Another Westminster

Would you like to take a trip around the world without even leaving the comfort of your desk?  Then this album is for you! From the great Westminster label, a record that I had never seen before until I stumbled across this copy recently at a Goodwill here in Sarasota. I've been a fan of releases on the early Westminster label for many years now.  Just do a quick search for Westminster here on the blog and you'll see many, many Christmas records here on that label. So it was certainly unexpected that I would find another one, but there it was. I love when that happens.  You think you know something pretty well, and then something new pops up and surprises you! I hope this release is full of surprises for you as well.  This is Le Groupe Des Chanteurs Traditionnels De Paris (Helene Brunet, Alto-Marcel Giteau, Tenor-Madeleine Gerault, Soprano) With L'Orchestre Du Théâtre De Champs Elysées (Conducted By Marc Honegger)-Christmas Around The World (Arrangements By Joseph Canteloube) (Westminster WL 5372, Mono, 1954).  This isn't exactly pop music, and I don't really know anything about any of those names.  But it's Christmas, so it's good stuff.  Enjoy!

1. A Bethléem Allons Vite
2. La Viérge Maria Va À Bethléem
3. Chantons Tous La Plus Haut
4. Quand Dieu Naquit À Noël
5. Lève-Toi, Cousine
6. Le Petit Jésus Dort
7. Mon Beau Sapin
8. Beaux Bergers, Ou Allez-Vous?
9. On Annonce Une Nouvelle
10. Cette Nuit Est Bienheureuse
11. O Dieu
12. Qui Frappe Ici?
13. A Bethléem Quand L'Enfant-Dieu Naquit
14. La Premier Jour De Noël

MEGA

N'awlins Christmas

I've been sharing out some stuff from around the USA this month, and here's another installment of that transcontinental trip. From the Big Easy this time, it's a set of Christmas tunes, both original and traditional, performed by some schoolkids, one priest, and a singer who must have been popular in the area at the time. I don't know that she went on to anything big, but this album makes her out to be a big deal. (Looks like she's still out there singing!) For your listening pleasure today, this is Sylvia Johns And The Children Of The Archdiocese Of New Orleans (with one track by Rev. Frank Coco on clarinet)-The Miracle Of Christmas (South Savings & Loan Association SMM-1001, Stereo). Love that cover shot!  Especially the furniture dolly they neglected to move out of the shot, and I think there's a person lurking behind the bushes on the left side. A tourist no doubt.

1. The Miracle Of Christmas
2. O Come All Ye Faithful
3. Joy To The World
4. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
5. Silent Night
6. Christmas On The Bayou
7. Amazing Grace
8. Away In A Manger
9. The First Noel
10. Christmas Piano Medley
11. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA

Again With The Pittsburgh

This is one of the more fun local records I've found this year. In fact, it was pretty enjoyable and worth more than a single listen which is rare for these sorts of releases. The songs are good, the music is good, the singing ain't bad, and there's a narrator who's either poorly mixed or speaks so quietly you can barely hear him.  It certainly adds a bit of humor to the proceedings that are already pretty fun.  Give it a shot, I think you'll enjoy it.  There were two copies of this in the dollar bin at the record store, and I bought them both, just in case.  Both were mono copies, and Discogs says it also came out in Stereo, so I need to see if I can track one of those down.  Got one?  Send it my way, I'll really appreciate it.  This is Staff of Pittsburgh Hospital-Christmas Is Fun And Love (Pittsburgh Hospital PH 6655, Mono, 1966). There also appears to be a rock band from the area, The Del Monacos, involved in this somehow.

1. Greetings-Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
2. Carol Of The Bells-Silver Bells
3. Deck The Halls
4. Hurry Here, Hurry There...-I Wonder As I Wander
5. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
6. Oh Come Little Children-Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
7. Reprise-Carol Of The Bells-Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Flapper Style)
8. Joy To The World-Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
9. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
10. Do You Hear What I Hear
11. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year-White Christmas-Frosty The Snow Man
12. Jingle Bells
13. Jesus, Thou Art Coming
14. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
15. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year Auld Lang Syne And A Christmas Wish From Us To You...

MEGA

A Wolfe In Children's Clothing

This is a record that's been requested of me a few times, and I'm not sure why I never shared it.  I found an older rip on my hard drive, but for some reason I never scanned in the art work and finished it off. When I found another copy of the LP earlier this year, I ripped it again, and I finally finished up the artwork so I can share it with you. This album seems to have a lot in common with the one Wolfe made with Arthur Godfrey, also for RCA, done three years earlier.  I wonder if maybe these were leftover tracks from those sessions, or if they are new recordings. These are the sorts of questions that keep me up at night. So if you've been waiting for me to share this album for all these years, here it is.  This is The Richard Wolfe Children's Chorus-Christmas Is For Children (RCA Camden CAS-1121, Stereo, 1970).

1. Christmas Is For Children
2. Medley: A Holly Jolly Christmas; Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Sleigh Ride
4. Medley: Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town; Frosty The Snow Man
5. A Merry Christmas Wish
6. Medley: Here We Come A-Caroling; Deck The Halls; Jingle Bells; Joy To The World
7. The Little Drummer Boy
8. Medley: O Little Town Of Bethlehem; The First Noel; Silent Night; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
9. White Christmas
10. Medley: O Christmas Tree; Oh Come, All Ye Faithful

MEGA

The Big Tree, in Darkness

There it is, the big tree at Rockefeller Center, plus the big gold statue. Quite the site, and it was pretty packed for a Thursday night. I wouldn't want to be there on a Saturday.

No Open Fire

I'd never had chestnuts before, but there's always a first time. There may not be a second time, though. A very odd taste. I finished the whole bag though.

Avoid The Noid

Well, how about that. I seem to be out of remastered albums to share in the usual 8:00 PM time slot. I thought I had recorded way too many repeats this year, that's why I set aside a special time to get them out there to you.  But I only have one left that I know of, and it's not quite ready to share yet.  So that means you get a new share from me each night for a while, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  First up is an album brought to you by the fine folks at Domino's Pizza. I think the Odyssey group here is just a production service that records tracks and then licenses them out to whoever wants to pay the fees. I suspect they are the same folks behind that 3M record from last year, though I didn't check to see if any of these tracks are actually the same as those. I wouldn't be surprised to find that these songs are elsewhere in the library under different names, too. Generic records have a tendency to recycle the same tracks over and over and over again.  So give these a listen and let me know if you've heard them elsewhere.  This is The Odyssey Orchestra And Singers-Season's Greetings-Domino's Pizza Presents... (Yoder & Company AMR/DOM-82, Stereo, 1982).

1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. You're All I Want For Christmas
3. Carol Of The Bells
4. It's Always Christmas Time
5. Deck The Halls
6. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
7. Jingle Bells
8. What Child Is This
9. The Night Before Christmas
10. Up On The House Top

MEGA

No Rockettes

i hope these pictures are decent. I'm on my phone and I can't really tell how things look. This is Radio City Music Hall, Showplace of the nation. I'm posting this from the basement of Rockefeller Center. The skating rink is behind me. I keep expecting Buddy the Elf around every corner.

Live From NYC

The posts are on auto at the moment, and for the first time, I'm visiting NYC for the holidays. If this works, I can post a few pictures for you of Christmas in Manhattan. If you don't recognize it from a few album covers, here is the big tree at Rockefeller Center. I think they've had the same angels since the 60s.

800 Years

Here's another record that I bought at Fantasyland some years back.  In fact, it was sealed when I bought it, I only just opened it a month or so ago to play it for the first time. Not really any Christmas music here, I'm afraid, but it does feature the Preacher of Bourbon Street, a fellow who's records are a staple of thrift store record racks everywhere.  Except for this one album though.  I've only ever seen this one copy, and I think I paid a bit of a premium because of it's rarity, as well as being sealed. I'm a sucker for Christmas stuff sometimes.  There are three tracks here, two parts of one sermon, and another long sermon on the flip side.  There's a little bit of organ on one of the tracks, if you're desperate for music. It's good for a listen or two, or maybe to cut up into bit and pieces for a mix maybe. If that sounds at all interesting, please be my guest and download Bob Harrington-Birthday Of A King (World Records BH #22, Stereo, 1975)

1. Birthday Of A King-Part 1
2. Birthday Of A King-Part 2 (Organ By Carolyn Cowan)
3. 800 Years Before Christmas

MEGA

Europe In Stereo

Does the cover above look familiar? You may recognize it from an album I shared last year while I was touring all around the world at Christmas. Not long after the season ended last year, I came across this LP in a thrift shop and thought it was just another copy of what I had already recorded and shared. But a closer examination revealed that not to be the case. While it does share the same cover, this is a stereo version with some different artists and tracks! Who knew? So even though I'm sharing this as a remaster, it's really not.  There is new music on here that you haven't heard yet!  This is Christmas In Europe (Philips (Holland) 850 019 PY, Stereo).

1. Vienna Boys' Choir With "The Pummerin," The Bell Of The "Stephansdom" In Vienna-Silent Night, Holy Night
2. Wally Stott And His Orchestra And Chorus-Good King Wenceslas
3. Der Bender'sche Kinderchor With Orchestra And Organ-O Tannenbaum
4. Chorus And Orchestra Conducted By Jean-Paul Kreder-La Noel Passee
5. Choeur Des Mesanges Under The Direction Of Raymonde Davet With Organ Accompaniment By Linack-Tout Dort Dans La Nuit Sombre
6. Cantores De Madrid, José Perera-Conductor-En Belen Tocan A Fuego
7. Der Bender'sche Kinderchor With Orchestra And Organ-O Du Froliche
8. Wally Stott And His Orchestra And Chorus-White Christmas
9. Der Bender'sche Kinderchor With Orchestra And Organ-Ihr Kinderlein Kommet
10. Royal Male Choir Mastreechter Staar-Conductor Martin Koekelkoren-Nu Sijt Wellecome
11. Chorus And Orchestra Conducted By Jean-Paul Kreder-Oh, Que De Gens
12. Resegone Alpine Chorus, Danilo Bertani-Conductor-Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle
13. Harry Secombe With Orchestral Accompaniment-Oh Come All Ye Faithful
14. Lillian Fugman With Arne Lamberth And His Orchestra-Du Kaere Gamle Julemand
15. Der Jugendchor Vera Schink With Orchestral Accompaniment-Susser Die Glocken Nie Klingen
16. Maitrise De La R.T.F., Conductor Jacques Jouineau-Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes

MEGA

Meet Me In St. Louis

While I'm sharing out earlier parts to Christmas albums I shared out last year, here's an earlier album from the St. Louis Christmas Carols Association, the same group that brought you this album last year. For some reason I thought I had ripped this album in previous years, but never shared it. So when I went to share it recently, I found that I had never ripped it. So I had to record it in a bit of a hurry, but I think it came out pretty well.  When I went to scan it, I had to remove a price tag from Fantasyland Records in Atlanta, so I must have bought it during a trip up there four or five years ago. Naturally, I found a second copy in the archives, heaven knows how long I've had that one, or where it came from, but it wasn't in as nice a shape as the copy from Fantasyland. Anyhow, it's a surprisingly good and diverse collection of Christmas tunes by local St. Louis artists, including a couple of originals and plenty of things you don't hear often. You'll enjoy it, and if you haven't already, be sure you go download the other volume!  (PS-Barbershop Alert!!! Oh, and at least two corporate choruses!!!) This is A Saint Louis Christmas (St. Louis Christmas Carols Association TS-74-792/793, Stereo, 1974).

1. Fox Senior High School Honor Choir, Directed By Martin S. Johnson-Carol Of The Bells
2. Concert Choir, Lutheran High School South, Directed By Henry J. Engelhardt-He Lives
3. Solo And Autoharp Accompaniment By Clare Condon-Silent Night in German, French & English
4. Soldan High School Concert Choir, Directed By Charles H. Gladney, Jr.-God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
5. Jennings Senior High School Dickens Carolers, Directed By Dr. Ron W. Phillips-Sing A Round For Christmas
6. Southwestern Bell Belltones-Serena Rowan, Soloist-O Holy Night
7. Cantor Leon Lissek-Durmé Durmé (Sephardic Jewish Ladino Lullaby)
8. Ritenour High School Choir, Directed By Allan C. Byers-What Is This Lovely Fragrance?
9. Kirkwood Chapter-Sweet Adelines, Inc.-Directed By Betty Oliver-White Christmas
10. Southwest High School Concert Choir, Directed By Miss Lee Meyer-Cradle Song Of The Shepherds
11. Rosati-Kain High School Glee Club/R.K. Voices, Directed By Sister Carol-Glory To God
12. Solo And Piano Accompaniment By Bill Benson-The Little Drummer Boy
13. Berkeley Senior High School Senior Girls Ensemble, Directed By Miss Shirley Brown-Peace, Peace
14. Fontebonne College Choir, Directed By Sister Tobias-Touro, Louro-Louro!
15. The French Class Of Immaculate Heart Of Mary School, Directed By Mrs. Agnes Jennings-Dans Cette Étable
16. The Ralston Purina Singers-Westminster Carol/Merry Christmas

MEGA

Deckin' Those Halls

A remaster of a great album I first shared in 2007 here for you tonight.  It was an attempt by the Kapp label to compete with the stereo showpieces from the likes of RCA, Audio Fidelity or United Artists at the time. Fancy packaging, a prestige name, and ultra-wide stereo separation were the hallmarks of these releases, as well as extensive liner notes telling you exactly how the music was made, captured, pressed onto the premium discs, and then, most important, how you were supposed to listen to it.  You can read all that, if you care, it's on a scan of the inside gatefold in the download, but I just care about some cool Christmas music.  And there's plenty of that here.  I believe this particular LP that I ripped is a slightly later issue, they've removed the 1960 date from the cover, and there's a white band all the way around it, unlike the original version. I tried ripping that older copy, but it had some background noise in it that I just couldn't get out.  This copy isn't prefect, but it's much better than the other one, believe me. And it's much better than the old version I've been sharing all these years.  So please give a listen to The Medallion Orchestra And Chorus-The Sound Of Christmas-Deck The Halls (Medallion (Kapp) MS-7512, Stereo, 1960). PS-The fade in the green across the cover from left to right is a scanning artifact I couldn't fix, I'm not sure why it's doing that. I scanned the cover in two parts from left to right, each pass in the same direction, so why the color changes, I don't know.  I'm not as good in Gimp as I wish I was, or I'd be able to fix it.  But there aren't enough days in the season to make each album cover as good as I would like.


1. Joy To The World-Deck The Halls-The Wassial Song
2. Carol Of The Bells-The Little Drummer Boy
3. The Christmas Song
4. Hark The Herald Angels Sing-Away In A Manger-It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
5. White Christmas
6. Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem-The First Noel
7. Oh, Tannenbaum-Angels We Have Heard On High
8. Silent Night
9. Jingle Bells-Winter Wonderland
10. We Three Kings Of Orient Are-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. What Child Is This?-The Coventry Carol
12. Adeste Fideles

MEGA

1985

Isn't there a song called 1985? Bowling For Soup, maybe? Trying to remember how it goes but it's not coming to me.  Anyhow, it just came to mind since that's the title of this Christmas record. This appears to be the first volume of an album I shared with you last year (or actually very early this year). I'm a little confused because they both seem to have come out in 1985, so maybe I put the wrong date on the other one.  Or maybe they actually did come out at the same time, I don't know.  The two covers are both very similar, paintings of a famous homestead in Akron, Ohio. Just like the other volume, there is some good stuff on here, it's certainly worth a listen or two. Maybe if we're lucky someone who performed on here will chime in at some point and tell us more about it.  That happens around here once in a while, and it's really nice when it happens, especially on the more obscure local recordings.  This is 1985 Songs Of Christmas By Members Of The Greater Akron Community (WAKR-Acme No Number, Stereo, 1985).

1. University Of Akron Vocal Jazz Ensemble-Deck The Halls
2. Festival Choir & Orchestra, Chapel In University Park-Tidings Of Joy
3. Jill Cromley-Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
4. Music Ministry, Our Lady Of Victory Catholic Church-Angels We Have Heard On High
5. Garry Edwards-The Happy Feelings Of Christmas
6. University Of Akron Bassoon Ensemble-Yuletide Fantasy
7. Akron Brass Quintet-The 12 Days Of Christmas
8. Ken Kramer-Oh Holy Night
9. Arlington Church Of God Choir-Hosannah
10. Dennis Ankrum-White Christmas
11. Yusef Kahn Grotto Choir-Still, Still, Still
12. Westminster Presbyterian Church Choir-Sing We Noel

MEGA

Ring Bells In Stereo-Part Deux

Here's an interesting share for you, the original version of an LP I've been sharing with you since 2008 (the stereo version since 2010) that I didn't even know existed until I stumbled across it.  Thankfully, they didn't change the cover too much when they reissued it in 1963, just kinda rearranged things and gave it a new title, so when I flipped to it in a stack, I had a pretty good idea of what it was. By 1963, stereo wasn't as big of a gimmick as it was in 1959, so I'm pretty sure that was the impetus behind the name change. And they quit using the fancy foil printing that's impossible to scan with the 1963 version as well, so pardon the crudeness of my scan, that shiny foil just gives the scanner fits. (Keeping the same catalog number helped, too.) But I wanted to share the older model with you, so I guess you could say this is a remaster since you've heard the music here before.  If you dig the bells, please download The Holiday Bells-Christmas Bells In Stereo (Kapp KS-3038, Stereo, 1959).

1. Silent Night
2. Angels We Have Heard On High
3. The First Noel
4. Joy To The World
5. Jingle Bells
6. Oh, Christmas Tree
7. O Sanctissima
8. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
9. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
10. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
11. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
12. Deck The Halls
13. O Come All Ye Faithful
14. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
15. Away In A Manger
16. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
17. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
18. Good King Wenceslas
19. Jolly Old St. Nicholas

MEGA

Big Brad

Have you had enough chime music? OK, you're ready for some straight organ then! And what better organ music for around these parts than the whispering organ sound of Brad Swanson.  I don't know how he managed to have the career he did in the seventies, long after most of the easy listening organ masters had long since passed their prime, but he did. And it's certainly not the worst organ music you're going to hear in your life. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.  This is Brad Swanson-22 All-Time Christmas Favorites Played By The Whispering Organ Sound Of Brad Swanson (Thunderbird THS 9019, Stereo, 1974).

1. I'll Be Home For Christmas
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
4. The First Noel
5. Winter Wonderland
6. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
7. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
8. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
9. Let It Snow, Let It Snow
10. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
11. Silent Night/We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Medley)
12. Jingle Bells Rock
13. Blue Christmas
14. Frosty The Snowman
15. The Little Drummer Boy
16. Silver Bells
17. White Christmas
18. Jingle Bells
19. O' Holy Night
20. Deck The Halls
21. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
22. There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays

MEGA

Rehashed Chimes

One good chime album deserves another, so since I brought you one this morning, I'm bringing you another one tonight.  And this time it's a reissue of something I brought you before, twice in fact, though I didn't realize that until after I recorded it. I was happy to see a CD reissue of a couple of John Klein's Christmas albums from RCA last year. That means I won't share them out anymore, but I think this one is still fair game. To be honest, those two are probably better than this one because they incorporate an orchestra with the chimes, and that really makes for some nice sounds. But this one isn't bad, I'm not going to knock it.  Why don't you download it and see for yourself?  This is John Klein-Bells Of Christmas Played On The Schulmerich "Carillon Americana" Bells (Schulmerich Carillon SCI-6, Stereo).

1. Angels We Have Heard On High
2. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. The First Noel
5. O, Little Town Of Bethlehem
6. Good King Wenceslas
7. As Lately We Watched
8. O, Come, All Ye Faithful
9. O Holy Night
10. Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly
11. Away In A Manger
12. Good Christian Men, Rejoice
13. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
14. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
15. Silent Night
16. Joy To The World

MEGA

Two Hundred And Forty-Six Bells

Anyone who knows my fondness for Christmas chimes and bells could have predicted that I would buy this LP on sight.  I mean, how can you pass up a record that brags about featuring 246 bells? And now you can enjoy each and every one of them in the comfort of your own home!  This is Evelyn Irene Gibbs On The Maas-Rowe Grand Symphony Carillon And The 59-Rank Austin Pipe Organ-A Two Hundred Forty-Six Bell Christmas (Maas-Rowe Carillons 5126178, Stereo). You're Welcome!

1. Infant Holy
2. Joy To The World
3. Silent Night, Holy Night
4. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
5. O Come, All Ye Faithful
6. White Christmas
7. Petite Noel
8. O Christmas Tree
9. Silver Bells
10. The Christmas Song

MEGA