10-North Pole Rock
Time for the instrumental portion of the season. Here's a large collection of original Christmas instrumentals as well as b-sides that have all the lyrics removed (but sometimes leave in the backing vocals unfortunately). There are also plenty of instrumental versions of all your favorite Christmas songs from your favorite easy listening artists. I know those are always a big hit with visitors around here, so I'm sure you'll enjoy this collection. One little note about the title track, North Pole Rock, the b-side of one of those Dickie Goodman break-in records, that quick fade in and out at the end is like that on the record. I played it through a few times and decided that's just the way it is, so I left it. It can be a little annoying at times, but then you get used to it. If it bugs you, open up and Audacity window and trim it off. Hope you enjoy this one!
1. Booker T. & The M.G.'s-Introducing Isaac Hayes On Piano-Winter Snow
2. Edmundo Ros And His Orchestra-Merry Mambo
3. Guitars, Inc.-Holiday Love
4. Hank Crawford-Merry Christmas Baby
5. King Curtis-The Christmas Song
6. Ramsey Lewis Trio-Egg Nog
7. Ray Ellis And His Orchestra-Like Jingle Bells
8. The Dancing Strings-Produced And Directed By Franc Peri-Greensleeves
9. The Hollyridge Strings-Arranged And Conducted By Stu Phillips-Santa's Got A Brand New Bag
10. The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra-Midnight Sleighride
11. Featuring Charles Cochran-First Christmas (Instrumental)
12. Jimmy McGriff-Winter With McGriff Part 2
13. Alan Paller And His Orchestra-An Old Fashioned Christmas
14. Arr. & Orch.: Jack August-Blue Christmas-Instrumental
15. Arranged & Conducted By Jack Faith-Let Me Be Annie For Christmas-Instrumental Version
16. Band Aid II-Do They Know It's Christmas (Instrumental)
17. Bob Segarini-It's Christmas Time (Instrumental)
18. Buddy Mullins-Christmas Fit (Instrumental)
19. Casino All-Stars-Put The Merry Back In Christmas-Instrumental
20. Charo-Arranged And Conducted By John Davis-(Mamacita,) ¿Donde Esta Santa Claus? (Instrumental)
21. Chuck Brooks-At Christmas Time-Instrumental Version
22. Conducted By Patsy Maharam-"Kid" Santa Claus-Instrumental
23. David Qualey-Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
24. Dickie Goodman & The Polar Bears-North Pole Rock
25. Don Bradley And The Border Patrol-Christmas In Mexico-Instrumental
26. Doug And The Slugs-White Christmas-Sing Along With Side Two
27. Flip Phillips And His Orchestra-I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
28. Francois Cousineau & Son Orch.-Une Fleur Sur La Neige-Version Instrumentale
29. Greg Lake-Humbug
30. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass-Las Mananitas
31. Johnnie Que-Rockabilly Christmas-Instrumental
32. Kathy Garver-Opus Lem
33. Ken Martinson-Jingle, Jangle & Joe-Sing-Along Version
34. Louis Paul-Santa Claus Is On His Way Again (Instrumental)
35. Marv Meredith And His Orchestra-Teen Sleighride
36. Orchestra By J. Steinberg-The Night Before Christmas (Instrumental)
37. Rocki Lane And The Gross Group-Santa Soul
38. Studio Band-Christmas Time's A Coming
39. The Ramsey Lewis Trio-Mary's Boy Child
40. The Rocky Fellers-Santa's Grove
41. The Xmas Spirits-It's Christmas
42. Willis "The Guard" & Vigorish-Merry Christmas In The NFL (Inst.)
43. Leland W. Sprinkle Sr-Bells Of St. Mary's
44. The Three Suns-Merry Christmas Polka
45. Al Caiola-Season's Greetings
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I was expecting this to be heavy with organists, but no - only Leland W. Sprinkle, Jimmy McGriff and a few others!
ReplyDeleteIn some of these, looks like they just wiped the vocal on the A-side, and voila, an instrumental B-side. The ultimate in such shenanigans must be an instrumental version of Charo's version of "Donde esta Santa Claus." That never happened to Little Augie Rios!
Not a lot of organ on 45, at least not that I've dug up. That Sprinkle stuff is played on a tuned rock formation, if you can believe the sleeve notes. And I originally wanted to shy away from the wiped-vocal stuff, but my desire to fill up the download overtook my first instinct. Plenty of good stuff though. :)
DeleteHi Ernie,
ReplyDeleteI "love" instrumentals as I have said before.
I bought mint condition 7 and 12-inch versions of Charo-(Mamacita,) ¿Donde Esta Santa Claus? in 1999 when I was 22 years old. My boyfriend at that time has them now, pity. We dressed as Stylized Elves in custom designed, by myself, outfits a friends mother I knew made for us. We wore them at the Christmas themed parties at the club, letting the DJ there play for everyone the 12 inch dance version I owned. For some reason, everyone like this song and Charo. It was played several times. So, it is nice to know you are sharing it on your blog.
Oh, I love to put the 7 inch vocal version on replay and...
...I wonder how popular it was when it came out in 1978-79?
With this instrumental version, you could probably make a pretty good remix with the vocal version and loop it for hours and hours! :)
DeleteI got a late start on your blog this year. Thanks again for everything you do! Looking forward to diving in.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Welcome to the party! Only one share a day this year, so you should be able to catch up pretty quick. :)
DeleteI'm still planning to catch up on quite a few of the Christmas albums you posted here last year!
DeleteThis season should be a little easier to keep up with. Two hours a day, that's all I ask. :)
DeleteHi Ernie,
ReplyDeleteI have a Warped sense of humor...
Anyway...this song is catchy. A current favorite for the moment on repeat...
Willis "The Guard" & Vigorish-Merry Christmas In The NFL (Inst.)
If I haven't shared it out already, the flip side of this is coming out at some point. Or if you can't wait, I've shared it before...
Deletehttps://ernienotbert.blogspot.com/2022/12/more-nfl-christmas.html
thanks, I cannot wait. The comment on Discogs says it was terrible. But it is really catchy :-))), or annoying depending of your point of view.
ReplyDeleteDifferent strokes for different folks...
Deletevery clever. but the instrumental is so much better.
ReplyDelete"In the NFL..."
DeleteThe Mono mix should have been a lot better for the Hollyridge Strings; some instruments that were kind of muffled in the Stereo version (which I played on my turntable last night) are not in full focus here in the Mono Mix. Did a good job trying to coax decent sound of what sounds like a very scratchy 45.
ReplyDeleteI do what I can with what I've got. :)
Delete