Santa's Land x2

It's Epiphany, and that means this is the last post of the year. And I'm going out the same way I came into the Christmas season with a share of some singles from the Santa's Land theme park in Cherokee NC. Last time I had six of them, but this time I only have two, but I was very happy to find them from a dealer I connected with on Facebook during the season. I thought maybe the series ended after the six I had, but these are the next two records in catalog number order, 107 & 108. I love being able to find more of a series, and I hope to have even more of these for you next year. If you've got any, please let me know, I'd love to take them off your hands.

1. Jeannette, Vicky & Teleah-He's A Jolly Old Man
2. Jeannette, Vicky & Teleah-Ho Ho Ho
3. Ray King & The Santa Land Singers-Santa's Christmas Party
4. Ray King-S-H-H Be Quiet

MEGA

And now that the last share is out of the way, I'll say thanks to all of my visitors for making it a great season. I shared out over 24 hours worth of songs from singles, and two albums a day for an entire month. I was very excited to be able to flood your collections with new music, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks again for all your visits, your comments, the music you shared back with me in many cases, and especially the many Christmas cards you sent my way. I think my GF really understands now just how much this music means to my many visitors. She says she doesn't mind the time I spend working on my music and the blog, but I think she's just being polite. I try hard to strike a balance between the time I spend with her and the time I spend on the computer, but sometimes I get wrapped up and suddenly it's bedtime... You know how it goes. But I digress. I will see you all in July, I hope, with some Christmas In July fun. I have no idea how that might go, or what I might do, but I'm sure I'll make something up for you. Merry Christmas!

Meadow Larks

Getting really close to the end here, but that doesn't mean the music isn't just as good as the stuff earlier in the season, there's just less of it. There was a lot of thought put into how to tag this one, but I think I got it right. I'm guessing this was a Christmas record from the label, which is why The Meadows is so big on the sleeve. I think this is Country Music Makers-Vocal By Wayne Brown with Merry Christmas Anyway b/w Ho Ho Ho Santa Claus (The Meadows 7" 45 RPM ES 87148, Stereo, 1978). Enjoy!

MEGA

One Final Big Thank You

Before I end things for the season tomorrow, I wanted to send out another big shout of thanks to all the folks who sent Christmas cards to Meredith and I. No worries about Christmas being over, they were all welcome whenever they arrived. And this batch came with a Christmas record! Something that I'm sure you'll see around the blog next year as it has a loose connection to something I shared this year. (Thanks, Pete!) Again, thanks to all of you who took the time out of your own Christmas celebrations to send me a little memento! Merry Christmas to you all!

Browne Is The Colour

Just a little touch of the islands on this one, which is almost always the case with Mary's Boy Child. This time the artist is Ivan Browne and the flipside is Jingle Bell Ride (Edmar 7" 45 RPM 45-1069, Mono, 1968).

MEGA

Programming Update

Just a note to mention that I've been going in and updating a lot of the old 78 posts (from both 2020 at Christmas and 2022 all year long) to include the track listing. I only recently figured out how to export a list in a readable format, and I really wanted to be able to search those old posts easily, so I've been taking the time to update the 130 or so posts. I've got all the 2022 posts done, and I'm about 25% of the way though the 2020 season. Soon you'll be able to find if I've shared some old obscure artist or song without having to download everything first. Enjoy!

Merry Very

Just a single side this time, you've got room left for that, right? This is Glenn Weston with A Very Merry Christmas (Columbia (England) 7" 45 RPM DB 8627, Mono, 1969).

MEGA

Second Best Reminder

It just occurred to me that I should have hyped up my Second-Best Of collection from Christmas in July at some point during the season. Too late now for it to get any traction, but I'll mention it anyway. For those of you who aren't around in July, I share out Christmas music from non-Christmas albums. It's a curious collection of songs that you've probably not ever seen or heard, though I do occasionally find a ringer here or there. And after each season, there comes a best-of collection. But this past July, I went through all the old shares and picked out ten sets of about 30 songs each that hadn't previously been on a best-of collection. I called these the Second-Best Of Christmas In July, and they're all still available for listening if you're interested.  Follow the links and have a go.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Funny?

Here's a rare spoken word comedy Christmas single, though I use the word comedy loosely. Maybe it was funny in a night club all those years ago, but I dunno if this passes muster these day. But I'll throw it up here and let you decide if you like it. This is The Funny Bunch with 'Twas The Night Before-A Christmas Story b/w XXX Motor Club-A Christmas Story (A. Muse Inc. 7" 45 RPM 102, Mono). A close look at the writers/producers will reveal that that this record is by the same Buddy & Bunny that made a classic budget label Christmas record that I used to share out around these parts (though not anymore since Buddy himself told me he hopes to reissue it someday. That was a while ago now, but we'll see...). And don't worry about the XXX in the name of the B-side. That doesn't seem to have any dirty connotations that I can hear.

MEGA

Almost Lost One

I was poking around in my music library on the computer and ran across something I'd recorded that didn't seem to exist in an MP3 form, only the original WAV. Turned out it was something I recorded and tagged this year, but didn't drop into the sharing folder. I wonder how many of those records there might be on here? I hope it's not many because I hate to have gone to all that work without sharing the result. But at least I stumbled across this one before the end of the season. This is Johnnie Que with Rockabilly Christmas b/w Rockabilly Christmas-Instrumental (Rhino 7" 45 RPM RNOR 099, Stereo, 1981). Actual new music from the Rhino label, you don't see much of that!

MEGA

Count To Twelve

How much Christmas music do I have left to share? It's starting to scare even me, but I promise it's not too much more. Just a few singles between now and the end. Just delete some old college pictures from your hard drive and you'll have plenty of room. Tonight's blast from the hi-fi is Frank Kelly with Christmas Countdown b/w Yuletide Moonshine (Ritz 7" 45 RPM RITZ 062, Stereo, 1983). This is not what you think it is, unless you think it's a retelling of The Twelve Days Of Christmas from a reverse angle. It's long, but it's interesting.

MEGA

Silver Leaf (Not Sweet)

Just a single side for you here, I hope that's OK. Download it now, save it for next year, it'll still be good, I promise. This is Dick Wilson with Merry Christmas To You Dear Holy-One (Silver Leaf 7" 45 RPM SL-200, Mono, 1960).

MEGA

More CanCon

We're having an after-Christmas blow-out sale around here, everything must go! Give a listen to Francine Raynor-Christmas Is The Time b/w This Is The Time For Christmas (Jagger (Canada) 7" 45 RPM JR004, Stereo, 1987).

MEGA

More Doye

We've seen Doye O'Dell a couple of times (here, here and here. OK, three times...) from 78 here at the blog, but I think this is his first appearance on vinyl, and from later on in his career. Here he is doing the classic I'm Picking Fights For Christmas (Berdie 7" 45 RPM 1009 Promotional Not For Sale, Mono, 1968).

MEGA

A Christmas Beatles Tangent

Here I am, drawing this season out as long as possible. Today's share is by Elaine And Derek And The Rita Williams Singers, and the record features It's Christmas b/w The Christmas Story (Veejay 7" 45 RPM VJ 415, Mono, 1961). This appears to have been a recording that originated in England on the Parlophone label right before the Beatles signed up. I wonder if George Martin had any connection with this recording? And maybe it's not a coincidence that the first Beatle LP to be released in the US came out on the VeeJay label. I suspect they had some sort of agreement. It didn't sell right away, and eventually The Beatles got shuttled off to Capitol in the US, and the rest, as they say, is history. None of that has anything to do with this record, I'm just looking for stuff to talk about. Enjoy!

MEGA

Have A Hoot!

Now that your New Year's Eve hangover is gone, I can share this loud, raucous Christmas song. Have a go at Gene & Jerry With Hootenanny Christmas (Roulette 7" 45 RPM R-4537 Radio Station Copy Not For Sale, Mono, 1963). There's only one song here, but I had two different labels and I like to be thorough. Enjoy!

MEGA

Debbie (Not Gibson)

Have I mentioned that our annual family Christmas get-together got postponed to today? There was a lot going on with Christmas being on a Sunday, and we normally do breakfast, so they pushed it to today. Which is still a Sunday, but I guess it's still slower than last Sunday and it's the only day everyone had off of work. So we didn't go out for New Year's and have to drive an hour or so to do some celebrating today. If you wonder how it is that I'm still in Christmas mode, that's part of it. Now that I've played Basil Exposition for a while, here's the share. This is Debra Ferrara With The Walsh High Choir, Music By The Del Fi's doing Christmas Time (Is Near) b/w Jingle Bells (Deblyn Records 7" 45 RPM D45-718, Choir Directed By Sister M. Coronata, SSND, Stereo, 1965). Not sure if this is a normal record or a vanity release, but I like the label graphics, very season-appropriate.

MEGA

A Stranger At Christmas

Happy New Year! It may be a week after Christmas, but I'm still going around here, though not quite as quickly as I was before Christmas. I'm trying to keep it going until Epiphany, so keep checking back and see what else I have for you. I think it's all singles now, so I don't need too much space on your hard drive, I promise. This time it's Bobby Goodwin with The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) b/w Little Stranger In A Manger (Open 7" 45 RPM 2600 Promotional Not For Sale, Mono, 1964). Enjoy! (After seeing the Elvis biopic this past summer, I notice that Hill And Range publishing company popping up all over records. That was The Colonel's publishing company, and if it wasn't published by Hill and Range, Elvis didn't record it. Not that he recorded this one...)

MEGA

Let Heaven And Earth Proclaim

Sure is early to be up on New Year's Day. But I've got more Christmas music to share with your before the season ends on Epiphany, AKA Little Christmas. I believe the tradition is that it's the day when the Three Wise Men showed up at Jesus' stable. For me, it's just an excuse to share more music. Here's Heaven & Earth with Home For Christmas (Ovation 7" 45 RPM OV/1038, Stereo, 1972). Enjoy! (You think that Dick Schory in the producer credit is the same Space Age Pop guy? He released music on this label...)

MEGA