Not Christmas, Part 1

Just to mix things up, here's a great share that really has nothing to do with Christmas, but how can you go wrong with that great cover shot?  This is a record featuring the sound of the Cadillac & Lake City Locomotive Number Two as it makes it's run on a winter day, sometime in the very early Seventies.  Already at that point, people realized that the era of the steam locomotive was fast coming to an end, and recordings like this began to pop up in an effort to hold onto some of that time.  Such locomotives are even harder to find these days, exclusively limited to museums and passenger excursions.  We have one that occasionally runs not to far from me, but they don't run the steam train except on special occasions once or twice a year.  I know this isn't the Christmas music you've come to expect this time of year, but for some of you this will be an interesting listen.  Please enjoy A Winter Run On The Cadillac & Lake City Railway (Marker Productions (Detroit, Michigan) MP-1001, Stereo, 1971).  The label lists tracks, but the breaks on the vinyl didn't come close to matching, so I just left it as side 1 and side 2.

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Back In July

I've been meaning to remind you about all the Christmas In July posts for a while now, but forgetting is all I seem to do about it.  So while I'm thinking about it, do yourself a favor, go back to the first day in July and work your way through almost two months of daily posts of Christmas music from non-Christmas albums.  It goes on for a long time, just keep clicking 'Newer Posts' at the bottom to get to the next page.  I'm amazed that all those posts still have active downloads this time of year, they usually go away after a couple of months never to return but they've all survived to Christmas in December this year! You could also start at the end and work your way backwards, I suppose.  You'll still get all the same stuff, but you'll start with Chanukah In August and be a little confused for the first couple of days.  Whichever direction you go, you're going to wind up with over 600 songs from a world of Holiday music you never knew existed!

From The Friendly Skies

Another of the records I ripped earlier this year and then didn't think about until earlier tonight, this is something a little out of left field.  Jimmie McDonald appears to have been (is?) a preacher who released a series of albums in the 60's, including another Christmas record I've never seen (anyone, anyone?).  None of this is mentioned on this album, though, making me wonder who it was aimed at.  Was he trying to start a second career in more secular stuff?  Escape from a past, maybe a recording contract gone south?  I don't know, and I couldn't find any answers in a cursory Google search.  As per usual, anyone who knows more, please share in the comments!  The liner notes refer to McDonald as "the black Mario Lanza", and I can see the comparison.  His is a very operatic voice, and he lets it soar sometimes.  The conductor on this is Captain Bill Barron, pilot for Delta by day, orchestra director by night.  No sign of him on the internets, either.  The name of the record label, JAM, is probably just Jimmie's initials, and the catalog number is 1001, so this is very likely the first (only?) release on a vanity label.  I didn't do much repair work to the cover, since it was pretty beat up.  Sorry about the WDBF (formerly of Delray Beach, Florida.  DBF, get it?) stamp right in the middle of his forehead, I bet someone thought they were being really funny when they did that.  I did remove two more stamps from the back cover, though, so there's that.  Still interested?  Please be my guest, this is Jimmie McDonald And His Singers With Bill Barron Conducting The Orchestra-Spending Christmas With You (Jam Records JM 1001, Stereo, early to mid-70's I'm guessing, based on the sideburns).  Two of the songs are originals by Barron, so you've probably never heard them before.  That's something, I suppose.

1. O Holy Night
2. The First Noel
3. Sweet Baby Jesus
4. While Shepherds Watched
5. Joy, Joy, Sing Hallelujah
6. Silent Night
7. Away In A Manger
8. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
9. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
10. Go Tell It On The Mountain

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Nothing New From Hugo

I just noticed that I had ripped a couple of singles from Hugo Winterhalter at some point this year, so I figured I'd go ahead and scan them for sharing here.  I've shared these with you before, but it was way back in 2012 (though I think the cha cha tracks date back to 2007 when I ripped them from a single that was pressed off-center!), so I thought new rips might be in order, especially after I scored new copies of the singles.  Nothing here you haven't heard, but hopefully it sounds a little better this time around.  Don't forget there are a whole passel of Hugo tracks still available in a post from last year, though you might want to sub these new rips in there in place of the old ones. Please enjoy Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra And Chorus-Blue Christmas b/w White Christmas (RCA Victor 7" 45 RPM 447-0875, Mono, 1950) and Hugo Winterhalter And His Orchestra-The Christmas Song Cha Cha b/w Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Cha Cha (RCA Victor 7" 45 RPM 47-7397, Mono, 1958).

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Not Jiminy

A share from the request lines, one that I hadn't thought of for a long time, so it got my attention.  When I first posted this back in 2012, I didn't know who Abbe Lane was, but now that I do, I'm always on the lookout for her stuff. She was one of the wives of Xavier Cugat, performing vocals on a few of his 1950's albums, and she released a couple solo albums on RCA that are worth your time to track down.  Unfortunately, her tracks is one of several that aren't exactly Christmas songs, but enjoyable nonetheless.  There are lots of other names on here, from Danny & Marlo Thomas to Ed Ames & The Norman Luboff Choir.  (Speaking of Luboff, I just reupped an old share that I re-released last year that you might enjoy as a companion to this one.)  So if you don't have it already, please download and enjoy Cricket On The Hearth (RCA Victor LSO-1140, Stereo, 1967).

1. Danny Thomas-The First Christmas
2. Ed Ames-Don't Give Your Love Away
3. Abbe Lane-Fish 'N' Chips
4. Maury Laws Orchestra-A Waltz For Christmas
5. Danny Thomas-Through My Eyes
6. Marlo Thomas-That Was Yesterday
7. Danny Thomas & The Norman Luboff Choir-Cricket On The Hearth
8. Marlo Thomas-Smiles Go With Tears
9. Maury Laws Orchestra-Parade Of The Toys
10. Ed Ames-Through My Eyes
11. The Norman Luboff Choir-The First Christmas


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Billy & Danny

Before the season gets away from me, here's a little gem that I've wanted to share for a long time, but could never find a copy that played decent all the way through. I finally found this one recently, so I was able to get a rip that's worth listening to, and it's actually in stereo!  I thought I had a good rip last year, but at the last minute I realized that it was missing that big "Stereo Motion" banner at the top, and realized it was a mono version.  Oh, well, I had to keep looking.  But this is a good one, you'll enjoy it if you like Christmas stories.  The big name here is Billy Mure, he composed and plays the music behind the stories.  The voice actors are listed on the labels, but I didn't recognize any of the names, save for one Danny Davis, who may or may not be the Nashville horn player. I'm sure someone will come along with some info and let us know if there's anyone else on here worth some more attention.  In the meantime, please enjoy 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (MGM Children's Series CHS-517, Stereo Motion 17 Of A Series, Stereo, 1964).

1. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

2. The Little Fir Tree

3. The Night The Animals Talked

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Barney & Hector (No Dinosaurs)

Back in the day, there were only three TV channels, and their airtime wasn't dominated by network programming, but consisted of a lot of locally produced programs.  (They also shut down at night when they had nothing to show, believe it or not!) A lot of those local programs left little bits of ephemera behind, and here's a piece of that detritus.  A couple of Christmas songs from a local Tampa Bay TV show that was on the air before I was born.  I never saw it, or if I did, I don't remember.  WFLA was channel 8, and I spent most of my time watching channel 13.  Take a look around YouTube if you want to learn more about Barney & Hector, they seem to have a little presence there.  But if you want to hear them, please download and give a listen to Barney & Hector-The Night Before Christmas b/w Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Fuljac Records 7" 45 RPM FR-6801 (Tampa, Florida), Mono, 1968).

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Secret Share

If you need something more to download, head on over to my buddy Buster's Big 10 Inch blog and get some Ames Brothers that I sent him to complete his collection.  I'm all about helping people complete their collection, especially when I don't have to do a lot of work. :)  And be sure you spend some time downloading all of his excellent Christmas shares if you haven't already.  It's good stuff!

Winter In Florida

For those of you who don't like the organ share, here's a single 45 side that might help ease the pain.  This was the flip side of Betty Johnson's novelty hit, Little Blue Man. It's a song all about the winter season in Miami, about four hours southeast of me, but similar.  We don't get any snow, and it's very rarely cold, but somehow we make do.  This is Betty Johnson With Orchestra Conducted By Charles Grean-Winter In Miami (Atlantic 7" 45 RPM 45-1169, Mono, 1957).

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The Inevitable Organ

You may have thought you were going to get through the entire Christmas season without a new organ share from me, but you were wrong!  This was one of the very first records I bought at the beginning of the year (along with the Jazz At The Olympics record) that I knew I would be sharing out this year.  If not the music, just that cover would be enough to get it near the top of my stack. You know you want to download this to look at it, to gaze at its miniature winter scene, to pore over the details and drink it all in, all while listening to the wonderful music of the Wurlitzer.  That's Christmas, baby! My only regret is that I didn't find a stereo copy, but like all early records on the UA label, they're pretty rare.  I think I was lucky to find this one.  So please download and enjoy Reginald Foort-Christmas In Your Heart (United Artists UAL 4057, Mono, 1959).

1. Joy To The World; O Little Town Of Bethlehem
2. We Three Kings; What Child Is This
3. Deck The Halls
4. O Holy Night
5. Angels We Have Heard On High
6. See Amid The Winter Snow; White Christmas
7. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
9. Away In A Manger; The First Noel
10. Good King Wenceslas; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. A Christmas Tree Carol; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
12. Silent Night
13. We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Jingle Bells
14. O Come All Ye Faithful

(Sharp eyed readers will notice that the last two tracks are listed as a single track on the flip side and on the label, but they are two distinct tracks on the vinyl, and the listed time is correct for only the track 13 medley.)

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Half Christmas

Here's a fun share for your Christmas parties, most of which I've probably missed already.  But just in case, you can download this one and play it to get the dancing started.  It's only about half Christmas tunes, with a little bit of seasonal stuff as well, some fake Latin tunes, and all done in fairly long and interesting medleys.  I'm sure this would have gotten even the saddest wallflower up off the sidelines back in the day and out onto the dance floor.  So give a listen, won't you, to Bobby Roberts And His Orchestra-Holiday Music For Happy People (Decca DL 78818, Stereo, 1958).  I had two copies of this, and I'm not sure which one I ripped, but one of them had the neat pink Special Pressing label that I'm showing you below.  Scans of both this and the regular label are in the download.

1. Medley: Jingle Bells; Just In Time; The Best Things In Life Are Free; Jingle Bells
2. Decoraciones De Pascuas
3. Medley: Twelve Days Of Christmas; It's Delovely; I Whistle A Happy Tune; Sunny Side Up
4. Arbol De Navidad
5. Medley: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer; You're The Cream In My Coffee; Are You Havin' Any Fun; Button Up Your Overcoat; Jingle Bells
6. Medley: Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight; The Old Grey Mare; For He's A Jolly Good Fellow; Oh Dem Golden Slippers
7. Ano Nuevo Cha-Cha-Cha
8. Medley: Shall We Dance?; Dancing In The Streets; Bistro Bounce; Dance Only With Me
9. Felicidades Cha-Cha-Cha
10. Medley: Auld Lang Syne; Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here; Goodnight Ladies; Auld Lang Syne

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