Thanksgiving In June 2020

Good morning, and welcome to Thanksgiving in June!  Same as last year, I've got a few Thanksgiving tracks that I want to share with you before the Christmas starts in July. It's been a crazy year, there's no doubt about that, but maybe a little Thanksgiving music will make it feel like you're a lot closer to the end than you really are.  At least that's the way I'm going to look at it.  Now, let's see what's in the pile.

1. November Song by Skitch Henderson, His Piano And The Stereosonic Strings, from Autumn In New York (Mount Vernon Music MVS 107, Stereo).  Probably my favorite of the tracks today, but I've always had a soft spot for Skitch and his music. Still not convinced of the legitimacy of this album, so if anyone knows any more about it, do tell.

2, 3, 4. I'm A Very Fine Turkey, Father We Thank Thee & Thanksgiving, all by the anonymous folks at Silver Burdett Records, and all from the LP Making Music Your Own-Kindergarten Record IV (Silver Burdett Records 75 180 4, Mono, 1966).  One of those records they'd play back when you were in school to try and get you interested in music. Interesting, but not essential.

5. Prayer Of Thanksgiving by The Robert Shaw Chorale-Robert Shaw, Conductor-Thomas Dunn, Organist, from A Mighty Fortress (RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2199, Mono, 1958).  This is a little more typical of the old LPs I pull tracks from.  Love to find stuff from RCA.

6. An Anthem For Thanksgiving by The Williamsburg Singers and the album O Come Sweet Music-Part Songs Of The Colonial Period (Colonial Williamsburg WS 102, Stereo).  Probably the sort of thing you could buy at the gift shop when visiting Colonial Williamsburg.

7. A Song Of Thanksgiving by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir-Richard P. Condie, Director-Alexander Schreiner And Frank Asper, Organists, from Hymns And Songs Of Brotherhood (Columbia Limited Edition LE 10461, Stereo, 1962).  Those Mormons really know how to sing in a choir!

8. Turkey In The Straw, a very popular selection for this day, by Paul Eakins Gay 90's Village Calliope, from the LP Circus Carnival Calliope (Audio Fidelity AFSD 5958, Stereo, 1961). When you think of a circus calliope record, this is exactly what you expect.

9. Pumpkin Yellow by Robert Maxwell, His Harp And Orchestra, from The Magic Of Robert Maxwell His Harp And Orchestra (Vocalion (Decca, MCA) VL 73858, Stereo, 1965). Not sure how Robert Maxwell survived so long into the rock era, but here he is doing his harp thing while The Beatles were high on the charts.

10. Prayer Of Thanksgiving by Massed Children's Voices From Westminster Abbey And St. Paul's With The Longines Symphonette from Sweet Voices Of Inspiration (The Longines Symphonette Recording Society LWS 173, Stereo, 1966).  You see a lot of records from The Longines Symphonette when you visit the stacks at the thrift stores.  Pretty rare to find something worth listening to, though.  I took the hit for you on this one, so you owe me one!

11 & 12. We Gather Together and Over The River And Through The Woods, both from The Murk Family With Accompanist Betty Bowman and the LP Holiday Musicale (Sacred Knof Recordings SKR-LP-1170, Mono). We've heard from The Murk Family a few times around here.

13. Turkey In The Straw, again, this time by Guy Guilbert-Guitar, Earl J. White-Fiddle, from This-A-Way/That-A-Way - Cheerful Songs And Chants With Ella Jenkins & Children From Tennessee (Folkways FC 7546, Stereo, 1973), an album otherwise performed by Ella Jenkins.  I guess she was elsewhere when this track was recorded.

14. Let's Give Thanks by Jim Mandell With Mary Hylan & Debby James from Action Songs For Holidays And Special Days (Rhythms Productions/Tom Thumb T 312, Stereo, 1979). Kiddie records are your friend when it comes to songs about the holidays.

15. Prayer Of Thanksgiving by an unknown artist from the demonstration LP Jenson Publications' Choral Celebration Vol. 5 (Jenson Publications JP-4000 w/ Book, Stereo, 1983).  Yes, I'm bringing back a whole stack of these demo LPs this year, albums that were sent to band and chorus directors nationwide to try and sell songbooks full of music for eager students to perform.  There's a bunch of them, so you may as well settle in and enjoy them, it'll be easier that way.

And that's it.  A few repeats from last year but not too many.  And speaking of last year, there are still three full days worth of Thanksgiving shares from last year that are still up and available for downloading (1, 2, 3). It's not many years that you can still get the stuff from the previous year, but I seem to have gotten lucky this year.  So if you want more than what I'm giving you tonight, go get 'em.

Here's the download for today, and the real fun starts tomorrow!

MEGA