Christmas In July 2008-Day 31

Happy New Year! I mean, happy 31st of July! That's right, it's the end of the month, and that means there's only one way to celebrate. How about 16 different versions of that old chestnut, Auld Lang Syne? And only three of them are from Guy Lombardo!

Let's begin with the great Jo Stafford who passed away earlier this month. Her version comes from the LP Jo Stafford Sings Songs Of Scotland With Words By Robert Burns (Columbia CL 1043).

Version two is by The All-Star Orchestra Conducted By Bobby Byrne from the LP The Great Themes Of America's Greatest bands (Grand Award G.A. 33-392). You got another track from this LP earlier in the month.

Version three is a barbershop version by The Nighthawks, taken from their album The Nighthawks (Chord OBW-6211).

Version four is by George Hamilton IV, Arranged And Conducted By Don Costa, from the album George Hamilton IV On Campus (ABC-Paramount ABC-220).

Version five is from Guy Cheney and the LP Everybody Sing (Mercury MG 20131). I'm guessing this LP was in response to all those Sing Along With Mitch albums, but I'm not certain. You'll see what I mean.

Version six is by The Gene Lowell Chorus and the album Halls Of Ivy (Warner Bros. W 1244, 1959). I think I shared something else from this album, too.

Version seven is from the great Jerry Colonna and the album Let's All Sing With Jerry Colonna (Liberty LRP 3046), where it wraps up the side-long medley on side one. I hope you don't mind, but I edited out all the other songs.

Version eight is an unedited medley called Auld Lang Syne: Skye Boat Song, Bonnie Dundee, Hundred Pipers, Auld Lang Syne, and it's by the Dagenham Girl Pipers from their album The World Famous Dagenham Girl Pipers (Capitol T10125).

Version nine is still another medley, this time including May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You, Now Is The Hour and Auld Lang Syne by Ralph And Buddy Bonds from the LP Open House With Ralph And Buddy Bonds (Epic LN 3492).

I'm getting tired of typing... Version the tenth is the last medley, this time entitled Swingtime In Scotland: The Campbells Are Coming; Comin' Thro' The Rye; Loch Lomond; Auld Lang Syne. It's performed by The Daphne Hellman Quartet on the album Holiday For Harp (Columbia Harmony HL 7167). This is another record you've seen before this month.

Number eleven is from the unstoppable Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra from the LP The Wonderland Of Bert Kaempfert (Decca DL 74117). This was the only track that I recorded and lost this month. For some reason, after I had recorded and tagged it, the file got corrupted and showed as zero bytes. So I had to redo this one.

Number twelve is The Russ Williams Orchestra from A Tribute To The Big Bands (Tops-Mayfair 9660S). Yes, it's from a cheap label, but at least the record is on cool yellow & black marbled vinyl!

Lucky thirteen belongs to Knuckles O'Toole, or, if you prefer, Dick Hyman, and his album Sing A Song With Knuckles O'Toole And His Singin' Gang (Grand Award GA 240 SD). I went to an art show recently by Dick Hyman's wife, but neither he nor she were in attendance. Shame, I wanted to get one of my records signed.

Numbers fourteen and fifteen are both by Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians. They form the intro and finale to the performance captured on the LP The Guy Lombardo Show Recorded Live At Lake Tahoe (Capitol ST 1393).

Number sixteen is again Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians, this time in a hi-fi re-recording from the album Guy Lombardo In Hi-Fi (Capitol W738). You got a much more exciting song from the record earlier in July.

I'm sure you're tired of hearing Auld Lang Syne at this point, so here's a little bonus 17th track. It's Happy New Year from Janeen Brady, from one of the kids records I first shared yesterday, I Have A Song For You, Volume 2-About Seasons And Holidays (Brite Music, 1980).

And that's it. Hope you're happy. Here's the download link, and don't miss the shares from 2006 and 2007. My fingers hurt...