09-Here's A Kiss For Christmas

Here's another collection that was really fun to put together. It started out as a batch of Christmas songs with 'Kiss' in the title, but I later decided to fill it out with songs about mistletoe, and later just romantic songs in general. I think there's still a little bit of filler in there, too, but not too much. The best things here are a really rare Sammy Davis, Jr. track done for Christmas Seals that still seems to be missing in action from his digital discographies, and a track called Kiss An Eskimo by a guy from Alaska. I remember having to pay up a bit for that one, but it came with a nice picture sleeve and I got plenty of cheaper records at the same time, so it all balanced out. That's how I try to order stuff from Discogs when I can. I'll get one nicer record and a bunch of cheap ones to make the average shipping work out better. Hard to stomach paying $10 to ship one record, but paying $20 to ship 20 singles ain't so bad. Your mileage may vary, but it works well for me. Problem is that sometimes a vendor has only one record I want. Anyhow, it's a good collection, I'm sure you and your significant other will enjoy this little collection. Enjoy!

1. Bobby Whitaker-Marry Me For Christmas
2. Bonnie Guitar-Arranged & Conducted By Cliff Parman-I'll Be Missing You (Under The Mistletoe)
3. Brook Benton-Arranged And Conducted By Fred Norman-Our First Christmas Together
4. Children's Christmas-Aid, Vocalists: Lauren Echo And The JM Children's Chorus-Christmas Love Is Everywhere
5. Cliff Richard-Mistletoe & Wine
6. Dora Hall-Kissin By The Mistletoe
7. Eddie Loper-Don't Hang The Mistletoe
8. Isaac Hayes-The Mistletoe And Me
9. Joe Dowell-A Kiss For Christmas (O Tannenbaum)
10. Johnny Kaye-Arranged & Conducted By Morty Jay-A Christmas Love
11. Keely Smith-Orchestra Conducted By George Greeley-Silent Night
12. Lester Lanin And His Orchestra-Jingle Bells
13. Lionel Bart, Accompaniment Directed By Roland Shaw-Give Us A Kiss For Christmas
14. Mike Thomas-My Christmas Love
15. Rhys O'Brien-The Word Called Love (The Sound Of Christmas)
16. Sammy Davis, Jr.-Arranged And Conducted BY Marty Paich-Here's A Kiss For Christmas (The Christmas Seal Song)
17. The Fontane Sisters With Perry Como And Orchestra Conducted By Hugo Winterhalter-Kissing Bridge
18. The Carolers-True Christmas Love
19. Art Mooney And His Orchestra-Vocal By The Art Mooney Choir-The Mistletoe Kiss
20. Bill Withers-Let Us Love
21. Cheryl Poole-How About Your Love For Christmas
22. Cheryl Springer And Ron Carney-Love On Your Gift List
23. Grandpa Jones-Christmas Roses
24. Harry Lee-Kiss An Eskimo
25. Malchak & Rucker-All I Want For Christmas Is Your Love
26. Mimi Hines With Ray Martin And His Orchestra-I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
27. The Dudes-Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
28. The Flashcats-Stocking Full Of Love
29. The Lancers With Orchestra And Chorus Directed By Van Alexander-I Wanna Do More Than Whistle (Under The Mistletoe)
30. The McGuire Sisters With Chorus & Orchestra Directed By Dick Jacobs-Give Me Your Heart For Christmas
31. The Norman Luboff Choir-What Child Is This
32. The Somerset Strings-Away In A Manger
33. Seymour (The Heartbeat Trumpet) With Chimes And Organ-Deck The Halls
34. Dinah Shore-Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
35. Larry Muhoberac With The Recordets-Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
36. Patti Page-White Christmas
37. Paul Mickelson, Bells & Orchestra-Joy To The World
38. The Mariners-God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
39. The Three Suns-Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
40. The Cathedral Choir-Angels We Have Heard On High
41. Bill Durkin And Full Orchestra-First Noel
42. Ed Sullivan Presents Music Of Christmas-O Holy Night
43. Leland W. Sprinkle Sr-O Come All Ye Faithful
44. Leonard Feather-Ralph Burns And Their Orchestra-Cupid
45. Smokey Robinson And Bobby Rogers Of The Miracles-Season's Greetings

MEGA

08-Give Us Our Farm Back For Christmas

Time for another interesting batch of Christmas singles, this time focusing on country music, though there are quite a few iterations of that sound here. I tried to cover a lot of bases here with twangy 50's, countrypolitan 60's, country-rock 70's, Duke-boy 80's right up to slick 90's productions that would make the old-timers roll over in their graves. But it's all got that sound that means you have to play it on one radio station and not the other. I had a lot of records available that I could have easily slipped into this category, but then I could say that about most of the themes this year. I just put stuff into piles as best I could and called it done. Feel free to remix my selections once you've downloaded everything, that's your prerogative. You can probably also find better sounding versions for plenty of my shares this season. 45's just get beat up a lot worse than albums. I'm sure that's because albums come in a nice thick protective cardboard sleeve and 45 often come with only a paper sleeve that's frequently discarded. 50-60 years later, they can be a tough listen. But at least you'll know your listening to an authentic single.  Enjoy!

1. Bill Anderson-Po Folks Christmas
2. Chet Atkins And His Guitar-Jingle Bells
3. Conway Twitty-White Christmas
4. Country Music Makers-Vocal By Wayne Brown-Merry Christmas Anyway
5. Danny Davis And The Nashville Brass-Silent Night
6. Emmylou Harris-Light Of The Stable-Stereo
7. Faron Young-Candy Land
8. Freddy Fender-Please Come Home For Christmas
9. Gary Morris-Every Christmas
10. Hank Snow-The Christmas Cannonball
11. Jack Green-I'd Be Home On Christmas Day
12. Jerry Lee Lewis-I Can't Have A Merry Christmas, Mary, (SIC) (Without You)
13. Jesse Rogers And His '49ers-Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)
14. John Kirby-Give Us Our Farm Back For Christmas
15. John Schneider-Katey's Christmas Card-Stereo
16. Kit Smith-Music By The "Buckaroos"-Christmas At Our House (Stereo)
17. Kitty Wells-Christmas Ain't Like Christmas Anymore
18. Larry Boone-Roses In December
19. Merle Haggard-If We Make It Through December
20. Mervin Shiner With Orchestra Directed By Roy Ross-I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
21. Mickey Gilley-Lonely Christmas Call
22. Ralph Emery-Music By Harold Bradley-Christmas Can't Be Far Away
23. Red Foley And The Little Foleys Shirley, Julie And Jenny-Frosty The Snow Man
24. Red Sovine-Christmas Is For Kids
25. Riders In The Sky-Riding Home For Christmas
26. Tammy Wynette-One Happy Christmas
27. Tennessee Ernie Ford-Music Arranged And Conducted By Jack Fascinato With The Jack Halloran Choir-The Little Drummer Boy
28. The Browns Featuring Jim Edward Brown-Greenwillow Christmas (Carol)
29. The Country Gentlemen-Christmas Time Back Home
30. Tom T. Hall-Let's Spend Christmas At My House
31. Webb Pierce-Christmas Times A Coming
32. Stonewall Jackson-Blue Christmas
33. Cowboy Weaver-Christmas To Me Is Just Another Day
34. Dave Dudley-Old Time Merry Christmas
35. Ferlin Husky And The Hushpuppies-Christmas Is Holy (Not A Holiday)
36. George Jones & Tammy Wynette-The Greatest Christmas Gift
37. Hank Thompson-Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons
38. Mason Dixon-Sleighride
39. Reno & Smiley-Christmas Reunion
40. The Country Cavaleers And Children's Christmas Choir-A Sing Along Christmas Song
41. The Statler Brothers-Mary's Sweet Smile
42. Van Trevor-Xmas Greetings
43. Warren Smith-The Meaning Of Christmas
44. Webb Foley-Extra Christmas
45. Ernest Tubb With The Troubadettes-Christmas Island

MEGA