This is probably the most sought-after of the Air Force Christmas radio shows, mostly because side two features The Free Design, a criminally under-known 60's band that is probably better known today than back then. Their sunshine pop sound just screams late 60's, sort of a mix between The Beach Boys and Anita Kerr, but I'm not sure that even comes close to describing their sound. You'll just have to download this and give it a listen. There are plenty of places on the web that will be happy to tell you all about them. The A side of the record is a good set by Sandler & Young, a duo who released two Christmas records while representing a totally different side of the sixties. I shared this out with you the first time back in
2012, but tonight I'm bringing it back in a brand new encoding at a full 320 bitrate. That's about as good as I can make it sound, and I doubt this one will ever come out on CD, but I would love to be proven wrong. Now if I can just find the 7" single that was released as a promo for this LP that was itself for promotional use only. A boy can dream, right? This is
The United States Air Force Presents The Now Sound Of Christmas And A Christmas Party 1968 Featuring Sandler & Young And The Free Design With The United States Air Force Band (Advertising Division, Hq. U.S. Air Force, Stereo, 1968).
Side 1-A Christmas Party With Sandler & Young
Side 2-The Now Sound Of Christmas
MEGA (Uncut)
MEGA (Tracks)
What a gem! Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteErnie, thank you so very kindly for your ceaseless (and, possibly, relentless) efforts at sharing out these excellent digital versions of all this precious content.
ReplyDeleteParts of this release (from an earlier distro) are greatly treasured and somewhat memorized, and so I have to comment that this mix differs from the one in my earlier playlist. It appears that at least some of the the horn charts didn't get mixed into this release.
All that said, it's still a precious addition to my ongoing collection, and deeply appreciated, especially at the new bitrate.
Cheers, massive kudos, many thanks, and blessings.
I believe all of these songs were recorded just for this release, so there may be other versions out there from various singles and albums that are going to be different but similar. If there are other versions of this actual release, I'm not aware of them and would love to hear them. Well, there's a promo single I mentioned, but I've only seen it in the Jingle Bell Rocks movie...
ReplyDeleteThis may be my favorite of all of the wonderful things you've shared with us over the years. I listen to it over and over every Christmas season. Thank you so much for this.
ReplyDeletePretty sure I just found a Sandler and Young holiday LP at the thrifts the other day. Must dig through the pile...
ReplyDeleteThere are enough of those to go around. One on Capitol and two different ones for True Value! I think they even repackaged the True Value ones at one time and issued it on their own label.
ReplyDeleteLove the Free Design! Thank you for this one.
ReplyDelete