Around The World

 I've decided to kick things off this year with a Capitol promo LP put out way, way back in 1957.  I found this at a Goodwill store back in the summer, and had to drive straight home to listen to it.  These promo LPs are almost as rare as hen's teeth, and records that feature unreleased stuff are even fewer and farther between.  This one doesn't feature any music that you can't find elsewhere, but it's got a lot of narration by the great Fred Waring, and for me, that's worth the price of admission.  The first side features songs from the Capitol Of The World series, which put out it's first batch of Christmas records in 1957.  Side 2 features cuts from then-new albums that would all become obsolete the next year with the rollout of stereo.  I'm going to give you the whole thing, and there are some tracks here that you can find on CD out there, so you have to promise run out and buy them at your earliest convenience if you don't already have them.  Deal?  OK, here's the track list:

Side 1

1. Fred Waring-Narration
2. Christmas In Italy-Buon Natale
3. Fred Waring-Narration
4. Christmas In Sweden-Julpotpourri Danser
5. Fred Waring-Narration
6. Christmas In England-The First Noel-Away In A Manger-Bring In The Holly Bough Medley
7. Fred Waring-Narration
8. Christmas In Germany-O Tannenbaum
9. Fred Waring-Narration
10. Christmas In Holland-Gloria In Escelsis Deo
11. Fred Waring-Narration
12. Christmas In Spain-Villancico Del Vestitidito
13. Fred Waring-Narration
14. Christmas In France-Dans Cette Etable
15. Fred Waring-Narration
16. Christmas In Mexico-Aldehuela De Belem
17. Fred Waring-Narration
18. Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians-The Christmas Song

Side 2

1. Fred Waring-Narration
2. The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra-The First Noel
3. Fred Waring-Narration
4. The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra-Hark The Herald Angels Sing
5. Fred Waring-Narration
6. Frank Sinatra-It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
7. Fred Waring-Narration
8. Frank Sinatra-Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
9. Fred Waring-Narration
10. The Roger Wagner Chorale-Adeste Fidelis
11. Fred Waring-Narration
12. Jackie Gleason-Winter Wonderland
13. Fred Waring-Narration
14. Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians-Sleigh Ride
15. Fred Waring-Narration
16. Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians-Silver Bells

If any of that looks interesting to you, please download Christmas Around The World-Selections From New Capitol Christmas Albums 1957 (Capitol Records PRO 424 (Christmas Around The World)/425 (Christmas In Hi-Fi), 1957, Mono).

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If that picture of Fred on the cover up above looks familiar, that's because they cribbed it from this other Fred Waring release of 1957, Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians In Hi-Fi. And somehow I wound up scanning an English pressing of the stereo copy. Odd...