Christmas In July 2011-Day 16

Day 16, and I've got some good news.  About a week before I started sharing all this groovy Christmas music with you, I got a new computer.  I set it up and started recording much of the music I've been sharing with you for the past couple of weeks.  But on that old computer, I'd already recorded almost 100 tracks that I'd wanted to share.  I worked pretty hard to see if I could stay ahead of my sharing without having to raid that pile of music, and I was successful in reaching my goal of halfway through the month.  But now that I'm halfway through, I copied all those songs over to the new computer and I'm going to start sharing them tonight.  Why does that matter to you?  Well, normally, I always record my best stuff first, then as the month wears on, you get less and less prime stuff and more and more filler, like multiple versions of questionable songs and lots and lots of junior high bands.  But now it's like starting over at the beginning of the month!  A little over half the songs tonight are stuff I recorded back on the other computer and the others are stuff from the usual cache of goodies I've been sharing all along.  You may not be able to tell the difference, but I sure can.  There's some real good stuff in here.  Let's jump in!

1. Christmas Time Is Here by Ted Schumate-Dann Reno Jazz Quintet from the LP Hurricane (Gulfstream Productions 501014, Stereo, 1985).  This appears to be a locally produced and recorded album from the Tampa Bay area.  I found this at the Goodwill store just today, but I knew I had to get it up here for you.  Nice little version of the popular Charlie Brown Christmas music.

2. The Doll Dance by Russ Case And His Orchestra.  This is from one of those hard-to-find LPs on Vik, an early 50's subsidiary of RCA.  I buy pretty much all of them when I come across them, but they're pretty few and far between.  Th record is Dances Wild (Vik (RCA) LX-1085, Mono, 1957).

3. Winter Wonderland by Cliff Duphiney With Vincent Marino, Percussionist from the record Cliff Duphiney's Explosion Of The Tone Cabinets (Decora Amphora DALP 2002S, Stereo, 1961).  With an album title like that, how could I pass it up?

4. Greensleeves by Les And Larry Elgart from Big Band Hootenanny (Columbia CS 8912, Stereo, 1963).  They were a little straight;aced to be on an album called Hootenanny, don't ya think?

5. Put A Little Love In Your Heart by The Cuff Links from their album Tracy (Decca DL 75160, Stereo, 1969).  I don't think this is really a Christmas song, but after the Annie Lennox-Al Green version from the movie Scrooged, who can resist?  That's good marketing!

6. The Bells Of St. Mary's, this time by Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians-Stuart Churchill, Soloist, from their LP Songs Of Inspiration (Decca DL 8709, Mono, 1958).  I think I may have found a Christmas LP from Fred Waring that's entirely new to me.  No, not this one, something else, but you'll have to wait for Christmas and see.  One of my all-time most popular shares comes from Mr. Waring, so this should prove interesting.

7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Larry Seidel from the LP The Glory Of God's Seasons (Grace Unlimited GU-002, Stereo).  Nice little religious record, this one.  More tracks from it are upcoming.

8. March Of The Toys by The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy Conducting, from the album A Festival Of Marches (Columbia Masterworks MS 6474, Stereo, 1963).  Good one.

9. Mary's Little Boy Chile by the writer himself, Jester Hairston!  I didn't know he'd recorded later in life, I was familiar with his Christmas work with The Voices Of Walter Schumann, but I was excited when I found his LP The Jester Hairston Collection (Light LS 5849, Stereo, 1984), and this song was on there.  It's great!

10. When Winter Comes by Joanie Sommers, Arranged And Conducted By Stan Applebaum, pulled from the LP Sommers' Seasons (Warner Bros WS1504, Stereo, 1963).  You'll hear more from this record later...

11. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm by Jackie Gleason With The Keith Textor Singers from Irving Berlin's Music For Lovers (Capitol SW 106, Duophonic, 1969).  This may have found it's way to one of The Great One's Christmas albums, but that's not where I found it, so I'm putting it here.

12. March Of The Little Lead Soldiers by The Carnegie Pops Orchestra, Conducted By Walter Hendl, from the very early LP Carnegie Pops Program (Columbia Masterworks ML 4118, Mono, 1949).

13. Snowfall by Enoch Light And The Light Brigade from Big Band Hits Of The 30's, 40's 50's (Project 3 2xLP PR2 6005, Stereo, 1979).  I may have shared this before, but not from this LP.  I think is a re-packaging of two earlier records on Project 3.  Enoch Light's labels were known for repurposing their recordings in later years.

14. Virgin Mary by Carolyn Hester.  I love this track!  I just recorded it this morning, although I think it's been in the stack for two seasons now, I just never got to it.  You never know until you try it, I guess.  This is from her debut self-titled album (Columbia CL 1796, Mono, 1962).  I've only ever seen this one copy, and I think the reason for that is a credit to Bob Dylan for harmonica on the back.  No harmonica on this track, though, but it's not needed.

15. Jingle Bells by Danny Kaye from his soundtrack to The Five Pennies (Dot DLP 29500, Stereo, 1959).  Don't know I've missed this one all these years.

That's enough for tonight, as if 15 tracks is never too few, but it may turn out to be too many.  I'm just so excited about being able to dive into those tracks I've been saving.  Here's the download link, come back tomorrow for more Christmas in July treasures!