Christmas In July 2018-Day 35

Wow, 35 days so far!  Not even close to a record, but still a long time.  I'm too tired to type it all up tonight, I'll try to get the titles and whatnot in there tomorrow for you, unless some kind soul posts it in the comments for me like happened last time.  And I get more downloads if I don't tell you what's in there, I wonder why that is?

Zippyshare

(The next day...)

OK, let's see what's in the pile.

1. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) by Mel Tormé from Gene Norman Presents Mel Tormé At The Crescendo (Coral CRL 57012, Mono, 1955).  Recorded live in 1954, I think this is Mel's first recording of his song written in 1945.  My copy of this LP is pretty beat, so I apologize for the sound quality here.

2. Epiphany by Ray Middleton-Choir & Music Under Direction Of Howard Barlow from the LP Ten Protestant Holy Days (Candle CAN-111, Mono, 1957).  Still not a big fan of this guy...

3. Holiday For Strings, a rare vocal version by The Voices Of Walter Schumann from The Voices Of Walter Schumann-Lyrical Music For Listening (Capitol-The Star Line T-297, Mono, 1962).  I believe this is a straight reissue of an earlier LP, only for Capitol's budget Starline series.

4. In The Bleak Mid-Winter by The Lycoming College Choir-Walter G. McIver, Director, from Let Us Break Bread Together (Lycoming Records LLP 500, Mono). These guys seem to be a step above most of these self-recorded groups.

5. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm by Alice Faye, from one of her early movies and released on Alice Faye In Hollywood (1934-1937) (Columbia CL 3068, Originally Recorded 1/24/37, Mono, 1969).  I've been hunting for Christmas music by Phil Harris, but haven't turned anything up yet.  All I've been able to find is this song from his wife.

6. Angels We Have Heard On High by The Choir Of The Church Of Saint Mary-Rev. John J. Bonzagni, Director, from The Choir Of The Church Of Saint Mary-Lee, Massachusetts (Vogt Quality Recordings 2xLP CSRV 2754, Stereo).  A rare double album from a church group.

7. Ave Maria by St. Albans Childrens Chorus-Lucille Burney, Director-Ruth Perkins, Accompanist, from St. Albans Childrens Chorus Sings (No Label SXB-600/-601, Stereo).  One of the better kiddie groups I've featured around here, or at least one of the better recorded.

8. The Bells Of St. Mary's by Roger King Mozian And His Orchestra from Spectacular Is The Sound For It! (MGM SE3883, Stereo, 1960).  I'm thinking that I've shared this before, and maybe from the original LP, not from this label sampler.

9. A Child Is Born by Tony Rice from The New Acoustic Music Sampler (Rounder AN-02, Stereo, 1984).  This seems to have been written by Dave Grusin, so I'll need to see if I can track down a version by him.

10. Greensleeves by Dick Schory's Percussion And Brass Ensemble from Runnin' Wild (RCA Victor Stereo Action LSA-2306, Stereo, 1961).  Can't go wrong with anything from the Stereo Action series!

Christmas In July 2018-Day 34

Whoops, missed another day yesterday.  Laid down for a quick nap and didn't get up until the alarm went off the next morning.  So it goes, I guess I needed the sleep more than I needed the Christmas music.  But I've got ten more for you today, no worries.

1. The Blizzard by Billy Walker from The Gun, The Gold And The Girl/Cross The Brazos At Waco (Columbia CL 2331, Mono, 1965).  A rewrite of The Frozen Logger, if you're familiar with that one.  Not the sort of thing you hear everyday.

2. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy, your Nutcracker track of the night, by The Michael Collins Strings from The Lonely Heart (Romantic Themes By Tchaikovsky) (Capitol T10236, Mono, 1959).  Part of the Capitol of the World series, but I really have a hard time putting music from England into that category.

3. England: Holiday In London by Norrie Paramor And His Concert Orchestra from Norrie Paramor's Jet Flight (Capitol T10190, Mono, 1958).  Another one from the Capitol of the World series, and again from England.  Didn't plan that, I swear!

4. Greenslees by Thumbs Carllile from the LP All Thumbs (Smash MGS 27085, Stereo, 1965).  I think Carllile was a discovery of Roger Miller who had a unique way of playing his guitar that involved his thumbs.  Not sure how he got his nickname though.

5. Holiday For Strings by Ray Rasch And The Pipers 10 from Flutes Front & Center!-The Persuasive Flutes (Warner Bros W 1454, Mono, 1962).  That's right, Holiday For Strings on the flute!  And for some strange reason, an organ...

6. Jingle Bells by The Coronet Children Chorus from Sing-Along For Children aka Children's Sing Along (Twinkle (Premier) TW 25, Mono).  That's right, budget label children singing. But kazoos!

7. O Come All Ye Faithful by The Lycoming College Choir-Walter G. McIver, Director, from the album Let Us Break Bread Together (Lycoming Records LLP 500, Mono).  Much better, non-budget label.

8. Away In A Manger by St. Albans Childrens Chorus-Lucille Burney, Director-Ruth Perkins, Accompanist, from St. Albans Childrens Chorus Sings (No Label SXB-600/-601, Stereo).  Ah, even better non-budget label children singing.

9. Handel's Messiah by The Hell's Gate Steel Band from This Is Antigua With The Hell's Gate Steel Band-Volume 1-A Star Production (Star (Sound, Tapes And Records Limited, Jamaica) No Number, Stereo, 1969).  You wanted some steel drum, you got some steel drum!

10. A Ceremony Of Carols by The Robert Shaw Chorale Of Women's Voices-Robert Shaw, Conductor, from the LP Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony Of Carols; Rejoice In The Lamb; Festival Te Deum (RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2759, Stereo, 1964).  Not my best rip of the year, but the longest by quite a ways.  Don't try to make it all the way through in one sitting.

And that's it.  A little something for everyone in this pile, I think.

Zippyshare

Christmas In July 2018-Day 33

33 days in and it feels like I just started!  So many things I wanted to share this month and I don't think I'm going to get to even half of it.  I suppose that means more for next year, right?  But I've still got plenty of time, Christmas doesn't start until Thanksgiving, right?  OK, what's in the pile tonight?

1. The Reindeer Hunt by Riz Ortolani from the soundtrack LP Ecco (Warner Bros W 1600, Mono, 1965).  No, it's not Christmas, but with a name like that, how could I not throw it in here?  Remind you of anything?  Carmina Burana perhaps?  That's what I heard...

2. The Skaters--Waltz by The Carnegie Pops Orchestra-Conducted By David Broekman, from the album Pops In The Park (Harmony (Columbia) HL 7113, Mono, 1958).  As I mentioned before when I shared another track from this album, this is a reissue of an earlier Masterworks album.  At least this time it wasn't on big clunky 78s.

3. Skating In Central Park by The Modern Jazz Quartet from Patterns (United Artists (Capitol Record Club) SW-90835, Stereo, 1960).  I was a little confused by the catalog number on this one until I realized it was for Capitol's record club.  I actually had two copies of the LP in the pile, but when I pulled one of them from the sleeve, it was a mono copy in a stereo jacket.  And this was the other one.  Sound is a little rough, but you can still give it a listen.

4. Snowflakes by Skitch Henderson, His Piano And The Stereosonic Strings, from Autumn In New York (Mount Vernon Music MVM 107, Mono).  Hands down, my favorite track of the day!  Just imagine what this would sound like in Stereo!  Not sure where this music comes from or if it's really Skitch.  Looks like a budget label to me, but the tracks sounded OK.  And there was no fine print saying "And Toots McStitch" so that they could pass off the rest of the tracks.

5. Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy, today's Nutcracker installment by Dom Frontiere from Mr. Accordion-Dom Frontiere Plays Classical Favorites (Liberty LST 7008, Stereo, 1958).  I need to record some more Nutcracker stuff before the end of the month, just to get it out of the way.  Makes nice filler. :)

6. Deck The Halls by St. Albans Childrens Chorus-Lucille Burney, Director-Ruth Perkins, Accompanist, from St. Albans Childrens Chorus Sings (No Label SXB-600/-601, Stereo).  Pretty good for kids singing.

7. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day by The Simon Sisters from The Simon Sisters Sing The Lobster Quadrille And Other Songs For Children (Columbia Children's Record Library CR 21525, Stereo, 1969).  I've shared this with you before from a later reissue that apparently had some additional instruments dubbed onto it.  This is the second issue, so it didn't come with a book, but it is the raw recordings.  And in case you don't know, one of the Simon sisters is named Carly.

8. Sleigh Ride by Marco Rizo, His Piano & Orchestra, from Leroy Anderson In Latin America (Forum SF 9039, Stereo, 1960).  Love this version, shared it quite a few times now.  Uh-oh, the right channel in my amp just started buzzing...  It's always something. I hope that's just in the playback and not in the recording.  Anybody heard anything odd in the downloads?

9. Nantucket Sleighride by Mountain from Mountain Live-The Road Goes Ever On (Windfall-Bell 5502, Stereo, 1972).  Not sure if it's Christmas but it sure is long!

10. Satin Doll by Onzy Matthews And His Orchestra from Blues With A Touch Of Elegance (Capitol ST 2099, Stereo, 1964).  I thought this was old when I bought it, so I was surprised to see the 1964 date.  Looks late fifties to go by the cover.  I guess they were trying to bring back the big bands in the face of The Beatles.

And that's it.  One more night in the can.  Enjoy!

Zippyshare

Christmas In July 2018-Day 32

That's right, July has 32 days this month (and counting)!  I'll see how long I can keep this up, but as of now I've got about another week in the can.  What's in the pile tonight?

1. Salvation Is Created by The Lycoming College Choir-Walter G. McIver, Director, from Let Us Break Bread Together (Lycoming Records LLP 500, Mono).  As good a place to start as any.  I spent the weekend grabbing a bunch of tracks of these little locally produced records because I didn't think I'd shared out enough with you this year.  So prepare for an onslaught!

2. Blue Holiday by Ralph Burns And His Orchestra from Warwick Records Presents Sight And Sound Percussion Sampler (Warwick-No Number, Stereo).  Is this the same Blue Holiday as the one by David Rose and Andre Previn?  I didn't listen close enough to see, and it's a promo type thing with no writing credits attached.  I suspect the percussion bits at the beginning were tacked on after the fact as a sales gimmick.

3. Hong Kong Holiday by Robert Maxwell And Orchestra from Spectacular Is The Sound For It! (MGM SE3883, Stereo, 1960).  Another track from a percussion sampler, but at least this one is a little more professional and nothing feels tacked on.

4. Ice Run by Rick Wakeman from White Rock (A&M SP-4614, Stereo, 1976).  This is the soundtrack to a film about the Winter Olympics from that year, so if it makes you think of ice, it must be doing it's job.  And there's Moog!

5. I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) by Chet Atkins from Chet Atkins Picks On The Hits (RCA Victor (Canada) LSP-5754, Stereo, 1972).  I told you there were still Christmas treasures to be found in the Chet Atkins discography.

6. Penguin Polka by Myron Floren from Myron Floren On The Accordion-Polkas, Schottisches, Waltzes (Brunswick BL 754053, Stereo, 1960).  I know penguins are from the wrong pole, but they still remind me of Christmas for some reason.

7. Russian Dance (Trepak) by Dom Frontiere from Mr. Accordion-Dom Frontiere Plays Classical Favorites (Liberty LST 7008, Stereo, 1958).  Can't have a night without a Nutcracker track!

8. Satin Doll by Morty Craft And The Singing Strings from Percussion In Hollywood, Broadway, Television (Warwick W5000ST, Stereo).  Another track that seems to have tacked on percussion, from the same label as the other one...

9. White Christmas by St. Albans Childrens Chorus-Lucille Burney, Director-Ruth Perkins, Accompanist, from St. Albans Childrens Chorus Sings (No Label SXB-600/-601, Stereo).  More local stuff, but I thought this one was pretty good.  Got lots of tracks from this one to share.

10. Wintertime Of Love (From "Wintertime Of Love") by Richard Hayman And His Orchestra from Great Motion Picture Themes Of Victor Young (Mercury SR-60012, Stereo, 1958).  I know I've shared this one out before, but I found a nice stereo copy of the LP and figured why not.

That's it.  Ten more tracks. I haven't asked in a while, but do you have any favorites so far this year?  Leave me a comment and let me know what you've liked.  Or, if you have a strong opinion, tell me what you didn't like!

Zippyshare

Christmas In July 2018-Day 31

As is my custom, the 31st of July is when I celebrate New Year's Day in July.  Now I know it's August, but we're just going to keep on pretending.  One thing I will not pretend about this year is the fact that I'm going to keep going for a while longer.  I've got plenty more to share, and I've spent the weekend doing almost nothing but ripping records to make sure I can keep up for a while longer.  If for no other reason, I've got to make these piles smaller.  I can't carry this many record until July of 2019.  I've got to make room for new stuff!  Anyhow, happy fake New Year!  Let's see what's in the pile.

1. Auld Lang Syne by Jimmy Shand And His Band With Chorus from the Robert Burns tribute LP The Immortal Memory (Parlophone (EMI) PMC 1077, Mono, 1959).  Three more years and this little label would be the biggest thing in the world!  But at this point, they were releasing some pretty dodgy stuff.

2. Happy New Year by Chris Connor And Maynard Ferguson from Double Exposure (Atlantic 8049, Mono, 1961).  For my money, this is the best track in the pile today.  I've shared out several versions of this track over the years, including three different recordings by it's author, Gordon Jenkins.  So maybe I just have a soft spot for it.

3. January: Look Ahead by The Mariners With Orchestra And Chorus Under The Direction Of Archie Bleyer, Introduction By Arthur Godfrey, from Arthur Godfrey's TV Calendar Show (Columbia CL 521, Mono, 1953).  I've shared it before, and I'll share it again, but it's still good stuff!

4. New Year's Eve And Day by Ray Middleton-Choir & Music Under Direction Of Howard Barlow from Ten Protestant Holy Days (Candle CAN-111, Mono, 1957).  Once again, he's the worst track of the day.  Was there a script to this?  At times it seems he's making it up as he goes.

5. Violets; Tell Me Why; Auld Lang Syne by Living Voices from Living Voices On The Campus (RCA Camden CAL-715, Mono, 1962).  Didn't think we'd go allmonth without hearing from the Living series, did you?  Not sure if this is the only time, but maybe.

6. Auld Lang Syne by The Banjo Barons-Arranged And Conducted By Teo Macero And Marty Manning from The Banjo Barons Play Music For Happy Times (Columbia CS 8889, Stereo, 1963).  Last track from this record, I'm afraid.  Shame they didn't do an entire Christmas record.

7. Auld Lang Syne by Bob Johnson And The Lonesome Travelers from Twelve Shades Of Bluegrass (Parkway SP-7017, Stereo, 1963).  Good bluegrass from the same label that was pushing out Chubby Checker.  Imagine what a duet that could have been!

8. Auld Lang Syne; Vieni Sul Mar by Eddie Williams And His Orchestra from Fiesta Non Stop Vol. 2 (Polydor (Germany) 236791, Stereo).  Not sure I want to hear volume 1 of this.

9. For The Sake Of Auld Lang Syne by The Vocal Majority from All The Best From The Vocal Majority (Private Pressing VM-5000, Stereo).  One more barbershop song I've been saving for you.

10. To The Year That's Away (Scottish) by The Belafonte Folk Singers-Robert Corman, Conductor, from the LP Cheers-Drinking Songs Around The World (RCA Victor LSP-1992, Stereo, 1959).  A Scottish New Year's track that's not Auld Lang Syne?  Well I'll be! BTW, his name was really Robert DeCormier, not sure when/why he swapped back and forth, but I've seen it credited both ways.

And that's it.  again, Happy New Year to you and yours!

Zippyshare