I'm not sure how to describe this next record. It's very light jazz, maybe bordering on some new age, but it's still interesting enough to listen to. A handful of originals but mostly the usual standards that you'd expect to hear in an album like this. Overall not my cup of tea, but it may be just the thing for your quiet Christmas listening. This is
Hagood Hardy-
The Christmas Album (Attic (Canada) LAT 1098, Stereo, 1980). Oh, it's from Canada, that might help explain things. Enjoy!
1. Deck The Halls (With Boughs Of Holly)
2. Silent Night, Holy Night
3. Jingle Bells
4. Christmas Song
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
6. When The First Snow Falls
7. When A Child
8. Joy, Joy
9. Winter Wonderland
10. Oh Holy Night
11. Winter Time
12. Feliz Navidad
13. White Christmas
14. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
15. Christmas Waltz
16. Joy To The World
MEGA
Hardy wrote the scores for the 1982 film Mazes and Monsters, the 1985 film Anne of Green Gables and the sequel, Anne of Avonlea. Most Canadians will have heard his music without even realizing it.
ReplyDeleteI guess he never really broke through in the States.
DeleteHis scoring was after his 70s success with "The Homecoming" and that being used in a heavy played TV commerical around that time and no, he never really achieved US success like Frank Mills did.
DeleteWas Frank Mills from Canada? I can remember Music Box Dancer playing non-stop on the radio when I was much younger.
DeleteYes, Ernie. Frank Mills was Canadian, and did collaboration work with Rita MacNeil, and others. He was mostly well know for Piano. He and Tommy Hunter (Canada's version of Johnny Cash) would tour large and smaller cities, across Canada. Tommy Hunter had his own show, on the CBC for years. A clean cut, smart act...
DeleteBack to Frank Mills, he was like the Canadian version of Roger Williams.
Thank you, Ernie :) I had a different album, and publishing company than this, but it had crackling and such background sounds. This is way better. Thank you so much :)
ReplyDeleteI wanna say that this is a reissue, likely of the Christmas LP you already had. Maybe they reissued some of his old stuff as he started to gain some name recognition in the scoring world, I dunno, just a guess. Glad you liked it!
DeleteThe version I had, was put out by K-tel, so I'm not sure as they were a cheap budget brand. I had 1978 entered for the release date, and the album was called "A Very Special Christmas"
DeleteHuh, no idea...
DeleteAnother Attic album I am looking for is by The Nylons "Harmony - The Christmas Songs", but it must be copyrighted. Even on iTunes, I can't buy it because I am in Canada. I can buy other albums of there's, on iTunes... which is extremely frustrating. They may be having a struggle with the brand?
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of behind-the-scenes deal-making between labels and streaming services, and you have to sign over a lot of rights to get your music on there. So some labels or artists decide it's not worth the trouble. It's not a great system, especially for the artists.
DeleteI have the cassette, of the the Nylons "Harmony" album. I may have to break down, and convert it to mp3, but converting from Cassette doesn't always work well. I've been holding off for a year so far, or hoping I will see it on a blog sometime ;)
DeletePretty sure I have it on CD somewhere, which means it's not gonna show up on the blog...
DeleteYah, I've been looking for the CD - you never know when it's going to pop up :)
DeleteThis one turned out to be a surprise hit on the Christmas rotation.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that. I think I forgot to mention there was a bonus track shared out during Christmas In July.
Deletehttps://ernienotbert.blogspot.com/2022/07/christmas-in-july-2022-part-17.html
Two, actually...
https://ernienotbert.blogspot.com/2022/07/christmas-in-july-2022-part-15.html
Hi Ernie, slowly I am listing to the shares I downloaded from you. This one comes in as number 5 on my list.
ReplyDeleteOnce I get to my top 7, I will update your requested favorite from us.
I like really interesting and different albums. So much out there, the songs are so similar, they just change the artists singing these songs. So, it is nice to find refreshing material to listen to.
I thought you already had a number 5, did that get bumped down?
DeleteDid I? I forget what it was? If you remember, let me know what it was. I remember Carlene Davis, Christmas Reggae Rock is number 4. Seems there was a number 5, but???
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, I can't find it... :(
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagood_Hardy
ReplyDeleteYep.
Delete