I believe this was the very last thing I posted before Christmas last year, about the time folks quit thinking about Christmas music and turn their thoughts to the coming year. It was also one of the very few shares that stayed live all through 2017 which means people kept downloading it all year long, at least once every thirty days. That's pretty unique among all the music I share with you guys, and this is a unique record. It's all original Christmas music, and it's all pretty interesting. It sounds to my ears like the soundtrack to a TV special that never was, though I remember finding a mention somewhere online that it had been optioned for a TV special at one point that never happened. I've been trying not to revisit too much of the stuff from last year just to give you fresh new stuff, but I figure this one is worth highlighting for those folks who may be new or missed it somehow. (There's a ton of stuff from last year still available in the archives from last year. I went through and reloaded a bunch of it in the past few weeks, so be sure you scroll back through it, there are gems to be had!) Here once again is
The Chuck Bird Orchestra And Singers-
The Spirit Of Christmas (Santa Records SC3131, Stereo, 1976).
1. A Holly Holly Holly Holly Day
2. Snow Flakes
3. Under The Mistletoe
4. A Christmas Lullaby
5. A Toy Train
6. How Much Longer
7. The North Pole Polka
8. A Perfect Christmas Tree
9. Merrily On His Way
10. The Echo Of Christmas
11. The Elf Parade
12. Merry Christmas
Zippyshare
Ernie, this was actually one of my favorite shares from you last year, so am very glad you're giving this one another notice so that people who might have missed it last year can be reminded of it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIf I could suggest another post for revisiting, I think that the Burl Ives Christmas at the White House needs another mention. Some of the arrangements on that rare Burl are quite nice, and it's a good alternative for those who mostly know him through the Rudolph soundtrack, and/or his more poppy remake of Holly Jolly Christmas. I agree with you when you called him one of the great voices of Christmas. So far, that appears to be one of the 2016 links you haven't refreshed as of yet. Just an idea.
This was one of my fave shares from last year too. It makes me so happy whenever it comes on in my massive xmas playlist (which is massive in large part thanks to you!). Thank you so much for sharing everything that you do. I look forward to everything you post.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post as well as the comments, I'm really looking forward to listening to this one. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteUpdated link...
ReplyDeletehttps://mega.nz/file/JMNlDK6D#zu3FZBBlNSFsIa1aV8TYJAZ0kS0pYECSd47F3e1zNQk
Ernie, these singers are certainly session singers. On the other hand, they sound like those singers from the Henry Mancini's albums. Possibly Ray Conniff's too. But many of these singers made the rounds I guess.
ReplyDeleteIt has a very nice appeal to it, but if these session singers were on the above mentioned composer's album, they seem, to my ears, missing the mark here.
A TV special? I can imagine a live special offered to syndicated stations, but probably not a lot of takers. So, I gather, it never went further than the idea stage?
Certainly not an animated TV special. Because I am sure children would be bored using this album for its soundtrack.
It so sounds like the Henry Mancini singers the longer I have listened to it. Just listen to his film theme songs or albums released during the mid 60s and beyond.
Worth listening to again from time to time.
Yep, hired guns. Whether they were the same people that worked with Mancini, maybe, but I doubt it. Very likely that they were influenced by his work though and were trying to copy that sound.
DeleteHad this ever made it to the point of an actual TV special, I'm sure everything would have been re-written and spruced up, songs added and removed, the usual tinsel-town magic added. But as what appears to be the efforts of a single person, I think it's pretty impressive. Shame it never made it any farther, as far as we know.