Christmas In July 2012-Part 31

Here we are, last day of the month.  And as usual, the last day of the month is all songs about New Year's.

1. The 20s Roar (Medley): Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home-Clementine-The Band Played On-There Is A Tavern In The Town-Good Night Ladies-Auld Lang Syne by no less than Spike Jones And The Band That Plays For Fun-Introducing Hangnails Hennessey And Wingy Brubeck, from his LP 60 Years Of "Music America Hates Best" (Liberty LST 7154, Stereo, 1960).  This isn't the crazy Spike Jones of the 40's, but it's not so bad.

2. Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot by The Obernkirchen Children's Choir-Edith Moeller, Conductor, from the album Wandering With The Obernkirchen Children's Choir (Angel S.35839, Recorded in Europe, Stereo, 1961).  I almost missed this one until I looked closer at the record itself and realized it was just a retitled version of Auld Lang Syne.  Now that I think about it, the titles weren't even listed on the jacket, the whole rear was blank!  Heaven knows why I pulled out the record to look, but I did.  The force was strong that day.

3. Odun De! Odun De! (Happy New Year) by Olatunji! from the LP Drums Of Passion (Columbia PC 8210 (For Concert Sale Only), Stereo, 1960).  Drum solo!!!

4. New Year's Resolutions by Jim Mandell With Mary Hylan & Debby James from Action Songs For Holidays And Special Days (Tom Thumb T 312, Stereo, 1979).  Kiddie goodness.

5. Medley: Auld Lang Syne/Goodnight, Ladies/Merrily We Roll Along/Auld Lang Syne by Living Voices from their LP Fun At Home With Living Voices (RCA Camden CAS-714, Stereo, 1962).  Lots of medleys today, all featuring that perennial New Year's Eve favorite.

6. Happy New Year by Nat King Cole-Conducted By Gordon Jenkins, from the posthumously released LP The Unforgettable Nat Cole Sings The Great Songs! (Capitol ST 2558, Stereo, 1966).  This track was written and recorded by Gordon Jenkins at least twice, both of which I've shared here before.  I didn't know about the Nat King Cole version until recently, and now I'm sharing it with you.

7. Auld Lang Syne by the Vincent Lopez Orchestra from that big record set A Century Of American Music (Album Set Productions 4xLP Box 5096 GT 12, Stereo, 1970).  In a rather amazing stroke of luck, five of the tracks I'm sharing today are from records that I found in the past week.  Sometimes, the stars just align.  Sometimes I go weeks without finding a single track of interest, though, so it all balances out.

8. Auld Lang Syne by The Men Of The Robert Shaw Chorale-Robert Shaw, Conductor, a rerun from their LP A Chorus Of Love (RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2502, Stereo, 1960).

9. Auld Lang Syne by Chas And Dave from the soundtrack to a British film I've never seen, Party, Party (A&M SP-3212, Stereo, 1982).  Reviews of this movie on the internet refer to it as very John Hughes, but not as good.  Lots of good stuff on the soundtrack, though.

10. Auld Lang Syne by The Gene Lowell Chorus from Halls Of Ivy (Warner Bros WS 1244, Stereo, 1959), another rerun from years past.

11. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve by The Four Lads With Ray Ellis And His Orchestra from the album The Four Lads Sing Frank Loesser (Columbia CL 1045, Mono, 1957).  A rerun, but a good one.  And oddly enough, the only version of this track I've dug up all year.  I figured it would be a lot more popular than that.

12. Look Ahead by Arthur Godfrey With Orchestra And Chorus Under The Direction Of Archie Bleyer from the LP Arthur Godfrey's TV Calendar Show (Columbia CL 521, Mono, 1953).  There are two versions of this track, one that opens the LP and one that closes it.  This one is the closer, and I shared the other one with you by accident earlier in the month.

13. Auld Lang Syne, a bit of a mystery track by Vaughn Monroe And His Orchestra-Vocal By Vaughn Monroe And The Chorus.  I pulled this from a 7" 45 RPM EP that's one of a set of two.  I know that much from the catalog number (EPB 3251), but I could find no trace of such a release on the internet.  There was no sleeve and it's a various artists thing, which also threw me.  So if anyone can dig up any info on this, I'd appreciate it.  I know this EP is not where the song originates, though, looks like it was a single first.  (Note that this is not the same version I shared from Monroe last year.  That one was a later remake for a different label.)

14. Auld Lang Syne by The Sealandair Band from the album they shared with National Band And Orchestra called Marches (Concertone 2013, Mono).  Yes, it's a budget label release, so who knows what the real name of the artist might be, or when it was recorded and where.

15. Auld Lang Syne by Sonny Osborne And His Sunny Mountain Boys from the LP Five String Hi-Fi (Hollywood LPH-19, Mono).  Another budget thing, but not too bad.  Very Flatt & Scruggs to my ears.

And that's it.  I won't even pretend that this is the end, since you probably know I always throw a bonus day in for the beginning of September, so be sure to come back around for that.  It's been a great year, lots of new music, no interruptions in the sharing, gonna be a tough bar to beat next year, but that's a long way away.  Here's the link, see you back tomorrow!

MediaFire