Dragnet - The Christmas Story


The story you're about to read is true...

As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I was a Jack Webb fan. I loved watching reruns of "Dragnet 1967, 1968, etc". I was equally mesmorized by "Adam-12", "Emergency!", and an obscure Webb produced show called "Project UFO".

I loved his staccato delivery, the way he walked (he put his coat on with the coat tree attached), and his quick editing style. Get a VHS copy of any "Dragnet" episode and press the fast-forward button - the flash frames will give you a buzz similar to alcohol on an empty stomach.

After I had began my obsession with Christmas music, I wondered if Jack Webb did anything related to Christmas. One of the first eBay auctions I ever won was for a U.S. Navy LP that featured Webb doing some spots for the Navy in 1998 (our friend Ernie posted this at his blog last year).

When Basic Hip - the granddaddy of all sharity sites - first offered this album back in 2001 or 2002, I quickly grabbed a copy but the back cover wasn't included. I kept searching eBay and kept losing auctions - three times I nearly had this thing! I wanted the BACK COVER!

I finally snagged this in 2006 - but I couldn't get a clean copy. So I went to Studio 1102 here in Fort Wayne and they did their best to get it digitalized. At long last, I'm proud to present the famed lost back cover and my copy of the album.

Just the tracks, ma'am:


Dragnet - The Christmas Story


Happy listening...


Capt

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is great! Didn't even know it existed. Thanks for sharing.
11/24/2008 07:57:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
Dan - Thanks for the comment!


Capt
11/25/2008 06:48:00 PM
Buster said…
Can't wait to hear this one. Christmas with Jack Webb! What could be better?
11/26/2008 12:44:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
Buster - Christmas with Julie London? Xmas with Sgt. Friday is gonna be pretty hard to top!

Thanks for the comment!


Capt
11/27/2008 07:57:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi Captain,

Thanks for all your efforts.

It's important to me to date these Christmas albums whenever possible :-)

It looks like this recording was a 10 inch LP from 1953.

PS: Captain, what are your all time top 5 or 10 (desert island)Christmas albums?

Hitparade
11/27/2008 09:58:00 AM
CaptainOT said…
Hitparade - The year on this one is 1954.

Top five desert albums (subject to change):

1.) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

2.) Christmas Cocktails (1996)

3.) Custom comp of Stan Freberg's Christmas output

4.) Merry Christmas From The Sonics, The Wailers & The Galaxies (1991)

5.) Tie: The Three Suns - A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas (1959) & The Ventures Christmas Album (1965)


Capt
11/29/2008 05:19:00 PM
the jazzman said…
Just wandered in by chance and found this lost treasure. Thanks.
12/13/2008 12:18:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
Jazzman - Over 200 people have listened to this and you're the fourth person to leave a comment. So thanks for wandering in!


Capt
12/13/2008 02:09:00 PM
KL from NYC said…
I wandered in, too (either very late or very early) and I'm glad I found this. Thanks.
6/26/2009 02:33:00 AM
Ted Hering said…
This is the second time I've ever come across this record. The other copy I saw was at Ray Avery's Rare Records (Glendale, CA) in the 1960s.

The story was lifted from the Dragnet radio/TV show (the story appeared on both media), but this performance seems to be re-done just for this record.

(The TV version appears on the occasional DVD box set, titled "The Big Little Jesus.")

Does your record list the cast members? I remember Herb Vigran played the hotel clerk on the TV version.
12/07/2009 08:53:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I have this album. RCA Victor "LPM 3199, production number 999".
2/19/2011 06:45:00 PM
Jim said…
Hi there - Any chance you could re-up this one?
Many thanks in advance.
4/17/2018 12:35:00 AM
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