Let's get an early start on this Super Saturday, the day of the week where I try to bury you with so many shares you cry uncle and run away vowing never to listen to Christmas music again. Well, I hope that doesn't happen, but I'm sure there are plenty of folks who have given up on keeping up at this point. Just buy yourself a big fat external hard drive and keep downloading, it will be fine. Today I'm diving into a deep pool of Christmas records recorded by members of the United States military in their spare time. I think the time frame for all these releases is the mid-60's to the mid-80's, only two decades but a large change in the role of the US military. At the beginning of that time frame we were still deeply involved in the mess that was Vietnam, but by the end we were relatively peaceful with only minor skirmishes here and there that didn't really affect the folks here in the US. Certainly no one knew the issues that were to pop up another twenty years on with 9/11 and the conflicts that stretched out from that. I'm sure there are still military bands pumping out music to this day (and the tradition stretches back much further than the records I'm sharing, through Glen Miller and John Philip Sousa, past the fife and drum corps of the American Revolution and beyond.) But where to start? Here's a nice but generic record, likely from the mid-Sixties (but I really have no idea) that collects up a few performances on the A side and then includes some promotional message on the B side. It's as good a place to start as any. This is
Holiday Greetings And Best Wishes (The U.S. Air Force XMB-536/537, Stereo). Not all of the records I share today will be new shares, though they will all be remasters if I've shared them before. This one first came to you in
2007.
1. The Air Force Symphony Orchestra-Program 1
2. The Air Force Symphony Orchestra-Program 2
3. The Air Force Symphony Orchestra-Program 3
4. Unknown Artist-Band 1
5. Unknown Artist-Band 2
6. Unknown Artist-Band 3
7. Unknown Artist-Band 4
8. Unknown Artist-Band 5
9. Unknown Artist-Band 6
GOOD MORNING TO YOU, Holiday Greetings And Best Wishes (USAF XMB-536/537) is a vintage promotional Christmas album produced by the United States Air Force in 1965. It was created for radio broadcast and features festive music performed by the United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants.
ReplyDeleteKey details of this release include:
Format: A 12-inch vinyl LP, often used for recruitment or public relations during the holiday season.
Catalog Numbers: USAF XMB-536 (Side 1) and USAF XMB-537 (Side 2).
Content: The album typically contains traditional carols, instrumental holiday classics, and spoken-word greetings from high-ranking Air Force officials or personnel.
Significance: These recordings were part of a broader series of "USAF" transcription discs used to maintain a positive public image and boost morale for troops stationed domestically and abroad.
You can find more information about vintage military recordings through the National Archives or specialized record collector forums like Discogs. JUST A WARM AND SPECIAL HAPPY THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT OLD CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY ALBUMS YOU HAVE POSTED... I HOPE THAT YOU MIGHT SOME BIG BANDS FOR NEW YEARS EVE 2026 ...MEMORIES OF THOSE BY GONE DAYS IN THE 1940'S - 1960'S. THANK YOU, SINCERELY, STAN
Thanks for the AI content, but we need to find an actual source for any data that might be relevant to this record.
DeleteI'll see what I have for New Year's, you never know. Thanks for stopping by!
helo, I thank you, I see you have gone back into Time 2007 to locate some Great Ones of The Past. Still "A I" did help tell me what the year it was that these folks made the Christmas Album. Yes its sort of nice to know the year. As i was born in 1955 and to hear these albums from my life time is nice. Now if I could only find where I put that "TIME MACHINE KEY..." Were enjoying All of them so far.. Enjoy you Holiday too. Sincerely, Stan
ReplyDeleteIf you find that key, let me know! :)
DeleteAnother share from your amazing trove of armed forces releases! I can't believe how many of these you have.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's a rerun/remaster, but there are a few new ones today. :)
DeleteAnd there are lots more than what you see today. I should try to link to more of them.
Ernie, I was wondering when you would be doing your Annual Forces Christmas Shares :)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I just thought of… Did Canada and or Britain ever put out Christmas LPs for their Royal Forces?
I'd love to find such a thing, but never have. If you see one, let me know.
DeleteI know that I have one or two Canadian Forces, but I think only particular base(s).
DeleteI will look in my list :)
I think that counts. :)
DeleteI got home, but can't find it. I thought it was from the Canadian Forces Comox Base, but can't find it on my iTunes right now. Sorry. I do have a more modern one, but not one that you would be able to put on your blog.. "A Christmas Celebration!" by The Royal Canadian Artillery Band Celtic Ensemble, in 2018.
DeleteBut I'm sure I have another older one from Comox, but it might one of the Corporals or something like that...
Well, I've got newer CD releases from all sorts of US armed forces units doing Christmas music, but no foreign military units. I'm sure they exist, they just haven't made it into my collection yet.
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