Christmas In July 2008-Day 10

Are you ready for day 10? No questionable Christmas songs for you today, it's five different versions of that holiday classic, Winter Wonderland! I know you're gonna like these, so let's get to it.

Version one is by Rubino And His Dance Orchestra from the LP I'm Yours For Dancing (Telefunken TP 2518). Don't know much about this mysterious Rubino, but it's a nice little upbeat version.

Versions two is an unexpected version from the king of New Years Eve, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, with vocal by Kenny Gardner. The LP is Lombardo In Hi-Fi (Capitol W738), part of a series of albums that Capitol put together after the coming of high fidelity recording techniques in the mid-fifties. These all featured new recordings of old hits that were supposed to sound better than the originals. I've seen versions for Stan Kenton, Fred Waring, Freddy Martin (maybe) and others.

Version tres is Dennis Farnon And His Orchestra from The Enchanted Woods (RCA Victor LPM-1897, 1959). I think I shared a track from this same LP earlier, but if not, I'll share one later. This is probably my favorite version here, it's got a very space-age pop feel to it. Not so far out there Esquivel might have done it, but nice.

Version the fourth is by Richard Hayman And His Orchestra from Serenade For Love (Mercury MG 20115). If you know much about Richard Hayman, then you know there's going to be some great harmonica in there.

The fifth and last version is the biggest surprise. It's a version designed for you to play your own lead alto or baritone sax over. There's no band name listed for the backing track, so I credited it to the record company, Music Minus One, and it's from their LP entitled Fools Rush In/Makin' Whoopee-Music Minus One Alto Or Baritone Sax (Music Minus One MMO 4008). This is a very mellow, even jazzy version, with plenty of room for an enterprising or aspiring player to wax poetic with his sax right over the top. Anybody want to record their music over top of this one? Send me a copy and I'll be more than happy to share it with the world. Oh, there are some musicians credited on the record label, I wanted to share their names with you, just in case you knew one of them back in high school. Tyree Glenn-Vibes & Trombone; Seldon Powell-Tenor Saxaphone; George Duvivier-Bass; Ed Shaughnessy-Drum. Any of those names ring any bells?

That's it, five versions of a great holiday song. Here's the download link, go get it! And if that's not enough to help you get over your Christmas jones, go visit this same day in 2006 and 2007 from more Christmas In July goodness.