Christmas In July 2018-Day 18
Hello, and welcome to day the 18th!
1. Faraway Christmas Blues AKA Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues) by Johnny Otis Orchestra With Little Esther And Mel Walker from the collection The Complete Savoy Recordings With Johnny Otis (Savoy Jazz 2xLP SJL 2258 (Originally Released 1950), Mono, 1984). I normally don't grab things from latter-day compilations, but this comp is from over 30 years ago, and the original recording was probably only available on 78, so here you go. And it's so good!
2. March Of The Toys by Frederick Fennell And Orchestra from Frederick Fennell Conducts Victor Herbert (Mercury MG 20954, Mono, 1961). About the only thing I remember about this was having to record it a bunch of times to get the levels right. It just gets louder and louder and louder as it marches along.
3. Northern Lights by Helmut Zacharias And His Magic Violins, from the album Smörgåsbord For Strings-A Musical Trip Around Scandinavia (Decca DL 8753, Mono, 1958). I shared this one with you last year, but from the original UK release, I think. This is the US pressing, with slightly different titles. Still a great track!
4. Ave Maria by Leontyne Price, Soprano With The Choir Of Men And Boys Of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City-William Self, Master Of The Choir-George Decker, Organist, from My Favorite Hymns (RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2918, Stereo, 1966). Good stuff.
5. Greensleeves by Don Allen from Pop Goes The Organ (Time Series 2000 S/2167, Stereo, 1965). Yawn.
6. Jingle Bells/Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer by Willie Dittrich from his LP The Singing Zither-Christmas Music & Old Time Hymns (Jim Loyd Presents 1002 (WMT Radio, Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Stereo). I don't have to tell you how happy I was to find zither music to share!
7. March Of The Little Lead Soldiers by Del Castillo from Half & Half (Concert Recording CR-0028, Stereo). No much of a Christmas song, but close.
8. Put A Little Love In Your Heart, again not really Christmas, but brought back to life through it's inclusion in the holiday movie Scrooged, and almost a Christmas song ever since. This version is by Leslie Uggams With The Jimmy Bowen Orchestra And Chorus, from her album Just To Satisfy You (Atlantic SD 8241, Stereo, 1969).
9. The Village Of St. Bernadette by Andy Williams, Orchestra Conducted By Archie Bleyer, from The Village Of St. Bernadette (Cadence CLP-25038, Stereo, 1960). Very early Andy here. Did you know that his very first solo single was a Christmas record? Yep!
10. Winter by Cliff De Young And Group from the soundtrack to the TV movie Sunshine (MCA MCA-387, Stereo, 1973). Short but sweet, and one of the three credited writers is John Denver.
Ten tracks, over and out. Enjoy!
Zippyshare
Johnny Otis and Little Esther? I like it!
ReplyDeleteI did not know that about Andy. I was just transferring a German version of his 1958 semi-hit, "Promise Me, Love".
i’ve never been much on christmas blues by anyone. i know a goodly amount of general west coast blues material by the early little esther-johnny otis-robins etc. and the selection here sounds like that. not like christmas. the nature of the beast, i guess. it’s hard to make the blues express a season to be jolly. i don’t care how honest or realistic it is to bleat out “santa bring my baby back”. if you’re going to be a singing party-pooper at christmas, you have a tough row to hoe. the only exception i can think of is a song which transcends genre. it is simultaneously blues, soul, and a christmas song. it is also, for my money, one of the best songs james brown ever recorded: “santa claus, santa claus”. it’s not just one of those letter-to-santa or prayer-to-santa songs, it touches on the condition of man. many traditional christmas songs and stories do just that, using the birth of the christchild as a sign of hope or peace that will elevate the condition of man. james is a bit less abstract in his desires and aspirations. but i believe he successfully creates an atmosphere of suffering, the poignancy of which is only truly manifested by the christmas season. apart from that, there are some great grunts, primal screams, and orgasmic shrieks. classic james brown. worth a listen at the link below.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDQLDHYDYW8
Thank you once again! Awesome!
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