Christmas In July 2012-Part 17

Before I waste away my whole evening listening to the David Seville B-sides of all the Chipmunks early hits, I guess I need to give you folks some Christmas music.  But who knew there was great music on both sides of these records?  I'll be a lifetime tracking them all down.  But that's a project for another day, tonight you get more Christmas music!

1. Children Go Where I Send Thee by The Tokens-Conducted By Sammy Lowe from the LP The Lion Sleeps Tonight (RCA Victor LPM-2514, Mono, 1961).  Yes, it's the same Tokens.  Really liking this.

2. Chin Chow And The Golden Bird, a song adapted from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and performed by The Continental Symphony Orchestra, Narrated By Art Gilmore And Don Wilson.  I pulled this from the LP Classics For Children Volume 2 (Capitol T3248, Mono, 1957), but I think it originates from a kiddie record 78 from some years earlier.

3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Jane Morgan-Conducted By Charles Albertine, one of my favorite finds this year, pulled from the album Jane Morgan Serenades The Victors (Colpix CP 460, Mono, 1963).  I don't think Jane Morgan ever recorded a Christmas record, so this is probably the best Christmas track you're going to find by her.  This is a sort of companion album to the soundtrack to the movie "The Victors", also on Colpix.  Not sure how that worked, but we get a great song.  On the actual soundtrack, Sinatra performs the song.

4. Doll Dance by Leon Berry from the LP Glockenspiels, Trap And Plenty Of Pipes With Leon Berry At The Hub Rink Chicago-Volume 1 (Replica 33x2501, Mono).  Another organ song you need!

5. I've Got My Love To Keep me Warm from Robert Maxwell, His Harp And Orchestra, a rerun, I think, from A Song For All Seasons (Decca DL 4609, Mono, 1965).  Pretty late for a mono LP, but I've seen worse.

6. Ihr Kinderlein, Kommet (O Come, Little Children), today's track from The Trapp Family Singers-Dr. Franz Wasner, Conductor, and their collection The Best Of The Trapp Family Singers (MCA 2xLP MCA2-4048, Mono, 1973).  Not sure if I've reached the halfway point from this album or not...

7. My Favorite Things by Derek And Ray-Arranged And Conducted By Marty Gold, from their LP The Two Piano Sound Of Derek And Ray Playing "The Sound Of Music" And Other Richard Rodgers Hits (RCA Victor LPM-3353, Mono, 1965).  No arguments about whether or not this is a Christmas song, please, just try to enjoy it.  That album title is quite the mouthful.

8. Snowfall by Members Of The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Richard Jones from the album Moonlight And Violins (Capitol T534, Mono, 1954).  Slightly different version of this classic.

9. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year by Richard Maltby And His Orchestra from Swingin' Down The Lane (Columbia CL 1271, Mono, 1960).  I wasn't sure if this should be a Christmas song or not, but I discovered it came from a Christmas movie, so here it is.

10. Ave Maria by The Moravian Trombone Choir Of Downey, Jeffrey Reynolds, Conductor, from their LP Music For Two Seasons: Advent And Christmas, Lent And Easter (Crystal Records S225, Stereo, 1981).  That looks like four seasons to me, but since it's performed all on trombones, I'll let it slide. Get it, slide?  Lot's more from these guys to come.

11. Bells And Little Bells by David Carroll And His Orchestra, recorded during his percussion obsession, from the LP Repercussion (Mercury SR 60029, Stereo, 1959).  I shared a version of this by Percy Faith a long time ago, but at the time I didn't see it was written by Helmut Zacharias.

12. Christmas In July, the official theme song of these parts this time of year, actually a medley of carols by Dennis Hinman from the demo LP Denny-Dennis Hinman Plays The Yamaha Electone E-70 (Yamaha YR 5005, Stereo).

13. Greensleeves by Admiral Dan's Pandemoniacs, AKA The US Navy Steel Band, from the album Dream Along With The US Navy Steel Band (AKA Caribbean Romance) (Continental CST-2003 (AKA ST-9029), Stereo).  Why all the dual naming?  Well, first and foremost, it's a budget release, and the title and catalog number are different on the sleeve and the vinyl.  But also the official name of the band differed from what everybody called it.  I guess there really was an Admiral Dan, and he put the band together.

14. Let There Be Peace On Earth (Let It Begin With Me) by Liberace-Orchestra Directed By Gordon Robinson from his album My Inspiration (Coral CRL 757344, Stereo, 1960).  This is one of about a dozen songs this year that I discovered, recorded, then discovered again in a stereo version.  So you get to enjoy the fruits of double my labor on this one.

And that's it, another great collection of tracks I think you'll agree.  Come back tomorrow for still more goodies.

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