Hi-Fivories
It's been all about the singles this Christmas season, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Earlier in the season I shared a stereo version of an Air Force radio show that I'd previously only shared in mono, and now I've got a super-rare 10" record that has eluded me for a long, long time. What ties these two records together? Turns out that I'd recorded both of them some years ago but never shared them. I record a lot of records throughout the year and sometimes loose track of what I've done and haven't done. Sometimes I record stuff just so I can listen to it myself. In the case of the stereo Air Force record, I think I just ran out of time as the season progressed, then forgot to revisit it later. In the case of the one I'm sharing now, I had found a copy without the sleeve, and didn't want to share an incomplete package. This season I discovered a nice copy in the sleeve, so I scanned it and I'm ready to share it now. For what it's worth, all the contents of this record were included on an earlier share, so there's really nothing new here other than the art, but what great art that is! This is the original Ferrante & Teicher Christmas album, a 10" record that came out back in 1954. Imagine for just a second that it's 1954 and you put this on the turntable expecting some nice soothing carols played on the piano. Then boom! Some of this stuff sounds like it was created on the moon (fifteen years before the moon landing!), other songs sound like a trip through exotic Africa or the South Seas. And it's all created with a piano, rather a pair of pianos, albeit specially prepared pianos that were closer to percussive instruments rather than string instruments. Synthesizers and samplers didn't exist at the time, even tape editing was in it's infancy and I doubt there's any of that going on here. It's just Christmas music played in a new and unique way that still sounds out of this world 70 years later. Please download and enjoy Arthur Ferrante And Louis Teicher, Duo-Pianists-Xmas Hi-Fivories (Westminster 10" 33 RPM WL 3044, Mono, 1954).
MEGA (FLAC)
MEGA (MP3)
1. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. White Christmas
3. Sleigh Ride
4. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
5. Silent Night
6. Jingle Bells
7. O Come All Ye Faithful
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
PS-Wanna hear what Ferrante & Teicher sound like when they're talking and not playing? You can download a Christmas greeting from them here.
Good one! I shared this years ago and it remains the most popular record I have ever offered.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one! I had forgotten you shared it, otherwise I'd have linked to your version. Dunno why I wanted it so much since I had the 12" version, must be that cover. :)
DeleteI'm sure your version is better! Mine is ancient.
DeleteWell, it does go back to 1954... Now you could redo it in ambient stereo and make it sound fancy!
DeleteThanks, Ernie! This looks fabulous. Much gratitude for your hard work and generosity. Feliz Navidad!
ReplyDeleteYou'll love it, trust me. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
DeleteHi Ernie,
ReplyDeleteThank for this. I have always loved Ferrante And Teicher since I discovered them about 10 years ago when I discovered Space Age Bachelor Pad so called music.
That being said, are you going to offer a who is listening map this year? Problem is, I have VPN. While I live in Germany, my IP address' can be in Europe, Usa, Japen. At least those are the ones I know of at this point. They constantly change. The Netherlands is the most often one I am given. So, it really would be hard to know where your guests really are from.
But I really enjoyed it last year seeing the diversity of where people were from, or maybe were from.
I thought about doing that again this year, but I'm too lazy and it took too much work. I haven't even looked at the tracking this year to see where folks are from, but it's always mostly the USA. Most folks from outside the US didn't respond and leave a location. Some people don't want to be bothered.
DeleteErnie, that is such a pity that your guests cannot take a minute to leave any kind of comment. I am working up to 10 hours days, tomorrow is the last, organizing Christmas and Holliday parties for clients. Next week, I have several New Years parties to do. At, least in January I get back to my normal routines.
ReplyDeleteSo, what is a minute, just 60 seconds to thank someone who has spents countless hours of hard work of sharing what they really love.
Oh well...not much to say is there.
But I, like a few others, really appreciate it.
Can't make anybody do what they don't want to do. And you're welcome, glad you enjoy the music!
DeleteOngoing and multiple thanks for your continuing efforts. Ernie, coming at you from 30076.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the note. Hope you've got time to enjoy the tunes!
DeleteLooks like a good album. I'll share the link with Lee. He has had so much PC trouble this Christmas season, maybe some rare F&T Christmas music will calm him down a little bit and relax him.
ReplyDeleteThere is no cure for PC troubles!
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