Simple Saturday Bonus

To wrap up the month, I've got a special share of a record that I brought back with me from my trip to Santa Fe. This was the record that I was most excited about finding during my trip. It's part of a series of records I shared with you back on December 27th, all created by an outfit out of Dallas and all released by local radio stations across the country. Many of the records had a track or two produced locally, but this one was (almost) entirely performed by studio musicians (and is in fact exactly the same music as the version put out closest to me, one that I shared out here, so you're not really getting any new music with this one). But even if there's nothing new here, I was excited to find it and bring it home. This is The KOKE Choraleers-A KOKE Christmas (FairWest Studios FS-KOKE-84, Stereo, 1984). Couple things to note here. There is no band name on the album, though there is a long list of performers and soloists. For the sake of ID, I gave it a group name of The KOKE Choraleers, similar to what was found on one of the other entries in the series. There's also a different artist on track four, but there's no mention of them on the sleeve of this record. The credit is only found on the original issue from KVIL. That's a little confusing, but it's true. And as usual on these records, the final track features the call letters sung at the end of the song as a little reminder of who you got the record from. Oh, one last thing, KOKE is in Austin, Texas, so who knows how this record migrated to a Goodwill store in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1. The Christmas Waltz
2. Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas; White Christmas
4. The South Texas State University Brass Choir-Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming; I Saw Three Ships
5. Medley: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence; Away In A Manger; Good Christian Men Rejoice; Adeste Fidelis
6. Medley: Joy To The World!; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Angels We Have Heard On High; Silent Night
7. Johnny, Bring The Pine Tree In
8. Winter Wonderland; Let It Snow!
9. Do You Hear What I Hear?
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. We Wish You A Merry Christmas [KOKE]

MEGA

Loma (Not Yorba)

Here's another college choir for you, this time from Loma Linda University. I'm not even sure where that is at, I need to go look it up. Oh, OK, the Google tells me this is a Seventh-Day Adventist affiliated university in California. Now I know. Learn something every day. Maybe that's news to you, maybe you already new it, but I bet you don't have a copy of this album. But now you do! This is University Church Choir-Christmas Music From Loma Linda University (Chapel Records LP 5-129, Mono). I think this is one of those records I just grabbed for the cover, I think it's pretty interesting. No idea when it came out though, hopefully one of my faithful readers can suss out the details for me.

1. Excerpts From A Ceremony Of Carols: Wolcum Yole!
2. Excerpts From A Ceremony Of Carols: As Dew In Aprille
3. Excerpts From A Ceremony Of Carols: This Little Babe
4. Excerpts From A Ceremony Of Carols: Deo Gracias
5. Still, Still, Still
6. What Strangers Are These?
7. Three Little Carols: How Very Still; A Christmas Wish; Love Came Down
8. Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
9. A Cradle Carol
10. Sing Ye, Sing Noel
11. Three Kings Have Journeyed
12. The Virgin's Slumber Song
13. What Is This Perfume So Appealing

MEGA

Wittenberg (Not Gutenberg)

I don't think I've been to the school choir well in a while, so here's an LP from a small college in Springfield, Ohio. Don't know much about the college or this recording, but I thought it had some interesting song choices. Give it a listen and see what you think. This is The Wittenberg University Choir-Christmas Sounds On Campus (No Label XTV 91909/91910, Mono).

1. Christmas Day
2. Mexican Christmas Procession
3. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
4. Brazilian Psalm
5. Uns Ist Ein Kind Geboren
6. O Come, All Ye Faithful-Adeste Fideles
7. The Shepherd's Carol
8. Angels, From The Realms Of Glory
9. Wake, Awake
10. Fanfare For Christmas Day
11. A Joyous Christmas Song
12. Listen Lordlings
13. Joy To The World

MEGA

A Free Festival

I had meant to get this post up some weeks ago because it shares a choir director with an earlier share, but I wasn't able to get it prepped in time to get both posts up together. I'm throwing it up now because I needed something to share on this Wednesday, and it was just lying there collecting dust. I think Elmer Iseler was a popular vocal director up in Canada during the 60's when this record likely came out. I've even found a couple of CD's of choirs he directed singing Christmas carols, so he seems to have had a long and fruitful career. There also appears to be a choir carrying his name that still performs today! But from the vinyl past, this is The Festival Singers Conducted By Elmer Iseler-A Festival Of Christmas Music (Hallmark (Canada) ChS-4, Mono).

1. Deck The Halls
2. Wassail Song
3. Welcome Yule
4. Away In A Manger
5. D'ou Viens Tu, Bergere?
6. The Rocking Carol
7. The Holly And The Ivy
8. God Rest You Merry
9. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
10. Hodie Christus Natus Est
11. The First Nowell
12. Christmas Song Of The 14th Century
13. Hymn To The Virgin
14. Lo, How A Rose
15. All My Heart
16. In Dulci Jubilo
17. O Come, All Ye Faithful

MEGA

Stars Of Deutschland

Been a while now since we've heard from any German stars, so here's a Christmas record filled with them. Lots of big names on this one including the recently discussed Heino. I think there are a few other artists on here that have been blessed (?) with full albums shared here at the blog, but I'm too lazy to link to any of them. A quick search should tell you all you need to know. Think of this is a teaser for all those other records waiting to be discovered. This is Stars Wünschen Frohe Weihnacht (Ariola (Germany) 206556-570, Stereo, 1984).

1. Der Tölzer Knabenchor-Ltg.: Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden-Ihr Kinderlein Kommet
2. Andrea Jürgens-O Tannenbaum
3. Tony Marshall-Laßt Uns Froh Und Munter Sein
4. Mary Roos-Kling Glöckchen, Klingelingeling
5. Heino-Weiße Weihnacht (White Christmas)
6. Der Bielefelder Kinderchor-Ltg.: Friedrich Oberschelp-Ehre Sei Gott
7. Günter Noris-Petersburger Schlittenfahrt
8. Julia Migenes Mit Tochter Martina Und Dem Münchner Studioorchester-Ltg.: Peter Stamm-Aba Heidschi-Bumbeidschi
9. Mireille Mathieu-Süßer Die Glocken Nie Klingen
10. Udo Jürgens Orchester Robert Opratko-Wünsche Zur Weihnachtszeit
11. Nini Rosso, Solotrompete-Leise Rieselt Der Schnee
12. Roland Kaiser-Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen
13. Rias Kinderchor-Alle Jahre Wieder Kommt Das Christuskind
14. Rex Gildo-Still, Still, Still
15. Dresdner Kreuzchor-Ltg.: Rudolf Mauersberger-Vom Himmel Hoch
16. Rudolf Schock-Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
17. Unknown Artist-Glockengeläut

MEGA

Holy Relic

Sometimes there's an interesting story hidden behind a stock cover like the one on this record. I almost missed it but I did a little bit of Google work here before I threw up this post and now I can tell you a bit more of the history tied to this record. The music here is more organ and chime stuff like you've heard here so many times but it's from a church in Ohio called the Akron Baptist Temple. Wikipedia tells us that this was one of the first US megachurches serving more than 15,000 people on a typical Sunday. The building you see on the labels of this record was built in 1949 and was added onto a few times, including after a fire in 1981 that was deemed suspicious. The whole thing was sold off in 2018 and eventually demolished in 2024. Like I said, none of that really has anything to do with the music here, but history is in details like these. This is Mickey Outland And Billie Floyd-Joy To The World-Christmas Chimes From The Akron Baptist Temple (Akron Baptist Temple, Akron, Ohio, 4112N5, Stereo). Enjoy!

1. Joy To The World
2. Silent Night
3. The First Noel
4. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
5. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
6. There's A Song In The Air
7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
8. I Heard The Bells
9. O Come All Ye Faithful
10. The Birthday Of A King
11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
12. O Holy Night
13. Away In A Manger
14. Star Of The East

MEGA

Noël En France

Here's a unique record that I'm hoping maybe one of you can help me with. There appears to be an instrumental version of it out there somewhere that I'd like to find. This record was released in America, but I suspect it was recorded in France. If you look closely at the label below, you'll see a note about instrumental versions of the included songs being available on a different record. I doubt if that other record has the actual same recording without the vocals, it's more likely that it's just different recordings of the same songs, but you never know. This label appears to have specialized in recordings for educators, so they likely sold this to teachers who had French language classes to maybe liven up the lessons during the holiday season. It's a good little record no matter who it was aimed for and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And if anyone can point me towards a copy of that other record, I'd love to feature it here at the blog some day. This is Jacques Brison-Noël En France (GMS Disc GMS-D 7020, Mono, 1959). Oh, almost forgot to mention, there was an insert in this LP with all the lyrics for all the songs, so you could sing along and teach the French words to your class. I scanned it into the package for your singing enjoyment.

1. Minuit Chretiens (Noël)
2. Le Sapin
3. Douce Nuit, Sainte Nuit (Silent Night)
4. Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes
5. Venez Divin Messie
6. Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
7. Ave Maria De Schubert
8. La Vierge A La Creche
9. Ave Maria De Gounod
10. Noel Bourguignon
11. Allons Bergers
12. En Allant A L'Etable

MEGA