The Only One

You may or may not remember that last year was devoted to the 7" 45 RPM records here at the blog (Starts here, ends here). I shared out hundreds of those little records, 45 at a time, for 45 days in a row (with five more batches of 45 at the end of bonus stuff that I'd recorded throughout the month). It was a grand celebration of the art of the Christmas single and I pretty much exhausted my stash of those records. But as fate would have it, I was gifted a 45 during the course of the last year that I absolutely have to share with you. It's from Japan, was never released in the US and it features one of the stars of Sesame Street! You might remember Bob as one of the human stars of Sesame street from the premiere of the show through 2016. Millions upon millions of children grew up with him as one of the characters that helped kids learn life lessons alongside a giant bird, a trash can denizen, a Count who loved to count, a green frog reporter and two roommates who later had a blog named for them. As the saying goes, Bob was big in Japan where he released a few albums and singles, but his career never caught fire here in the US. I think he got his start singing with Mitch Miller in the States, but his recording career didn't catch fire until his records got released overseas. The Japanese fans loved him. This Christmas EP came out there in 1966 and never had a US counterpart as far as I know. I've lusted after it for a few years and earlier this year I got an email from a Christmas music buddy asking for my address. He wouldn't tell me why, and a week or so later this record appeared in my mailbox. I'm eternally grateful to the Christmas music community that exists online, I'm frequently the recipient of cool stuff like this, but I have to say that the is one of the most unexpected things I've ever gotten! So many thanks for this record, and I'm sure everyone who downloads and enjoys it will leave a nice thank you as well.  This is Bob McGrath-Christmas With Bob McGrath (CBS (Japan) 7" 33 RPM YSS-10002-JC, Stereo,1966), the only 7" record I have to share with you this year. I guess technically this record wouldn't have been part of my single celebration last year since it spins at 33 RPM, but that's a minor technicality. I shared out several sets of 7" records that spun at 33 RPM last year as well, but that was a pretty small pile of records compared to the 45s.

1. White Christmas  
2. Silent Night, Holy Night  
3. Jingle Bells  
4. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

MEGA

This Is The End, My Friend

There doesn't seem to be any consensus on who coined the phrase "All Good Things Must Come To An End." I thought it was Shakespeare, but he didn't. Chaucer wrote something fairly close, but not in so many words. I remember when ST:TNG reached is finale, the last episode was titled All Good Things, so it's a well-worn phrase even if there's no strict origin of it. But so it is with the 2024 Christmas sharity season. I've drawn it out much longer than necessary but I think it's been good stuff. Today is the exception that proves the rule as there is nothing in today's share that you really need, but the completists out there will appreciate it. This is everything that was left in the pile, and it's mostly mono versions of things I already gave to you in stereo. There are a few edits here and again you got the longer version already. There's one track here that's just a backwards version of the flip side and one short spoken word introduction to another track that I couldn't fit in elsewhere. I even squeezed in a Christmas greeting that's just instructions on how to use another Christmas greetings. So it's all just to finish off the collection with all the stuff that I didn't share elsewhere. I've had a great season and I hope you have too. So many singles, I don't think I'll ever be able to top this season. Well, maybe in twenty years when I've collected up enough new singles to do it all again. Here's hoping. Thanks for playing along, I hope you found something to listen to. I'll see you again in July, I hope. That pile is still thin, but these records have a way of finding me sometimes, so I'm optimistic. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

1. Coldcut-Coldcut's Christmas Break (Radio Version)
2. Loretta Lynn-Shadrack, The Black Reindeer (Mono)
3. Marvin I. Thompson-On Going Home For Christmas (Mono)-Music Background "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
4. The Three Stooges And Orchestra-Wreck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly
5. White Elephant-Auld Lang Syne-Short Version
6. Charo-Arranged And Conducted By John Davis-(Mamacita,) ¿Donde Esta Santa Claus?-Mono
7. Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble-Christmas Carol-Mono
8. Bill Hersh-It Won't Be Much Like Christmas ('Cause Mama Won't Be There')-Mono
9. Creeper-Santa Claus Wants Some Loving-Mono
10. Homemade Theatre-Santa Jaws (Part 1)-(Mono)
11. Cody Bearpaw-Winter Love (Mono)
12. Redwood City-Winter's Night (Mono)
13. Adam Perle & Wesley Crow-A Silent Night-Mono
14. Billy Crystal-The Christmas Song
15. Bob Luman-A Christmas Tribute-Mono
16. Bunny Siglar-Jingle Bells (Part I)-Mono
17. David Buskin-Arranged & Conducted By Glenn Spreen-The Rest Of The Year (Mono)
18. David Gates-Come Home For Christmas-Mono
19. David Woeller-Hotel Christmas (Mono)
20. Dawn Van De Pitte-Christmas Isn't Christmas-Mono
21. Deanna-Darlene-Rag Doll (For Christmas)-Mono
22. Dee Mullins-Remember Bethlehem-Mono
23. Duane Dee-Cold January Morning-Mono
24. Elvin Bishop-Silent Night (Vocal Version)-Mono
25. Emmylou Harris-Light Of The Stable-Mono
26. Father Guido Sarducci-I Won't Be Twisting This Christmas-Mono
27. Greg Lake-I Believe In Father Christmas-Mono
28. Hank Snow-Nestor, The Long Eared Christmas Donkey-Mono
29. Hoyt Axton-Lion In The Winter-Mono
30. Joe Sun-Silent Night (Mono)
31. John Edwards-The Christmas Song (Mono)
32. John Schneider-Katey's Christmas Card-Mono
33. Kit Smith-Music By The "Buckaroos"-Christmas At Our House (Mono)
34. Loretta Lynn-Let's Put Christ Back In Christmas (Mono)
35. Martin Mull With The Sondra Baskin Glee Club-Santafly-Mono
36. Mona Murry-Gonna Kidnap Santa Tonight-Mono
37. Perry Como-Christmas Dream-Mono
38. PFC Eddie Fisher-Radio Interview
39. Ray Reeves-A Little Boy's Christmas Prayer-Mono
40. Roberta Flack-25th Of Last December-Short Version
41. Rudolph & The Gang-Comink Zee Clauski Fattnik
42. Second Nature-Christmas (The Best Time Of The Year)-Mono
43. Sweathog-Hallelujah-Mono
44. The Frogs-Alfie, The Christmas Tree-Mono Version
45. The Good Luck Girls-The Bengals Christmas Song-Mono
46. The Impressions-I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Mono)
47. The Poor Souls-Merry Christmas All-Mono
48. The Three Stooges And Orchestra-Jingle Bells
49. The Three Stooges And The Music Wreckers-I Gotta Cold For Christmas
50. Ray Conniff-Holiday Greetings 3

MEGA