Polka Time

You can't let Christmas slip by without spending some time dancing the polka, and tonight I've got some appropriate tunes for you.  Many of the Christmas polka records I find feature all Polish music, with tunes that aren't too familiar, making it hard to get into the Christmas spirit, but I thought this one was different.  Plenty of vocals, some familiar tunes among the new stuff, one side all in English and a second side in Polish, again featuring familiar Christmas tunes like Rudolph and Jingle Bells!  This is great stuff, people!  So please download and get your polka on with Christmas Time With Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones (Bel-Aire LP 3009, Stereo, 1966).  My copy is autographed by one of the vocalists, Chet Kowalkowski.  Not sure if he's one of the guys on the cover or not... (I photoshopped it out of the cover shown above, but the original version is in the download for you historical sticklers.

1. Merry Christmas Polka
2. Silver Bells
3. Twinkletoes
4. Xmas Time Waltz
5. Because It's Xmas Polka
6. Christmas Medley: Joy To The World; The First Noel; Oh Come All Ye Faithful
7. Pedza Sanki Do Kosciola (Dashing Sleighs)
8. Rudolph Z Czerwonym Nosem (Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer)
9. Dzwon, Dzwon, Dzwon (Jingle Bells)
10. Narodzil Sie Jezus (Christ Is Born)
11. Pojdzmy Wszyscy Do Stajenki (To The Manger)

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Coming up...

Working on the next share, and I just couldn't wait to share this little detail from it with you.  When the artwork is this good, you know the music is going to be great!  Or is it going to be really bad?  Well, I guess you never know until you drop the needle in the groove.

The Boys Are Back In Town

If you looked closely at last night's share, you may have noticed that some of the tracks featured The Phoenix Boys Choir.  So tonight, I somehow magically came up with an LP from those same boys, though almost 20 years later.  OK, so it's probably not the same boys, but it's boys singing under the same auspices.  How's that?  I swear I found these records at different times and only put them together later on.  Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you can't put two and two together.  For tonight, please download and enjoy The Phoenix Boys Choir Sings Noel With The Phoenix Brass Quintet (Private Pressing, No Label, No Number, Stereo).  Now if I could pull an LP by The Phoenix Brass Quintet out of my hat...

1. O' Come All Ye Faithful
2. Silent Night
3. Pat-A-Pan
4. African Noel
5. What Child Is This?
6. Rise Up Shepherd And Follow
7. Mary Had A Baby
8. Carol, Brothers, Carol
9. The Wassail Song
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
12. Ring Those Christmas Bells
13. The Christmas Song
14. Gigue
15. Do You Hear What I Hear
16. We Wish You The Merriest

Zippyshare

Another Down Under

You wanted some more Christmas from Australia?  Well, here it is!  I don't know what to say about this one, I just didn't get it.  There's so much here, but it all flew over my head.  I shared this out for the first time at the blog in 2012, so if you missed it then, and my faint praise doesn't scare you off, please download Joe Dolce Music Theatre-Arranged And Conducted By Chris Dedrick-Christmas Album (Montage ST-72002, Stereo, 1981).

1. Jingle Bell Rock
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
3. This Time Of The Year
4. Silent Night
5. Medley
6. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
7. Christmas In Australia
8. Christmas At Our House
9. Blue Christmas
10. Open Up Your Heart

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Nash II

Here's another offering from the stack of Christmas records by artists you didn't know recorded a Christmas record.  I suppose it's a pretty tall stack at this point, I know I'm always surprised to find another one or two pretty much every year.  This one was something I found in 2008 and I've been pushing it on you ever since.  Give it a download and see what you think.  Just for you, this is Johnny Nash-Prince Of Peace (JAD JS/1001, Stereo, 1969).  If the portrait in the middle of the cover looks a little rough, that's because it's a lenticular image.  I remember having a bear of a time getting it to scan right, but I think it came out pretty good.

1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. Prince Of Peace
3. Away In A Manger
4. Mary's Little Boy Child
5. The Borning Day
6. The Christmas Song
7. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
8. Medley: Silent Night-Oh Holy Night
9. Go Tell It On The Mountain

Update-21 Dec 16-I was afraid of this.  I released a remastered copy of this in 2012, but this year I reshared the old one this year.  If you already grabbed it, you might want to grab it again and get the better copy.

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Risen From The Ashes

Long week at work, still half a day left tomorrow.  No time for fancy words.  Just download Orpheus Male Choir Of Phoenix-Orpheus At Christmas (Private Pressing, No Number, Stereo, 1966).  Isn't that a great cover?  This is for my high school buddy who moved out to AZ a few years ago.  I want to go out there and visit him, and take some pictures like that!

1. The Cowboy's Christmas Prayer
2. Caroling, Caroling
3. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)
4. Silver Bells
5. I'll Be Home For Christmas
6. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
7. Echo Carol (by Phoenix Boys Chorus)
8. O Come All Ye Faithful (by Phoenix Boys Chorus)
9. Silent Night, Holy Night
10. Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
11. O Bone Jesu
12. Angels We Have Heard On High (with Phoenix Boys Chorus)

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Mas Suder Americano

If you liked the last share from Equador, I think you'll like this one, too.  Dating back to my second year of sharing, this is a good collection of songs and a little bit of spoken word.  I remember there are some really good bits here, and some draggy parts, too, but nothing is perfect.  Please enjoy Bruce Woodman Presents Christmas Carols With A Latin Lilt (SAC 1002, Stereo)

1. Luis Palau-Introduction
2. Bruce Woodman-Come, Oh Ye Shepherds
3. Bruce Woodman-Silent Night
4. Luis Palau-Introduction
5. Bruce Woodman-En La Noche Los Pastores Velan (The Night Watch Of The Shepherds)
6. Lois Hat Vasconez-There's A Song In The Air
7. Luis Palau-Introduction
8. Bruce Woodman-Salvador Admirable (Wonderful Savior)
9. Luis Palau-Introduction
10. Bruce Woodman-Blessed Palestine
11. Bill Fasig-What Child Is This?
12. Bruce Woodman-It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
13. Luis Palau-Introduction
14. Delores Baklenko-It's Christmas Time
15. Bill Fasig-The First Noel

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South America Way

Let's take a little trip down South for a bit with this gem from Equador.  I'm a sucker for any record that I haven't seen or heard before, so this certainly fits that bill.  I shared this out without much fanfare back in 2010, but I think it deserves a re-airing.  This is Christmas At Quito (Singspiration/Zondervan ZLP-546, Mono, 1962).

1. HCJB Radio Staff Choral Ensemble-Fanfare
2. Vern Van Hovel And Joe Springer-Come To Bethlehem (Adorad Al Nino)
3. Gene Jordan-O Come, All Ye Faithful
4. HCJB Radio Staff Men;s Chorus-Come, O Ye Shepherds (Venid Pastores)
5. Dolores Van Der Puy-Come To His Manger Bed
6. Jeanne Odell-Silent Night
7. HCJB Radio Staff Ensemble-Glorious Is Thy Name
8. Joe Springer-Christmas Candle
9. Dixie Dean-Joy To The World
10. Ruth Jordan-Though Christ A Thousand Times
11. Jack And Ruth Shalanko-Unto Us
12. Vern Van Hovel-Mary's Boy Child

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Before Statehood

From the stack of little records tonight, here's a rare selection of tunes with a little bit of Hawaiian flavor, released five years before it even became a state!  I wish I had the whole original album to share with you, but I was excited to be able to manage a copy of this EP release featuring half the songs from the larger record.  I'm sure that eventually the Menehuna Santa will bring me a copy of the whole record.  In the meantime, please download and enjoy Roy Smeck And His Island Quartet-Christmas In Hawaii Volume 2 (X (RCA) 7" 45 RPM EXA-22, Mono, 1954).

1.Winter Wonderland
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Jingle Bells

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 (Have a look at those writing credits.  Someone butchered the names pretty badly.  Odd, RCA usually did a good job of such things.)

Sing For Your Supper

Product placement at it's best!  Wouldn't anyone who enjoys sewing also like listening to Christmas music?  And fans of Donna Reed would enjoy both, right?  I shared this out privately way back in the dark ages before I even had a blog, and then I re-ripped it and shared it here in 2012, so this one goes way back.  I have some vague memory of another Singer Christmas record, but I think it was just repurposed tracks from other artists, I'll have to see if I can find it again.  In the meantime, please enjoy The Singer Orchestra Conducted By George Siravo Featuring Steve Clayton And The Don Janse Choral-Favorite Christmas Songs From Singer (The Singer Company HE-S1, Stereo, 1964).

1. Good King Wenceslas
2. O Holy Night
3. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
4. O Come All Ye Faithful
5. Joy To The World/The First Noel
6. Silent Night
7. Jingle Bells
8. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
9. Little Drummer Boy
10. The Christmas Song
11. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
12. White Christmas

Zippyshare

A Man With An Axe

A request that I had almost forgotten about, well, I forgot about the request, but not the share. This is my second favorite version of this story (the best being the Bing Crosby take on the story, but I can't share that one!), and it's a good one.  It's part of a whole series of books that Columbia put out on record many years ago, but you don't see them too much anymore. I think I first shared this back in 2010, which was a good year for the Christmas records.  Put this on the old media player and enjoy An Axe, An Apple And A Buckskin Jacket (Columbia Book & Record Library CC 24508, Stereo).

1. The Carillon Singers-How Lovely Is Christmas
2. Frank Luther-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket-Part 1
3. Frank Luther With Darrell Sandeen, Tom Spiro, Eric Carlson And The Carillon Singers-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket
4. Frank Luther-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket-Part 2
5. Frank Luther-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket-Part 3
6. Frank Luther With Darrell Sandeen, Tom Spiro, Eric Carlson And The Carillon Singers-Johnny Appleseed
7. Frank Luther-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket-Part 4
8. Frank Luther With Darrell Sandeen, Tom Spiro, Eric Carlson And The Carillon Singers-Incident At Roger's Creek
9. Frank Luther-An Axe, An Apple, And A Buckskin Jacket-Part 5
10. Frank Luther With Darrell Sandeen, Tom Spiro, Eric Carlson And The Carillon Singers-How Lovely Is Christmas (Reprise)

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Boomers

I remember finding this one at a record store in Brandon a couple of months ago.  It's rare enough to find Christmas records in the stores during Christmas time, much less out of season.  But when I do, they are almost always in the bargain bin.  I guess they don't sell well enough.  As soon as I flipped to it, I knew it would be shared out here. And here it is, a complete Christmas LP from Rolf Harris, best know among Christmas collectors for his Six White Boomers song.  That song shows up here in a new version, alongside many seldom heard Christmas carols all infused with a Southern-hemisphere atmosphere.  Lots of good stuff in here, and be sure you read the commentary on the back of the LP sleeve for stories about the songs and that Tiffany-style lamp on the cover. (Mr. Harris is currently serving time in prison for sexual offenses against underage girls.  My sharing this music is in no way an endorsement of his behavior, and should not be taken as such.  He's 86 now, I don't think he's ever getting out...)  Please download and enjoy Rolf Harris Sings Mary's Boy Child, With Some Unusual Songs (Festival (Australia) SFL-934017, Stereo, 1970).

1. Fum Fum Fum (Spanish Dance Carol)
2. Christmas Is Here
3. Bambino
4. A Provencal Pilgrim (My Leg Is Aching Worse)
5. Mary Of The Quiet Eyes
6. Remember Bethlehem
7. Six White Boomers
8. Forget-You-Ever-Saw-Me Dust
9. Banksia Carol
10. Little Drummer Boy
11. The Cherry Tree
12. Mary's Boy Child
13. Joseph Dearest
14. The Wonderful Christmas Pig

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Musta Missed It

Have I never shared this out?  I had this in my folder of shares from 2010, but I went searching for a post to read about it and can't find it.  Perhaps the post got disappeared over the years, I've seen that happen a couple of times.  Not sure what sort of glitch causes that, but it's rare enough that I've never really worried about it, but still...  Anyhow, this is another of those Air Force Recruiter records that is a little bit different in that it features a side of original music from the USAF Academy Cadet Chorale in addition to a side of the usual celebrity greetings.  Pretty good stuff on here, so you better download it before it disappears again.  This is A Christmas Present From Your USAF Recruiter (United States Air Force, Stereo, 1971).

1. Sing We Now Of Christmas
2. Sleigh Ride
3. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
4. O Tannenbaum
5. Medley: O Come All Ye Faithful; O, Little Town Of Bethlehem; Joy To The World
6. What Child Is This
7. The Little Drummer Boy
8. Do You Hear What I Hear?
9. Silent Night
10. John Davidson
11. Rick Hansen of New Christy Minstrels
12. Jose Feliciano
13. Eddy Arnold
14. Alan Osmond of The Osmond Brothers

(Tracks 1-9 performed by The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale.)

Zippyshare

 BTW, today is December 7th, a day which will live in infamy.  If you're too old to remember that, just try to remember how you felt on 9/11.  If you're too young to remember that, well, you probably aren't on this blog downloading old Christmas music.  Say thanks to a veteran for me.

Bing! (Not Chandler)

I have a pretty long and spotted history of sharing military radio shows with you, and here's another one that's been almost lost to the sands of time.  And it features the great voice of Christmas, Bing Crosby!  I shared this out for you back in 2011 after recording it in 2010, so I don't know how great the bitrate is, but you'll enjoy it for the spoken word bits, not the music.  Help yourself to the double LP A Bing Crosby Christmas For Today's Army/The Sounds Of Christmas With The United States Army Band And Soldiers Chorus (US Army Recruiter 2xLP, Stereo, 1973).

1. Intro
2. And The Bells Rang
3. Segment 1
4. Christmas Is Here To Stay
5. Segment 2
6. Christmas Is
7. Segment 3
8. White Christmas
9. A Time To Be Jolly
10. Segment 4
11. I Sing Noel
12. Segment 5
13. Round And Round The Christmas Tree
14. Segment 6
15. The Song Of Christmas
16. Segment 7
17. White Christmas
18. Jingle Bells
19. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
20. Winter Wonderland
21. O Tannenbaum
22. The Three Holy Kings
23. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
24. Stable Down The Road
25. Medley: White Christmas; The Christmas Song
26. Some Children See Him
27. Medley: Noel

Tracks 1-17 by Bing Crosby, 18-27 by The United States Army Band & Chorus with various soloists.  Full details in the track tags.

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Wally In Winter

Another request, and a good one.  But you can't judge a book by it's cover appearance.  This one looks horrid in the scan, but that's because it's a lovely reflective foil cover that doesn't react to the scanner very well.  Someday I need to go back and revisit this one, I recorded the music back in 2010, and I'm sure I can do a better job with both the audio and the imagery today.  This is good listening music, so don't pass it by.  Please lend an ear to Wally Stott, His Orchestra And Chorus-Happy Holiday-Christmas In Stereo (Warner Bros WS 1341, Stereo, 1959).

1. Happy Holiday
2. Wassail Song
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
4. Christmas Sleigh Bells
5. Shepherd's Chorus
6. The Holly And The Ivy
7. The Christmas Waltz
8. Away In A Manger
9. Good King Wenceslas
10. Snowfall
11. Silent Night! Holy Night!
12. White Christmas

Zippyshare

Live From Dartmouth

One of those records that pops up in my random play every once in a while and I have to look to see who it is.  And one of the things that I someday hope to find a stereo copy of, though it's so far proven fairly elusive.  Maybe Santa will bring me one this year!  (Or maybe he'll bring me these Japanese powerpop Christmas CDs I stumbled across last night!)  Anyhow, this is good stuff, first shared here back in 2008, then remastered (which also eliminated a skip I couldn't get out of the original copy) in 2010, here is Dartmouth Glee Club-Paul R. Zeller, Director-White Christmas On The Campus (United Artists UAL 3102, Mono, 1961).

1. Happy Holiday
2. O Come All Ye Faithful
3. White Christmas
4. Angels We Have Heard On High
5. The Secret Of Christmas
6. What Child Is This?
7. The Christmas Song
8. Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming
9. Sleigh Ride
10. The First Noel
11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
12. Mid Ox And Ass
13. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
14. Here A Torch Jeanette Isabella
15. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
16. Jingle Bells

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The World's Most Famous Sock Puppet

Very special share tonight, something I was completely surprised by when it turned up in an otherwise uninteresting thrift shop a couple months ago.  Take a quick look at the cover above and you might think it's just another run-of-the-mill religious label Christmas album, but look a little closer and you'll see that it's not.  This one features Pat Boone and Shari Lewis!  And Shari Lewis brings her little friends Lambchop, Hushpuppy & Charleyhorse!  How can you go wrong?  And these songs don't seem to be available elsewhere.  Shari released a single on Musicor, I think, and this ain't that. (I need to add that one to the want list...)  And the Pat Boone song doesn't appear to turn up elsewhere in a quick search either.  The liner notes tell me this is the soundtrack, or at least some of the songs from, a TV special of the same name screened in the US & Canada.  I came up empty on a link to the special, but at least you get to hear the music.  Please download and enjoy The Magic Of Christmas (Impact HWS 3061, Stereo).  I couldn't even find a year for this one.  Anybody able to track this down?

1. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
2. Don Murray-Some Children See Him
3. The Little People-Away In The Manger
4. Shari Lewis-The Best Gift
5. The Max Davey Singers-Silent Night
6. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
7. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-We Wish You The Merriest
8. Shari Lewis-Jingle Bells
9. Pat Boone-Always Christmas
10. Don Murray-The Night Before Christmas

Zippyshare

A Nashing of Teeth

If this record is new to you, go ahead and download it now.  Don't read what I have to write, don't go back and read what I wrote with my original share in 2008, just download it.  And if you have heard it, leave me a comment about how great it is!  This guy had a real way with the written word, and the spoken word as well, and when you mix that with Christmas, well, it's just great in my book.  This is Ogden Nash-Christmas With Ogden Nash (Caedmon TC 1323, Stereo, 1970).  I like this guy's wordplay so much that I've tracked down a few of his non-Christmas albums, and they're just as great.

1. The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
2. An Untold Adventure Of Santa Claus
3. The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus
4. A Carol For Children
5. I'm A Pleasure To Shop For
6. I Remember Yule
7. The Miraculous Countdown
8. Nutcracker Suite
9. Sugarplum Dance
10. Russian Dance
11. Arabian Dance
12. Chinese Dance
13. The Flutes
14. The Waltz Of The Flowers


(Looks like this one is on iTunes now, and Spotify, and services still unimagined, so it's no longer available for downloading here.  Take my word for it, it's good, so go get it!)

Jazzhands!

A little bit of jazzy Christmas for your Tuesday afternoon.  This seems to be put out by a radio station in Stamford, CT, so it's unlikely to show up on your top 40 radio anytime soon.  But stranger things have happened.  I first shared this out in 2011, and I think once more since then, but it's hard to tell anymore and I can't remember what I meant to do and what I actually did.  So just be happy that I'm bringing back Glenn Zottola And His Allstars Featuring Maxine Sullivan-Christmas In Jazztime (Dreamstreet DR-110, for WYRS 96.7 FM, Stamford, CT, Stereo, 1986).  1986 is a little late for me, but good music knows no season, especially Christmas music!

1. Let It Snow
2. Jolly Old St. Nick (with Maxine)
3. Winter Wonderland
4. White Christmas (with Maxine)
5. Silent Night
6. Jingle Bells (with Maxine)
7. Christmas Song
8. Greensleeves
9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

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Tammy & Heidi

One type of record I like to share is music made for kids, and I see a lot of them.  They are usually beat up, and unplayable, and most of them are yard sale staples.  But the two you see here were in relatively good shape, and were both things I had never seen before. (I think the similarities run deeper than that, since they seem to share a label address... )  I first brought you Tammy in 2010 and Heidi in 2008, but they're back for an encore tonight.  First up, here's Tammy-Merry Christmas With Tammy (Little World Records (Ideal Toy Corp., Midnight Music) LW-906, Mono, 1965).

1. Intro
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. O Christmas Tree
4. Deck The Halls
5. Silent Night
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Joy To The World
8. Greensleeves
9. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
10. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
11. O Come All Ye Faithful
12. Jingle Bells
13. The Story Of The Night Before Christmas-With Pepper!
14. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Zippyshare

And here is Heidi-The Night Before Christmas (Majorette M-304, Mono, 1965).  Funny, I just got a request to reshare out one of these last night, but I had it in the bank already.  I love it when I plan comes together.

1. Introduction
2. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
3. Silent Night
4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
6. O Christmas Tree
7. Deck The Halls
8. Frosty The Snowman
9. Joy To The World
10. The First Noel
11. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
12. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. And The Night Before Christmas Story

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Doodle

Here's a 78 for you real quick.  I'm too tired to post very much tonight, so I hope this holds you over for the evening.  Sam Ulano was a drummer who became famous for teaching others to drum and left very little in the way of recorded work, at least under his own name.  This 78 (which was also available on 45, but I found the 78) came out in 1955 and is quite the hoot!  I think the sound is just fine, so please download and give a listen to Sam Ulano (and Santa Claus!)-Santa And The Doodle-Li-Boop b/w The Story Of Santa Claus (MGM 10" 78 RPM 11898, Mono, 1955).  If it sounds familiar, you've probably heard Art Carney (Norton!) perform the same song.

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Five Nights At Billy Bob's

You've got to take the good with the bad.  For every lost Christmas classic I give you, I feel like I have to give you a Christmas, umm, klunker.  First shared out in 2010, and brought back this year for your disco dancing pleasure, this is The Rock-Afire Explosion-Disco Christmas (Showbiz Pizza Place-Creative Records VI 7" 33 RPM, Stereo, 1982).

1. Disco Christmas
2. In December
3. If Every Day Were Like Christmas-Featuring Billy Bob

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Jack Halloran & Jack Halloran

Another oldie around here, dating back to 2007, this features a familiar version of The Little Drummer Boy that actually predates the hit by Harry Simeone.  There's a long, long story in there that I encourage you to investigate, but I'm not going to go into it here.  Just trust me when I say that there's some really good music here.  And if you don't like the cover above, feel free to choose one of the ones below, they've all been associated with this same music over the years. But before you pick a favorite, please download The Jack Halloran Singers-The Little Drummer Boy (Dot DLP 25233, Stereo, 1959). Or is it The Jack Halloran Singers-Christmas Is A Comin' (Dot DLP 3078, Mono, 1959)?  I'm not sure...

1. Christmas Is A-Comin'
2. Carol Of The Drum
3. I Wonder As I Wander
4. While Shepherds Watched Their Sheep
5. Lullaby For The Infant Jesus
6. The Holly And The Ivy
7. Deck The Halls
8. Adeste Fideles-Joy To The World-O Little Town Of Bethlehem
9. Pat-A-Pan
10. Mary's Little Boy Child
11. Go Tell It On The Mountain
12. The Prince Of Peace
13. Angels We Have Heard On High
14. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear-The First Noel-Silent Night
15. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Zippyshare or Zippyshare

Blending Bells

One of the rarest Christmas LPs related to bandleader Lawrence Welk, this little goody turned up at a Goodwill store sometime last year, and I almost flipped by it.  I'd never seen a copy in the wild, and only the occasional mention of it in Welk discographies I'd scanned.  But I grabbed it, brought it home, and ripped it pretty quick.  It sounds really, really good, whoever owned it probably never played it.  It's got a lot of the hallmarks of Welk's other productions, features many of the same songs as his Christmas LPs (and The Lennon Sisters, too), and some of the same producers.  If it's working for you I guess you don't have any incentive to change it.  All of which is just a way of saying it sounds familiar, yet different.  There're some songs on here I'd never heard, and that's probably going to be true for you as well.  Please help yourself to a copy of The Blenders-Ring The Christmas Bells (Dot DLP 25671, Stereo, 1965).  Not sure if these guys ever recorded again. the back of the LP mentions they're headed into the Air Force, and that probably meant Vietnam.

1. Ring The Christmas Bells
2. Blue Christmas
3. Little Lady Make Believe
4. Dancing Snowmen
5. Merry Christmas From Our House To Your House
6. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
7. Thanks For Christmas
8. White Christmas
9. Hawaiian Christmas
10. Christmas Village
11. Marching Home For Christmas
12. Silent Night

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