Thursday, February 19, 2026

Up With This

I told myself I wasn't going to share this, but here it is. Someone left a comment on the Up With People Christmas record in the archives (look in the comments there for a link), and that reminded me of this later effort by the then-current iteration of the group. I recorded this a few years ago and really didn't like it, so it's been in the can for a while. I went ahead and scanned the sleeve in this year and when it came up in conversation, I decided why not put it out there. Most people don't know that Up With People recorded two Christmas records (at least two, there may be more, they persisted longer than you think). I'm not a fan of this one, it sounds too polished and professional compared to their more folksy work from the Sixties. I guess once you've performed at a few Super Bowls (Five! And a pre-game show in 1991!), you can never go back to being homespun. This is Up With People-Holiday Greetings From Up With People (Up With People 1127, Stereo, 1980). Enjoy, if you can.

1. Medley Of Traditional Carols: Deck The Hall; The First Noel; It Came Upon The Midnight Clear; Angels We Have Heard On High; Joy To The World
2. Carol Of The Bells
3. The Little Drummer Boy
4. Carols From Other Lands: We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Ding Dong! Merrily On High; Tu Scendi Daile Stelle; Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabella; Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant; Als Ich Bel Meimen Schafen Wacht; El Rorro; Fum, Fum, Fum; We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Reprise)
5. Winter Medley: Sleigh Ride; Ring Those Christmas Bells; Silver Bells; Winter Wonderland; Sleigh Ride (Reprise)
6. What Child Is This?
7. O Come, All Ye Faithful
8. Children, Go Where I Send Thee
9. Do You Hear What I Hear?

MEGA

14 comments:

  1. Praise be! You know for months I was gonna ask if there was such a thing? An Up With People Christmas LP. My first exposure to UWP was at a glue factory (we did indeed have a record player in the production area, dusted with cabosil) in the Bay Area and my film buff supervisor told me how Glenn Close was a UWP-alumni. Glorious! Thank you sir! -Organ

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    1. Yeah, there is such a thing, but be sure you go back and grab the old one, it's the better of the two.

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  2. Yep, now I see it! I must have completely forgot (or wanted more). Good gosh, paper like skin, brain like a sieve, here comes the big Six "O". -Organ

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  3. Or skin like paper? -Organ

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  4. Thank you Ernie for posting this.
    And "yes", I prefer this album over the other one.
    Yes, I love folk music, I have various mp3s and CD's of these folk singers and groups. Plus even playlists. But, to me, their first album did not really cut it to me as being too folk. Maybe, I am to use to the major folk artists or higher class cover folk artists.
    This is an album I could listen to again and again.

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    1. Really? I'm surprised. This one never did anything for me.

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  5. Thank you so much. I agree that the earlier Christmas record is much better. This one sounds a bit plastic for my taste, but most of the Up With People records did for me after the late 60s.

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    1. Yeah, plastic is a good word for it. Too much production. :(

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  6. Replies
    1. Well, this is turning out to be more popular than I expected. Glad you guys are enjoying this.

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  7. I thought I had hear of the group before, but I must not. Sounds good to me, Ernie :) I don't know the first album though.

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    1. I've been collecting Christmas music too long. Everything I think it commonplace and well known is really unknown and rare...

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