Christmas (or Tennis) with Bob and Mel

Okay, we've told this story before, but it bears repeating, and besides, we still have to bake the gingerbread reindeer.

You all know "The Christmas Song", written by Bob Wells (words) and Mel Torme (music).  In fact, you may have recorded it.  Almost everyone else has.  Among those who have delivered their versions of the song:  Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Aaron Neville, Doris Day, Chicago, Celtic Woman, Hootie & the Blowfish, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Twisted Sister, Herb Alpert, and Big Bird and the Swedish Chef.

The story, of course, is that Bob and Mel wrote "The Christmas Song" in the middle of a blisteringly hot Los Angeles summer.  Mel had gone to Bob's digs for a game of tennis, and while Bob was changing into his whites, Mel spotted some notes scribbled on a pad on the piano: "Chestnuts roasting..Jack Frost nipping..Yuletide carols..Folks dressed up like Eskimos."  (You could say "Eskimos" then; try to rhyme something with "Inuit.")

When Bob came down, Mel said, "I think we've got a song here." Within forty minutes they had it written, and Mel said, "This is right for Nat.  Let's take it to him."  Which they did.  And although Mel and Bob kept on doing what they did for decades (it was twenty-five years before Mel recorded "The Christmas Song" himself) they could have retired to Monaco or Tahiti on the royalties.

Imagine what would have happened, or not happened, if, when Mel said "I think we've got a song here" Bob had said, "Naw, forget it, Mel. Let's go play tennis."