Christmas In July 2020-08
Good evening, hope you've had a great 4th of July! Now, before the fireworks keep you up all night, here's a little bit of Christmas music to remind you of another holiday season that will be here before you know it.
1. Monastery Bells by The Eroica Three-Disc Symphonion Music Box from Old Music Box Melodies (Bornand Music Box Co RCB-7, Stereo, 1981). Christmas from a music box.
2. March Of The Toys by Magic Violins from Magic Violins Play The Memories Of Victor Herbert (Magic Violins Vol. 7) (Magic Violins SS-2507/DS-2507, Stereo). Part of a big series of records with covers that are probably more interesting than the music. I'm listening to it now, and I suppose there's a violin in there somewhere, but it's certainly not the predominant instrument.
3. Chilly Winds by Zumbyes '70-Soloist: Tim Landfield from Zumbyes-'70 Amherst College (Century 36580, Stereo, 1970). We've heard this song before this year, and I'm sure we'll hear it again before the season is out. But I don't think I have anything else by Zumbyes '70, I'm afraid. If you're looking to put together an A-Z of Ernie (Not Bert) this year, I think this is going to be your only choice for the letter Z.
4. December by Count Basie & The Mills Brothers-Aranged And Conducted By Dick Hyman from The Board Of Directors (Dot DLP 25838, Stereo, 1968). One of the all-time, stone-cold classics around here. Someday I'll do an all-time best-of, and this one will certainly be on there.
5. Chilly Winds by Orriel Smith-Arranged And Conducted By Walter Raim from A Voice In The Wind (Columbia CL 2124, Mono, 1964). Wait, what's this? Did I put two versions of the same song on here? I'm just not paying enough attention to what I'm doing, obviously. Bust watching some show on PBS about the National Parks instead of doing my Christmas In July work.
6. O Star Of Light by St. Edward's Parish Choir-Conducted By Mark J. Sullivan from A Century Of Worship And Service (Saint Edwards Church, Newark, California 802-30, Stereo, 1979). Not sure how a record from a church in California makes it to a thrift store in Florida, but I'll take all I can get.
7. Merry Dance by an anonymous group from Making Music Your Own-Kindergarten Record II (Silver Burdett Records 75 180 2, Stereo, 1966). Not a demo record this time, but an album designed to be played in a classroom to give children some idea of music appreciation, I think.
8. Ave Maria by A Sister Of St. Dominic With Jose Raul Ramirez At The Organ from Santo Tomas De Aquino, San Juan, Puerto Rico (St. Thomas Aquinas School LP-101, Mono, 1960). I don't think this record is actually from Puerto Rice, I think it's from New York where they were raising money to help the school in Puerto Rico. Pretty sure that's what I gathered from the liner notes.
9. Greensleeves by Andre Kostelanetz from The Magic Of Music (Harmony (Columbia) HS 11281, Electronic Stereo, 1968). I think this is an earlier recording that was collected up on this LP.
10. Jingle Bells by Randy Clark And The Blue Ridge Mountain Boys from Square Dance With Calls (Spinorama MK 3037, Mono). Budget label music, but still fun.
11. Hallelujah Chorus (From "The Messiah") by The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus And Members Of The Cleveland Orchestra-Robert Shaw, Director from The Many Sides Of The Cleveland Orchestra (Columbia Special Products XTV 86145/86146 "A Collector's Item Produced Especially For Central National Bank Of Cleveland", Stereo). A promotional thing for a bank in Cleveland. I'll buy just about anything for a Christmas song.
12. B Is For Baby Jesus, And For Bethlehem, Too by Anita Bryant-Arranged And Conducted By Robert Mersey from The ABC Stories Of Jesus (Columbia CS 8675, Stereo, 1962). Another track from this interesting record.
13. The Very First Christmas Day by The Sunshine Singers from Step Into The Sunshine With The Sunshine Singers (Chapel Records, The Golden Voice Series S5228, Stereo, 1973). I have some vague memory of sharing out this same song before, but I don't think it was this same version. I'm too lazy to go check now, but there's a story here somewhere...
14. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (From "On The Avenue") by Alice Faye from There's No Business Like Show Business-The Magical Songs Of Irving Berlin (Book-Of-The-Month Records 4xLP 60-5256, originally recorded 1/24/37, Mono, 1978). You may remember her as Mrs. Phil Harris, but she had a bit of a show business career on her own.
15. Winter Wonderland by an unknown artist from the demo LP Marching Band '88 Vol. 2-Feel The Heat (Jenson Publications MB02A-88, Stereo, 1988). At least I saved it until last, and it's a real Christmas song.
That's it, 15 tracks for your evening enjoyment. Come back tomorrow, the fun keeps going. Here's a link for ya.
Don't know if you have ever posted from the Dennis Farnon RCA album the Enchanted Woods but it features winter Wonderland and Snowfall among 10 non-holidayish tracks.
ReplyDeleteThe Cleveland Orchestra? I know you have been hanging out around here and avoiding me. That record is a staple of the local thrift stores.
ReplyDeleteBrian-Yes, I think I have shared those tracks out in the past, but not this year. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm always on the hunt for though. But not recently, as the Covid has kept me inside and all the stores shut. :(
ReplyDeleteBuster-Scouts honor, this one came from someplace local, I'm sure. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I remember it, but there's a line from the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" that goes "I can sing better than that dumb ol' Alice Faye!" I have a great memory for useless and trivial details. I can't remember anything important, though.
I think part of Alice Faye's act was to play stupid.
ReplyDeleteThe Very First Christmas Day by The Sunshine Singers opens (and ends) with one of J.S. Bach's two-part inventions, the one in Bb. I think it's #14. I did not know about its being adapted into a seasonal item. Thanks for broadening my musical horizons, Ernie.
ReplyDeleteYou would know more about that than I. Thanks for mentioning it, though, it's all above my head.
ReplyDelete