Big Balls of Holly Radio Christmas Show
via roughshop.com
Generally, I prefer classic Christmas music of a by-gone era, but I found something new that I like. The track I heard that made me post this is called Big Man Under The Tree. I am no music critic so I will let you decide what you might like about it. If you like it you can buy it direct from Roughshop.
Big Man Under The Tree
Here, now, for your listening pleasure, Big Balls of Holly proudly presents Christmas At Our House. Recorded in 1958 this album features the dulcet tones of Martha Tilton as well as the golden digits of George Mather at The Console.What we have here is a classic Christmas recording from some big time and long time Christmas music players. This is the record that was referenced in The Captain's Yuleblog a couple of seasons back, so read that again, please. The great find here is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. This is the original release of the Thurl Ravenscroft version of this song. Mr Ravenscroft is most famous to Christmas music fans for having sung "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch." IF that is news to you, yes you are thinking or the correct version and like all of us you thought that Boris Karloff sang that. Karloff did the narration of the original cartoon and Ravenscroft did the song. I am also adding the beautiful Martha Tilton version of Jingle Bells to my primary Christmas playlist, and straight to my ipod. It is interesting to note a couple of facts here. Ravenscroft and Tilton lived through just about all of Christmas music recording history and died within a year or so of each other in 2005 and 2006. Also, on the Martha Tilton tribute website neither these songs nor this album are listed in her discography. If you know any TIlton fans, make sure they see this share. Finally, I am adding a listening link for another Thurl Ravenscroft song. I do not have the record, but rather, found this at WFMU's Beware of the Blog.
Christmas At Our House
Santa's Too Fat For The Hula Hoop
Hello Everybody! I have not posted in a while, and now it's time to kick it into high gear. I heard a terrific song today and knew that I had to post the album for share. Leroy Holmes was an American composer, arranger and band leader throughout the 50's, 60's and 70's. What you will find on this record is that quintessential 60's sound that we love in so many great artists of that time. The song Snowflakes And Sweethearts transported me to Christmastime. Other tracks that are going onto my Christmas playlist are; The Worst Darn Winter In Years, Button Up Your Overcoat and Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.
Snowflakes And Sweethearts
Big Balls of Holly proudly presents for your enjoyment, Western Christmas! This is one of the great Christmas records. Here again, as in my most recent share, the best track may be The Night Before Christmas Song. There are some songs here that are not really Christmas songs but they continue the festive mood just the same. One of the songs is new to me, Wait For The Wagon (On Christmas Day). You will have to let me know what you think of that one. Will it be added to your playlist, downloaded to your iPod, included in your podcast? Speaking of podcasting, BBOH received a comment from HellBound Alleee and she has an interesting podcast. Here is the new share:
Western Christmas
This weeks Christmas record share is Christmas With The Caroleers. The King, or Ernie, had posted the album cover on Flikr, but the wrong record was in the sleeve, so I do not believe this has been shared. The Caroleers were a group of talented vocalists who did not normally receive recognition by name on records. They recorded in many different styles and, as such, this isn't really a cohesive album, but it does shine on a few tracks. You will not be downloading the entire record. You are getting all of side A. Side B was too far gone to salvage, and to be frank, the songs on the b side are nothing special. That being said, there is one fantastic track on side B, The Night Before Christmas.I did work at length to clean that one up for you. It's not perfect but, man, that's a great song! Listen to that track now, then download the share.
The Night Before Christmas
Christmas With The Caroleers
Here is a new Christmas share called Christmas Songs For Young Hearts. The singer is listed as Gene Martin and the band as The Arthur Carre Orchestra. Many of the Caroleer Records releases were intended to sound like popular artists on the major labels. This is clearly a Dean Martin and I think it does sound like him. It's a pretty cool record, quite enjoyable. I wish I had been around in those days to try and trick people by using names similar to famous people. I think I would put out a Bang Crosby and maybe a Maryrose Clooney! What fake names would you have used? Please post some ideas.
Christmas Songs For Young Hearts
Many of you may remember The Lundstrom Family. Headed by the Lowell Lundstrom they traveled around the country on a gospel tour. They traveled 300 days per year for 40 years. No, doesn't ring a bell? Not with me either. They also had a radio show and television specials. Lowell Lundstrom produced more than 60 records. What's relevant here is that they produced a record in support of their Wilderness Christmas television special, and that's what I am sharing. This one is of interest because Lowell and his family speak on the record and even the young children "sing". 
This isn't really my cup of tea but I have received email from a couple of readers who listen to Christmas music with their grandchildren. This may be just perfect for children to listen along with. In my opinion, this record includes possibly the worst Christmas song that I have ever heard, and I am literally surrounded by bad Christmas music! I will let you judge. Please come back after you listen and let me know what you think. These are not broken into tracks, just sides, this way you can hear the record as intended with all of the family chatter.
The Lundstrom's Wilderness Christmas
Hello everybody and special thanks to my wife for getting me the perfect turntable for Christmas. So here we have Christmas Eve Favorites from The Longines Symphonette Society. LSS released a lot of music, often times without much info, and I don't see much being offered for share. I am sharing a good one here. Montovani is credited as the musical director and we can assume that means that he is conducting the orchestra, maybe even his own orchestra? This is a beautiful record and I am particularly interested in who the singers might be. When I heard the second track, Mister Santa, I thought immediately of the Mike Sammes Singers. I know at least one of you out there is wondering, why I think so.
So here goes... the Mike Sammes Chorus, sang background vocals in the U.K. in the 60s. They also recorded with Montovani in the States, including the album for Kismet, and a set of Christmas songs in 1963. The Christmas release was called Christmas Greetings From Montovani And His Orchestra, it was re-released in 1979. Kismet was released in 64. None of the songs from the 63 release, (aside form DTH), appear on the one I am sharing. It makes sense that either they recorded the others at the time or got together at a later date specifically for LSS. So here we may have a record that is not credited to Mike Sammes Singers but sure sounds like them to me. This is certainly not Mike Sammes Singers music, so it is difficult to compare, but if you have heard them over at FaLaLaLaLa let me know what you think of my hypothesis.
Christmas Eve Favorites
So, now, here is my first official share. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I bought this record for the cover. When I go hunting for Christmas records I am looking for a few different things. Those things include, artists, songs, specific albums, covers and condition of the vinyl. Rarely do I find "that perfect" record. I bought this for the cover and I do not normally like child choirs. I will post them because I know some people really like this sort of thing. There are some nice surprises on this record. First, I actually enjoy listening to this, not every track, but it would indeed be rare for me to like every track on a record. The other great thing here for me is the song The Sleigh. I had never heard it before I put this on the turntable, and currently, The Sleigh is my favorite Christmas song. Enjoy, and please come back as I will be posting at least one new record each week throughout the year.
The Sound Of Children At Christmas
Here is another cover that I want to share with everyone. I gotta say, that does look like the Spirit of Christmas, doesn't it. The beautiful golden haired mother, with perfect skin, aiding her cherubic daughter in fastening the fresh cut fir to the young girl's sled. Oh, you know they are singing as they pull together through the birch and conifer woodlands, back to the old family farmhouse where grand mama has put out the bread sticks wrapped in bacon. Gaily singing Winter Wonderland and I Wonder As I Wander. Here is a different version of The Sleigh, not from the album with that little choral girl but since I've never heard it I wanted to post it for listening.
The Sleigh
Here's the next cover that I want to share. Now, let me go back and talk about the previous one. The song The Sleigh is awesome and that record is my new favorite child choir record. Of course, I don't normally like child choir records, so that may not be saying much. Anywho, the song sounded Russian to me, and turns out, it is. I am sure that all of the choral pros are laughing at my ignorance. Written in 1926, it's a choral standard. The old download is no good but here is a link to an old post on Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else. As for the record pictured here, I will let the back art scan speak for itself, amazing...
I am sharing some of my favorite Christmas album covers with you. Some time in January when I get my new equipment I will start posting Christmas music for sharing through the magic of digital download. I am going to share this record of children's music, but I just had to get the image up on the blog. Isn't that just the most darling Christmas choir girl? What song was she singing when the photo was snapped, looks like she singing "La", doesn't it? Probably Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la? I gotta say that blowing out the candles was smart, never get the camera to focus with those things burning. Also, who the heck are Hugo and Luigi, famous composers, a pair of studio execs at RCA who love Christmas music? Now, I like to think that I know a lot of Christmas song titles, maybe even the majority of them, but there is a song here called "The Sleigh". I don't know that one and it's cool to get a surprise. I will play it after I post this. Like Ernie often says, "I bought this one for the cover art." I guess I will find out now, and you can find out in January if it's worth listening to. Oh yes, I said January, my plan is to post at least one record for share each week of the year. I do hope to see a lot of you around throughout the year.
I put together a compilation of some of the earliest Christmas recordings. These all date to before 1920 and were recorded on the Edison Wax Cylinders. They are available on-line, but for those of you who have not searched the databases of cylinder recordings I am making it easy on you. I have these in iTunes but I do not put them into rotatio on my iPod. They really, really, really slow things down. But, I will tell you, it is a lot of fun to sit around and listen to these altogether. This should give you a feeling of what Christmas was like in Edwardian America. The download is an ice file again for compressing purposes, but I have left the individual song files as mp3's. Hopefully, you will have an easier time opening these. Let me know. Oh, and the information should all be there as far as song title, performer and cylinder number. If not, I will post the info.
Early Christmas Recordings
Track List
Angels From The Realms OF Glory Auld lang Syne Christmas, Christmas, Blessed, Blessed Day God Rest You Merry Gentlemen Night Before Christmas (recital) O Come All Ye Faithful Ring Out The Bells For Christmas Santa Claus Song The First Nowell We Three Kings Of Orient Are
Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl , we'll drink to thee.
Here's to our horse, and to his right ear,
God send our master a happy new year:
A happy new year as e'er he did see,
With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef
And a good piece of beef that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.
Here's to our mare, and to her right eye,
God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;
A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see,
With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn
May God send our master a good crop of corn
And a good crop of corn that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.
And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear
Pray God send our master a happy New Year
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.
Here's to our cow , and to her long tail,
God send our master us never may fail
Of a cup of good beer : I pray you draw near,
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.
Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best
Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all.
Be here any maids? I suppose here be some;
Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone!
Sing hey O, maids! come trole back the pin,
And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.
Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin
For to let these jolly wassailers in.
Gloucestershire Wassail, The Boston Camerata
I first discovered that there were people who love Christmas music the way that I do when I came across a website a couple of years ago. That website is called Falalalala.com. I found all kinds of downloads there, and I noticed something interesting. The author, The King of Jingaling, was converting record albums and making them available for download. Well, now, here I am, embarking on a digital journey of my own. Today I am posting my first compilation for download. For the past 3 years the King has been posting a compilation of his seasonal downloads. He calls those comps ADVENTure In Carols. In order to test my ability I am posting a, um, well, I'm posting a compilation of my favorite songs from the King's compilations. I hope he thinks that's cool, and not actionable.
My Favorite Songs From ADVENTure In Carols
Track List
Deck The Halls - The Glad Singers, Santa's Coffee - Billy Beau, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - The Hiltonaires with The Tony Mansell Singers, Winter Wonderland - Peter Woods Singers, Be A Santa - Living Voices, Santa's Birthday - Caroleer Singers & Orchestra, Space Age Santa - Hal Bradley Ochestra, The Christmas Song - The Ray Bloch Singers, Santa's On His Way - The Town Pipers, A Ride On Santa's Sleigh - Peter Wood Singers and Orchestra, What A Land Santa Land - Don Elliott Orchestra, Ho Ho Ho - Lawrence Welk And His Champaigne Orchestra, Jing-A-Ling-A-Ling - Wayne King And His Orchestra, Little Stowaway On Santa's Sleigh - The Golden Orchestra, Christmas Rush - The Ambassador Chorale And Players
Years ago, back before the internets, my friends Matt and Jim had a band in Wicker Park, Chicago, called The Howards. Richard Milne on WXRT has a radio show called Local Anesthetic, featuring the music of local bands. In December he airs the Local Anesthetic Holiday Spectacular. Bands record a special Holiday or Christmas song and greeting and send it in. The entries are 30 to 45 seconds long and Richard informs me that he has 5 cd's worth of these jingles! Some day, I hope to share them all. For now, here are Matt, Jim and The Howards with Stuff Her Stocking. Oh, the image to the left is of Matt and I delivering futons together during my summer leave from North Pole duties. That's me doing the heavy lifting and Matt sipping the latte. Also, here is a link to Matt and Amy doing a little elf boogie.
Stuff Her Stocking
Yesterday evening we were hit with some snow and freezing rain in Indiana. The roads were awfully slick out there. The weather, and an email that I received, bring to mind one if my favorite songs, Baby It's Cold Outside. The email I received was from Am, Then Fm, a blog that I am going to feature later today. The song was written in 1944, and to the best of my knowledge, was first recorded for the film Neptune's Daughter. That first(?) version was performed by Ricardo Montalbon and Esther Williams. I keep 5 versions on my iPod and 9 in my iTunes, maybe a few more in folders that are out of rotation and I don't know how many on vinyl. Needless to say, I love this song and never tire of it, but I do have to mix it up. Here are a few versions.
Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting
Al Hirt & Ann Margaret
Buddy Clark & Dinah Shore
Robert Thomas Singers & The Hollywood Cinema Orchestra
The Frankie Capp Percussionists
We are heading into the Christmas movie season and I am looking forward to seeing a lot of classic films including Meet Me in St. Louis. Not always considered a Christmas film, it ranks among the most important for having given us the song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song was written for the film by a studio song writer named Hugh Martin. If you have never seen the song performed by Judy Garland in it's proper setting you need to do so this year.
I have a couple of notes about the song. First, in the movie Garland sings, some day soon, we all will be together if the fates allow, until then we'll have to muddle through somehow. A decade later Frank Sinatra asked Martin for permission to record the song but wanted him to lighten it up and make it "more jolly". Martin changed the last line above to, "hang a shining star upon the highest bough." You may think that's quite a change, but that's nothing compared to the change made for Judy Garland in the film. When you watch Garland's character sing the song to 7 year old O'Brien this year, try on the original lyrics as written by Hugh Martin.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last, next year we may all be living in the past
Have Yourelf A Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland
One of the albums that I will make available for sharity this Christmas Season is from the Mooseheart Children's Choir. I don't yet have the equipment for sharity, but the album is pictured here and I want to give a little background.
The Child City of Mooseheart is an incredible place. It's an orphanage and much more. Mooseheart sits on more than 1000 acres out west of Chicago. It was started in 1913 as a place for orphaned children of men of the Loyal Order of Moose. Kids are raised from infancy through graduation from High School on campus. They are raised in single family style houses rather than in dormitories. Like it says on the jacket, Mooseheart boys and girls receive the finest medical care, ample recreational facilities and an opportunity to develop their individual talents. The Mooseheart Choir appeared on nationwide radio through the Mutual Broadcasting System on Christmas Day, 1957. The program received such acclaim that it continued to run in subsequent years and eventually resulted in this incredible record.
The Coventry Carol dates to 1534. It chronicles the masacre of the innocents by King Herod. This is another traditional carol that is heard more in England than in the U.S. The Coventry Carol is best performed by a large choir.
The Coventry Carol
Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay.
Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay
Today I am posting 3 great songs about being in The Big House for Christmas. In 2004 Fairytale of New York was rated the most popular Christmas song in England. The song takes it's name from the book A Fairy Tale of New York. The song is a working class love story about irish immigrants that find themselves down on thier luck. The famous opening is "It was Christmas Eve, Babe, in the drunk tank. An old man said to me, won't see another one." Next is John Prine's Christmas in Prison. This song gives us the beautiful image; "The search light in the big yard swings round with the gun, and spotlights the snowflakes like the dust in the sun." The last selection is a true blues song, Christmas in Jail (Ain't That a Pain) by Leroy Carr. "The blues come fallin', they fall like drops of rain."
Fairytale of New York, The Pogues
Christmas in Prison, John Prine
Christmas in Jail (Ain't That a Pain), Leroy Carr
The song (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home was recorded by Darlene Love in 1963. If you watch David Letterman you know that Darlene Love performs this song on the last show before Christmas every year.
In 1987 the first cover version was recorded by U2 during a sound check in Glasgow Scotland. Darlene Love supplied background vocals for the track which ended up on the album, A Very Special Christmas. Read the lyrics here. Read more about the original here.
Darlene Love
U2
The song 12 Days Of Christmas is a favorite of children around the world. It's not just a song but a game. Children try to repeat each new verse with the previous verses in tow. The child who errs is subjected to the screeching laughter of her peers, which she then joins. I want to point out two common mistakes in the lyrics. The first is the mondegren, four calling birds. The lyric is four colley birds. Colley means black, so they are four blackbirds.
The second mistake is with the first and last line, A Partridge in a Pear Tree. The French word for partridge is perdrix, which is pronounced "pear dree". It is easy to see where a Frenchman said perdrix, and an Englishman wrote down pear tree. So, now, knowing this, many would have you believe the original lyric should have been "A Partridge, Une Perdrix". Huh? And, would not the Englishman ask, "What the heck does a Pear Tree have to do with Christmas?" That's a good question, and here is a good answer. Maybe we got the line backwards. Aller de pair direz "Une perdrix". That means, "together we say one partridge". So this is the Frenchman giving the line and the direction that we sing the last line together each verse.
Whatcha think? Am I on to something, here?
12 Days Of Christmas
Today, maybe yesterday, Comcast starting broadcasting it's holiday music channels. In my area we are getting 2 channels, 701 and 724. 701 is Sounds of The Season and 724 is Traditional Holiday music. If you live close enough to Chicago you can turn the dial to 93.9, WLIT. They have also switched over to their Christmas music programming. I think this is earlier than in years past. On the Comcast Traditional channel I heard Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Lou Rawls. Sounds good so far.
The traditional carols are heard more in Britain than here in the U.S. They really bring a certain old world feel to the Holidays. This version of the Sussex Carol is The Cambridge Singers with the London Sinfonia.
Sussex Carol
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Robert Goulet, the singer whose rich baritone voice and classic tall, dark and handsome appearance made him a star on Broadway and television, has died. He was 73.
Goulet suffered from a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive and fatal condition. He was being treated at Cedars- Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was awaiting a lung transplant when he died today, the Associated Press reported, citing spokesman Norm Johnson.
If you read any of the news stories or obituaries you will read a lot about Camelot. To me, Robert Goulet is the guy who sang Do You Hear What I Hear.
O Come All Ye Faithful
The Christmas Song (chestnuts roasting...)
Do You Hear What I Hear
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”
In his lifetime Ray Conniff recorded more than 100 albums and sold over 70 million albums, cassettes and cd's. He started the Ray Conniff Singers in 1959 with 12 women and 13 men. They were famous for singing whole words, as opposed to syllables. That's part of what makes their Christmas records unique and special. The other half of the equation is Ray Conniff's arranging. One song that showcases his mastery is Greensleeves. He arranged the Christmas song, What Child is This to the 350 year old tune of Greensleeves. They do a great version of Jingle Bells, but myy favorite of the Ray Conniff Singer Christmas songs is also one of my overall favorite Christmas songs, We Need A Little Christmas! Read more about Ray Conniff here
Greensleeves
Jingle Bells
We Need A Little Christmas
One of my favorite websites is FaLaLaLaLa. The King of Jingaling has brought us a lot of great music and I always look forward to his ADVENTures in Carols compilations.
The King finds a lot of great out of print christmas music that I probably wouldn't find anywhere else. Here's a perfect example Space Age Santa Claus. Lyrics at FaLaLaLaLa
Space Age Santa Claus
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