her suggestion and their father, John Sr, replaced John Jr as the baritone and tuba. At this time, Norman Brown joined the Brothers as their guitar player.

Through 1939 the group enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. In the period between John Jr's death and their return to the States, they re-recorded "Lazy River". It was followed by "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", "Swing Is the Thing", "Long about Midnight", "Organ Grinder's Swing", and "The Song is Ended". They honoured Duke Ellington with a swing version of his "Caravan", and then produced a series of classic recordings: "South of the Border", which they performed in a tour of South America, along with "Ain't Misbehavin'", "It Don’t Mean a Thing", "Jeepers Creepers", "Three Little Fishies", and "Basin Street Blues".

During this era, there was also a brief time when the group performed with a non‑family singer. Gene Smith served as a stand-in for one year when Harry was drafted into the Army. Although Smith's solo singing did not particularly resemble the group's usual sound, he was able to harmonise well until the fourth brother's return. Smith is very noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances.

Returning to the States, the Brothers were anxious for a hit and recorded "I'll be Around" in 1943. Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll", recorded in fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.

The rise of rock and roll in the early 1950s did little to decrease the Mills Brothers' popularity. "Glow Worm" jumped to number one on the pop charts in 1952. The track also reached number ten in the U.K. singles chart in January 1953. "Opus One", an updated version of the Tommy Dorsey hit, was soon in the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You", "The Jones Boy", "Yellow Bird", "Standing on the Corner", and "If I Had My Way".

In 1957, John Sr, who was then sixty-eight, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Show, The Perry Como Show, The Tonight Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Dean Martin Show, and The Hollywood Palace. A move from Decca to Dot Records brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop that the early Mills Brothers records had exerted. The Mills Brothers also charted "Yellow Bird" two years before Arthur Lyman's top-ten hit remake.

"Cab Driver", recorded in 1968, was their last hit. It was written by songwriter C. Carson Parks, who also wrote "Somethin' Stupid", a hit the previous year for Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.

The Mills Brothers' fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by Bing Crosby. At the time, Harry was now almost blind as a result of diabetes.

As a trio, Herbert, Harry, and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982. Herbert and Donald continued until Herbert's death in 1989. Then Donald began performing with the third generation of the family, his son, John III. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognised the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the sole surviving member, with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

After Donald's death of pneumonia on the 13th November 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters.

Altogether, the group recorded more than 2,000 recordings, selling more than fifty million copies and gaining them at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.

The Christmas Song
The Mills Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two

Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you!

Overall Meaning

The Christmas Song by The Mills Brothers is a classic Christmas song that evokes the warmth and coziness of the holiday season. The song starts off with the familiar image of chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose. The lyrics then go on to paint a festive scene, with Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos. This sets the mood for a joyful and merry holiday season, with everyone coming together to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

The second verse of the song talks about the symbols of the season that help to make it bright, such as a turkey and mistletoe. The sight of tiny tots with their eyes aglow adds to the overall excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve, with the lyrics suggesting that they will find it hard to sleep tonight. The presence of Santa Claus in the lyrics is also inevitable, as he is the embodiment of Christmas cheer and joy. Children are eagerly waiting for his arrival and hoping to catch a glimpse of the reindeer as they fly by.

The final verse of the song is a simple yet heartwarming message of Merry Christmas to everyone, from the youngest kid to the oldest adult. The song ends on a high note, with the sentiment that although this phrase has been said many times and in many ways, it still rings true and brings happiness to all who hear it.

Line by Line Meaning

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
The comforting sight of chestnuts being roasted on an open fire

Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The sensation of the chill of winter biting at your nose

Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
The joyful sound of Yule-tide carols filling the air, sung in harmony by a choir

And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
The festive sight of people all around dressing up in warm Eskimo attire

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
It's a well-known fact that a turkey and some mistletoe are synonymous with the season

Help to make the season bright
These festive items add light and joy to the holiday season

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
A magical sight of little children with wide eyes filled with excitement and wonder

Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
The anticipation of Santa's arrival is so strong that it's difficult for these little ones to fall asleep at night

They know that Santa's on his way
The excitement of the impending arrival of Santa Claus is palpable among children

He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa Claus has prepared a bounty of gifts and treats for all the children on his sleigh

And every mother's child is gonna spy
All children, regardless of their background, eagerly anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus and are on the lookout for his sleigh

To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
The excitement of the children extends beyond Santa Claus to his trusty reindeer who magically help him fly across the globe

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
As a gift, I offer this simple phrase to the world

To kids from one to ninety-two
This phrase is for everyone, from young children to the young at heart

Although it's been said many times, many ways
This phrase may have been expressed before, but it still holds its significance and meaning

Merry Christmas to you!
Wishing everyone a happy and joyful Christmas season

Lyrics © Ceylon Records, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mel Torme, Robert Wells

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@katherinemurphy2762

1y↑9

Lyrics:

My Christmas song for you
Is all the old things tried and true,
Like jingle bells and chestnut bells,
A valley white with snow.

My Christmas song for you
Is all the old things in review:
A window bright with candlelight
To set your heart aglow.

Through the door, a Christmas tree
Sparkling with greens made for you and me,
Wishing I were their sweetheart to share
All of the season’s blessings.

My Christmas song for you
Is all the good things people do:
Red stockings hung by glowing fires,
Soft carols song by village choirs.
Everything your heart desires,
That’s my Christmas song for you.

My Christmas song for you
Is all the good things people do:
Red stockings hung by glowing fires,
Soft carols song by village choirs.
Everything your heart desires,
That’s my Christmas song for you.

All comments from YouTube:

@rachelbennett8041

2y↑30

My brain is conflicted, it goes....Why havent i heard this before?, they should play it on the radio vs. This is my secret special song and i shall keep it all to myself