Good morning! I wanted to get an early start on the month, but after getting stuck in NYC for an extra two nights, I kinda ran out of time. So I'm going to try and get my posts up a little earlier in the day to make up for it. Maybe by the time you get up and have your second cup of coffee, there'll be some new music for you download and listen to. Those of you who've been joining me this time of year since 2006 know what's up, but for the rest of you, here's the deal. I collect Christmas, holiday, winter and adjacent songs during the year from albums that aren't seasonal. Then I share them out in downloadable form. You'd be surprised how many times you'll run into a Christmas song right in the middle of an otherwise non-holiday album. I decided a long time ago to start collecting those up for myself, and somewhat more recently I started sharing them with you here at the blog during the month of July. If this sounds interesting, stay tuned. (And if I'm not sharing enough with you, check the archives. I think the past three or four years are still live. Download them all and build a collection!) Got a couple surprises in store for you this year, so let's dive right in and see what we can find. Oh, one more thing. Unlike my Christmas shares, there's no artwork with the Christmas in July stuff. Too many albums to scan and to many pictures to stitch together. These days, you'll be able to find most of the records at Discogs, but not all of 'em. I pride myself on finding things that you aren't going to see anywhere else.
First up, I've got Meiko Miyazawa with Good-Bye To Winter from Suzuki Piano School, Volumes 1 & 2 (Summy-Birchard Music/The Suzuki Method P 1-279, Stereo, sometime after 1972). A rather interesting record that demonstrates how great you can play piano by learning the Suzuki Method. The odd date is because I appear to have a later edition of the record that swaps or adds a few songs. The original came out in 1972, but I have no idea when this one came out.
Next up is Morton Gould playing April-Snowdrop from Tchaikovsky's The Months (Columbia Masterworks ML 4487, Mono, 1951). Shared this one with you before, but it was a long time ago and I was excited to find another copy of the LP. All my old LPs are locked up in storage and I'd never be able to find anything specific in there. So I just buy another copy for a dollar when I see it. I'm funny that way.
Thirdly is a song called Toy Time A from Trendsetter Volume A Disc 13 (Willaim B. Tanner Company TRS V-A Disc 13a, Stereo). I stumbled across a double handful of old radio production records this year, and some of them were only partially Christmas-related. That means I can share those songs here with you during the month, and this is the first of those. There will be plenty more, I promise. They're all short and sweet.
Fourth is December: The First Snow Of Winter by old friend Arthur Godfrey from Arthur Godfrey's TV Calendar Show (Columbia GL 521, Mono, 1953). Another rerun, but a great record!
Fifth is Christmas Day by Edward Winter, Kay Oslin, Rita O'Conner, Julane Stites & Neil Jones from Promises, Promises-Original Broadway Cast Album (United Artists UAS 9902, Stereo, 1968). Original cast albums are often a good source of Christmas music, that's something I've learned over the years. Pretty sure I've shared this one with you before though, but I promise I've got new stuff in the stack.
Number six is more production music. Christmas Street Scene from New TTS Production Music Tracks #3623 (William B. Tanner Company 3623, Stereo). No idea who the artist is on most of these records, so you'll find I usually just put the name of the company that made them in there as the artist. No idea who the original William B. Tanner was.
Lucky number seven is We Wish You A Merry Christmas-Instrumental from The Great Christmas And Special Events Production Library-Disc 7 (Airforce Broadcast Services Disc 7, Stereo, 1984). Not the air force you're thinking of, but a series of records for airplay. I seem to remember thinking they came out of Canada, but I may be imagining that. Perhaps one of my radio readers can fill us in.
Eighth up is Away In A Manger by The Choir Of The First Presbyterian Church Of Dearborn, Alexander J. Turco-Organist And Director from the LP Carols And Anthems (No Label H-1496/1497, Mono, 1967). I thought this was something new I'd found, but when I was tagging the files, the software seemed to know who it was already.
Number nine, number nine, number nine is Away In A Manger, again (crap! And on the very first day...), by The Calvin Handbell Ringers-Robert Ivey, Director, from their album Joyful Bells (Omnisound N-1014 (from The First Presbyterian Church, Red Bank, New Jersey), Stereo, 1977). You know how I love those handbells! I just wish I hadn't duplicated a song so early in the season.
And bringing up the rear, track ten is Sweet Li'l Jesus Boy by Hugh Downs Accompanied By Mundell Lowe And His Friends from An Evening With Hugh Downs (Epic BN 541, Stereo, 1959). Yes, from an entire LP by the famous newscaster Hugh Downs, who appears to have had a singing career before he became a newsman. I found a stereo copy of this LP thinking I had shared it out in mono before, but I can find no record of the share. I know I had a mono copy of the LP, but I must have forgotten to put it in the Christmas in July pile after I found it. My record collection is a mess, it's a wonder I can find anything at all.
Anyhow, that's it for the first day. Hope there's something in there you'll enjoy. Give it a listen and leave me a comment telling me what you think. And come back again tomorrow for more goodies!
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