Rudy's A Lush!
As part of my plan to post stuff that might complement what's being posted over at FaLaLaLaLa, here's The Caroleer Singers And Orchestra-Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Ambassador Record Corp. SX 1727). I held a little contest over there to see which Caroleer album everybody wanted, and this one won by a 2 to 1 margin over everything else. So I guess the masses have spoken. However, it's really, really short. I may get ambitious and record one of the other LPs. Maybe. Don't hold me to that...
Update: You can now download this great Christmas album over at iTunes. That means it's no longer available around here. I don't believe in sharing out stuff that you can buy legally. So go get it!
Wow, Ernie, you are a generous dude!
ReplyDeleteThose who are scratching their heads over the identity of the Caroleers should note that this LP contains tracks by at least four different groups, none of whom appear to be the same bunch that do "Sleigh Ride Jingle Bells" and other "classics."
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the singer on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" is one Johnnie Corvo, a Perry Como soundalike heard on many SPC releases. No, I don't believe that that's his real name either, but that's how he's credited on many a release.
Note also that "Jingle Bells" is in fake stereo -- so it's an old recording from the Peter Pan archives. There really wasn't a "Caroleers" -- just the same bunch of anonymous studio groups that were called "The Peter Pan Chorus and Orchestra" on the non-Christmas releases.
hi ernie, i was so excited to find your site! thanks to your link to falala, i was able to buy the best xmas album of all time, fred waring's "the sounds of xmas". why yes, i did grow up w/ it! why do you ask? ;-) i had made a cassette of it, but i lived in dread of the inevitable day when my precious tape would disappear into the unsentimental maw of my honda's dashboard!
ReplyDeletebut all of that is OT, since this page is about rudolph, or more specifically, the caroleers' version. well, guess what i recorded on the other side of that tape?! at least, i think it's them. here's a link to an amazon image (of an unavailable album):
http://www.amazon.com/Rudolph-Nosed-Reindeer-Other-Christmas/dp/B000ZGVSI2/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227546319&sr=1-25
eek, that's long; i'm tech-impaired, sorry. the cover is _not_ green-blue, it is primarily sky-blue with red edge(s?) and "stereophonic" bannered on black at the top, if the link isn't good.
on this album, all the cuts are classics, and include "white xmas", "good king wenceslas",
"santa claus is coming to town", and others the itunes album doesn't. (i've never heard "xmas cookie and holiday hearts" and at this stage in my life, i think maybe i don't need to ...)
i'm hoping you have seen/heard this rudolph platter. gee, even the possibility that i might someday have this album again to enjoy and share makes me a little giddy!
thx for your site; i'm looking forward to perusing your list of xmas downloads.
Gina-The Caroleers have a long and twisted history, and all of it is fake. You might have to piece that LP together from the same tracks that appeared elsewhere, but most of the songs are available for download legally now. As for that specific cover, I think I've seen it over at FaLaLaLaLa, but I'm not sure...
ReplyDelete"a long and twisted history, and all of it is fake" - ernie, what a hilarious turn of phrase! thx for your quick reply; until this week, i didn't even realize that some of the old vinyl was available online, commercially or sharity (such a great word).
ReplyDeletei'd like to repay the favor by recommending my "new" (since 1991) favorite xmas album, "The Bells of Dublin" by the chieftains. it didn't turn up on a search of your blog, so i hope it's not already in your collection. all 33 amazon reviews recommend it, with minor quibbles about whether some of the guest celebrity singers are past their prime or otherwise out-of-place on the disc. (what's funny is that one reviewer suggests programming your player to skip the rickie lee jones cut, while it moves another to tears!) to me, it has the sound of friends getting together to record some music; all the quirkiness and intimacy that implies gives it a magical feeling. i also agree with those who wrote that they could listen to much of it year-round, but i save it so that it's a special treat, much-needed as the cold and gloom envelop those of us in non-tropical climes!
Ernie, Thanks for all that you do. I have been listening to these type Christmas Records all my life. There is a wonderful singer I have been doing research on for years but haven't gotten very far. There is even a Facebook page about him to try and find out who he really is. He goes by many names. Johnny Kay, Johnny Kaye, and Johnny Cole are the main ones. He is a Perry Como sound alike. He is supposed to have been born John Kamimsky in Chicago about 1931. In addition to Christmas albums, he has a few Italian and Hymn records as well. He also has a record called Como Esta. He also has a string of 45's from the 50's and 60's. Some of the songs are Anytime, Please MR. Sun, One Blue Carnation, A Christmas Love, Christmas in Paree and Christmas Candle. Some of these are on youtube. Do you have any information on him? Thank you very much!!
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