Soft And Simple

How can you go wrong with an album title like The Soft Sounds Of Christmas? I know plenty of people who would love to have a compilation of Christmas music that fits into that category. Imagine sitting by a warm fire on a cold, snowy evening listening to the soft sounds of Christmas coming from the hi-fi, mixing in with the crackling noise of a burning yule log. It's all very cozy. Not much info on this record to go on, but I think the Woodlan in question is a school in Indiana, not too far from Fort Wayne. I have no idea how I find these things, they just sort of turn up on their own. This is Woodlan Presents The Soft Sounds Of Christmas (Century 41106, Stereo). This is another familiar stock photograph, but I don't think I've ever shared anything with this same image. If I have, please let me know when.

1. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Joy To The World
2. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Whispers The Falling Snow
3. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Sing We Noel
4. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Ding, Dong! Merrily On High
5. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-The Joyful News
6. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Jazz Gloria
7. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Bring A Torch
8. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Written In De Holy Book
9. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Do You Hear What I Hear?
10. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Lovely Child, Holy Child [Fade In]
11. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Christmas Is Coming Again
12. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Savior Child
13. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Strangers In The Streets
14. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Hurry Home For Christmas
15. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Christmas Is
16. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-No Golden Carriage, No Bright Toy

MEGA

Let's Go Bowling

I was about to write up this post talking about how I've got this Christmas record from Kentucky for you, then I thought maybe I should look and see where Bowling Green University is. I thought it was in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but I was mistaken. Turns out it is in Bowling Green, Ohio. We've listened to quite a few records from Ohio this season, I'm not even going to bother to link to any of them. And we've heard from quite a few small liberal arts colleges, too. Only thing we're missing here is some link to the Lutherans, but I don't see anything that ties them to any one religion. Oh well, can't have everything. I will give it a few extra points for the familiar stock cover. Let me see if I can find another album to link to that has this same cover image. (It's hard to search for images based on the cover art. Can I do that through Google image search at my own blog? Hmmm, I need to figure that out.) Here's a similar cover on an LP I shared out about a month and a half ago (also from Ohio; surprise, surprise) but I'm sure there are more around here somewhere. This is Bowling Green State University Collegiate Chorale-Bowling Green State University Collegiate Chorale (Quadraphenomena STD-1011/2568, Stereo). Great label name on this one, Quadraphenomena!

1. Joy To The World
2. Caroling, Caroling
3. I Wonder As I Wander
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
5. Still, Still, Still
6. Havia Belen Va Un Borrico
7. Fum, Fum, Fum
8. Christ Was Born On Christmas Day
9. Hosanna
10. My Dancing Day
11. La Virgen Lava Panales
12. Hear The Bells Ringing
13. The Boar's Head Carol
14. Here, Mid The Ass And Oxen Mild
15. Praise And Elation
16. Pat-A-Pan
17. Carol Of The Birds
18. The Little Drummer Boy
19. Carol Of The Bells
20. Amen

MEGA

Who's Evan?

Our endless trek back and forth across the United States this season brings us to Evansville, Indiana next. This record is a slicker production than most, I think it was actually recorded in a studio rather than in a live concert a few weeks before Christmas. Well worth a listen or even two, which is more than I can say about a majority of these records. This is The University Of Evansville Studio Orchestra & The UE Choral-Ayres-A University Of Evansville Christmas! (University Of Evansville Recording Project UERP-92782, Stereo, 1982). I think I misspelled Evansville a few times in the track tags of this one. Apologies for that. You'll have to go in and update that once you've download it. Don't forget!

1. Joy To The World/Angels We Have Heard On High
2. The First Nowell
3. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Silent Night
6. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. Deck The Halls
9. Sleigh Ride
10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
11. Frosty The Snowman
12. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
14. Christmas Song/White Christmas
15. Jingle Bells
16. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA

Nifty Fifty States

I got to wondering recently how many of the fifty US states I have shared records from, so I thought I'd see how hard it would be to make a list. First thing I did was download a list of all the states, now I have to search the blog and see what I can link up. I'm not necessarily throwing in any old record with a connection to a state. Ideally it has the name of the state in the title, or it's from a school associated with the state. I tried to avoid tenuous connections.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Wow, I thought I had more states than that. 23 out of 50, less than half. I would have bet money I had more than half. I'm going to have to work harder to find some of these states, fill in some of the gaps. If you've got some records from a missing state you'd like to share, please get in touch!

And just for good measure I'll throw in Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. Do I have any other US territories or protectorates? I feel like I've got something else, lemme think about it for a sec. I think I'm remembering Tonga, which is not a part of the US.

Bogota (Not Columbia)

From Columbus, Ohio yesterday, we travel to Bogota, Columbia today! Wait, no, I'm mistaken. Looks like this Bogota is in New Jersey. I do know that it's a bit older than the last few shares of school choirs, going all the way back to 1962. That's 64 years ago, so this record is able to collect early Social Security! And the kids who made the record are likely not with us anymore, though I'm sure a few of them have made it this far. But statistically speaking, not many of them are likely to still be around. For your listening enjoyment, this is 1962 Bogota High School A Cappella Choir-1962 Bogota High School A Cappella Choir (Century 15698, Mono, 1962). And how about that stock cover image? Here's a link to one other use of it that I can think of off the top of my head.

1. I Saw Three Ships
2. Thou Must Leave Thy Lowly Dwelling
3. Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
5. Carol Of The Drum
6. Czecho Slovakian Dance Song
7. The Last Words Of David
8. Master Of Human Destinies
9. Touro-Louro-Louro
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas
12. O Holy Night

MEGA

A Capital Idea

The next installment in this never-ending Christmas season features another unique cover design likely designed by a student. I love these custom cover images. This was from the era when a photograph might have proven to be too expensive to reproduce but a two color image was easily and cheaply printed. Capital University appears to be in Columbus, Ohio, though I've never heard of it. And who would have imagined, it appears to be associated with a local Lutheran church. Those Lutheran's are just turning up everywhere this season. Please download and enjoy Capital University Chapel Choir-Christmas Music (The Coronet Recording Co. LPS 3029, Stereo).

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
2. Silent Night
3. What Child Is This?
4. Infant Holy
5. Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head
6. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
7. Angels We Have Heard On High
8. Love Came Down At Christmas
9. The Virgin's Slumber Song
10. A Virgin Unspotted
11. The Holly And The Ivy
12. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
13. The Shepherd's Carol
14. Beautiful Savior

MEGA

Happier Times

Let's head further south of the border to a country that was in a much better place at the time this record came out than it is today, Venezuela. The vibrant colors of this sleeve must have attracted me to it, though I have no memory of purchasing it. I've been looking at it in the collections for a few years now, and this year I finally decided to pull it down and record it for sharing. It's all original music as often happens on these Spanish-language Christmas records. Like I've said before, I think that's a cultural thing. It's really rare in American Christmas records, but it happens an awful lot on Spanish-language albums. Give this a listen, maybe you can figure out why. This is Iván Pérez Rossi-Canciones De La Eterna Navidad (Sonografica (Venezuela) 10.330, Stereo, 1991). Enjoy!

1. Ciudad Bolívar
2. El Chirriquitico
3. Sonrie Mi Niño
4. Quiero Parrandear
5. Catalina Yánez
6. ¿Dónde Está San Nicolás?
7. El Niño Bendito
8. El Merideño
9. Yo No Bebo Mas
10. La Muñeca
11. La Virgen María
12. Cuando Yo Me Muera

MEGA

Mas Navidad

Let's continue on with some Spanish-language pop music (mostly) with this collection of popular songs and a few ringers. Ray Conniff actually shows up on here, but it turns out his is the only track that's not sung in Spanish, no matter how the track may be named on the label. Eydie Gorme shows up, with her frequent recordings partners (that are not Steve Lawrence), Trio Los Panchos. (If you haven't listened to their whole Christmas album together, go give it a listen, it's worth the trouble.) I didn't recognize any of the rest of the artists, but I'm sure they were the real meat and potatoes of this record. This is Navidad En Familia (Discos CBS International DML-10392, Stereo, 1985). Neat cover art, too, though my scanner seems to have botched the color matching on the two halves of the scan. And I didn't do much to fix it in post...

1. Eydie Gorme/Trio Los Panchos-Blanca Navidad
2. Sonora Santanera-Fiestas De Diciembre
3. Javier Solis-Lloraras En Navidad
4. Rigo Tovar-Triste Navidad
5. Jose Alfredo Jiminez-Amarga Navidad
6. Los Bondadosos-Arbol Sin Regalos
7. Luis Aguile-Ven A Mi Casa Esta Navidad
8. Ray Conniff Y Sus Coros-Rodolfo, El Reno De La Nariz Roja
9. Eydie Gorme/Trio Los Panchos-Noche De Paz
10. Javier Solis-Regaldo De Reyes
11. Carmen Rivero-Navidad Negra
12. Los Yonic's-En Esta Navidad

MEGA

Navideños!

Let's head south of the border now with some lively music en Espanol! No idea if this is actually from Mexico or from some other Spanish-speaking country out there, but it's stuff I think you'll enjoy. It's all original music as far as I can tell, or at least no Christmas standards from America or Europe. For all I know, these are customary songs of whatever country produced it, but I kind of doubt it. I've noticed over the years that many of these Spanish-language Christmas records are mostly original material, possibly because the artist wants to have a giant hit the size of White Christmas and live off the royalties for the rest of their lives. OK, maybe not, I think it's just a cultural thing. This is Pedro Padilla Y Su Conjunto, Canta: José Ortiz-Aguinaldos Navideños (Alma LP-105, Mono).

1. Aires Navideños (Aguinaldo Costanero)
2. Cojo Lo Que Venga (Aguinaldo Orocoveño)
3. De Mi Lechon El Rabito (Seis Joropo)
4. Soñando Despierto (Seis Milonga)
5. Mucho Y Del Bueno (Llanera)
6. En La Navidad (Aguinaldo Isabelino)
7. Los Tres Santos Reyes (Aguinaldo Cagueño)
8. Las Trullas Que Te Ofreci (Aguinaldo)
9. No La He Vuelto A Ver (Aguinaldo Cayellano)
10. Borracho Y Pelao (Aguinaldo Orocoveño)

MEGA

Montebello (Not Monticello)

I love to pick up these privately pressed Christmas records, especially when they have a unique cover. Too often, groups will choose to go with a stock cover offered by the company pressing the record. That's fine if you need to save a little money, but it's really a missed opportunity to differentiate yourself a little bit from the crowd, and maybe offer a talented member of your group to make a contribution beyond just singing. I'm sure that was the reason I picked up this record in the first place and the reason I grabbed it this year to record. Let's see, do we know anything about this record? The flipside is completely blank so I guess that was their one cost-cutting measure here. Montebello doesn't seem all that common, so let's see if Google can tell us anything. Well, based on the address of the record label being in Burbank, California, this is from the Montebello School District, located just outside of LA. There are other Montebello's out there, so I could be wrong, but this seems the most likely choice. I also found a reference to a Kenneth L. Cook in a yearbook from Montebello High School, so I think this is our school. That yearbook was from 1958, though I don't think this recording is quite that old, but maybe. Anybody else find anything different? This is The A Cappella Choir Of Montebello-Christmas Concert (Location Recording Service LRS 2471, Mono).

1. Carol Of The Drum
2. Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine
3. Mary's Little Boy Chile
4. While Stars Their Vigil Keep
5. Glory To God In The Highest
6. Awake, Ye Shepherds
7. O Jesu So Sweet
8. Away In A Manger
9. The Shepherds' Story
10. The Christmas Symbol
11. Come To The Manger
12. Fanfare For Christmas Day
13. Sweet Holy Child
14. Today There Is Ringing
15. Christmas Is Just For Children

MEGA

Deutsch (Not Dutch)

There's been some chit-chat in the comment sections of the blog recently about Germany back before it was reunified. That sort of reminded me of this share that I wanted to finish and post here before I wrapped things up. I have lots of half-finished projects like this in the archives, I'm not sure what I'm going to be able to finish and what I'm going to have to leave un-done before I wrap up for the year. We'll just have to wait and see. But in the meantime, maybe you'd like to give a listen to these kids from the then-West Germany as they sing Christmas songs for you. This is Student Madrigal Choir Of Muenster, West Germany-Silent Night & Other Christmas Carols (No Label CO 3353, Stereo). A quick Google search tells us that this choir is a group from the University of Muenster, founded in 1947 and still going strong. No idea when this relic was released though. Enjoy!

1. O Heiland, Reiss Die Himmel Auf
2. Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland
3. Entre Le Boeuf Et L'ane Gris
4. Je Sais, Vierge Marie
5. Maria Durch Ein Dornwald Ging
6. Pujdem Spolem Do Betlema
7. Pasli Ovce Valasi
8. Nas Pantato Rozmily
9. Birjina Maite
10. Fum, Fum, Fum
11. Señora Doña Maria
12. Mary Had A Baby; Go, Tell It On The Mountain
13. Benedicamus Domino
14. Himmel Und Erde Von Jubel Erklingen
15. Das Heil Der Welt, Ein Kleines Kind
16. Schalf, Mein Kindelein
17. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
18. Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her
19. Psalm XXXI

MEGA