Christmas In July 2011-Day 22

Getting a bit of a late start tonight.  I've spent the last couple of hours trying to get this badly scratched record to play without skipping all over the place, but I think it's a lost cause.  I've had pretty good luck this year with most of the stuff I put on the platter playing just fine, but the gouges on this one in two spots are just terrible.  And they arc in just the right direction that the needle just follows them right along instead of the groove.  Other than those two spots it plays fine, though.  I'd tell you what it is, but I might still do something with it later...  Anyhow, let's see what's in the shared folder tonight, shall we?

1. Alpine Boogie, a rerun non-Christmas tracks from Ted Heath And His Music from the LP Big Band Beat (Richmond (London) B 20034, Mono).  Sounds really good thanks to ClickRepair!

2. Ave Maria (Hamma) by Novitiate Choir Of 1963-64, Conductor-S. Marie Cecile, O.P. from Investiture Of A Dominican Sister (Queen Of The Rosary Novitiate, Dominican Sisters Of The Holy Cross, Amityville, LI (NY) QR-1000, Mono, 1964).  Is this a version of Ave Maria that we haven't heard before?  I think so, but I can't be sure.  I hear so many of them, they all run together.

3. The March Of The Toys in a great vocal version by Jane Conners With Bill Anders & Jack Mitchell & The Happy Time Orchestra from the kiddie record Music From Victor Herbert's Babes In Toyland (Happy Time (Pickwick) HT-1002, Mono).  I don't really think you hear all of those folks on it since you only hear one guy singing, but they're all listed on the label and I had no way of knowing who was singing what.

4. Ring The Bells by Johnny Hall with Aunt Bertha And The Children's Bible Hour Staff from His Story In Song (Singcord ZLP 861S, Mono).  Still got tracks to go on this one, and you heard it here earlier.

5. Autumn Holiday by the great David Rose And His Orchestra.  I know Christmas is in Winter, but I couldn't resist anything from David Rose that I thought stood even a whisper of a chance of fitting in here.  This is from his LP Cimarron And Other Great Songs (MGM SE3953, Stereo, 1961).

6. Chorale-Prelude: From Heaven Above To Earth I Come By Samuel Roberts, Jr. from The Music Of Christmas, Lent And Easter (St. George's Church, Schenectady, NY SG102666, Stereo). I think we heard from this one a few days ago...

7. The Four Seasons by Kay Lande, Alan Cole And The Carillon Singers from another kiddie LP, Songs About: The Weather, The Four Seasons, What Time Is It?, The Days Of The Week, Holidays (Children's Records Of America CRA 20433, Stereo, 1974).  There's a little bit of winter in here somewhere...

8. Hallelujah by The Wesleyan Ringers, Lloyd R. Pilkington-Director, who we haven't heard from in a little while here.  This is still from the same album, though, The Glory of Bells (Silver Crest Custom STJ-111882, St. John's United Methodist Church, Hazlet, NJ, Stereo).  I think I've got a couple of handbell albums in the stack to record for Christmas, so if you like this sort of thing, come back in December.

9. Maria Wiegenlied (The Virgin's Slumber Song) by Erich Kunz With The Vienna State Opera Orchestra-Anton Paulik, Conductor from the album Erich Kunz Sings Best Loved German Songs By The Great Composers (Vanguard VRS-1063, Stereo, 1961).  Yes, it's in German.  But lucky for me, the lyrics are in English on the back of the sleeve.

10. My Favorite Things by Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos from Stage And Screen Spectacular: All-Time Favorites (London Phase 4 SPD 12, Stereo).  I think this is a later collection of tunes from earlier records on Phase 4.  I couldn't find much info about it on the interwebs.

11. Swingin' Skaters by the ripoff group Percussion All Stars and the ripoff LP Velvet Brass And Percussion (AKA Dynamic Percussion on the vinyl) (Crown CST 230, Stereo, 1961).  However, even though I used the word ripoff twice, this is a really nice version of The Skater's Waltz!  I almost threw this LP back on the rack a couple of nights ago, but I didn't and I'm glad.  There were even some other good tracks on there that I ripped for myself.  You'll be surprised, I think.

12. We Need A Little Christmas by Lucille Ball And Cast from Mame (Warner Bros W 2773, Stereo, 1974).  Yep, Lucy sings.  She was fairly old by this point, though, and I think it shows unfavorably in her voice.  But perhaps that's what Mame would sound like, I don't know.

13. Come To The Manger by The Augustana Choir-Henry Veld, Conductor from the LP Augustana Choir (Word W-4005-LP, Red Vinyl, Mono, 1956).  I'll buy a lot of things on red vinyl just for the pretty record, but this one had some good stuff.  Maybe I'll record these folks' Christmas record on RCA for Christmas this year...

14. Miss O'Leary's Irish Fruit Cake by Ruby Murray With Norrie Paramor's Music from the LP Irish (And Proud Of It) (Capitol ST 10327, Stereo, 1962).  I've shared a couple of tracks from this LP in past years (in mono), but I never noticed that there was a song on here about fruit cake.  I don't think there are enough songs out there about fruit cakes, clearly a Christmas tradition that's being cruelly overlooked.

15. Winter Wonderland by Pete King, His Orchestra And Chorus from Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies Of 1967-31st Edition (Dot DLP 3757, Mono, 1967).  Another great track from this soundtrack to the Ice Follies, which I guess aren't the same as the Ice Capades, but close enough.

That's it, fifteen more tracks for your July pleasure.  Here's the download link, have a good night.  I'm off to bed now.