Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Stereo Randolph!

Here's a record I was very excited to find sometime in the past couple of years!  Long time visitors to the blog might remember my shares of the two Christmas albums from The Randolph Singers, and I think one single, but they were all in mono.  The catalog is a little unclear, so I don't have dates on everything, but apparently, at one time or another, they remade their first LP in Stereo! I didn't do an A/B test, but the times on the different tracks lead me to believe it is different, and was re-recorded sometime later.  (The track sequence has changed as well.)  Earliest mention of a stereo version I can find is in a 1959 Hi-Fi/Stereo Review from December of that year.  So maybe that's the date.  But trust me, if you liked the mono, you're going to love the stereo!  This is The Randolph Singers-Christmas Carols (Westminster WST 15052, Stereo, 1959?).

1. Carol Of The Bells
2. Patapan
3. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
4. Let Carols Ring
5. Hush, O Heaven
6. Quickly, My Friends
7. Saint Staffan
8. Lullay My Liking
9. The First Noel
10. Silent Night
11. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
12. Angels We Have Heard On High
13. Quid Petis, O Fili?
14. Shepherds, Tell Me
15. Bring A Torch, Jeanette
16. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
17. Virgin's Cradle Hymn
18. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
19. O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Zippyshare
The old (mono) cover is shown below, and I'm pretty sure I have a third one somewhere, but it's eluding me at the moment.
 

17 comments:

  1. For those of you nice enough to leave a comment, here are the original, mono shares of both volumes. Enjoy!

    http://www4.zippyshare.com/v/VjpH0Ded/file.html
    http://www4.zippyshare.com/v/TRTHLOlz/file.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had no clue there is a stereo bersion. I have the mono. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The cover for the stereo version is stunning. Very bright colors. Way better than the mono version.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I dunno, it's just a stock photo, reminds me of a couple generic kiddie covers. I kinda like those animals on the other one, which may or may not be the original.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looking at my mono copy, it looks like 1880's Christmas festivities with the animal heads covering human heads and the people dancing around. Still an odd cover. But I guess you shouldn't judge the music from the cover. LOL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I did a quick Google search and this catalog number came up for Vol. 1, WL 5100 with a different cover.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'll take all three. I like both mono and stereo. Thank you much! And, yes, I left this comment before grabbing the bonus shares.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks again for another great share that reveals your mastery of the collecting craft!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Ernie you are a very good friend

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes!!! I'm sorry to have tormented you ...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Westminster used RCA to press their stereo LPs. From decoding information I found online, the RCA Victor matrix number on the label translates as follows:

    K8OY-9320

    K = 1959
    8 = Custom (Re-recorded from client's source material)
    O = Phonograph
    Y = 12" Stereo 33 1/3 rpm

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you Ernie, you have paved the way to the mono versions I was looking for. Great!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A new link for 2018!

    https://mega.nz/#!tJ9zCaAK!IEJSUZkEepuw8z7g7FYp5hYq0ww8rZvH7O9DGsZPxHg

    ReplyDelete

All comments are greatly appreciated, but replies aren't guaranteed...