Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Christmas With Mozelle

 Are you tired of Bob Kames?  Good, so am I.  Unfortunately, this share also featured an organ, but it's a much more stately affair, accompanying some singers in an English country church.  In fact, there is no artist credited, just church choir and organ.  But that's not why I'm sharing this early RCA LP.  I'm sharing it for the great Mozelle Thompson cover.  I don't know much about this Thompson person (the internet seems to be limited to Thompson, Mozelle (1927-1970), African American artist from Pittsburgh), but I've been finding his covers here and there and really enjoying the style.  You can find a few examples on the blog here, here and here, and I've got more I hope to scan and post after the holidays are over.  (I thought I'd shared more of the album covers, and not just the doodles, but I can't find them if I did.  I'm such a slacker...)  If you know more about this fellow, I'd really appreciate any info you can send my way.  I remember how excited I was when I found this LP, even though the front and back covers had come apart, and I think the record was in a different stack.  But I put it all together and got a decent rip from it.  Later on I found a UK issue of the same music, dated a year later, so I suppose it came out in the US first, oddly enough.  That cover is down at the bottom of the page, it's not nearly as good as the one above.  Anyhow, here's a brand new share for you, An English Country Church Choir With Organ-Christmas In England-Carol Service In A Country Church (RCA Victor LPM-1568, 1957, Mono).

1. Bells: Organ
2. O Come, All Ye Faithful
3. As With Gladness Men Of Old
4. Once In Royal David's City
5. The Holly And The Ivy
6. Joy To The World
7. The First Noel
8. Good King Wenceslas
9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
10. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
11. Away In A Manger
12. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
13. Coventry Carol
14. I Saw Three Ships
15. Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
16. Organ

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2 comments:

  1. The cover is outstanding. The music isn't so bad either for a 1957 mono LP. Nothing like a Christmas Choir either.

    Bravo EnB!

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  2. This is great. Being a Brit myself, and living out in the country, I can confirm that this does indeed sound like a British country Church at Christmas time! It's got a wonderfully authentic feel to it, I've been to many a Church with a choir and congregation of this standard. Not too good, not too bad, just right!

    It's interesting that the tune for Angels we have Heard is what I'd called the 'USA' tune, but Away in a Manger is the 'UK' one!

    Oh and one fab cover!

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