Ponderosa (Not Gunsmoke)
You're probably looking at this cover and thinking "Is he still doing Christmas? That doesn't look very Christmassy", but you'd be wrong. For on the innocent looking single pictured above can be found a couple of previously unknown Lorne Greene tracks in celebration of Christmas. You all of course know about the Ponderosa Christmas album, and the Lorne Greene solo Christmas album (which you can get over on the forums at FaLaLaLaLa) and then there are the radio spots he did back in the 80s. But this single was something that had escaped my notice until today. Please give a listen to Lorne Greene-Must Be Santa (RCA Victor 47-9037, 1966). This record is from Canada, same as Lorne, so maybe this never came out in the US. (I wish I had gotten this record a couple of months ago. Must Be Santa is on my annual Christmas CD, but by Mitch Miller. I would much rather have gotten this version on there. It's a better take on the song, and plus it's Lorne Greene!!!)