Around The Christmas Tree - A Special Christmas Day Program
I've never been a big fan of the "various artists" Christmas compilation. In many instances (i.e. Goodyear, Firestone, True Value, or anything by Columbia or Capitol Special Products), it's usually the same rehashed stuff with the same rehashed songs. So when I first noticed this compilation, I thought "another various artists" comp. But when I noticed the familiar Decca logo atop the album, I began to look a little closer.
Glad I did. A quick check of the LP looked like this had just been opened (you could eat off the album). And this nifty compilation contains artists that you normally don't get on comps (Dick Haymes, The Four Aces, Axel Stordahl, Vincent Lopez, Owen Bradley, even the Shulmerich Carillon Bells!).
I found this album at a garage sale sitting on a table bathed partially in the Indiana sun. This made the sale tag on the front cover fuse with the cover, resulting in a scab on the front cover (Note to all garage sellers: vinyl & sun don't mix!).
Despite much research via the almighty Google, I couldn't find a release date on this one. Judging by the record label number, I'm wagering late 1950s - anyone have the real answer?
Decca the halls:
Around The Christmas Tree - A Special Christmas Day Program
Happy listening...
Capt
Comments
And I got that year for ya...1957.
Also, I'm kind of a reverse purist...I like my cover arts with the divots and coffee stains unretouched. Just sayin'.
Capt
Cheers,
Scooter
Are you channeling Kup?
PDMan - Don't forget Owen Bradley (there a hint of what's being shared out next)!
Scott - If I was channeling Mr. Kupcinet, then my name is Rob Martinizing!
Capt
Around the Christmas Tree LP Front.
Dave
http://ernienotbert.blogspot.com/2007/12/curious-discovery.html
Right now, there's a bunch of CDs being marketed with the same generic titles but with different radio station call letters. And there's a lot of differences in the track listings. Any way this was an earlier example of regional marketing?
The Judy Garland website thejudyroom.com maintains that Decca DL 9056 was released in 1958, which is also possible.
The second album by this name was the one featured here, Decca DL 38170. I think it was released in 1959, because it contains tracks from Axel Stordahl's Christmas In Scandinavia LP, which was released by Decca in 1959, and in fact reviewed in the 12/7/59 issue of Time magazine.
Hope this helps!
Capt
For those too young to remember, you'd get one stamp from your supermarket or gas station for each 10 cents you spent. You'd paste the trading stamps into a book until the book was full. You'd then take the filled books to a "redemption center" and use them as cash for merchandise. The more books you turned in, the better your premium.
Tom