Christmas In July 2017 Day 47
Another big day here at the blog for Christmas in July. Can you handle another handful of tracks? And another complete Nutcracker? You're gonna need to go out and buy another hard drive, me thinks. Let's jump right in, shall we?
1. White Christmas (From The Movie "Holiday Inn") by J. Lawrence Cook (Piano Roll) from the LP Academy Award Winners From Movie Musicals 1934-1947, From Rare Piano Rolls (Biograph BLP-1017Q, Stereo, 1977). That's right, it's just a machine playing the piano. I guess Mr. Cook was the one created the roll. I guess that's one of those jobs that doesn't really exist anymore. Well, maybe somebody out there does it, but it's not very popular.
2. We Need A Little Christmas by Skitch Henderson & The Tonight Show Orchestra from Broadway Tonight! Skitch Henderson & The Tonight Show Orchestra Play Music From "Mame" (Columbia CS 9318, Stereo, 1966). Always have to pick up any album that mentions Mame to see if this track is included.
3. Snowbird by Ray Anthony from his album Dream Dancing Around The World (Aero Space (Distributed by Ranwood) RA-1007, Stereo, 1972). You don't see much of Ray's stuff on Aero Space. I guess it didn't sell really well.
4. Sleigh Ride by Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians from Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians Sing America's Favorite Songs (Reader's Digest 8xLP RDA-238 "Courtesy Of Capitol Records Inc.", Stereo, 1981). I'm basically trying to fill time until I've shared out all the tracks I've ripped from this LP. Need to go back and see how many more I've got to go. Shouldn't be too long now.
5. Ribbons And Wrappings by Harry Secombe, Florence Henderson, Elizabeth Larner, Toralv Maurstad & Chorus-With The London Symphony Orchestra from the soundtrack to Song Of Norway (ABC Records ABCS-OC-14, Stereo, 1971). This go-round, it's the movie, not the stage version. I just wish you got more Florence Henderson.
6. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers by Pinkey, A Hooghuys Fair Organ, from the local album Bellms Cars And Music Of Yesterday (Gay 90's Village #5161, Stereo). This car museum is still located right here in Sarasota, though it's got different owners now. And I don't think they still have all the old band organs. I took this record out of the shrinkwrap, by the way, so it should sound about as good as it ever will. Can't say that with most of the old garbage I dig up.
7. Opening Theme-Narration by Chorus And Orchestra Conducted By Earl Sheldon, Narration By Phil McLean, from the LP The Life Of Christ (In Songs And Narration) (Manor Records ST 91328 aka MR S201, Stereo, 1968). Just another random track from this LP.
8. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence by Professional Chorus And Orchestra, Musical Director-Dale Warland, Organist-Paul Manz, from A Time For Singing (Commission On Worship And Church Music and The Commission On Public Communication Of The American Lutheran Church, Distributed Through Augsburg Publishing House 3xLP 5-5597, -5598, -5599, Mono). I think this is the last track I have for you from this three record set.
9. Greensleeves by Mason Williams from his album Music By Mason Williams (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts WS 1788, Stereo, 1969). Another of those albums I picked up at random, and there was a track I could share. Sometimes I think I may be psychic, but just about Christmas music. I recently read a biography of The Smothers Brothers and their CBS TV show. I didn't know Mason Williams did all the music for that.
10. Deck The Hall by Oratorio Chorus Of The Guelph Light Opera Company-Charles M. Wilson, Mus. Doc., Director, from Songs For All Seasons (Guelph Light Opera Company GLOC 1968, Stereo). Some good singing on this one, and well-recorded too.
11. Winter by Aileen Fisher from Poetry Parade-Poets Read Their Poetry For Children (Weston Woods Studios 2xLP ww703 & ww704, Mono). Yep, still sharing tracks from this one.
12. Rise Up, Shepherd, An' Foller (Hymn Of Christmas) by Dorothy Maynor, Soprano, With Unaccompanied Male Choir from Dorothy Maynor Sings Spiritual And Sacred Songs (RCA Camden CAL-344, Mono, 1957). Is this the only version of this I've shared out this year? Usually I find a couple versions on old folk albums.
13. March Of The Toys by Bingtown Brass Band & Others from Tubby The Tuba And Other Stories, Songs And Marches (Happy Time (Pickwick) HT-1020, Mono). Kiddie music, but worth a listen.
14. Marche
15. Russian Dance
16. Arabian Dance
17. Waltz Of The Flowers
18. Dance Of The Flutes
19. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
20. Chinese Dance, all performed by D'Artega Conducting The New York Festival Symphony Orchestra from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite--Romeo And Juliet Overture (Stereo Spectrum Records (Pickwick) SS 28, Stereo, 1958). A horribly recorded budget label issue of this piece. There were places where it was recorded at such a low level I couldn't pick the music out from the surface noise. And the balance from left to right was really crazy on some tracks. Hopefully I've made something listenable out of it, but don't be surprised if it's all on one channel or really noisy on one side. I wanted to record it to see how it sounded, and now I know. Oh, forgot to mention, the tracks weren't labeled on the album anywhere, I pulled the titles from Discogs. I hope they're right.
That's it, another twenty tracks, winding down pretty fast. How you've got something in there to enjoy. Here's the link, see you tomorrow.
Zippyshare
Did everything Mason Williams recorded sound like "Classical Gas"?
ReplyDeletei searched youtube one day for piano roll christmas music. (a trove there, if interested.) and to my surprise, i found that they’re still making new players and rolls. i saw at least one new limited edition where the roll was a facsimile of christmas wrapping paper, sort of the piano roll equivalent of red plastic. i know two people who were each defeated in trying to restore 100-year-old player pianos. both ended up with thousands of parts strewn across their basements. all the king’s horses and men…
ReplyDeletethe wintery recitations remind me of mrs thackenbaum, my 3rd grade teacher who tortured her students with poetry and made them memorize and recite selections in front of the class. they were always about flowers and birds. dickinson, stevenson, kilmer. spring stuff, really. not winter. but still reverent observations of nature. reverence was never my strong suit. and finding nothing less than devout in the reference books, i asked my father if he knew any good poems. he said ‘candy is dandy, but likker is quicker’. i didn’t really understand this, but it sounded funny. and i knew it was too short to use as a presentation. nevertheless, when the right opportunity came along, i let mrs thackenbaum and the rest of the class in on my discovery. jeez. you’d have thought i set off a bomb. principal’s office. notes home. dinner table arguments. but i think something good came out of it (apart from my introduction to mr nash and a new appreciation for the power of the spoken word): the poetry season quietly came to an end that year.
Barba: Love that story!
ReplyDeleteErnie, as always, thanks for everything. Though some pieces are familiar of course, none of these versions, so I'm pleased.