Christmas In July 2009-Day The Twenty Fourth

Here I am, back again for today's second installment of Christmas In July. You aren't really getting any extra music here, I'm just catching up after being ill for a while and missing I think five days a couple weeks ago. So with this post and the next one, I should finally be caught back up. So let's jump right into it with six songs that are loosely centered around Christmas toys. Very loosely...

Let's start off with Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers from everyone's favorite John Klein, ably assisted by Leo Addeo from that soon-to-be-classic LP Bells In Toyland (RCA Victor LSP-3832, 1967). I'm afraid this is the last cut I've got for you from this great album. Check back around Christmas, I may bring the rest of it to you. Maybe.

Track two is the great David Rose and a song called The Sad, Sad Rocking Horse. Nothing too Christmassy about it, but I liked it when I listened to it. I like some David Rose stuff a lot, some of it I think is a bit too syrupy. This is from the album David Rose Plays David Rose (MGM SE3748, 1959).

Track three is Jolly Coppersmith from our friend Bob Kames. I found this on the same LP I brought you the other day, Golden Years In Hi-Fi-20 Organ Solos By Bob Kames (King 598). I still don't know if this song has anything to do with Christmas, but it's a nice ditty.

Track four is Hup-Sa-Sa, which I really don't think has anything at all to do with Christmas, but I forgot to share it with you the other day when I gave you some of the skiing-related songs from this album, Cinerama Holiday (Mercury MG 20059). Oh, the artist is Jack Shaindlin Conducting The Cinerama Symphony Orchestra.

Track five is Time For Toys-March Of The Toys by Denise Foster, Arranged And Conducted By Ernie Johnson from the kiddie record The Ages Of Childhood-10 Songs For And About Children By Natalie Ornish (Natwin/Dallas DA 566). Turns out that this isn't the March Of The Toys you've heard before, but it's something along the same lines. I'm sure you'll like it.

Track six is a nice version of Sleigh Ride by Kurt Wege And His Orchestra. And there-in lies a small tale. I had recorded this five or six years ago, but hadn't labelled it. Some years later, I found the file on my PC, and had no idea where it was from. For several years now I've kept an eye out for who Kurt Wege is, and where I got the track from. I finally found it again on the LP 21 Channel Sound-A Leroy Anderson Concert (MGM SE 4075). Then, I found it a second time on an LP called Leroy Anderson Songbook (Metro MS-545), only this time it was credited to The Starlight String Orchestra Conducted By Kurt Wege. Well, at least that was the name on the sleeve. The record said Kurt Wege And His Orchestra. I checked, and they're both the same recording. Another small hint of the origin of this track come from the fine print on the back of that 21 Microphone version. "Recorded by Deutsche Grammophon Polydor Series In Europe." So whatever or whoever he was, MGM was just leasing the track from Europe. Oh, well.

There you have it, another six songs. Here's the download link, I'm off to get something to eat.