Tuesday, December 06, 2016

The World's Most Famous Sock Puppet

Very special share tonight, something I was completely surprised by when it turned up in an otherwise uninteresting thrift shop a couple months ago.  Take a quick look at the cover above and you might think it's just another run-of-the-mill religious label Christmas album, but look a little closer and you'll see that it's not.  This one features Pat Boone and Shari Lewis!  And Shari Lewis brings her little friends Lambchop, Hushpuppy & Charleyhorse!  How can you go wrong?  And these songs don't seem to be available elsewhere.  Shari released a single on Musicor, I think, and this ain't that. (I need to add that one to the want list...)  And the Pat Boone song doesn't appear to turn up elsewhere in a quick search either.  The liner notes tell me this is the soundtrack, or at least some of the songs from, a TV special of the same name screened in the US & Canada.  I came up empty on a link to the special, but at least you get to hear the music.  Please download and enjoy The Magic Of Christmas (Impact HWS 3061, Stereo).  I couldn't even find a year for this one.  Anybody able to track this down?

1. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
2. Don Murray-Some Children See Him
3. The Little People-Away In The Manger
4. Shari Lewis-The Best Gift
5. The Max Davey Singers-Silent Night
6. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
7. The Max Davey Singers And Orchestra-We Wish You The Merriest
8. Shari Lewis-Jingle Bells
9. Pat Boone-Always Christmas
10. Don Murray-The Night Before Christmas

Zippyshare

11 comments:

  1. This is so great! Thank you so much, Ernie!

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  2. Hi Ernie,

    thank you for another Christmas season with you. Your shares are always very appreciated, educational and fun. It definitely adds cheers to the strange time that we live in.

    So, according to this page, this album would be from 1970:

    https://rateyourmusic.com/label/impact_records_f2/

    Best wishes!

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  3. Hmmm, nice find on that Impact discography. I'll agree that it's close to 1970, but they don't seem to be very consistent with their numbers. I'm gonna keep looking. I'd prefer to find it mentioned in something contemporary, like a copy of Billboard (where I get most of my dates) or a newspaper. Even a TV Guide hyping the TV special would help pin it down. To the Google!

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  4. What a delightful LP! Thanks for sharing! It's the kind of album that you'd play on Christmas Eve.

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  5. The music and spirit of Christmas will be brought to viewers when “The Magic of Christmas” will be colorcast on Channel 9’s “Sunday Special” from 6 to 7 p.m. on December 20 . Featured in this holiday special will be Pat Boone, Shari Lewis, Don Murray, Jackie Vernon, the Free Design and the Max Davey Singers. The hour program combines secular and sacred music with traditional readings and comedy. Pat Boone offers “Christmas Is A-Comin’,” “Little Green Tree,” “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Always Christmas.” Shari Lewis, along with Lambchop, Charliehorse and Hushpuppy, sings “Jingle Bells.” and “Best Gift.” The Free Design, with their distinctive musical stylings, offer “Christmas Is The Day” and “I’m Beginning To Feel.” Don Murray recreates the classic story of “The Night Before Christmas.” Jackie Vernon presents a humorous skit dealing with Santa’s adventures on Christmas Eve, and the Max Davey Singers, in a sacred vein, offer “Silent Night” and “Away in the Manger.” [from Dixon Evening Telegraph; Saturday, December 19, 1970]

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  6. Now you're talking! So 1970 it is! Wish The Free Design had made the cut for this album!

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  7. exactly what i was thinking! The Free Design!

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  8. Great album — I had planned to share this on my blog. My copy is from Heart Warming Records (HWS 3061).

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  9. Pretty sure they're owned by the same people. Mine one may even be the reissue, since the catalog number likely stands for Heart Warming Stereo. :)

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  10. New link for 2018!

    https://mega.nz/#!JNEQxQKI!GvOB00Q4yb43KAMDIlctSB6j_firD3CZQYzD9AEOYPA

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