Singles Sunday #16-Noel Noel

I'm hoping someone out there in internet-land can clue me in on some of the details about this one, because I really have no clue. Major label, but not something you hear every day. You're guess is really as good as mine on this one.  This is The Towne Choir with African Noel b/w Papa Noel (Capitol 7" 45 RPM 5538, Mono, 1965).  This is not the sort of thing that's going to hit like The Beatles in '65.

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Singles Sunday #15-Jenny Jenny

Yep, it's Sunday, and that means more singles!  This one is a nice little kiddie vocal, one that you can actually understand what she's saying, which is a change from that other one I won't name.  Backup on this one is from the great Randy Van Horne, so you know the music is going to be good.  I think you'll like this one, and maybe even play it twice.  This is Jenny Lynn With Randy Van Horne-Gee! It's Christmas Day b/w Jingle Bells (Beta 7" 45 RPM BR 1000, Mono). I said Sleigh!

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Leibert Rehash.2

Leibert followed up his 1962 organ masterpiece with another record in 1963 along very similar lines. Like the other one, I've been sharing this one since 2005, so it's long overdue for a new visit, and that's what I've done this year.  New audio, new cover scan, including the labels on the vinyl, it's all new.  There's some great music, here, so I hope you really enjoy it!  This is Dick Leibert-Senior Organist At The Radio City Music Hall-The Happy Hits Of Christmas (Christmas Evergreens Played On The Radio City Music Hall Organ) (RCA Victor LSP-2771, Stereo, 1963)

1. Silver Bells
2. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
3. The Christmas Song
4. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
5. Winter Wonderland
6. Under The Christmas Mistletoe
7. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
8. Sleigh Ride
9. White Christmas
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
12. Jingle Bells
13. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers

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Leibert Rehash.1

It's been an awful long time coming, but I've finally gotten around to re-recording and re-sharing two (of the three) great Dick Leibert Christmas albums from RCA. This is the first one, from 1962.  I won't say it's the best, but it's pretty good.  I shared this out in my second year of Christmas fun, 2006, and it's been a big favorite ever since. (Nope, I'm sorry, this looks like something I first did in 2005!)  Hopefully, the new sound will make the wait worth it.  This is Dick Leibert-Senior Organist At The Radio City Music Hall-The Sound Of Christmas On The Radio City Music Hall Organ (RCA Victor LSP-2558, Stereo, 1962).

1. Deck The Halls
2. Joy To The World
3. The First Noel
4. Silent Night
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. O Holy Night
7. Medley: We Wish You A Merry Christmas-O Tannenbaum
8. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
9. Angels We Have Heard On High
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
12. Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)

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Christmas With Bing

Without a doubt, the greatest icon of Christmas music is Bing Crosby. His music means Christmas to many people, even more than half a century after it's first release.  Much of it has been collected and anthologized and re-released a million times, but there are still little bits of it out there that have been lost.  And after bringing you a lost radio show last year, this year I bring you Bing narrating the story of Christmas, with music by The Bonaventure Choir And Children's Chorus.  I'm not entirely sure who these people are, or when this was recorded, but it's not something that you can order from iTunes, that's for sure.  I'm sure you'll enjoy this little piece of lost history, so please download The Bonaventure Choir And Children's Chorus-Bing Crosby-Narrator-The Bible Story Of Christmas-The Traditional Carols In Gospel Sequence (World Library Productions WLP 8, Mono).

1. Behold A Virgin
2. Silent Night
3. The First Noel
4. A Child Is Born
5. Angels We Have Heard On High
6. O Come Little Children
7. Welcome Son Of Mary
8. O Come All Ye Faithful

(I have it on good authority that this is going to be reissued soon, so no more sharity. But when it comes out, I'll let you know!  -EH  28 Dec 2016)

Oh Canada

I ripped this record last year in hopes of sharing it out, but never made it. I ran out of time and energy long before the end of the season last year, and an awful lot of albums were left in a folder on my hard drive with no artwork.  So I've revisited that pile a few times this year in hopes of bringing you more of the best of lost Christmas music.  Unfortunately, this probably could have stayed lost and no one would have much minded.  You can look at the cover of this and that's pretty much what you're getting.  They couldn't even get all four song titles correct.  What first drew me to this release was that it's on the same Canadian label that brought us the great Christmas At The Red Lion (and that's even listed on the back side).  But there's nothing nearly so cool on this record.  But it's nice filler.  Maybe there's something on here you like, so I won't speak further ill of it.  This is The Embassy Chorale And Soloists-Little Drummer Boy And Other Christmas Hits (Arc AC 4, Mono).

1. Little Drummer Boy
2. Mary's Boy Child
3. Little Donkey
4. Away In The Manger
5. Come Landlord Fill The Flowing Bowl
6. The Village Of St. Bernadette
7. White Christmas
8. Jingle Bells
9. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
11. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
12. Bless This House

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Re-Minster

Tonight's remastered share from long ago is also on the Westminster label, and is probably one of the first compilations I ever shared around here.  There's lots of good stuff on here, and it sounds better than ever since I finally got around to re-recording it this year.  This is A Christmas Sampler-Selections From Outstanding Westminster Christmas Releases (Westminster WP S-2, Mono, 1956).

1. Dick Leibert-White Christmas
2. Cathedral Bellringers-Birthday Of A King
3. Collegium Musicam-Adeste Fideles
4. Ferrante & Teicher-Sleigh Ride
5. Deutschmeister Band-God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
6. Robert Locksmith & Robert Owen-O Holy Night
7. Dick Leibert-What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
8. Randolph Singers-The First Noel
9. Brooklyn Museum Children's Chorus-Joy To The World
10. Randolph Singers-We Three Kings Of Orient Are
11. Gordon Myers-O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
12. Basil Rathbone-Isaiah 40, 1-5
13. Carl Weinrich-Lord, Through Thy Goodness (Bach)
14. Vienna Akademie Kammerchor-Silent Night

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I love the little pictures on the back of the albums that the tracks on this collection are drawn from.  I think I have shared all but three of these, and of those three, I have the record for one, but not the sleeve.

Westminster Three

The third part of tonight's Westminster-palooza features what may be the ugliest Christmas LP cover of the season, if not all-time.  I don't know how to describe it, it's just bad.  Did one of the kids on the album draw this?  I'm scared to pull up the rear cover and look.  I'm not sure where or when I got this album, but I know that I've had it for many years now.  I tried to record it some years back, only to discover that someone had taken something very similar to a key and scratched the second side very, very badly.  Prior to this year, every time I tried to play that side, all I got was a whole pile of skips.  I gave it another shot this year, and what do you know, it played!  So remember that if you have some record that's really rare but won't play.  Different players and needles track differently, and what may be a lost cause on your record player might play fine elsewhere. Enough blathering, what's the record sound like?  Well, it's kids singing, they all sound pretty much the same.  So if you want to listen to that, please download American Children Sing Christmas Carols (Westminster WP 6025, Mono, 1956).  There are 24 tracks on this thing, and I really don't feel like typing them all in.  The groups featured include Brooklyn Museum Children's Chorus-Conducted By John Motley, Jan Hus Children's Choir-Conducted By Elyse Blodgett, Queen's Children's Chorus-Conducted By Carl Koop, Junior Choir Of The Second Spanish Evangelical Church Of New York-Conducted By Barbara Horan And Stanley Morgan and La Chorale Du Lycée Francais De New York-Conducted By Sylvia Durieux.

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Westminster Two

The second installment of tonight's Westminster feature is this collection of Christmas carols from Austria.  In fact, that's the name of the LP.  I guess they didn't really put a lot of thought into coming up with something creative.  There's some good stuff on here, lots and lots of carols that you've probably never heard, as well as a few that are well known the world around.  I could go on, or I could just tell you to download it.  I choose to tell you to download Vienna Akademie Kammerchor-Conducted By Günther Theuring-Christmas Carols From Austria (Westminster WP 6019, Mono, 1956).

1. Stille Nacht (Silent Night)
2. In Dulci Jubilo
3. Es Ist Ein Reis Entsprungen (Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming)
4. O Du Fröhliche (O Thou Joyful)
5. Joseph, Lieber Joseph Mein (Joseph, My Loving Joseph)
6. Der Engel Sprach (The Angel Spoke To The Shepherds)
7. Von Himmel Hoch (From Heaven Above)
8. Congratulamini Nunc Omnes (Now Let Us All Rejoice)
9. Es Blühen Die Maien (The Mayflowers Are Blooming)
10. Es Wird Scho Glei Dumpa (It Will Soon Be Dark)
11. Heissa Buama (Hey, Boys)
12. O Jesulein Zart (O Sweet Little Jesus)
13. Es Hat Sich Halt Eröffnet (The Heavenly Gate Has Opened)
14. Still, Still (Hush, Hush)
15. O Jubel, O Freud (O Joy, O Gladness)
16. Schlaf, Schlaf (Sleep, Sleep)
17. Kommts Her Ihr Hirten (Come Here, You Shpherds)
18. Andachtsjodler (Devotional Christmas Yodel)
19. Stacherl (Eustace)

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Westminster One

Longtime fans of the blog will remember that I'm a big fan of the old Westminster label, among many, many others. This year I've been lucky enough to find several records from that label that I haven't had before, and I'm gonna try to share them with you tonight. Well, that's sort of a misnomer, since I didn't just find this one this year, I actually found and recorded it last year, but I'm finding time to share it this year.  As you can tell from the cover, this is music played on handbells, that instrument made famous most recently in a commercial for Hershey's Kisses that I don't recall seeing this year, but maybe I've just missed it.  Anyhow, you'll know it when you hear it.  This is The Cathedral Bellringers Of The Cathedral Of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia-The Rev. Canon Frederick L. Eckel, Founder And Director-Cathedral Bellringers (Westminster WP 6059, Mono, 1958).

1. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; The Birthday Of A King
2. Jingle Bells
3. What Child Is This?; Good King Wenceslas
4. O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Silent Night
5. O Come Emmanuel; Once In Royal David's City; Gloria In Excelsis Deo
6. Away In A Manger; O Tannenbaum
7. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth; Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring; Joy To The World
8. The Holly Bears The Berry; Alleluia
9. Deck The Hall; Love And Joy (Wassail Song)
10. O Come All Ye Faithful; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; We Three Kings Of Orient Are
11. Sheep May Safely Graze
12. The Bell's Of St Mary's; Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes; America; Auld Lang Syne

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Stay tuned...More to come.

Kamehameha Christmas

A nice little rarity tonight for those of you who like your Christmas music with a bit of island flavor, in this case, the Hawaiian Islands. I think it was about two years ago I stumbled onto this record in a thrift store somewhere in Maryland, just outside of DC where I was headed for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.  I've gone at least twice now, maybe three times, and each time the festival has been right after the peak bloom.  So I've missed it.  But I'm thinking of going up this coming year the week before, and maybe then the timing will be right.  I could spend weeks wandering around DC, photographing all the major monuments and the little out-of-the-way places that you stumble across when you don't have a specific itinerary.  But wait, I'm supposed to be talking about this record.  I found this when I stopped at a junk store one morning, and I've been meaning to share it ever since.  This is one of those self-produced school records that the kids record and try to sell to their neighbors and grandparents in order to raise money for a trip or to buy new band instruments.  I see them all the time, but never from a school in Hawaii.  So I thought it was worth a buck, and it's certainly worth sharing with you tonight.  So please be my guest and download The Kamehameha Schools With The Hawaii Youth Symphony Orchestra-Kamehameha Sings At Christmas (IMUA Records SYB-2256, -2257, Stereo, 1968).  Good stuff!

1. Choral Fanfare For Christmas
2. Christmas Festival
3. Angelus Ad Pastores Ait
4. Here We Come A-Wassailing
5. Do You Hear What I Hear
6. Sleigh Ride
7. Carols In Hawaiian: Pomaika'i Wale Ko Ke Ao (Joy To The World); Ho'onani Kakou Iaia (O, Come All ye Faithful); Po La'l E (Silent Night)
8. Mele Kalikimaka
9. Glory To God (The Christmas Story)
10. Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow
11. Winter Wonderland
12. We Need A Little Christmas (Mame)
13. White Christmas
14. Selections From The Messiah: And The Glory Of The Lord; Hallelujah!

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Be Afraid

Here's something I'm sure you don't want, but I'm giving it to you anyway.  I'm too tired to go on at length about this, but it's one of those things you need to hear to believe.  So just go ahead and download Marcy Tigner-Christmas With Marcy (Corner Stone MT 113-LP, Mono, 1965).

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Stereo Redux-The Wright Stuff

I promised you back in 2010 that I would eventually bring you a stereo version of this organ & chime LP, and here it is. I know that the organ and chime stuff isn't too popular out there in internet-land, but I think that it adds a certain nice flavor to those Christmas mixes, especially when you load up a bunch of random stuff and hit play.  I've got about 6000 tracks on my iPod right now, all stuff I've ripped from vinyl & shellac the past couple of years, and it's nice to switch from a jaunty carol to a more reverent organ version, then to a nice orchestral tune, and then maybe some kiddie music.  Too many of these in a row and I hit the random button again, but once in a while is nice.  So download this and mix it in with your more normal stuff, I think you'll find yourself liking it more than you might expect.  This is Dr. Norman S. Wright & Dr. Charles S. Kendall-Christmas Encore (Dot DLP 25660, Stereo, 1965).  Let the bells ring out for Christmas, as I heard somebody say somewhere...

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
3. All My Heart This Night Rejoices
4. Christians, Awake
5. Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
6. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
7. I Know Not How That Bethlehem's Babe
8. We Would See Jesus
9. Light Of The World, We Hail Thee
10. The Shepherds Had An Angel
11. Brightest And Best Of Our Sons
12. Winter Wonderland
13. The Little Drummer Boy
14. I Wonder, As I Wander
15. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
16. Carol Of The Bells
17. Go Tell It On The Mountain
18. Silver Bells
19. White Christmas

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More French Kids

This post is for all of you who fondly remember one of my earliest shares, Les Djinns Singers, as this is more French kiddies singing Christmas tunes.  I discovered this at Fantasyland, a record store in Atlanta, Georgia, while I was flipping through boxes of Christmas records they had conveniently stashed away in the bathroom during the off-season.  Don't let it be said that I won't go to great lengths to bring you the best Christmas music!  I've got a large collection of music from the Phase 4 label, including a couple of other Christmas releases, but this is the only time I've ever seen this one.  As with all other Phase 4 records, this one is a gatefold sleeve, and as usual, there's nothing of value inside the fold, but I scanned it for you anyway, just cause I'm a nice guy.  So if kids singing in French turn you on, please download Christmas With The Children Of France (London Phase 4 SP 44188, Stereo, 1972).  Who's the real artist here?  I have no idea.  I just tagged it "The Children Of France".  Can't get more generic that that, I guess, unless you go with that old standby, Various Artists.

1. Jingle Bells (Vive Le Vent)
2. Silent Night (Douce Nuit)
3. Away In A Manger (Dans Une Pauvre Etable)
4. The First Noel (Premier Noel)
5. Good King Wenceslas (Le Chanson Du Bon Roi)
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Jesus Est Ne A Bethleheem)
7. Joy To The World (Paix Sur Le Terre)
8. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Le Petit Renne Au Le Nez Rouge)
9. White Christmas (Noel Blanc)
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Elevons Nos Voix)
11. The Holly And The Ivy (Le Temps Des Boules De Neige)
12. Lone Star (Noel Noel)
13. Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) (Peuple Fidele)

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Late At Night

What have I got for you today? Well, how about this release from Snuff Garrett, a svengali of the late sixties and early seventies who had his hands in all sorts of pies.  This time, that pie just happened Christmas music.  There's a small series of these "...For Young Lovers" records, but this is the only one that's ever interested me enough to buy it.  If this looks like the sort of thing that might appeal to you, please be my guest and download Midnight String Quartet-Christmas Rhapsodies For Young Lovers (Viva V36010, Stereo, 1967).

 1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
2. Silent Night
3. White Christmas
4. The Little Drummer Boy
5. Oh Holy Night
6. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
7. Sleigh Ride
8. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
9. Blue Christmas
10. First Noel
11. Winter Wonderland
12. Christmas Rhapsody

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Re-Nash

This evening's remaster comes from those heady days of 2008, back when gas was only $.25 a gallon and chocolate bars were a nickel. OK, maybe not, but close.  This was always a fairly popular share, and the sound was already pretty good, but I think it's better this time around.  So if you'd like to give it another listen, please download Johnny Nash-Prince Of Peace (JAD JS/1001, Stereo, 1969).

1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. Prince Of Peace
3. Away In A Manger
4. Mary's Little Boy Child
5. The Borning Day
6. The Christmas Song
7. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
8. Medley: Silent Night-Oh Holy Night
9. Go Tell It On The Mountain

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Surprise Soundtrack

Some days, I start to get a little haughty and think that I've seen all the Christmas music there is to see, at least in one category or the other.  I thought I'd seen all of the Christmas music on the RCA Victor label from the Sixties, for instance, then this soundtrack pops up one day.  This was the soundtrack to a Rankin-Bass Christmas special that I was unfamiliar with, and it doesn't appear to have been reissued, at least the soundtrack.  I'm not sure why Danny Thomas is all dressed up on the cover since it's an animated special, so no one could see him while he was voice-acting, but there he is.  They didn't spare any expense on the soundtrack, featuring not just Danny but his daughter Marlo, alongside Ed Ames and The Norman Luboff Choir.  Not all of the songs are Christmassy, but I think the whole package is worthwhile.  So before I get all cross-eyed from sitting at the computer all day, please be my guest and download Cricket On The Hearth (RCA Victor LSO-1140, Stereo, 1967).

1. Danny Thomas-The First Christmas
2. Ed Ames-Don't Give Your Love Away
3. Abbe Lane-Fish 'N' Chips
4. Maury Laws Orchestra-A Waltz For Christmas
5. Danny Thomas-Through My Eyes
6. Marlo Thomas-That Was Yesterday
7. Danny Thomas & The Norman Luboff Choir-Cricket On The Hearth
8. Marlo Thomas-Smiles Go With Tears
9. Maury Laws Orchestra-Parade Of The Toys
10. Ed Ames-Through My Eyes
11. The Norman Luboff Choir-The First Christmas

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Singles Sunday #14-Disco 12 Inch

I can't remember the last time I brought you a disco 12", if ever. Perhaps my brain is just failing me right now from having brought you so many singles today. But maybe I never have.  Oh, I know, Charo.  But she's not something I can share anymore, so this record will have to do.  I ripped this last year, but never had the opportunity to share it before now.  From just before the peak and collapse of the disco era, and from one of the great labels of that time, this is Memphis Sounds Orchestra-Sleigh Ride b/w Winter Wonderland (RSO 12" 33 RPM PRO 014, Stereo, 1976).  Get down with it!

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Singles Sunday #13-Versions

I don't know, I guess I was hoping for more from this one. It's a nice title, and I was promised a part one and a part two.  What I got was two versions of the same song, one sung in a Jerry Lewis voice and one sung straight, neither of which really works for me.  But give it a listen and see what you think, maybe this will work for you in some place or another.  This is Howie Stevie-If you Knew How Long I've been So Good For Christmas-Part 1 & 2 (Jamie 7" 45 RPM 1393 (D.J. Copy Not For Sale), Mono).  Again, if you've got any more info or a date, I'd appreciate you sharing it.

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Singles Sunday #12-More Medleys

I know you're just itching to hear more medleys of great Christmas music performed in some odd style that's not exactly hip, so here you go! This time it's honky-tonk ragtime piano, straight from the home of such things, Germany. OK, I don't know what I just wrote, but here are a couple of great Christmas medleys performed by the original Crazy Otto, not the US version, Johnny Maddox.  I'm not really clear on the difference, but such things tend to happen once in a while.  The world isn't as large as it once was, and stealing someone else's name isn't as easy as it used to be.  So, if this isn't at all confusing to you, this is the music for you.  Please be my guest and download Crazy Otto and His Honky-Tonk Piano-Medley: Sleigh Ride; Winter Wonderland; White Christmas b/w Medley: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer; I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus; Jingle Bells (Decca (Canada) 7" 45 RPM 9-31185, Mono).  Was this released in the US?  And if so, when?  I couldn't find a date for it.

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