Ah-Ha?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, some days I feel like Christmas records just find me. Imagine my surprise when I flipped to this privately-produced Christmas record that appears to be from Alaska. I was in a Goodwill store in Osprey, Florida, a wide spot in the road just south of Sarasota with a nice beach and not much else. Yet you never know what you're going to find so you keep looking. Ah-Ah and Gipsy seem to be a performing couple who didn't release much that I can find at their Discogs entry. Everything at Discogs seems to point towards a Washington state home base, but this record had an Alaska address on it, so there appears to be a link to both, maybe we'll just call it Pacific Northwest. Anyhow, this is a very interesting record. Not only are the songs good, the performance is good as well even though some of the songs aren't really about Christmas. (I seem to recall seeing somewhere that they had been released on singles earlier, but I can't find the Discogs entries right now.) One complaint I have is that it's really short. Only eight songs even though the cover proclaims ten. You really can't go wrong with this one though, so even if you ignore everything else I share this week, please download Ah-Ah And Gipsy-Merry Christmas And Happy New Year From Ah-Ah And Gipsy (Allen Records GA-CA-1, Stereo, 1984).

1. Come On Let's Have A Merry Christmas  

2. Where Do The Holidays Go  

3. Christmas Time Again  

4. Jingle Bell Christmas  

5. Jesus Came To Visit You  

6. Merry Christmas Happy New Year  

7. Grandma Grandpa Music  

8. AH-AH And Gipsy's Rode Hog

MEGA 

On The Southside

Here's a real time capsule that has fascinated me since I paid too much money for it at a record store up in Clearwater, Florida. It was in a plain cardboard sleeve but on the light blue price tag someone had written "Christmas". I had to pull it from the sleeve and was surprised to see it was from my hometown of Lakeland, Florida. I didn't read much further than that until I got it home where I realized it had been recorded in a church down on the south side of town (I grew up on the north side) a few years before I was born during the Vietnam War. The congregation had recorded a special Sunday Service for their member serving overseas during October, then pressed up these records, most likely so they had time to ship them to 'Nam. Imagine the time and effort that took to arrange and pull off. I don't think this one ever made it to Southeast Asia, but that's a good thing because I don't think I ever would have found it over there. You'll probably not listen to this more than once, but when you do listen, imagine yourself in the shoes of these people from my hometown celebrating Christmas a few months early so they could send a small piece of home to their soldier children serving overseas in a very unpopular war. Please listen at least once to Southside Baptist Church-1966 Christmas Service For Our Members In The Armed Forces (No Label 30/61006, Lakeland, Fla., Stereo, 1966).

1. 1966 Christmas Service-Part 1  

2. 1966 Christmas Service-Part 2 

MEGA

 

I was up in Lakeland earlier this year for a memorial service and realized that this church was still around, nearby and apparently going strong. I stopped in to take this picture. Not sure if this was where they were located back in 1966 as it would have been out in the boonies back then, but maybe. Giving a little thought to calling them up one day and asking if there is anyone still around who might recall this record. I was also surprised to find mentions of the preacher out on the internet!