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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Christmas Sampler - 2010



Merry Christmas!


Usually at this downloading season, I would be posting new Christmas albums that I would have rummaged for at thrift stores, haggled for at record shows, and sniped at the last minute on eBay.

Several things prevented me in doing that this year - I could bore you with the details but I'll refrain. I did want to continue the tradition that I started five Christmases ago - the annual Yuleblog Sampler.

Normally, this would have been posted on Christmas Day - my present to you. But I decided to move the release date up by 10 days since I don't have anything else to post this season.

I'm excited about this release for two reasons: 1.) Many of the 45s and 78s I found for the sampler were nowhere to be found in my 22,000+ Christmas song library. 2.) These singles were the first vinyl transferred on my new Stanton T.92 USB turntable and captured to digital on my new Dell PC.

None of the vinyl I've transferred before has sounded better than this. Welcome to the 21st century Capt.



Your 2010 Christmas Yuleblog sampler:


Track 1 - Franklin MacCormack - I Like Christmas
Chicago Federal Savings Promo - ZTSC-9044-1A - 195?

MacCormack was a longtime Chicago radio host who helped to pioneer the spoken word album back in the 1950s.

Open a Christmas club account, get this record - sweet!






Track 2 - Dick Roman - Christmas Village
Harmon Records - 1011 (NO7W-0796-2) - 1962

"Pretty song about a dream of childhood days is sung with much feeling by the lad, while the ork lends good support. Could grab spins". - - Billboard Magazine, 12/1/62

I agree!





Track 3 - The Di Mara Sisters - Santa's Italian Wife
Pip Records - 100X-A - 1971

Did you that wife that Santa comes from Italy? And your presents on Christmas morning could have a very cheesy smell? Every Italian stereotype is thrown in good measure on this song - eh cumpari!






Track 4 - Johnny Long & His Orchestra (Vocal by Francey Lane and the Ensemble) - Winter Wonderland
Signature Records - 15150-B (SRC-434) - 1947

Found this 78 at a local thrift store - I've since discovered this came from a larger set of Christmas 78s that featured other artists. Keep watching...





Track 5 - Frank and Jack - Twas The Night Before Christmas (Breaking Through The Sound Barrier)
Bergen Records - 100A - 1957

Taking a cue from Buchanan & Goodman, two radio guys decided to have some fun in the radio studio. Instead of break-ins with Elvis and Fabian, they chose sound F/X and celebrities. Strange...




Track 6 - Hank Crawford - Merry Christmas Baby
Atlantic Records - 45-5032 (A-8326) - 1964


Crawford has a long career in the R&B/jazz world and was astounded to find this at a garage sale for a dime.

If you want some Christmas sax this holiday, look no further than this.





Track 7 - David Hill (with Ray Martin & His Orchestra) - Christmas Bride
RCA Victor - 47-7430 (H2PW-7812) - 1958


I've never heard of a song that combines wedding proposals and Christmas before. Not exactly rock-n-roll, not exactly pop... love the sax solo.





Track 8 - Red Buttons - Bow-Wow Wants A Boy For Christmas
Columbia Records - 40384 (CO 52652) - 1954

I won a promo 45 of this record several years ago on eBay. Found this 78 RPM earlier this year - one of the first 78s on the new turntable.

I think the songwriter on this is Steve Allen - can anyone confirm that?



Track 9 - The Gus De Wert Trio (with Gay LaComb) - Space Age Santa Claus
Ross Records - WW1004-B (SJW-3524) - 196?

This one has floated around cyberspace for a long time with Jeannie Jay listed as the singer.

Jay was the credited singer on side two ("When Christmas Bells Are Ringing"), LaComb on side one. Hope this clears up any confusion.



Track 10 - Monica Lewis (with Ray Bloch & His Orchestra) - The Christmas Song
Signature Records - 15151-B (SRC-540) - 1947

This was the other 78 RPM I found (see track four above). The third 78 in this set was Ray Bloch & His Orchestra doing "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "Let It Snow x 3".

Artwork anyone?



Track 11 - Judy Storey - Christmas Cheer From Heaven
Breaking Records - IRDA 576-A - 1979

A Christmas song from a dead wife singing to her husband from heaven.

Who gave the green light to this one? Truly inexplicable.





Track 12 - Consuela & Luisa Valdez - This Xmas Day
Mosaic Records - 210419A - 1970

Mother/daughter duo who self-produced and wrote this tribute to a family member at Christmas.

Found at Wooden Nickel Records in Fort Wayne (thanks Tim!).





Track 13 - The De John Sisters - The Only Thing I Want For Christmas (Is To Keep The Things That I've Got)
Epic Records - 5-9133 (ZSP 37226) - 1955

The second 45 to feature a sister singing act. This is yet another song I'd nominate to get more radio airplay at this time of year.





Track 14 - Joel Grey - Santa's Little Sleigh Bells
Majar Records - 137-X45 - 1954

Recorded at the beginning of his career, Grey was primarily known as an comic actor/dancer. His comic sensibilities are showcased in this silly song about a rogue sleigh bell.






Track 15 - Mona Abboud - I Should Have Left The Light On For Santa
Mona Records (Phonograph Records) - 100180-B - 1980

The flipside (listen to audio, ignore video) of this song was considered for "The FPT Christmas Revue". Spoke to Ms. Abboud who gave me her blessing to use the song (theater rejected it). Her voice hasn't aged a day - thanks Mona!




Track 16 - Lois Lynn - Every Christmas We Know
Concept Records - 45-896 - 1956

Purchased at a record show, this is either a haunting Christmas song or a bizarre experiment gone wrong.

Think I'm kidding? Check out this Billboard ad...





Track 17 - Heavy Duck - A Wonderful Christmas
Derrick Records - 45-DRC-113A - 1976

Okay, so Rick Dees scores big with "Disco Duck" in late 1976 which obviously prompted this Christmas single trying to cash in on its popularity several months later...

Things can never be explained...




Track 18 - Prof. Anonymous & The Marshalls - Christmas Elf
Isabelle Records - IS 0003-A - 1986

On nights when I can't sleep, I'll surf eBay for hours. While half-asleep one night, I purchased this. It was the sleeve I tell ya...

Later included on a cassette-only Christmas compilation with lots of other Boston Christmas garage rock - wow!




Track 19 - Dick Haymes & The Song Spinners Choir (with Jesse Crawford at the Organ) - Joy To The World
Decca Records - 24120A (73992) - 1948

Frank Sinatra made it big after he left Tommy Dorsey's band in 1942. His replacement was Dick Haymes. Haymes tried mightily (radio, records, movies) but never gained Sinatra's popularity - great voice on this 78 RPM, just not "The Voice".





Track 20 - The De Castro Sisters - Snowbound For Christmas
Abbott Records - 3012-A - 1955

The third 45 to feature a sister act (new record).

Lush, beautiful, wintry ballad - the sisters De Castro do a very nice job with this one.





Track 21 - Ken Griffin (Sung by Karen Ford & Bill Snary) - Our Christmas Waltz
Rondo Records - R-206-A (UB-9-1142-R) - 1949

Say what? When I was handed this 78 and noticed Ken Griffin, the king of the roller rink organists, had VOCALS?

And nice vocals they are - thanks to my wife's family for this one!



Track 22 - Eddy Howard & His Orchestra - Dearest Santa
Majestic Records - 1173 (T-1289) - 1947

Another amazing 78 from Mr. Howard and his band.

Dedicated to Dian B. Brown of Scottsdale, AZ. Type in "Eddy Howard Dearest Santa" into Google and her Amazon.com request for this song is the first thing to come up. Glad I could help!



Track 23 - Joe Walega & His Happy Hearts - Request To Santa Claus
Chicago Polka - 512-B - 19??

The flipside ("Christmas Without Daddy") is everywhere to download on the Internet. But this B-side isn't...

Sweet mother of God, what evil have I just unleashed?




Track 24 - George Bowers - Lonely Christmas
Nashville Talking Machine - M-001 A (PRP 34272) - 1971

Ernie (not Bert) shared out side A of this song a few hundred shares ago - he's mad, MAD I tell ya! But in a good way...

Here's side B - recorded in MONO just as the label states!





Track 25 - Lucho Gatica (con Los Cuatro Soles y la Orquesta de Jose Sabre Marroquin) - Noche De Paz (Silent Night)
Capitol Records - F71060 (45-X41854) - 19??

A foreign 45 in scratchy condition that I paid peanuts for at a thrift store - I can't find a thing about this one anywhere.

Pretty version in Spanish - a testament to the new turntable and computer how this one cleaned up.



Track 26 - Franklin MacCormack - My New Year's Wish For You
Chicago Federal Savings Promo - ZTSC-9043-1B - 19??

We come full circle with Side B from Mr. MacCormack.

What he wishes for New Year for you goes for me too.






Two not-so-secret Bonus Tracks

You knew these were coming... don't play coy!


Rob Martinez aka Capt

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