This one is a bit of a mystery to me, and I'm hoping someone out there can help me solve it, or at least find a couple of answers. I've been after this record for some years, it's one of the early releases on the Westminster label that I've been collecting for years now. I somehow came across a copy with no sleeve a few years back, and since no new copy has come my way in the meantime, I decided to go ahead and record what I had. The tracks aren't called out on the label, so I went online to find a scan of the cover so I could tag everything, and that's where the trouble started. The scan I found didn't match up with the tracks I had. Looking closely, I noticed that my label had an RCA pressing code, and the online version I found had a Columbia number. It even listed some different artists that weren't shown on my label! (Right at the moment I can't find the link to the scans I found online. Must have been eBay and I wasn't smart enough to save them. I do remember it was in horrible shape with a large chunk of one corner gone. That's probably why I didn't go ahead and purchase it. I don't believe this shows up on Discogs at all.) I think the only names that showed up on both recordings were Basil Rathbone and David Randolph. I did my best to properly tag all the tracks, but there was at least one I couldn't put a name to, and some of the others are educated guesses based on listening a few time. If anybody out there can contribute something to help me understand what may be going on here, I'd appreciate it. About all I can think of is that there was a later re-release, and they had to use some different tracks to replace things they could no longer license. Anyhow, this is
The Christmas Story In Carols (Westminster WP 6034 (H8-OP-8072/-8073), Mono, 1956). (
Looks like I forgot to look up some of those Bible verses from the Basil Rathbone bits. I'll see if I can't find those soon. Fixed it. Looked 'em all up online.)
1.
Cathedral Bellringers, Conducted By Rev. Canon Frederick L. Eckel-O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
2.
Dick Leibert, Organ Of The Byrd Theater In Richmond, Virginia-Adeste Fideles
3.
Gordon Myers, Baritone-O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
4.
Basil Rathbone-Isaiah 40: 1-5
5.
Carl Weinrich, Organ Of Vårfrukyrka In Skänninge, Sweden-Lord, Through Thy Goodness
6.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 1:26-33, 38
7.
Choir Of King's College Chapel, Conducted By Boris Ord-A Virgin Must Pass
8.
Basil Rathbone-Matthew 1:18-23
9.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:1, 3-7
11.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-What Child Is This?
12.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:8-12
13.
Gordon Myers, Baritone The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-Away In A Manger
14.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:13-14
15.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-The First Noel
16.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:15
17.
Choir Of King's College Chapel, Conducted By Boris Ord The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-Shepherds Tell Me
18.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:16
19.
Queen's Children's Chorus-Conducted By Carl Koop-Coventry Carol
20.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:17-20
21.
Vienna Akademie Kammerchor-Conducted By Günther Theuring Choir Of King's College Chapel, Conducted By Boris Ord-Hail, Blessed Virgin Mary
22.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-How Far Is It To Bethlehem?
23.
Basil Rathbone-Matthew 2:1-5, 8-10
24.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-We Three Kings
25.
Basil Rathbone-Matthew 2:11
26.
Vienna Akademie Kammerchor-Conducted By Günther Theuring-Silent Night
27.
Basil Rathbone-Luke 2:40
28.
The Randolph Singers-Conducted By David Randolph-Joy To The World
29.
Carl Weinrich, Organ Of Vårfrukyrka In Skänninge, Sweden-
Unknown Praise God, O Christians, All Together (Found a rear cover scan!)
MEGA --New link 19 Dec 18 10: 41 AM EST, fixed track names and artists, included scans I stole from eBay.
Note that some of these tracks are taken from other Westminster records I've shared in the past. Not sure if the tracks on the other version I saw were also taken from other Westminster releases.
UPDATE-I found a scan of the back cover, my back cover, that I can read! I updated some tracks titles and artists above, but I need to update the actual download files. That'll happen tonight.
This sounded vaguely familiar, looked a little and found a page I had seen at one time. http://www.basilrathbone.net/recordings/ shows the Columbia and Westminster as separate recordings, plus art work, and sound samples of both releases.
ReplyDeleteThat Columbia recording is his version of A Christmas Carol, not the recordings of him reading the story of Jesus' birth on this record. I've got another Columbia single somewhere where he recites his way through another Christmas song, though the title escapes me.
ReplyDeleteThere it is, The Night Before Christmas/Little Jesus. Columbia 12" 78 RPM, 1939. An oldie.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right that these were by and large recordings that Westminster licensed. I know the King's College items come from an Argo original (probably the one that I posted years ago). The license may have lapsed, causing Westminster to replace those items with the Columbia material. I suspect the Argo license lapsed when English Decca bought Argo in 1958. I am about to post an Argo original that was later issued on English Decca's London imprint.
ReplyDeleteI'm just kicking myself for not saving the images of the other version from eBay. Having hunted for this record for years, I'm thinking it's going to be a while before I can dig up two different versions!
ReplyDeleteFound the eBay listing in the completed list. And I found the record I have, too! So I can update the files with the correct names and artists. I was close, but miffed a couple. Will update the download tonight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so tireless in getting things found for this record. Thanks for the record itself. Much appreciated! Love this!
ReplyDelete