OK, it's Epiphany, and as near as I can tell, that's the end of the Christmas season. It's been a tremendous Christmas season for me, and I hope I've made it a little bit better one for all of you. This year, I've recorded over 150 albums, shared out about 100 with you guys, run over 1000 scans on my little scanner, the list goes on. With all the re-shares and re-encodes, I've been able to post something at the blog every four hours from Thanksgiving night to Epiphany morning. Well, sometimes less than four hours, but at least every four hours, except for the first day or two... I think I averaged just a hair over 50 posts a week, though some of those didn't have any music involved, they were just notes or pointers or something. Anyhow, it's been a great season, and I'm looking forward to getting to bed on time now and not having to wonder about what I'm posting tomorrow. Thanks for all the comments and shares and what-not. Hopefully I'll be back in July with some great Christmas In July music. And there are already 50 new records in the pile to try and rip for next year. It's really never ending! As a last little parting gift, I finally found my hard copies of Eddie Dunstedter's best Christmas album. I picked out the best looking one, pulled it out of the plastic and scanned it for you. The music from it has been a secret share for a while now (What? You didn't know there were secret shares? Maybe you should leave a comment more often, you might find something interesting in there...) and now I can share it with you as a complete package. The final share of the 2018 Christmas season is
Eddie Dunstedter At The Console With The Jingle Bells Orchestra-
Christmas Candy (Capitol ST 2395, Stereo, 1965). The other two Eddie's are
here if you missed 'em. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
1. Greensleeves
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. White Christmas
4. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. Christmas Candy
6. Silver Bells
7. I'll Be Home For Christmas
8. Winter Wonderland
9. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
10. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
11. Jingle Bells Bossa Nova
MEGA
Thanks so much for all your shares this season, Ernie! I absolutely love Christmas music from '50-'70--and you find so many treasures. I enjoyed everything and I'm looking forward to next season already! --Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks for everything!
ReplyDeleteThis link is for Bells of Christmas
ReplyDeleteSorry, try it now...
ReplyDeleteThanks Ernie! Best music blog ever!
ReplyDeleteGreat work, Ernie, on an astonishing number of posts. I dunno how you do it, but it is appreciated!
ReplyDeleteErnie, thank you for all you do - I enjoy visiting your blog every year and finding new (to me) music to add to my Christmas playlist, as well as reading about your travels in finding all of this stuff - happy new year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another outstanding year of shares. I have been a fan of your blog for 5+ years now and I think this year was the best ever. I don’t think I have anything in my collection that you don’t have and you have helped with filling in the gaps till I can get ahold of a physical copy myself.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy you time off of sharing and I will check back in July. You certainly deserve it.
Cheers,
Frank Diaz
I don't comment often, but I just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed all the Christmas content this season. I can only imagine how much work it is to do this every year (or twice a year if you count July) so I wanted you to know that I appreciate all of the lost treasures I've been able to find thanks to you. Have an awesome New Year.
ReplyDeleteErnie,
ReplyDeleteYour collection is immense, but your generosity even more so. Every year you take us through a marvelous journey of Christmas past, illustrated through wonderful music. I know many of us share the thrill of finding something you've been looking for for a long time, or even finding something you didn't know existed. All of your work here is very special, and much appreciated.
Adding to the thanks for all the great shares. Someone told me that they were overwhelmed by their twelve hours of Xmas music. I told them I had twelve WEEKS worth. And that's thanks to you!
ReplyDeletei had something important to exclaim ere you drive out of sight. but my elmer fudd’s kicking in again and i can’t seem to remember what it was.
ReplyDeletei’ll think of it eventually.
Thanks for everything you've done this year, and in years past. It's been a highlight of my day this season to visit the blog. Looking forward to July!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the hard work! So many of these are great and there are always surprises galore. Now I got a list of ones to find physical copies myself! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Pittsburgh!
ReplyDeleteFantabulous job and this is where I wish this could go on 24-7...Been fascinated with Christmas music ever since I could remember. Surprised Eddie hadn't been reissued by the folks at Realgone amongst many others.Hoping all is well and be blessed until then.
Bob
Thanks Ernie...
ReplyDeleteOn the bell ringing front...this post is brought to you from the best bell ringer in Las Vegas... It wasn't even close this year between #1 and #2...unless you think a margin of $4725.16 as close... Those were the actual totals listed at the bell ringer lunch my corps threw for us ding-a-lings...
It's the first Saturday kettle that I doubted that put me over the top... It was the Tuesday after that I got the news about a $10K check in Saturday's kettle that just cleared...and it was from a call to the corps asking for a "relief kettle" during my lunch break... I nearly fainted inside the in-store Starbucks before getting my tea...
As for the downloads...you seemed to be busier than the elves this year...and also thanks go to Lee and Buster for their contributions... If we can hit Scotland a little heavier (especially Christmas bagpipe music)...I know what will be going in my regular rotation for next year...
Ernie, you have done a tremendous service in preserving and bringing attention to these lost gems. And you have enriched many people's holidays. THANK YOU! - Steve in PA
ReplyDeleteThanks a million, Ernie. See you in July.
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Ernie, for all the great Christmas treasures this season.
ReplyDeleteRich
This was a great season. Thanks again for all of your work. I'll keep checking those thrift stores and garage sales for something I can send you for your wish list.
ReplyDeleteA million thanks for another epic sharity season, Ernie! Many blogs have come and gone, and I am eternally grateful that you continue to take the time and effort to share your finds with the community. I wish I could comment on more of your shares in real time but I never seem to have enough time during the holiday season to give them a proper listen as they are released. The good news is that I have a whole year to dig in to all this great music!
ReplyDeleteErnie, Thank you for a wonderful season. Your work makes it so bright year after year, and this year was the brightest. You have become a tradition, an integral part of Christmas through music. Steve in Ohio
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your shares, Ernie. I've been following your blog for at least 8 years now and have learned so much.
ReplyDeleteThe first Christmas LP I ever bought was Crown Records' "Wishing You a Merry Christmas" by Johnny Cole and the Robert Evans Chorus when I was 10 in 1965 as a Christmas gift for my mother. I started building a collection in the mid-70s of the albums we used at the radio station where I worked. I also inherited my parents' 5 or 6 Christmas albums when they passed away in 1987 and 1990. The first download I ever bought on that new-fangled internet was "Merry Christmas" by Captain Kangaroo. I already owned the vinyl and wanted a clean, digital copy. Around 2010 or so, my collection really blossomed when I discovered several Christmas sharity blogs, including yours. Yours is one of the few remaining and the most prolific.
Thank you, too, for introducing your followers and me to ClickRepair and DeNoise software a while back. I've used other such software that made my rips sound like they were recorded on Mars. Ever since, I've given ClickRepair and DeNoise a mighty workout. (I find that the most effective ClickRepair setting is Default Brass with the Pitch Protection and Reverse boxes checked. It turns off DeCrackle. I've found that DeCrackle only adds crackle, especially to speaking voices and to baritone singers. My attempt to clean up a Lorne Greene LP showed me this.)
This has to be your best year yet, with re-ups and new material aplenty. Thank you for flooding the zone! I'll still be decompressing your shares from this season well into March! Now, with what you've mentioned here, I'll have to go back and check all the comments for secret shares!
You gave us a great season and we'll be looking for you in July (if not before)!
Thanks again for a fun season!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ernie for a fantabulous season. As Christmas music is a genre for me, not a season, I have much to dig into over the course of this coming year and beyond. Thanks also to Buster and Lee for their blogs!
ReplyDeleteThere's not much I can say that wouldn't duplicate what others have already said, but thank you. You make the holiday season better for a lot of people. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYou outdid yourself this year, Ernie. Thank you ever so much for your hard work. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you once again for everything you do! You are a giant among men! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeletePhew. I don't know about you but I'm all Christmas-ed out. Thanks for the shares.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing some great music. Happy New Year and remember, less than 10 months to go until it starts all over again. I can hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteThank you for spoiling us again this year with so many Christmas treasures. I hope you have a happy, safe and prosperous New Year.
ReplyDeleteRich
Ernie, I don't know how you do it, I have never seen a better collection of Christmas Music. Where do you come up with all this, thrift shops in this area very poor when it comes to albums, not even sure if there taking them anymore. I am very curious as to how you scan your album covers. I have a large collection of LPs that I am transferring to digital and I have to rely on covers from the internet which in most cases the albums are not seen on the net, so I would be interested in the type scanner you have. Please contact me at bbcfloridabound at yahoo dot com. Thanks for sharing all you do, I know its hard work.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine is searching for 2 Christmas polka lp's, links you have are dead.
ReplyDeleteFrankie Yankovic- Christmas Party
Jimmy Sturr - Polka Christmas In My Hometown
If you can help me out with links to these, here is my email
16getsmart@gmail.com
Thanks, Moxnix
Your site is amazing. I thank you so much for your hard work in sharing these amazing rarities!
ReplyDeleteErnie,
ReplyDeleteA giant thank you for your hard work!
G
Heck of a posting run!
ReplyDeleteThanks, once again.
Another Christmas, another great share! Like other's have said before me, THANK YOU so much for all the hard work and great music (and not-so-great music) you share out. We really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteYou picked a great grand finale. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteyou are one of kind, thanks so much for all the work you do. It is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteErnie! You are THE BOMB! Thanks for all you do.
ReplyDeleteThis album is the first download I ever stumbled upon on your site and snagged on 4/7/2014. I've been a huge fan ever since.
Keep up the great work :)
Christmas in April. Why not when it's 90 degrees in AZ projected for this next week. LOL! Love much of the music still from all these past years.
ReplyDeleteNot to raise up a dead thread, but I have lurked and downloaded for years, and I am so very thankful for all the stuff you share. I love Christmas music, and I especially love music you can't find or hear anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThe "Christmas music" stations every year play the same 10-20 songs over and over again, and the library of amazing recordings over so many years should truly be celebrated. So, THANK YOU. I appreciate all your amazing work and so does my family, who have learned to love so much music that isn't your standard fare.
Looking forward to what you share this year. :)
Thanks for the out-of-season comment. Should be a good year coming up, If I can find the time to post all the goodies I have readied. If only there were two of me... :)
ReplyDelete