Wednesday, December 24, 2008

See You Next (Good)year

Last post of 2008 brings us a final Goodyear Christmas album. This one is Volume 8, from 1968 of The Great Songs of Christmas. I can specifically remember the exact moment when my Dad came home from work, walked down the hall and into the bedroom, and handed this one to me.

A Marshmallow World by Johnny Mathis is easily my favorite on this disc, and maybe my favorite of the whole series.
1. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
2. Christmas Waltz - Robert Goulet & Carol Lawrence
3. Here Comes Santa Claus - Ray Conniff Singers
4. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm & I Love Winter Weather - Tony Bennett
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Percy Faith
6. A Marshmallow World - Johnny Mathis
7. The Little Drummer Boy - Percy Faith
8. Sleigh Ride - The New Christy Minstrels
9. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Barbra Streisand
10. On Christmas Night All Christians Sing - Anthony Newley
11. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Sally Ann Howes
12. March of the Kings & Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Robert Merrill 13. Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep - Anthony Newley
14. Ave Maria - Anna Moffo
15. Mary's Little Boy Child - The Brothers Four
16. What Child Is This? - Tony Bennett
17. Joy to the World - Anna Moffo
18. Silent Night - Barbra Streisand

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

It was a very Goodyear

I've mentioned before that my Dad worked for The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company, a subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Beginning in 1960 Goodyear began offering Christmas compilation albums to their employees, so we ended up with several. Today's offering is volume 6, from 1966.




















The Great Songs of Christmas Volume Six

Silent Night - Barbra Streisand
Do you Hear What I Hear? Andy Williams The Christmas Song - Johnny Mathis
The Holiday of Love / Caroling, Caroling - The King Family
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Pablo Casals
O Little Town of Bethlehem/It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - The King Family
O Come, All ye Faithful - Jan Peirce Ave Maria - Barbra Streisand
Frosty the Snowman - Ray Conniff
We Need a Little Christmas - New Christy Minstrels
Let It Snow - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Ray Conniff
Noel Nouvelet - Jan Peerce
March of the Kings / Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
White World of Winter - Bing Crosby
Il, Est Me - New Christy Minstrels
Still, Still, Still - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Away in a Manger - Mahalia Jackson & Percy Faith
We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Ray Conniff

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Nth Day of Christmas

Here's an album from my youth that I've never seen anywhere else: The Little Drummer Boy: Christmas Songs For Children by The Caroleers. It was put out by Premier Albums, Inc of NYC.






















The fidelity is low, the pressing is noisy, but there's one very good reason why I still treasure it:














anyway, enjoy a half-hour of 60's knock-off Christmas music:


A1 The Little Drummer Boy
A2 Santa Clause Is Coming To Town
A3 Jingle Bells
A4 Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly
A5 Twas The Night Before Christmas
B1 Silent Night
B2 O Little Town Of Bethlehem
B3 Hark The Herald Angels Sing
B4 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
B5 I Heard The Bells

Friday, December 19, 2008

Getting Under The Covers With Someone Else

Inspired by the tremendous artistic phenomenon that was my Under The Covers cassette series, my friend Michelle (please note: with two L's*), lead singer in The Thirteenth Generation, decided to jump on the bandwagon and contribute #12 to the series circa 1989 . She uncovered a really cool Flatt and Scruggs cover of a Monkees song (but that should have been expected, as she's always been quite the Monkees fan).

SIDE ONE
The Everly Brothers and The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
Indigo Girls - Get Together
Cowboy Junkies - Powderfinger
The Chimes - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Dwight Yoakam - Ring of Fire
Flatt and Scruggs - Last Train to Clarksville
John Mellencamp - Do Re Mi
Bruce Springsteen - I Ain't Got No Home
U2 - Jesus Christ
Brian Wilson - Goodnight Irene
Simply Red - If You Don't Know Me By Now
CSN - Blackbird
Rick Springfield - Black is Black

SIDE TWO
10000 Maniacs - Peace Train
Amii Stewart - Knock on Wood
The Monkees - Kicks
Jim Nabors - Born Free
The Beatles - Roll Over Beethoven
Olivia Newton John - Gimmie Some Lovin
John Schneider - It's Now or Never
The Mamas and the Papas - I Call Your Name
Pat Benatar - Helter Skelter
Bruce Springsteen - Jersey Girl
Jim Nabors - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Peter, Paul and Mary - For Lovin Me
The Mamas and the Papas - Dancing in the Streets



*very inside joke. So inside that it's gone around and come out the front side again.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Must be a King Leisure bed...

because some of these covers are extended length.

Volume 10 of the Under The Covers Series. My faves on this set are the 60's Rick Nelson sides, and maybe the worst My Girl cover ever.

SIDE ONE
Sugarloaf - Train Kept a Rollin'
Wolfman Jack - My Girl
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Who Do Yo Love
Johnny Winter - Jumpin Jack Flash
Tiny Tim - As Time Goes By
Senator Bobby - Wild Thing
Rick Nelson - I Shall Be Released
Tiny Tim - Great Balls of Fire

SIDE TWO
Rick Nelson - If You Gotta Go, Go Now
The Beach Boys - Do You Wanna Dance?
Frijid Pink - Heartbreak Hotel
Bill Black's Combo - Don't Be Cruel
Harper's Bizzare - Feelin' Groovy (The 59th St. Bridge Song)
Nazareth - Love Hurts
Rare Earth - Get Ready
Billy J. Kramer - Do You Want To Know a Secret?
The Hollies - Stay
Roy Orbison and K.D. Laing - Crying


Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Pull The Covers Over Your Head

Another installment in the Under The Covers Series, this one tape #11.

We've only got one unidentified performer this time. Let me know who it is and win a prize.

SIDE ONE
Weird AL - Polkas on 45
The Phonics - Be Bop A Lula
The Grateful Dead - Johnny B. Goode
Droogs - Waitin' FOr My Man
Bob Seger - Fortunate Son
Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust
The Proclaimers - 20 Flight Rock
The Fat Boys - Sex Machine
Deep Purple - Hush
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff
The Demensions - Nursery Rhyme Rock
Jim Carroll Band - Sweet Jane

SIDE TWOJames Taylor - Handy Man
Rare Earth - Tobacco Road
James Taylor - How Sweet It Is
Rare Earth - I Know I'm Losing You
The Raiders - Eve of Destruction
The Raiders - Steppin' Stone
?? - Dizzy
Rebirth Brass Band - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground
Ace Frehley - Do Ya?
Lou Gramm - Tin Soldier

Friday, December 05, 2008

More New Airwaves

This show is (as best we can determine) from the summer of 1984, based on the announcement of an upcoming Dissocial/STDs show at Vic N Bills (possible flyer here). Thanks to CMP and JoeTheLion for help in narrowing down the date.

In addition to local rockers the STDs, this show also features an "Outhouse Tape" song from the Arbitraries ("Walking Around").

This show is primarily hosted by "Q" on his own.

WUTK-NewAirwaves-July1984a
WUTK-NewAirwaves-July1984b

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Thursday, December 04, 2008

'Tis the season

When I was a kid in the 60's/70's my Dad worked for the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company (a subsidiary of Goodyear Tires) which meant that nearly every Christmas we'd get one of the Goodyear "Great Songs of Christmas" albums. While Goodyear and Firestone were by far the largest producers of these albums, there were other smaller-run issues. Today we have one from W.T Grant Department Store chain.
Although there was quite a bit of overlap with the mainstream easy listening Christmas music on the Goodyear/Firestone records, the Grants albums also featured some unique tracks.

Today's album is A Very Merry Christmas Volume 3.

Amongst the typical MOR/easy listening stuff is a really nice reading of Silver Bells by Mahalia Jackson that I had not previously heard before obtaining this record, and I definitely hadn't hear the Cary Grant track, either.















01 Robert Goulet - Do You Hear What I Hear?
02 Leslie Uggams - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
03 Percy Faith Orchestra - Angels We Have Heard On High
04 Johnny Mathis - I'll Be Home for Christmas
05 Ray Conniff Singers - The Real Meaning of Christmas
06 Jim Nabors - Three Wise Men, Wise Men Three
07 Andre Kostelanetz Orchestra - Christmas Chimes
01 Cary Grant - Christmas Lullaby
02 The Philadelphia Orchestra and Choir - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
03 Burl Ives - The Christmas Story (reading from Luke 2)
04 Mahalia Jackson - Silver Bells
05 Ed Sullivan Orchestra - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
06 Diahann Carroll - Some Children See Him
07 Mitch Miller and the Gang - What Child Is This?
08 Bobby Vinton - Christmas Chopsticks


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