Six Geese A'Laying

Another day after Christmas, another Christmas 45.  And this time, it's a typical '50s kiddie vocal, but one that you haven't heard a million times.  No idea who Paul O'Keefe was, or who he grew up to be, but the songwriter on both sides is Bob Hilliard, who I believe is a lyricist of some note. (Co-writer on the flip side is Lee Pockriss, also a writer of some note.) Everest was a minor player in the record business, though they did put out some good stuff over the years.  I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, and I'm running a little late this morning, but it's worth a download and a listen.  I say that about most all of my shares, don't I?  Well, I guess it's true.  Please download and enjoy Paul O'Keefe-(Santa Claus) What Would You Like For Christmas b/w A Baby In A Basket (Everest 7" 45 RPM 9-19322 Promotion Copy Not For Sale, Mono, 1959).

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Five Golden Rings

Some days, even I'm surprised at what I already own but don't know about.  While cleaning out a box I had to move today while getting a new A/C installed, I found a small handful of singles I'd bought at Fantasyland Records in Atlanta a few years back.  The record you see here was in that stack, and I guess I wasn't intrigued enough at the time to play it.  Well, I played it tonight, and it is great!  It's a short cocktail party hosted by Bing Crosby and his special guests are The Lennon Sisters.  All of the music played seems to be from their records, but the spoken word bits in between are great, and Bing reads a short story that I've not heard before.  They also tell us all about how great Country Beautiful magazine is, but it must not have been that great because as far as I can tell, it's no longer with us.  I dated this to 1962 based on the RCA pressing data, and that feels pretty close.  I couldn't find hide not hair of this record on the internet, which is just the sort of thing I love to share with you around here!  I'm sure this came in a sleeve way back when, and I'd love to find that, too, but in the meantime, you can listen to Christmas Party-Holiday Songs By Bing Crosby And The Lennon Sisters For Country Beautiful (RCA Victor Custom Record Dept. 7" 33 RPM NO8Q-4527/4528, Mono, 1962).  FYI, Bing sings White Christmas and God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen here, while The Lennon Sisters sing Winter Wonderland.  There's lots of talking over the music, so I didn't split anything out, it's just Side 1 and Side 2.  Can anyone ID that instrumental version of White Christmas that opens the record?  It's typical late 50's-early 60's sparking Beautiful Music stuff.

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Four Calling Birds

Another 45 for you, a pretty obscure one at that.  No hits on the artist, no hits on the producer/songwriter (Otis Fuller), or at least no hits other than this record.  The catalog number on the label doesn't even match anything else in the Dig discography.  Maybe it's a bootleg, but I can't imagine why anyone would fake something like this.  Is Jewel related to Guy?  If so, I couldn't find any info online.  This is another one I'm hoping someone can come along and fill me in on.  Enjoy Jewel Lombardo-Christmas Melody b/w Christmas Lullaby (Dig ZY-95006 7" 45 RPM, Mono).  Everything in the discography appears to have been released between 1955 and 1957, so this is somewhere in that period most likely.

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Three French Hens

It's been a great year for singles around here, and tonight is certainly no exception to that.  I've got a huge pile of 45's that I'm always adding to, and I'm always saying I need to record more of it.  The stuff I've shared this year has made exactly no dent in the pile, but it's better than nothing.  This 45 tonight is something I didn't even know I had, but I found it tonight while trying to clean out a box of stuff  I bought a while back.  Turns out the A-side of this single is a track that wasn't on Booker T. & The M.G.'s great Christmas LP (though the B-side is from that album), and it features Isaac Hayes on piano, so I'm pretty surprised it's as obscure as it is.  Do yourself a favor and download Booker T. & The M.G.'s-Winter Snow b/w Silver Bells (Stax 7" 45 RPM 45-236, Mono, 1967). Plenty of organ here, but no chimes, sorry.

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Two Turtle Doves

Happy Boxing Day, or, of you prefer, the second day of Christmas!  Wasn't sure if I'd be able to get anything up for you today, as I was busy boxing up records all day to make some room for the new AC unit.  But I've done all I can do since I ran out of boxes.  Hopefully I can finish up tomorrow and get the install scheduled.  Hoping to get this taken care of before the year ends, but I'm running out of time.  Anyhow, I've got this little seven inch record for you tonight, featuring four songs.  No picture sleeve, I'm afraid, so there's a lot of info missing, but everyone loves a little souvenir from one of the famous TV preachers.  This time it's Oral Roberts.  And the share is Bob Daniels & Abundant Life Choir-Season's Greetings From Oral Roberts (Abundant Life Recordings 7" 33 RPM No Number, Mono, 1961).

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Silent Night
3. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
4. O Holy Night

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No White Christmas

Here's another single for you, something a little out of the ordinary, a little newer than the usual share around here, but something I think you'll enjoy nonetheless.  I saw this single shared out at another blog, and realized that I had seen it somewhere recently.  Turned out it was in the stack of random stuff I had bought at Banana's recently, but hadn't listened to it yet.  It just happens to be a very early synth record, one of the very first Christmas records I've ever heard that sounds like this.  Just download it, you'll see.  We didn't get a White Christmas today here in Central Florida, but you get one from me.  This is Camille-White Christmas b/w Snowbelle (EMI 7" 45 RPM EMI 5014, Produced For Camille By Karl Jenkins, Mike Ratledge And Mike Thorne, Stereo, 1979).  If anybody knows anything about this single, please share, it's a bit of a mystery.

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The Voice Of Christmas

One of my favorite finds this year was a V-disc from World War II featuring a track by Bing Crosby.  I see these V-discs every once in a while, but this is the first time I've ever seen a Christmas one. I'm sure there are plenty of them out there, and people have collected them up and put together collections and done all sorts of things with them, but this is the first one I've ever done anything with, and I'm sharing it with you guys for Christmas.  I'm writing this up ahead of time, but shortly after Midnight Christmas morning, this is going to pop up at the blog as my gift to you.  I had a little trouble getting the EQ right on this one, so I had to get a little help from my friends Lee (at Music You Possibly Won't) and Buster (over at Big 10-Inch Record).  I don't remember who's work I used, so I'm going to credit them both and thank them very much for their help.  These records were new technology at the time and the sound isn't what you might hope for, but it's performances you're unlikely to find elsewhere. Bing only sings one song here, the other two are just by 'Chorus And Organ', not a very popular group, I'm afraid.  But it's Christmas.  So Merry Christmas to you!  This is V-Disc No. 48 (V-Disc VP 140/141, Mono).

1. Bing Crosby, Chorus And Orchestra-Silent Night
2. Chorus And Organ-Joy To The World
3. Chorus And Organ-It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

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A Christmas Riddle

Perhaps to make up a bit for that last post which featured no Nelson Riddle Christmas music whatsoever, here's a brand new rip of his 1970 Christmas LP for Avon.  I happened to stumble across a nice clean copy of this yesterday, complete with some inserts that I don't think I had the last time I ripped and shared this in 2006.  There's a custom inner sleeve and two different letters from Avon President Fred G. Fusee for your enjoyment.  Oh, and some music, the only solo Christmas music recorded by Nelson Riddle, as far as I know.  Well, he did The Christmas Song on a tribute to Nat King Cole, but this is a full album.  Perhaps a few years after his heyday, but it's still well worth a listen!  This is The Nelson Riddle Orchestra And Chorus-Avon Wishes You A Happy Holiday and A Joyous New Year (Avon AV 10170, Stereo, 1970). I think there's more Avon in the archives here, if you're interested.

1. Happy Holiday
2. Angels We Have Heard On High
3. O Holy Night
4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
5. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
6. Carol Of The Bells
7. Ave Maria
8. Here We Come A-Caroling
9. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
12. Do You Hear What I Hear
13. Go Tell It On The Mountain

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And if anyone is looking for the traditional Christmas Eve visit from The Sugarplum Fairy, look here.

Not Christmas, Part 2

Here's another entry into the new series of Christmas records that don't have any Christmas content.  This time it's from the fine folks at the National Tuberculosis Association and their annual Christmas Seals campaign.  You get two 15 minute radio shows featuring Patti Page and Nelson Riddle (separately, not together) telling you all about the joys of using Christmas Seals, but not using any Christmas music to do so.  To say I was disappointed by that is an understatement.  But there's still some good stuff here, if only for the spoken word bits.  Just remember, if you're going to pay big bucks for part of this series on eBay, you may not get what you're after.  This is For Christmas Seals 1958-The Patti Page Show/The Nelson Riddle Show (National Tuberculosis Association J8MR-8705/8706 (Style B), Mono, 1958).

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