Country Music?

Tonight begins a new series here at the blog.  Over the years I've shared with you a large selection of Christmas music put out by the various branches of the US armed forces.  They're always a favorite of mine to find and to share, and this year I've got a big double handful of new ones to begin sharing with you, as well as some remasters of older ones, and lots of plain old reshares of things you may have missed over the years.  I'm sure there will be something in these that will find a place under your Christmas tree.  I'm beginning with what I think is the first in a series of Air Force radio albums that slowly worked it's way through a number of guest spots by popular musicians of the day, though this one has a couple of pretty obscure stars.  Side one features Les Tremayne, and the flip side is Bill Neal (love his rhyming!).  No, I'd never heard of them either, but they both do a great job alongside the usual cast of characters, The Airmen Of Note, The Symphony In Blue, The Singing Sergeants, The Strolling Strings, etc.  Give it a download and you'll see what I mean.  And as I've done frequently in the past, you have a couple of download options.  You can download the 'Uncut' version, which is the two sides complete as presented on the record so you listen to it like a full radio show.  Or you can download the 'Tracks' version where I've tried to cut the songs and patter into discrete bits so you can listen to whichever song you like.  The choice is yours!  This is The United States Air Force Band-Christmas Music (The United States Air Force Public Service Program GXSV 108139/40, Stereo, 1965).  And skip down below for a bit of a mystery that I could use your help in solving!

Side 1-A Musical Flight To The Holy Land
Side 2-A Musical Christmas Card

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MEGA (Tracks)

As I was recording the record above, I noticed what looked like white-out on the label. It's there on both sides, somewhat sloppily applied.  I had bough this album off eBay a week or so earlier, and I thought about sending the seller a nasty note about not mentioning that.  I wondered if I'd be able to fix it in Photoshop, as well as what might be underneath.  As luck would have it, in a stack of other records I'd bought off eBay a week earlier, I noticed a similar label, shown below, with no white-out.

Looking closer, I realized they seemed to be the same, only there was no white-out and it didn't say it was in stereo.  Now my curiosity was piqued. I recorded the second LP, and it turns out to be pretty much the same thing, only with minor differences in the script regarding stereo recording, and it's mixed a little differently.  It's also processed to be much louder in general, with less of a difference between the quiet and loud parts.  Compressed may be the word I'm looking for.  Where the white-out was on the stereo copy, this one said Country Music Time.  (The mono one came in a plain white sleeve as seen below, with a handwritten, yet crossed out, note dating it to 1965.  I was able to confirm that with a 1965 newspaper article mentioning it being played on the radio.)  So, my question is, was this originally sent out as an episode of Country Music Time, then later repurposed as a different public service recording that then morphed into those great late-60s radio programs?  Or is it something else?  Anyone have any clue?  Did I lose you way back?  Sorry.  This is The United States Air Force Band-Country Music Time-Christmas Program (The United States Air Force Public Service Program GXTV 108137/8, Mono, 1965).  I didn't cut this version into tracks, I didn't figure it would be very popular, being mono only.

Side 1-A Musical Flight To The Holy Land
Side 2-A Musical Christmas Card

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Somerset (Not Sunset)

What day is this?  I'm not even sure anymore.  Maybe I need to take a step back and catch my breath.  But not until I put up another re-encoded share (as high as I can make it!).  This time it's a re-rip I made in 2011 of something I first shared in 2008.  It's nice music, something I don't think was ever re-released to vinyl, much less digitally.  You'll really want to grab this one if you like the smooth easy listening stuff.  This is The Somerset Strings-Music For Christmas At Home (Epic LN 3159, Mono, 1955).

1. Sleigh Ride
2. White Christmas
3. Silent Night, Holy Night
4. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
5. Good King Wenceslas
6. The First Nowell
7. Jingle Bells
8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
9. Once In Royal David's City
10. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
11. Away In A Manger
12. O Come All Ye Faithful

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Snow, Beautiful Snow

So much stuff in the archives that I want to get out here in front of people again.  This one from the budget arm of Westminster Records was a nice share from 2008. I do remember having a hard time with the upper left corner of that cover.  You can still see that the W in Whitehall is the wrong color, I think I had to scan that in from another LP on the same label and I just couldn't make it match.  I bet I could get it closer now, but I haven't seen a copy of this album in ages.  Anyhow, this is The Henry Snow Singers-The Little Drummer Boy And Other Christmas Favorites (Whitehall WH 20023 (A Product Of Westminster), Mono, 1959). I remember really liking that last track, so give this one a try.

1. The Little Drummer Boy
2. Adeste Fidelis
3. Away In A Manger
4. Joy To The World
5. The First Noel
6. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
7. Silent Night
8. Deck The Halls
9. O! Little Town Of Bethlehem
10. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
11. Angels We Have Heard On High
12. Good King Wenceslas
13. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
14. Holly Green (And Cotton Candy White)

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England!

Maybe the most boring stop on my round-the-world Christmas trip is this one.  Jolly Old England, the country with which we probably share more customs than any other.  Oh, sure, there are differences, but there are more similarities, I think.  But I found a nice copy of the LP recently and decided to go ahead and rip it for you.  I didn't notice the sticker over top of the Capitol logo until too late, but beggars can't be choosers.  This is Christmas In England (Capitol "Capitol Of The World" T10097, Mono, 1957). I think the real reason I recorded this was for the Ruby Murray track that I've never seen anywhere else.  Her Christmas songs have always been a favorite of mine.

1. Ronnie Ronalde, The Children And Orchestra-The First Noël; Away In A Manger; Brahms' Lullaby; Bring In The Holly Bough
2. King's College Chapel Choir Of Cambridge-Ding Dong Merrily On High
3. The London Church Choir, Berkley Mason At The Organ-Once In Royal David's City; Good King Wenceslas; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
4. Ronnie Ronalde, The Children And Orchestra-Jingle Bells
5. The Bells Of Westminster Abbey In London; The Bells Of York Minster; The Bells Of Coventry Cathedral; Words By Frank Phillips-The Christmas Bells 1
6. Ruby Murray With Ray Martin's Orchestra-The Very First Christmas Of All
7. King's College Chapel Choir Of Cambridge-Three Kings
8. The Bells Of Bath Abbey; The Bells Of St. Mary's, Puddletown; Words By Frank Phillips-The Christmas Bells 2
9. King's College Chapel Choir Of Cambridge-In Dulci Jubilo
10. Ronnie Ronalde, The Children And Chorus With Arturo Steffani's Orchestra-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Silent Night, Holy Night; White Christmas

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Home Christmas

Another from the deep dark recesses of 2008, ten years ago now, this is one of those budget albums that's wrapped in a great cover.  There's something to be said for these beautiful covers that contain mediocre music, but I'm not sure what that may be.  I bought a big handful of ultra-cheap budget Christmas LPs  last weekend just because I liked the covers and they were in good shape.  Most of these don't survive the years because people didn't take care of them.  If it scratches or falls apart, we'll just by a new one at the supermarket for $0.99!  Well, not anymore, but back in the day.  To hear the music behind this now 60 year old baby, please download Fontanna, His Orchestra And Chorus-Christmas At Home (Masterseal MS-81, Mono, 1958).

1. Silent Night
2. Joy To The World
3. Let It Snow
4. Snow Flakes
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. You Are All I Want For Xmas
7. Adeste Fidelis
8. White Christmas
9. Winter Wonderland
10. I'll Be Home For Xmas
11. One Little Candle
12. Silver Bells
13. Night Before Xmas
14. We Three Kings Of Orient Are

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Bert's Back

Another oldie, this time from 2008, one that hasn't seen the light of day since then, and didn't get any comments at the time.  I hope it goes over better this time.  At least it has a nice cover, don'tcha think? Only nine songs but it clocks in at over 50 minutes!  Those must be some long versions!  This is Bert Jones-Christmas Messages In Music (Zondervan ZLP-559, Mono, 1964).

1. The Night Of Nights
2. The Town Of Promise
3. The Angels Herald
4. The Birthday Of A King
5. Shepherds Watching
6. Stars Shine
7. Wise Men Journey
8. The Babe In The Manger
9. Joy To The World

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School Is In

Sometimes I can't explain why I buy a record.  It's rare I know what kind of music I'm going to find inside, so I have to go by the sleeve.  This one had a very bland sleeve that I had to look at a couple of times before I could make it out.  But it was something I had never seen before, and that always draws my attention.  It's an interesting mix of styles, clearly meant to appeal to a wide variety of folks.  And that's a good thing because I believe this was sold as a fundraiser of sorts for some schools back in the day.  If you have any experiences with this record or something like it, clue me in, I want to know the story behind it.  This is The Christian Schools Of America-Season's Greetings From The Christian Schools Of America (Artist's Recording 751025, Stereo).

1. What Child Is This
2. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
3. Ring The Bells
4. Away In A Manger
5. Oh Holy Night
6. A Caroling We Go
7. Adeste Fidelis
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Silent Night
10. Luke Chapter II

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Glass Christmas

Up next, a re-encoded share from 2012 that features songs from around the world.  And they're all performed on the Eighteenth Century Glass Instrument!  Is it a glass 'armonica?  Is it a broken harpsichord?  Download and listen!  It's a mystery! This is Einar Hansen On The Eighteenth Century Glass Instrument-Christmas Music From Around The World (MGM E3277, Mono, 1955).

1. Argentina: A Maiden Was Adoring God The Lord
2. Austria: Silent Night
3. Australia: Ring Out, O Bells! Your Peals Today
4. Africa: Glory To That Newborn King
5. Belgium: De Aenbidding Der Herders (Shepherds' Christmas Song)
6. Brazil: Glad Christmas Bells
7. Canada: Where Were You, O Maiden? (D'ou Vients-tu, Bergere)
8. China: Chen Mei Ke (Lord, For Thy Revealing Gifts)
9. Czechoslovakia: Lullaby Carol (Hajej, Nyjej, Jezisku)
10. Croatia: Happiness The Sun Is Bringing (Cestit Sviety)
11. Denmark: On Christmas Shopping (Hvilken Voldsom Traengsel Og Alarm)
12. Ecuador: Sweet And Precious Jesus (Dulce Jesus Mio)
13. England: God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
14. Finland: In The Silence Of This Night (I Denne Stille Nattens Fred)
15. France: Angels We Have Heard On High (Les Agnes Dans Nos Campagnes)
16. Greece: Thy Birth, O Christ
17. Germany: A Mighty Fortress (Ein'feste Burg)
18. Holland: A Child Of Beauty Was Born To Us (Ons Is Gheboren Een Kinderkijn)
19. Hungary: Angels From Heaven (Menyböl Ar Angyal)
20. India: What Child Is This? (An Adaptation Of Greensleeves)
21. Ireland: Carol (Amhran Nodlag)
22. Italy: Sleep, O Holy Child Of Mine (Dormi, Dormi O Bel Bambin)
23. Japan: Lowly Shepherds Of Judea
24. Mexico: The Rocking Of The Child (El Rorro)
25. Norway: Idenne Sode Juletid
26. Portugal: O, Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
27. Philippines Islands: Pagka-Tao (A Tagalog Carol)
28. Poland: Rockabye, Jesus (Lulajze Jezuniu)
29. Russia: Glorious Yuletide, Glad Bells Proclaim It
30. Puerto Rico: Shepherds At Bethlehem (Pastores A Belen)
31. Scotland: Child In The Manger (Leanabh An Aigh)
32. Switzerland: Christmas Carol (Weihnachtslied)
33. Spain: Catalan Christmas Song (Canso Da Nadal)
34. Sweden: Christmas Is Here Again (Nu Har Vi Jul Igen)
35. United States: Jingle Bells
36. Venezuela: Nino Lindo
37. Wales: Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

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Meanwhile, Over at Lee's...

Just wanted to bring the attention of both of my visitors that there is a very special share over at Lee's blog, Music You (Possibly) Won't!  It's a 1940 set from Columbia Records that tells of one little boy's trip to the North Pole, and it's a real winner.  I had tried to buy a copy a few weeks ago, but thought the price was too high.  I mentioned it to Lee, and he knew exactly what I was after, and less than 24 hours, he'd ripped and posted a copy!  So head over there and have a listen, tell him Ernie (Not Bert sent you!

(Lots of other goodies there, too, so be sure to look around a bit)

Nash (Not Bridges)

One of my very favorite shares from 2008, and now very badly in need of a remaster (but I don't know where I put it), this is Johnny Nash-Prince Of Peace (JAD JS/1001, Stereo, 1969). Love that lenticular insert in the cover, even though it's slightly askew in my copy.

Wait, I did remaster this! Back in 2012, which means I may still have the old files on my computer.  I gotta start doing more research on my own shares.Here's a version at full bitrate from the 2012 remaster!  Enjoy!

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

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Singapore!

From Mexico we head halfway around the world to Singapore for no good reason other than it's next on my list and really far away.  And it's a record that's not part of the Capitol Of The World series, it's actually made and sold in the country it documents. This one is also a lot newer than the other world-wide records I've been sharing, coming about 20 years later, but it still has a great deal of merit, and maybe some nice stereo sound.  If you're curious, this is The Church Of The Risen Christ Choir, Conducted By Peter Low-Christmas In Singapore (WEA (Warner/Elektra/Atlantic) (Singapore/Malaysia/Hongkong) Q 93217, Stereo, 1979).

1. Medley: O Come All Ye Faithful; The First Noel; Hark The Herald Angels Sing
2. Silent Night
3. Deck The Halls
4. Here We Come A Wassailing
5. Pablo The Reindeer
6. Little Babe In Manger Hay
7. Calypso Carol
8. Let Christ Be Born In You
9. O Holy Night
10. Doing The Christmas Thing
11. Good King Wenceslaus
12. Glory To The Lord In Heaven
13. Do You Hear What I Hear
14. Medley: Silver Bells; Winter Wonderland; White Christmas

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Surprised Santa

Is it just me, or is that an extra creepy Santa on the cover of this LP?  I don't know why it looks as if his eyes are about to pop out of his head, but I suspect it's because he's been watching you sleep for too many hours in a row.  Anyhow, if you need a few more Christmas stories in your stocking, this rerun from 2010 is for you.  They're, ummm, interesting... This is Christmastime Stories As Written By Marie White And Told By Santa Claus Featuring The Michelle Scott Singers (Chiodo/Scott DM-761, Stereo, 1976).

1. The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy For Christmas
2. Santa's Secretary
3. Just To See Santa Come
4. Harry, The Christmas Turkey (By Fair Means Or Fowl)
5. The Day Santa Was Arrested

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ExtraORGANary!

Speaking of organ records with great covers,  here's a little gem I shared out back in 2010 that I don't think has come back since.  I even remember finding this record at a Goodwill here in Sarasota that's no longer there.  I don't remember anything about the music, I'm afraid, but it must be extraORGANary! This is Hal Greene-Christmas ExtraORGANary With Hal Greene At The Hammond Spinet? (WAM Records 5001, Mono).

1. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
2. There's A Song In The Air
3. White Christmas
4. Adeste Fideles
5. Santa Claus Medley
6. O Tannenbaum
7. Away In A Manger
8. Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland
9. Mary's Boy Child
10. Let It Snow
11. I'll Be Home For Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. Jingle Bells
14. O Holy Night

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Major Christmas

I think it's high time I shared some more chimes with you!  I've been slacking the past couple of days.  Here's one I grabbed for the great cover, and it appears to be a label that's more known for production music and sound effects than commercial music.  That might explain why there's no artist credited here.  I just credited it to the label, same as I did when I recorded an old 78 of their sound effects some years ago.  Great cover, though!  Speed this up to about 100 RPM and it's really cool!  This is Major Records-Chime Music For Christmas With Vibraharp (Major Records 1000, Mono).

1. O Come All Ye Faithful
2. Silent Night
3. First Noel
4. Angels We Have Heard On High
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. Good King Wenceslas
7. What Child Is This?
8. Deck The Halls
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10. Little Town Of Bethlehem
11. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
12. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

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Kennedy's Second Term

Here's a classic oldie that I've been able to re-encode for you at a higher bitrate, as well as add a different cover to the share!  You might remember this share from 2012 as the one that is twice as long as anything I've ever shared from a single LP because the record spins half as fast.  That's right, 16.66666666 RPM is the speed of this one, not the usual 33.333333333 or 45 RPM. Somewhere in my collection I have another LP from this same label and artist of non-Christmas songs, and I thought I had another Christmas album from them until I realized it was the same tunes with a different cover.  It's good stuff!  I think you'll enjoy Will Kennedy's Stereo Orchestra-Stereo Christmasland (Dancetime 12" 16-2/3 RPM LP WK-5000-S, Stereo).

1. Rudolph, The Red Nose (sic) Reindeer
2. Greensleeves
3. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
4. I Saw Three Ships
5. O Tannenbaum
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. Silent Night
8. Over The River And Through The Woods
9. Adeste Fidelis
10. Joseph O Joseph
11. Deck The Halls
12. By The Christmas Tree
13. Unto Us Is Born A Son
14. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
15. Good King Wenceslas
16. Come, All Ye Shepherds
17. Jolly Old St. Nicholas
18. Joy To The World
19. Winter Wonderland
20. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
21. The Christmas Song
22. Angels We Have Heard On High
23. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
24. Wassail Song
25. The First Noel
26. Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep
27. White Christmas
28. O Sanctissima
29. Away In A Manger
30. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
31. Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming
32. We Three Kings
33. O Holy Night
34. O Come, Little Children
35. The Holly And The Ivy
36. Jingle Bells

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Not 100% sure which came first, but I've seen the cover with the woman on it a couple of times now, but the cover below I've only ever seen once.

Return Of A Good Man

From the request lines, here's a share from 2010 that hasn't seen the light of day since then.  It's one of those things that probably came out half a dozen times attributed to five different artists with just as many different covers.  But someone wrote me a note about how they had this record as a child, and I'm a sucker for such stories.  So maybe this is something you had and you want to hear it again, or maybe you just want to see what you might be missing.  This is Al Goodman-Christmas Sing-A-Long With Al Goodman (Pirouette FM-39, Stereo).

1. Deck The Hall
2. The First Noel
3. Jingle Bells
4. White Christmas
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
6. Go Tell It On The Mountain
7. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
8. Joy To The World
9. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
10. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
11. O Come All Ye Faithful
12. Good King Wenceslas
13. O Christmas Tree
14. I Saw Three Ships
15. The Christmas Hymn (Echo Song)
16. Hail To Christmas

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Mexico!

From Spain yesterday, I'm jumping back across the Atlantic to Mexico.  Why?  Just because they supposedly speak the same language.  I know there are more dialects of Spanish than you can shake a stick at, but it's a nice connection so I'm going with it. Lots of familiar songs here that I'm sure you'll recognize, but still plenty of tracks to expand your Christmas horizons a little bit.  This is Christmas In Mexico (Capitol "Capitol Of The Word" T10092, Mono, 1957).  I have a theory that the reason many of these recordings have dropped out of sight over the years is because they were made in mono.  We'll eventually get into the later stereo issues, and those records have been reissued a few times, but not these earlier ones in mono.  It's a shame, because mono recording in hi-fi was pretty much perfected at this point, and they sound really good.  You'll really enjoy many of these tracks from this whole series.

1. Coro Misioneros Del Espiritu Santo-Cantos De Posadas (Posadas Song)
2. Mariachi Pulido-Alegre Navidad (Merry Christmas)
3. Niños Cantores De Morelia-Noche De Paz (Silent Night Holy Night)
4. Los Cuatro Soles-Canto De Navidad (Christmas Song)
5. Coro Misioneros Del Espiritu Santo-Aldehuela De Belem (Little Village Of Bethlehem)
6. Carmela Rey-Navidad Blanca (White Christmas)
7. Coro Misioneros Del Espiritu Santo-Coro De Las Campanas (Chorus Of The Bells)
8. Toni Aguilar Con El Mariachi Jalisco-Amarga Navidad (Bitter Christmas)
9. Niños Cantores De Morelia-Gesu Bambino (Child Jesus)
10. Linda Arce-Nieve (Snow)
11. Coros De Alberto Herrera-Campanas De Navidad (Jingle Bells)
12. Coro Misioneros Del Espiritu Santo-Echen Confites Y Canelones (Throw Christmas Candies)

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A Rerun From Spain

Have you had enough music from Spain yet?  Well, before I move onto the next country, I figured I'd throw up this old favorite from 2008. I remember thinking this one was really good, and I've been meaning to go back and remaster it, but I don't know where my original LP is and I haven't seen another one. So you're just going to have to make do with this old rip at a low bitrate.  It's also before my discovery of ClickRepair, so don't be surprised if there are more clicks and pops than you can shake a stick at.  I'll find it one day and call for a do-over.  This is The Madrid Concert Orchestra And Chorus-Victorino Echevarria, Arranger-Conductor-Christmas In Spain (United Artists UAS 6059, Stereo, 1959).

1. Zumba Zum
2. Long Live St Joseph And The Child (Viva San Jose Y El Nino)
3. Sleep Little Jesus (Dorm Jesuset)
4. Where Are You Going Little Shepherd? (Adonde Vas, Pastorcito?)
5. Tan-Tan
6. Sing Little Ones (Chicetes, Cantem)
7. And There Is A Star (Y Es Una Estrella)
8. To Bethlehem (A Betlem, Si Us Plau)
9. Between The Straw And The Ice (Entre La Paja Y El Hielo)
10. From Egypt To Bethlehem (De Egipto Para Belene)
11. The Child Came Down From Heaven (El Nino Bajo Del Cielo)
12. Lotan-Dago
13. The Tambourines Are Playing (Suenen Las Panderetas)
14. Bolo, Bolo, Bolo

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Medallion Of Honor

I've shared out so many records with you here at the blog over the years, it's almost an embarrassment of riches.  Lots of things have finally been released on CD or digital downloads, so there are lots of things I can't share anymore, so that kind of narrows it down.  But there are still a lot of things I can select from.  Sometimes something pops into my head or I'll search through old posts to find something that tickles my memory.  Such is the case here.  It's a release on a sorta major label that was parts of a fancy sound series, but it's been forgotten today.  These stereo show-off records were all the rage for a while, from the late 50's to the early 60's, and just about every label had their own version.  Not many of them featured Christmas records, though, so that's where this one stands out.  If you don't have it from the original share in 2007, go ahead and download it now and give it a listen.  This is The Medallion Orchestra And Chorus, Directed By John Paul Krance-The Sound Of Christmas-Deck The Halls (Medallion (Kapp) MS-7512, Stereo, 1960).

1. Joy To The World-Deck The Halls-The Wassial Song
2. Carol Of The Bells-The Little Drummer Boy
3. The Christmas Song
4. Hark The Herald Angels Sing-Away In A Manger-It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
5. White Christmas
6. Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem-The First Noel
7. Oh, Tannenbaum-Angels We Have Heard On High
8. Silent Night
9. Jingle Bells-Winter Wonderland
10. We Three Kings Of Orient Are-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. What Child Is This?-The Coventry Carol
12. Adeste Fideles

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More Spain!

As it happens, there are international Christmas records other than those put out by Capitol in the late 50's, and I happen to have one of those right here.  Since it's also from Spain, same as the share this morning, I figure I'll go ahead and throw it up here so you can compare and contrast. I don't have a year for this one, but I'm going to guess early to mid-sixties. It's hard to tell with some labels, you don't see them everyday and you can't associate certain dates with certain variations.  All of that is beside the point, you just need to listen to the music and pretend you're in Madrid listening to the local bands.  This is Navidad En España-Christmas In Spain (Montilla FM-186, Mono). This one may be more authentic than the Capitol record.  Not really any songs that Americanos might recognize. Well, one, maybe two...

1. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Fum Fum
2. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Dime Nino
3. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Rin Rin
4. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Arre Mi Morena
5. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Noche De Paz
6. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Esta Noche Es Noche Buena
7. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Campana Sobre Campana
8. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Chiquirritin
9. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Arre Borriquita
10. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Jesusito De Mi Vida
11. Escolania Del Santisimo Sacramento De Los Padres Sacramentinos, Dir. Padre Jose Luis Calvo, Orq. Dirigida Por Rafael Ibarbia-Las Barbas De San Jose
12. Marisol-Mi Cancion De Navidad
13. Carmen Jara Acompañada De La Escolania De Los Angeles Custodios De Madrid-Despierten Pastores
14. Carmen Jara Acompañada De La Escolania De Los Angeles Custodios De Madrid-Nana De Maria
15. Marisol-Regalitos A Jesus
16. Miguel De Los Reyes-Villancico Gitano
17. Carmen Jara Acompañada De La Escolania De Los Angeles Custodios De Madrid-Pastores En Belen
18. Carmen Jara Acompañada De La Escolania De Los Angeles Custodios De Madrid-Como Vengo Del Campo

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The Other Bradley's Back

Might as well go ahead and share out this other Owen Bradley Christmas LP while I'm at it.  I think this was first shared 'round these part a full ten years go back in 2008!  I don't have to tell you anything about Owen Bradley, especially since you just learned a little bit in my last post.  This one is a little less exciting than the previous one because it's just him, no quintet.  But don't let that stop you from giving it a try.  This is Owen Bradley-Organ And Chimes Played By Owen Bradley (Coral CRL 57071, Mono, 1956).

1. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
2. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
3. Silent Night
4. O Holy Night
5. The First Nowell
6. Joy To The World
7. Deck The Halls
8. Ring Out The Bells-The Bells Of Christmas
9. The Birthday Of A King
10. O Come All Ye Faithful
11. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
12. Away In A Manger

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Bradley's Back

Owen Bradley was one of the architects of the Nashville countrypolitan sound, but he made some albums under his own name that really didn't have anything to do with that sound.  And this is one of them.  It's credited to his quintet, but it's really just an organ and chime record with the occasional accompaniment by some sort of Three Suns wanna-be.  I like it!  This is yet another one of those records that was only available via torrent back in 2012, so grab it before it goes back into hiding. This is Owen Bradley & His Quintet-Joyous Bells Of Christmas (Decca DL 8652, Mono, 1957).

1. White Christmas
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Winter Wonderland
4. Here Come Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
5. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
6. Jingle Bells
7. Adeste Fidelis
8. Silent Night
9. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
10. The First Noel
11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
12. Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem
13. Joy To The World; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Away In A Manger

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Spain!

From Portugal we move right next door to Spain, which isn't really a very long trip. Trust me, we're going to eventually make it all the way around the world at least once, if not twice.  Christmas is still a long way away and I have a big stack of records.  Not too much I can say about this one, as with all these records, it's a mix of local favorites with the occasional familiar carol thrown into the mix.  Those familiar carols were probably spread via missionaries in most cases, but I suspect that motion pictures later became a much bigger influence.  Not too many missionaries had White Christmas in their hymnals.  Anyhow, this is Christmas In Spain (Capitol "Capitol Of The World" T10094, Mono, 1957).

1. Orfeo Laudate-Una Pandereta Suena (A Tambourine Plays)
2. Lita Franquis Y Conjunto Canario-A Jesus Adorar (Let's Adore Jesus)
3. Coro Y Organo De Barcelona-Noche De Paz (Silent Night)
4. Capilla Clasica Polifonica-Villancico Del Vestidito (Carol Of The Little Dress)
5. Escolania De Ntra. Sra. Del Sagrado Corazon Y Capilla Clasica Polifonica-La Virgen Fue Lavadera (The Virgin Was A Washerwoman)
6. Coro Y Orquesta De Barcelona, Solista: J. Segarra-Navidades Blancas (White Christmas)
7. De Niños De Barcelona-Arre, Borriquita (Get Up, Little Donkey)
8. Escolania Del Monasterio De Montserrat-Pobre Gitanilla (Poor Little Gypsy)
9. Escolania De Ntra. Sra. Del Sagrado Corazon Y Capilla Clasica Polifonica-Camina La Virgen Pura (So Walks The Pure Virgin)
10. Orfeo Laudate-La Virgen Es Panadera (The Virgin Is A Baker)
11. Orfeo Laudate-Armen Estrepito (Make Noises)
12. Coro Y Organo De Barcelona-Adeste Fideles

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Stories (Not Soaps)

Here's another one from that brief period so many years ago when downloads were Torrent only, this particular one from the second day of 2013.  I was reminded of it because I found a sealed copy of the album last weekend which I hope has the books inside.  Maybe it's just a single book, I don't remember.  I wonder if it will have all the stories in it, or just one of them?  Anyhow, that'll have to be something to look forward to for next year, because I don't have time to do anything with it this season.  Instead, I've re-encoded my old files at a higher bitrate and brought it back for your Christmas story needs!  This is Christmas Story Teller (Golden Records/Wonderland/A.A. Records GST-8, Stereo, 1972).

1. How Lovely Is Christmas
2. Jingle Bells
3. The Night Before Christmas
4. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
6. Frosty The Snowman

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Not The Blues Brothers

Back in 2012 there was a period of time where I shared out things using only Torrents, and I know there were a few people who didn't like it.  It was great for me because I could host everything myself and turn it on and off as necessary.  But some people were put off by it, and didn't download anything for a while.  I mention that because this share is one of those things that was only ever shared out via Torrent, so you probably never got a copy of it.  I've also re-encoded those old files at a higher bitrate, so even if you did download it then, you should grab it again.  This also came out right at the beginning of 2013 after a lot of people have quit listening to Christmas music, so that's another reason you may have never seen it. Don't miss it, it may not be back for a while.  This is The Blues Busters-Merry Christmas (Weed Beat WB 132 (Jamaica)/Tower Records T-027 (New York), Stereo, 1983).

1. Jingle Bells; We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Deck The Halls; Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer; Santa Claus Is Coming To Town; The First Noel; Joy To The World; We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Chorus)
2. The Christmas Song
3. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
4. Silent Night
5. Auld Lang Syne

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