Christmas In July 2011-Day 20

Two thirds of the way through the month, this is day 20.If I'm counting correctly, this puts us over the 200 song mark by a bit of a margin, so it's safe to say this is going to be our biggest, and possibly best, Christmas in July ever.  And it's about time, too, I mean, what is this, year six?  'Bout time I get it right.  Let's begin...

1. The Bell's Of St. Mary's, another one of those things I shouldn't share, but here it is.

2. March Of The Toys by Mantovani And His Orchestra from The Music Of Victor Herbert (London LL 746, Mono, 1953).

3. Three Mocking Birds (American Folk Tune) by the Drexel Hill Junior High School Choir from Drexel Hill Junior High School Music Concerts 1965-1966 (Recorded Publications Company Z-71661/2, Mono, 1966).  Another song that was unknown to me before I heard it here.

4 & 5.  What A World We'd Have If Christmas Lasted All Year Long, Regular & Instrumental, by Hap Palmer from his album Holiday Songs And Rhythms (Activity Records AR-538, Mono, 1971).  Another pair of tracks from this album you heard from earlier.  You'll also hear from it again, but not this month...

6. Ave Maria-Schubert by Isaac Stern with Milton Katims Conducting The Columbia Symphony Orchestra, I think from Humoresque (Columbia Masterworks MS 6825, Stereo, 1965).  I say I think this is where it's from because the record I pulled out didn't match the sleeve exactly.  The artist and songs were the same, but the sleeve gave a different title for the album, and it said mono.

7. A Hazy Shade Of Winter by Arthur Fiedler And The Boston Pops from Arthur Fiedler And The Boston Pops Play The Music Of Paul Simon (Polydor PD 5018, Stereo, 1972).  Finding an Arthur Fiedler record on any label other than RCA Victor just strikes me as odd...

8. Holiday Waltz By Lawrence Welk And His Orchestra from Waltz Time (Dot SLP 25499, Stereo, 1963).  Don't laugh, Larry Welk made some of the greatest Christmas records ever.  He wasn't all champagne music and PBS!

9. In Dulci Jubilo by Fenner Douglas from Fenner Douglass On The Flentrop, Duke University Chapel (NC) (Gothis 38114, Stereo, 1984).  Because you needed more classical Christmas on the big organ.

10. March Of The Toys-Toyland by Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra-James Walker, Conductor, another song from Wonderful World Of Music For Children (Reader's Digest 6xLP RDS38-M, Stereo)

11. Natividad (The Nativity) by George Hamilton IV, a pleasant country surprise from Down Home In The Country (RCA Victor LSP-4435, Stereo, 1970).  Nice.

12. Sleigh Ride by Ira Wright And His Orchestra from The Great Stereo Pops Of Leroy Anderson (Rondo-Lette SA 86, Stereo, 1959).  I thought for sure I'd shared this one out before, but I can't seem to find it.  It's a budget label release, so there's a good chance it's shared out under someone else's name somewhere.

13. Troika by Grand Fantastic Strings from the LP Polyushka-Polye (RCA (Japan) JRX-108, Stereo, 1973).  This is not the Midnight Sleighride song, but it's still good.  The record has been in the pile to record for years and years, but I never threw it on the turntable before tonight.  My loss, I guess, this is interesting stuff.

That's it for tonight, thirteen more tracks, only a few hundred more to go before the end of the month.  OK, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.  Here's the download link, come back tomorrow for a further fix of Christmas in July.

PS-the first share of the month just topped out at a little over 100 downloads, so congratulations to me!  Now, if all of those people would come back and get the rest of the shares I've offered this month...