audio archives: December 2012

Blogmass 2012 Day 25 - Wishing You A Merry Christmas!

This Columbia Masterworks disc is largely orchestral (with a brief diversion into Moog-land!), and could be nice to unwind with during Christmas brunch today.

Thus we conclude Blogmass 2012. Merry Christmas one and all!

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

O Come All Ye Faithful - New York Philharmonic/Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The First Noel - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Deck The Halls - The Cleveland Orchestra
O Little Town Of Bethelehem - The Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Good King Wenceslas - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Jingle Bells - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Joy To The World - The Cleveland Orchestra
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - The Philadelphia Orchestra/The Temple University Concert Choir
The Twelve Days of Christmas - The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble
Sheep May Safely Graze The Columbia Symphony and Chorus
Carol Of The Bells - New York Philharmonic
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Walter Carlos
Angels We Have Heard On High - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Silent Night - The Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Blogmass 2012 Day 24 - Joy to the World

Here's a later-than-usual (for this blog) entry in the various artists Christmas collection - a cassette from 1992 brought to you by the CEMA distribution group. It has a couple of nice tracks that aren't the hoary old warhorses.

Joy To The World

Tracklist is on the art, above.

Blogmass 2012 Day 23 - Cantata Time

I believe that this falls into the category of what my childhood church choir would have called a "Christmas cantata", and it likely would have been performed today, the Sunday before Christmas (probably at the evening service). This one is serviceable as those go, so if you like it look it up on the intertubes - it's still available to perform. This LP copy was published in 1979, and was also simultaneously available on cassette and 8-track tapes.

Noel, Jesus is Born

Blogmass 2012 Day 22 - Chiming In Again

Like many Christmas albums, this one has been reissued with various jackets. I like this one the best, I think. The "Electrically enhanced for stereo", not so much. Unfortunately, this copy seems to have had a rough life.

Jesse Crawford - Organ and Chimes of Christmas

A1         O Holy Night
A2         The First Noel
A3         Jingle Bells
A4         Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
A5         It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
A6         Deck The Halls
B1         Adeste Fideles
B2         Joy To The World
B3         Oh Come All Ye Faithful
B4         Silent Night
B5         God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
B6         O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Blogmass 2012 Day Twenty-One - Happy Holly Days!

We heard disc three in this series before when it was also doing duty as disc four in the Zenith Christmas: A Gift of Music series. I would put a Tennessee Ernie Ford decoration on my tree.

Music For Happy Holly Days Album1

1.Deck the Halls/The First Noel/Joy to the World - David Rose

2.Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Tony Sandler & Ralph Young

3.Mistletoe - Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians

4.The Christmas Song - Glen Campbell

5.Caroling, Caroling - Tennessee Ernie Ford

6.Jingle Bells/Up On the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas - Hollywood Pops

7.Silent Night - The Lettermen

8.I'll Be Home For Christmas - Glen Campbell

9.Gesu Bambino - Roger Wagner Chorale

10.White Christmas - Hollyridge Strings

11.It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Ella Fitzgerald

12.Christmas Is Coming/Angels We Have Heard On High - David Rose

Blogmass 2012 Day 20 - Morgan and Chimes

There must be a million organ and chimes Christmas LPs. Here's another, from 1965. It appears to have first been issued on Rheims' own label, and then picked up by other labels. Despite what the picture declares, this is the mono pressing. These recordings have been repackaged probably a dozen times.

Music to ease the transition into the Mayan apocalypse.

Robert Rheims - for the Whole Family At Christmas

1---WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.

2---WINTER WONDERLAND.

3---THE CHRISTMAS SONG.

4---WHITE CHRISTMAS.

5---MEDLEY: I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY,

SILVER BELLS.

6---MEDLEY: CAROL OF THE DRUM,

JINGLE BELLS.

7---MEDLEY: THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS SONG,

UP ON THE ROOFTOP,

TOO FAT FOR THE CHIMNEY.

8---MEDLEY: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS,

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

9---MEDLEY: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN,

JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS,

WHEN SANTA CLAUS GETS YOUR LETTER.

10--MEDLEY: RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER,

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.

11--CLOSE: WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Blogmas 2012 Day Nineteen - Pamela Wilson

Orchestral arrangements of traditional songs accompanying soprano Pamela Wilson.

Pamela Wilson - The Very Best of Christmas Snowflake Records
ST-111 1984

Pamela Wilson / Frederic Williams Singers, London Philharmonic

Silent Night

My Favorite Things

Winter Wonderland

Do You Hear What I Hear?

White Christmas

Oh Holy Night

Twelve Days of Christmas

Little Drummer Boy

Sleigh Ride

Joy to the World

Blogmass 2012 Day Eighteen - Getting Tired

Yes, the bad tire puns are back!
This time it's for the fourth volume in the BF Goodrich For a Musical Merry Christmas series (from 1967). Volume 2 from 1965 is here: For A Musical Merry Christmas (BF Goodrich).
Nothing really pushing the envelope sonically here, though I've got a soft spot for the country-ish ivory tinkling of Floyd Cramer based on an LP that my grandmother owned. The cover art is great, too.

BF Goodrich For a Musical Merry Christmas Volume 4

Vic Damone - Deck The Halls
Melachrino Strings and Orchestra - The First Noel
The Anita Kerr Singers - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Floyd Cramer - Silver Bells
Hugo Winterhalter- Medley : Away in a Manger - I Saw Three Ships
John Gary -Wintertime and Christmas Time
Dick Leibert Radio City Music Hall Organ - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Living Strings - White Christmas
Jim Reeves - Mary's Little Boy Child
Hugo & Luigi Children's Chorus - The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Arthur Fiedler Boston Pops - Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Norman Luboff Choir - Medley : Joy to the World-O Little Town of Bethlehem
The Three Suns - Jingle Bells.

Blogmass 2012 Day Seventeen - Under the Mistletoe

This is a nice concept - two songs from each artist on the disc.
Sound is a little rough on this one, even after a lot of audio work.

Mistletoe Records - Best of Christmas

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Gene Autry)
Little Drummer Boy (Harry Simeone Chorale)
'Twas The Night Before Christmas (Liberace)
This Time of the Year (Brook Benton)
Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms)
Up On The Housetop (Gene Autry)
O Holy Night (Harry Simeone Chorale)
You're All I Want For Christmas (Brook Benton)
The Christmas Song (Liberace)
Jingle Bells (Bobby Helms)

Blogmass 2012 Day Sixteen - Last of the Bests!

Finishing up this 6-disc Christmas set (and drifting into New Years Eve):

The Best Sounds of Christmas Discs 5 and 6

1         Mahalia Jackson - What Child Is This
2         Harry Belafonte - Mary's Boy Child
3         Engelbert Humperdinck - O Come All You Faithful
4         Mickey Gilley - An Old Christmas Card
5         Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band - Alleluia

1         Mormon Tabernacle Choir - O Holy Night
2         The Cleveland Orchestra - Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly (conductor: George Szell)
3         Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4         Perry Como - Silver Bells
5         Liona Boyd - Silent Night

1         Johnny Cash - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
2         Chet Atkins - I'll Be Home For Christmas
3         Merle Haggard - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
4         Tammy Wynette - Blue Christmas
5         The Statler Brothers - Christmas To Me

1         London Symphony Orchestra - Angels from the Realms of Glory
2         The Johnny Mann Singers - We Wish You a Merry Christmas
3         The New Christy Minstrels - We Need A Little Christmas
4         Canadian Brass - Good Christian Men Rejoice
5         Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians - Auld Lang Syne

Blogmass 2012 Day Fifteen - More Bests!

The Best Sounds of Christmas Discs 3 and 4

1         Burl Ives - It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
2         Robert Goulet - God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
3         Barbra Streisand - Jingle Bells
4         Julie Andrews - In The Bleak Midwinter
5         New York Philharmonic feat. conductor: Leonard Bernstein -Carol of the Bells
1         Liberace - Gesu Bambino
2         The Philadelphia Orchestra - Ave Maria
3         Peter Nero - Trepak from "Nutcracker Suite"
4         Royal College of Music Chamber Choir - O Little One Sweet
5         The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble - Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah
1         Gladys Knight - It's the Happiest Time of the Year
2         Jerry Vale - The First Noel
3         Richard Clayderman - Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
4         The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble - Twelve Days Of Christmas
5         Gregg Smith Singers - Lo How a Rose E're Blooming
1         Glenn Miller - White Christmas
2         The Norman Luboff Choir - A la Nanita Nana
3         Percy Faith - Joy to the World
4         The Mantovani Orchestra - Hark the Herald Angels Sing
5         Mel Tormé - The Christmas Song

Blogmass 2012 Day Fourteen - The Best Sounds!

This 1986 CBS Special Products collection collects many of the usual suspects and a few things I don't have anywhere else. Nothing that would really be called contemporary, even for 1985, though.
Discs 3-6 to follow.

The Best Sounds of Christmas Discs 1 and 2

1         Johnny Mathis - Do You Hear What I Hear
2         Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
3         Ray Conniff - Here We Come a Caroling
4         Lena Horne - Winter Wonderland
5         Andy Williams - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

1         Tony Bennett - Snowfall
2         Doris Day - Toyland
3         Mitch Miller - We Three Kings
4         André Kostelanetz - Sleigh Ride
5         Rita Ford's Music Boxes - O Tannenbaum

1         Willie Nelson - Pretty Paper
2         Gene Autry - Rudolf, The Red Nosed Reindeer
3         Anita Bryant - Away in a Manger
4         Jim Nabors - Go Tell It in the Mountain
5         Ray Price - The Little Drummer Boy

1         Marty Robbins - O Little Town of Bethlehem
2         Caravelli - Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
3         Bobby Vinton - Christmas Eve in My Hometown
4         Lynn Anderson - Frosty, The Snowman
5         Connie Smith - Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Blogmass 2012 Day Thirteen - High School 1967

I have three Christmas albums from this high school, including one posted previously here:
North-central-high-school-in-1969.

The albums are a showcase for the various musical ensembles of the school, including the Counterpoints, Music Men, The Bell Choir, Girls Concert Choir, Descants, Madrigals, N. C. Orchestra, A Capella Choir, and the H.C. Symphonic Band. That's a heck of a school music program.

North Central High School 1967 - A Festive Christmas

1. Come Singing Noel/Calypso Noel/ Ding Dong Merrily On High/Jingle Bell Travelogue/A Christmas Alleluia/Oh Bambino/Noel of the Shepards/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
2. Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
3. Sleigh Ride
4. A Snow Legend/Pat-A-Pan/To The Manger/The Three Kings/Dance of the Sugar Plum/Carol of the Bells
5. Christmas Music For Winds

Blogmass 2012 Day Eleven - Readers Digest Part Two

The second part of this five disc set.

Readers Digest - Have a Merry Christmas discs 3 and 4

Do You Hear What I Hear? (The Harry Simeone Chorale)
Adeste Fideles (The Philadelphia Orchestra - Eugene Ormandy, Conductor)
Gloria in Excelsis (Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians)
What Child Is This (The Boston Pops Orchestra - Aurthur Fiedler, Conductor)
The Holly and the Ivy (The Columbus Boychoir)
White Christmas (The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus - William Smith, Conductor)
Sleigh Ride (The Boston Pops Orchestra - Arthur Fiedler, Conductor)
,p>Deck the Halls (The Jack halloran Singers)Carol of the Bells (Wayne King, His Orchestra and Chorus)
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow (Ed Ames)
Winter Wonderland (Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra, The Andrews Sisters)
Jingle Bells (Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians)
Senor Santa Claus (Jim Reeves)
A Marshmallow World (Brenda Lee)
Jolly Old St Nicholas (Roy Drusky)
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S (Kitty Wells)
Christmas Island (Ernest Tubb)
Away in a Manger (Red Foley)
Christmas Can't Be Far Away (Eddy Arnold)
Christmas Time's A-Coming (Bill Anderson)
Christmas Time Is Here (Bonnie Guitar)
Up on the Housetop (Jimmie Rodgers)
Blue Christmas (Loretta Lynn)
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (Jimmie Davis)

Blogmass 2012 Day Twelve - Readers Digest Part Three

The dramatic conclusion of this 1974 five record set.

Readers Digest - Have a Merry Christmas disc 5

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (Burl Ives)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (The Four Aces)
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (The Lennon Sisters)
Here Comes Santa Claus (The Mills Brothers)
All I Want for Christmas Is my Two Front Teeth (The Platters)
Jingle Bell Rock (Pete Fountain, Clarinet, Orchestra, and Chorus)
Ave Maria (Pat Boone)
O Sanctissima (Roger Williams)
Poor Little Jesus (The Anita Kerr Singers)
Mary's Little Boy Chile (The Harry Simeone Chorale)
Gesu Bambino (Liberace)
Christ Is Born (Perry Como with The Ray Charles Singers)

Blogmass 2012 Day Ten - Readers Digest Part One

This may be the smallest Readers Digest box set ever - only five discs. Most other sets seem to have closer to ten discs (my Grandmother had several). I'll split this one up over the next few days.

Each side of each disc has a theme:
1A Joy To The World
1B We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2A Silent Night
2B Holy Night
3A White Christmas
3B Sleigh Ride
4A Country Christmas
4B Hometown Christmas
5A Christmas Fun
5B The Christmas Spirit

Readers Digest - Have a Merry Christmas discs 1 and 2 1974

Joy to the World (the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus - Eugene Ormandy, Conductor)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Perry Como with The Ray Charles Singers)
Silver Bells (Billy Vaughn, His Orchestra and Chorus)
The Christmas Song (Patti Page)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (Burl Ives)
The Little Drummer Boy (The Boston Pops Orchestra and Chorus - Arthur Fiedler, Conductor)
We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Pat Boone)
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (The Mills Brothers)
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians)
Happy Holiday (Bing Crosby)
Auld Lang Syne (Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra)
Silent Night (Perry Como)
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Earl Grant)
The First Noel (Patti Page)
Good King Wenceslas (Bing Crosby)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Jesse Crawford)
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming (The Columbus Boychoir)
O Holy Night (Eddie Fischer)
The Coventry Carol (Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (George Wright)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Perry Como with Michell Ayers' Orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers)
We Three Kings (Roger Williams)
Angels We Have Heard on High (Bing Crosby

Blogmass 2012 Day Nine - Christmas Hymns And...

Here's a cassette from 1995. I flipped the order of the sides so that the Christmas music mostly comes first (hey, it's my blog, and my Christmas-themed series!).

Christmas Hymns and Good Gospel Music 2

Silent Night - Rev. Cleophus Robinson
Merry Christmas to You - Salem Travelers
Christian's Automobile - The Dixie Hummingbirds
The Spirit of Christmas - Meditation Singers
Precious Lord, Take My Hand - Aretha Franklin
Go Tell It on the Mountain - The Mighty Clouds of Joy
Going to See the King - Hi Way Que C's
What the World Needs for Christmas - Meditation Singers

Blogmass 2012 Day Eight - Trim Your Tree!

This is usyually a big weekend for tree-buying and trimming, so here ya' go!
A very traditional selection, though the Chet Atkins tune is especially nice.
This one is in kind of rough shape.

Music To Trim Your Tree By

1. Deck The Halls - Vic Damone
2. Sleigh Ride - Arthur Fiedler
3. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Marian Anderson
4. The Coventry Carol & God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - Chet Atkins
5. Christmas Theatre Organ Medley - Dick Leibert at The Radio City Music Hall Pipe Organ

1. Silent Night and Jingle Bells - The Hugo & Luigi Children's Chorus
2. White Christmas - John Gary
3. Silver Bells - Al Hirt
4. We Three Kings - Robert Shaw Chorale
5. Mary's LIttle Boy Child - Jim Reeves
6. Do You Hear What I Hear - Norman Luboff Choir

Blogmass 2012 Day Seven - Living Trio

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Schmaltz, but very good schmaltz. The accordion player particularly can rip it up. There's a swingin' little rhythm section, nice guitar work, and some jazzy organ playing. I could definitely do without the titular chimes and bells, though. This is a new one to me this year, and it's going in my regular rotation.

Living Trio (with chimes and bells) - I'll Be Home For Christmas [RCA Camden – CAS 2159 (1967)]

A1	Medley: I'll Be Home For Christmas; That Christmas Feeling; Home For The Holidays	4:23
A2	Medley: Merry Christmas Merry Go Round; I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus; Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeeer	3:23
A3	Medley: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas; Up On The House Top; Jingle Bells	2:45
A4	Medley: One Bright Star; White Christmas	2:44
A5	Medley: The Little Drummer Boy; Wassail Song; Patapan	4:05
B1	Medley: O Christmas Tree; Deck The Halls; Here We Come A-Caroling; We Wish You A Merry Christmas; We Need A Little Christmas Now	3:00
B2	Medley: O' Bambino; Mary's Little Boy Child; Away In A Manger; Oh! Little Town Of Bethlehem	4:02
B3	Medley: O Come, All Ye Faithful; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Angels We Have Heard On High	3:30
B4	Medley: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Joy To The World; We Three Kings Of Orient Are; Carol, Sweetly Carol	3:00
B5	Medley: O Holy Night; Silent Night	3:35

Blogmass 2012 Day Six - Goodyear Again

Another in the classic Goodyear Christmas series - volume 4 of 17 (!).
Pretty middle-of the road here.

Great Songs Of Christmas Album Four by The Great Artists of Our Time
1. Silent Night - Mary Martin

2. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

3. O Come, All Ye Faithful - Robert Goulet

4. Joy to the World - Philadelphia Orchestra

5. Good King Wenceslas - Percy Faith

6. What Child Is This? - Brothers Four

7. Holy, Holy, Holy! - Mahalia Jackson

8. Abide With Me - Mahalia Jackson

9. Ave Maria - Isaac Stern

10. Toyland - Doris Day

11. The Shepherd Boy - New Christy Minstrels

Blogmass 2012 Day Five - Wishes Granted

Here's another of my favorite style of Christmas record - the sponsored album. This time it's the Grants department store chain getting in on the act. There are 8 albums in this annual series that began in 1967. Grants gave good value for the money - 16 tracks. Content-wise, it's mostly the usual suspects, although I'll admit that I had to look up Leslie Uggams. Christmas Chopsticks was new to me, as well.

Grants - A Very Merry Christmas Volume 3

Do You Hear What I Hear - Robert Goulet

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Leslie Uggams
Angels We Have Heard On High - Percy Faith and Orchestra
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Johnny Mathis
The Real Meaning of Christmas - Ray Conniff Singers
Three Wise Men, Wise Men Three - Jim Nabors
Christmas Lullaby - Cary Grant
Christmas Chimes - Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra
Handel: For Unto Us a Child Is Born from "The Messiah" - Philadelphia Orchestra & Temple University Choir
Christmas Story - Burl Ives
Silver Bells - Mahalia Jackson
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Ed Sullivan Orchestra
Some Children See Him - Diahann Carroll
What Child Is This - Mitch Miller and the Gang
Christmas Chopsticks - Bobby Vinton

Blogmas 2012 Day Four - Organ and Chimes

I wonder how many organ and chimes Christmas albums were produced? Given how many that I find, they must have been profitable. There certainly wouldn't have been much expense producing them - minimal recording set-up, minimalist cover art, no songwriter royalties. This one actually goes the extra mile artwork-wise, with a really nice shiny gold-ish foil cover. This 1964 issue is no better or worse than the rest of them - very competent.

The Organ and Chimes of Edmund Francis - Merry Christmas

We Wish You a Merry Christmas/O Tannenbaum/The Wassail Song (2:27)
O Come all Ye Faithful/O Little Town of Bethlehem (2:22)
Silent Night (2:58)
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High (2:22)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear/I Saw Three Ships (3:09)
Carol of the Bells/We Three Kings (3:00)
Joy to the world/Carol of the drum/Deck the halls (2:42)
O holy night/Christ was born on Christmas day (3:40)
God rest ye merry gentlemen/Good king Wenceslas (1:57)
The First Noël/Away in a Manger (2:25)
Twelve Days of Christmas (3:00)

Blogmass 2012 Day Three - Charley Pride

This 1970 album is a nice selection of fairly standard Christmas tunes. Produced by the legendary Jack Clement, it has that "Nashville Sound" (as the liner notes state). The first two tracks also feature the Jordanaires.

Charley Pride - Christmas in My Hometown

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Christmas In My Home Town