Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Christmas In July 2019-Part 76

OK, as I've done for a long time now, I try to save up all my New Year's Eve songs until the last day of the month, and this year is no different. Well, except that I've screwed up and shared a few New Year's songs with you already this year, and I've got a couple of Epiphany songs to share.  So let's see what's in the list.

1. Unknown Artist-Auld Lang Syne from Holidays Holidays (Golden Records LP 250, Mono).  As usual, it's the single most common New Year's song I find each year, and this one is pretty generic.  But it's a start.

2. Mouseketeer Ensemble-Happy New Year from Happy Birthday And Songs For Every Holiday (Disneyland DQ-1214, Mono, 1964).  Not sure how many real Mouseketeers are present on this recording, but aren't we all Mouseketeers at heart?

3. Bing Crosby With Bob Crosby And His Orchestra-Let's Start The New Year Right from Holiday Inn-Bing's Hollywood (Decca DL 4256, Mono, 1962).  More great music from a classic movie.

4. Mel Tormé With The Page Cavanaugh Trio-What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? from Gone With The Wind (Musicraft Vintage Series MVS-2005, Originally recorded 1947, Mono, 1985).  One of my favorite finds this year, and I'm sure you'll dig it intently.

5. Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians-Countdown To The New Year; Auld Lang Syne from Every Night Is New Year's Eve With Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians-Live At The Waldorf Astoria (London Phase 4 XPS 904, Stereo, 1973).  You can't celebrate New Year's without Guy Lombardo, and here he is from a live recording in 1973.

6. Frank "88" Malone-He's A Jolly Good Fellow; Auld Lang Syne from Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here! (Somerset SF-22700, Stereo, 1965).  Budget label medley.

7. Bob Hope-New Years from Holidays (Spear/Bell 4700, Stereo, 1973).  Maybe you want some comedy while you're staying up until midnight.

8. The Belafonte Folk Singers-Robert Corman, Conductor-To The Year That's Away (Scottish) from Cheers-Drinking Songs Around The World (RCA Victor LSP-1992, Stereo, 1959).  Some good stuff that's not very well known.

9. Ray Middleton-Choir & Music Under Direction Of Howard Barlow-Epiphany from Ten Catholic Holy Days (Candle Records CAN-110, Mono, 1957).  I'm sure you know better than I, but Epiphany is the Twelfth day of Christmas, and comes on the 6th day of January.  It's not widely celebrated, but I'm looking for anything I can find to share.

10. Unknown Artist-Epiphany from Choral Celebration Vol. V (Jenson Publications JP-4000, Stereo, 1983).  Who knew that the demo recordings would last all the way out to Little Christmas?

And that's all for now.  Hope you've had a great season!  Here's the download link.

8 comments:

  1. I love Tormé's records on Musicraft.

    I have that Belafonte Folk Singers record and have never listened to it. Here's my chance!

    These New Year's records make a wonderful conclusion to an epic journey through the less-explored lands of Christmas music.

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  2. Thanks for coming along on the ride, Buster. Now I can get some sleep. :)

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  3. Bing, Bob, Mel, Guy - what a collection!

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  4. All the big hitters are at Ernie (Not Bert)!

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  5. New Years is all about parties and revelry. Next year, throw in some songs like "There's a Tavern in the Town," "Whiffenpoof Song," and "Show Me The Way to Go Home." Matt Dennis made what may be the definitive version of this song in the 1950s. And take us to the Waldorf where there's "You and the Night and the Music" and "Dancing in the Dark" and, should she or he dance with too many others, "Save the Last Dance for Me." If ever any holiday gave someone like you unlimited liberties of inventiveness, it's New Years. Live it up! More music than you could possibly imagine lends itself to this night.

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  6. Meh, I throw enough garbage in there as it is. :)

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  7. Ah, but all those old hands-on-the-clock and midnight songs. New Years is about the passage of time. It's also about beginnings and endings. It's also about 1001 things Christmas could never be about. I still don't think people realize the immense untapped musical riches this end-time and stop-time night holds. I'll leave Christmas to you and try to become your New Years counterpart.

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