Ireland! Again!

Been a while since the last installment of Christmas around the world, a series I did during the 2018 season. I think I already did a record from Ireland that year, but here's another one for your collection. Not sure if this one is better than the other one, but at least it's different. This is St. Catherine's Dominican Choir, Maureen Dillon-Conductor, Soloists: Bernadette Walshe And Eileen Egan-Christmas In Ireland (Avoca 33-AV-126 (Cabra, Dublin, Ireland), Mono).

1. Adeste Fideles
2. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
3. Cry Out And Shout
4. The Holly And The Ivy
5. Ding Dong Merrily On High
6. The First Noel
7. Diadem
8. Christians Awake
9. Silent Night, Holy Night
10. Away In A Manger
11. The Seven Joys Of Mary
12. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
13. Once In David's City
14. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
15. On That Christmas Morn
16. Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria In Excelsis Deo)

MEGA 

Christmas In Éire

Entirely out of leftfield, here is a collection of Irish Christmas tunes and stories. Unfortunately, this isn't actually from Ireland, but from some ex-pats here in the States, which is OK, too. This record must have sold pretty well because I had my choice of four different copies in the archive. I chose the best one and that's what you're getting this afternoon. I enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will, too. This is Paddy Noonan's Christmas Time In Ireland (Rego Irish 16000, Stereo, 1977).

1. Marie Frances-Christmas Time In Ireland
2. Paddy Noonan-The Holly And Ivy Dance
3. Tommy Mulvihill-The Wren Song-St. Stephen's Jig
4. Eamon Kelly-Christmas Eve In Ireland
5. Tommy Mulvihill-Christmas In Kerry Long Ago
6. Tommy Mulvihill-Wind In The Willows
7. Marie Frances-Christmas In Killarney
8. Marie Frances-O Holy Night
9. Tommy Mulvihill-Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake
10. Marie Frances-Silent Night
11. Paddy Noonan-The Christmas Reel

MEGA

Ireland!

From England we venture not very far at all to Ireland. I guess I should have planned this out a little better.  This one is part of the Capitol Of The World series, but it's the first one I've shared that's actually in stereo.  And I just happened to rip a later reissue because that's the first stereo version I found.  I had earlier ripped a mono original, then I found out it was available in stereo.  I was hunting down a stereo version and came across the reissue.  I ripped that one, then an online friend who shall remain nameless (Hi, Laurie!) sent me a copy of a stereo original.  I didn't see much reason to rip it a third time, so I'm giving you my rip of the reissue, along with a scan of the cover and labels of the stereo original version.  Things get complicated when you talk about records released so long ago.  Anyhow, this is The Little Dublin Singers, Choirmaster-Frank O'Kelly, Organist-Norman Metcalfe-Christmas In Ireland (Capitol 'Capitol International Series' SP-10412 (Reissue of ST-10412 from 1965), Stereo).

1. The Child Divine
2. The Holly And Ivy Girl
3. Adeste Fideles
4. Fum, Fum
5. Lullaby (Aonach Mhalla)
6. A Night In Bethlehem (Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil)
7. The First Noel
8. The Christmas Bell
9. Hang Up The Holly
10. The Birds
11. Brown Leaves On The Liffey
12. The Wren (Am Dreoilin)
13. Christmas In Kerry
14. The Wren Has A Nest (Ta Nead Ag An Dreoilin)
15. Jingle Bells

MEGA

Christmas From Ireland

We've still got a ways to go before we wrap this thing up, but I can see the end from here. Here's another single for your collection, something I probably should have squeezed in during the height of the season, but you'll still have it for next year. This is Bey Ireland with All I Want For Christmas Is A Go-Go Girl b/w Christmas Without You (Newport 7" 45 RPM 45-102 Promotional Copy, Mono, 1966). Enjoy!

MEGA

23-Bus 22 To Bethlehem

Took me a few minutes of hard thinking to realize what the theme was here, but it finally came to me. This is a collection of some of my favorite Christmas 45s that didn't fit into some of the other categories I've used this season. Lots of weird and interesting stuff here that I'm sure will give you at least two hours of Christmas listening. In my humble opinion, the best thing here is Karla DeVito singing about Santa Claus coming over to her house. What a party that would be! I happened to watch a short documentary on Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell album recently, and DeVito was in it for a few talking heads segments. She wasn't on the album, but she was on the tour singing all the female vocals opposite Meatloaf every night. I guess Ellen Foley didn't want (or couldn't) go on tour, so all those tour-de-force duets fell into Karla's lap. The clips really make it look like something else. I don't know that I'd consider this song on the same level as a Jim Steinman power ballad, but it's still pretty good. There's also some rare things in here that I just discovered this season and at least one song-poem track that I thought was interesting. Give it a listen and let me know what your favorite track is!

1. The Hopeful-Newscast By Frank Costa-7 O'Clock News (Silent Night)
2. Creeper-Santa Claus Wants Some Loving-Stereo
3. J. Anthoney Scott (The Last Of The Great American Whistlers)-Whistling Christmas
4. Bey Ireland-All I Want For Christmas Is A Go-Go Girl
5. Bing Crosby With The Ralph Carmichael Chorus And Orchestra-Christmas Dinner Country Style
6. Bob Morrison-Santa Mouse
7. Bobby Cole-Bus 22 To Bethlehem
8. Camille-White Christmas
9. Commander Cody-Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas
10. Cupid-'Twas The Night Before Christmas
11. Dreams So Real-Red Lights (Merry Christmas)
12. Ed Sullivan Presents Music Of Christmas-Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. Elvin Bishop-Silent Night (Vocal Version)-Stereo
14. Frank Petty Trio-Mike Di Napoli, Piano-Rudolph The Red Nosed-Reindeer--Mambo
15. Gene Marshall-Peppermint Canes
16. George Thorogood & The Destroyers-Rock And Roll Christmas
17. Karla DeVito-Santa Claus Is Coming To My House
18. Kenny Laguna-Home For Christmas
19. Li'l Wally-Christmas In Your Heart
20. Spike Jones And His City Slickers-Vocal Refrain By George Rock And The Mitchell Boychoir-Mommy, Won't You Buy A Baby Brother (Or Sister For Me)
21. Sweathog-Hallelujah-Stereo
22. The Dobro Man & His Country Brothers-Christmas Into The Eyes Of A Country Gentlemen (SIC)
23. The Mom & Dads-Jingle Bell Rock
24. The Mulcays And Their Electric Harmonicas-Silent Night, Holy Night
25. The Schiavone Sisters-Granny Claus
26. The Three Stooges And Orchestra-I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
27. The Three Suns-Noite Silenciosa
28. Tommy Wills (Man With A Horn)-Blue Christmas
29. Trini Lopez-El Niño Del Tambor (The Little Drummer Boy)
30. WFLA TV's Barney & Hector-The Night Before Christmas
31. The Singers-Johnny's Noel
32. Ebenezer Moog-Silent Night
33. Justin Wilson-Santa Claus Done Brought Himself To Town
34. Louis Prima-Santa, How Come Your Eyes Are Green When Last Year They Were Blue?
35. Marti Mae-Ringing Everyone A Merry Christmas
36. The Kent Harian Orchestra And Chorus-Christmas Kiddie Polka
37. The Roy Meriwether Trio-Jingle Bells (Part II)
38. The Royal Guardsmen-It Kinda Looks Like Christmas
39. Yogi Yorgesson With Johnny Duffy And The Scandahoovians-I Give Up!-What Is It?
40. Don Cornell With Chorus And Orchestra Directed By Norman Leyden-I've Got The Christmas Spirit
41. The Anita Kerr Singers-Christmas Is The Day
42. Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians-Vocals By The Lombardo Trio-Christmas Chopsticks ('Twas The Night Before Christmas)
43. Leonard Feather-Ralph Burns And Their Orchestra-Blitzen
44. Ray Conniff-Holiday Greetings 4
45. The Melachrino Orchestra-Conducted By George Melachrino-Mrs. Santa Claus

MEGA