Here is a slight rarity for me. This record came in a plain jacket with no sticker, no artwork, no nothing. I don't often pick those up to see what's inside, but for some reason, I checked this one, and I found a Christmas record that I'm betting you've never heard. Well, I'd bet not many people have ever heard it, period. This seems to be a vanity pressing of a group of singers associated with the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office in Washington DC. There are several mentions of this group in the newsletter of the office, called simply
The Bulletin, but I can find only one mention of a record. I see where Margaret Rogers is mentioned in the same 1970 edition, so that's probably the date on this record. Not sure if it ever had a cover, since nothing is mentioned in The Bulletin about that. Some reader someday will come across this site and clue us in about this record, I hope. In the meantime, this is
Navoceano Choral Group-Margaret Rogers, Director-Melvin Coles, Piano-
Navoceano Choral Group-U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (No Label, No Sleeve CSM-264, Stereo, c.1970). Not sure if this one counts towards one of my military shares, since this was probably more clerical employees than enlisted personnel, but maybe...
1. Joy To The World
2. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
3. The Little Drummer Boy
4. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
5. O Come, All Ye Faithful
6. The Glory And The Lord
7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
8. Do You Hear What I Hear
9. Hallelujah
10. Angels We Have Heard On High
11. Silent Night
MEGA
Well...this one looks interesting. Thanks, Ernie.
ReplyDeleteCome on--everyone's heard of the Navoceano Choral Group. Household name.
ReplyDeleteBut, seriously, fantastic find!
i think time must slow down when you work at the u.s. naval oceanographic office. at first, i thought that, in the midst of all your technical work on these digital transfers, you might have left a turntable on 25 or 26rpm instead of 33.3rpm. so i got out the old pitchpipe and did some checking. pitches spot on. these guys are just slow. molasses to the world.
ReplyDeleteHi Ernie,
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I became subscribed to this blogspot, perhaps through subscribing to your mate Buster at the "Big 10 inch" blogspot.
I'm definitely not into christmas music anywhere near to the degree that you are, especially the commercial crap that bombards our ears at this time of year. In fact as soon as I enter a store and I hear such music - I'm out!
But one recording that I do think has some merit is the one that was issued in the early 1960's on a Reader's Digest christmas album "Joyous Music for Christmas Time" (1963) - the track entitled "Christmas Suite" played (?) by the Richard Benson Orchestra (aka George Melachrino????). Would love to know the provenance of this recording!
Do you know it?
Can you or any of your readers help/elucidate?
Thanks in anticipation.
Cheers,
Douglas (UK)
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ReplyDeleteIf any of your readers are unaware of the recording that I am referring to, I attach the links below:
ReplyDelete"Christmas Suite for Orchestra"
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uhaegjkoc6q2h0e/HFH_CSuite.zip
obtainable from the Hi-Fi Holiday blogspot:
https://hif-fi-holiday.blogspot.com/2008/07/christmas-suite-for-orchestra-richard.html
It would appear that there are a number of iterations of these arrangements circulating mostly by Melanchrino.
There is talk that Richard Benson is the moonlighting name for Melanchrino.
Great performances and recording, as usual for RCA/RD - I wonder if Charles Gerhardt - Ken Wilkinson had a hand in it?
Enjoy.
Cheers.
Douglas (UK)
Douglas, You might want to ask about this over at the blog where you grabbed it. As a rule, I stay away from those box sets.
ReplyDelete