A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2011

Merry Christmas!

We've had quite a year here - digitizing all of our Christmas music, a radio show, and remastering yuleblog samplers past.  But I can't complain.  

Taking the nine months to get every album and MP3 onto my hard drive (and an external hard drive for backup) was the best decision I may have made in my Christmas life.  To have every song at my fingertips saves me time and led to discoveries of songs I never knew I had.  I thought that what the CD was supposed to do but that only shows you how far in the past I was living.

The radio show was very satisfying.  The folks at the radio station were very supportive and thrilled with the end results.  Will it happen again next year?  I'm hopeful but only time will tell.  Lots of things are in store at the station... 

Okay... enough about you Capt...  where's the samplers?

During a break in digitizing in June, I went back and remastered the Yuleblog Samplers from 2008 and 2009.  Every 45 was re-recorded, washed through Sound Forge, and saved at a bitrate of 256k - none of that wimpy 128 or 192 stuff.  

What makes me proudest of this remaster was my work on the MP3 tags.  I finally found an MP3 tagger that was easy to use and I packed each one with info - I did deep Google searches for the first names of obscure composers and came up with quite a few.

Umm... Capt?  You're rambling... WE WANT SAMPLERS!

Okay, okay.  Be nice.  It's Christmas.




A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2008  (REMASTERED)


A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2009  (REMASTERED)


A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2010  (updated files & link)

Yeah, yeah, them's old news.  Where's the new stuff?  Where's the compilation of all-new stuff from the 45s you found from record shows, garage sales, record stores in three or four different states?  It's always here at Christmas time...

Come onnnnnnnn!

Alright, already!  Sheesh.  twenty three tracks this year.  Some disco, some polkas, two new Vietnam Christmas records, two imports from Canada, all very obscure...  until now. 

Your 2011 Christmas Yuleblog Sampler: 

Track 1 - Clayton Toman - Christmas, A Time For Everyone

CMS Records - 4805 (38076)  (1980)

Simple songs are usually the better songs - and this one, despite its obscurity, is pretty better than most.

Track 2 - Fred Astaire - Once A Year Night

Dick Clark Productions - DCP 201 DJ (DCP 201 AS)  (1979)

The classiest dancer of all time sings a song for a made-for-TV Christmas movie.  And according to the label, Astaire is a Dick Clark Production - who knew?

Track 3 -Jackie & The Cedrics - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Norton Records - 054 (45-054-B)  (199?)

Wicked surf guitar cover!  Recorded in Brooklyn by a band from Tokyo, Japan.  Their picture sleeve is a masterpiece!

Track 4 - Desiree Shane - Jingle Bell Disco

Rollins Records - RO-87 A  (1978)

I've got a weakness for Christmas disco.  I don't seek them out - they find me.  And this record show find certainly lives up to the title.  Even came with a response card, asking program directors if they'll play the song!

Track 5 - The Salas Brothers - Donde Esta Santa Claus

Faro Records - 625 (45-ATE-126)  (1966)

At least it's not Augie Rios singing this tune...  and I love how one of the Salases added their name to the songwriting credit!  Love the fuzz solo!

Track 6 - Tom Manche - Santa Used To Be A Baker

Les Howard - CPS 8701 (WRC3-5509)  (1987)

I just can't picture Santa kneading dough while wearing a hair and beard net.  A Canadian Christmas novelty from Calgary.

Track 7 - Marv Herzog - Round And Round The Xmas Tree

Sound Inc. - 291 (IRM 291-B X)  (1972)

Get-a down, get-a funky!  Nothing like Christmas polka to brighten your holidays!  And Herzog's serving it up like kielbasa at a PolishFest.

Track 8 - The Scot Lad Singers - I Love A Christmas Song

Martin's Super Market - SoN 2212 (2212 18)  (19??)

Martin's is a regional chain of supermarkets in Indiana and Michigan.  Scot Lad Foods was a company near where I grew up - lived on their canned veggies as a tyke.  Found this at a flea market in Warsaw, IN.

Track 9 - N-F-ECT - Radical Reindeer (Vocal)

Cold Express Records - 001 (001 A)  (1988)

An old-school rap song that never found the big time.  And after about 30 seconds, you'll know why.  Rather spend Christmas in Hollis...

Track 10 - Jane Carter - The Best Part Of Christmas

World Renowned Sounds - 2005  (WR7-72005B)  (1991)

How many non-classical Christmas waltzes can you name that were recorded in 1991?  Not many.  Definitely different from the rest.

Track 11 - Califone - Silver And Gold

Numero Group - Numero 008  (008 B)  (2003)

The most recent song to appear on any of my samplers, this cover will make you forget Burl Ives for a while... and that's a good thing no matter how you look at it.

Track 12 - Jimmy Neil - My Letter To Santa

Martin Records - 101  (MR 101-A)  (19??)

The first of two Vietnam Christmas records I found this year.  You know the story - a boy writes to Santa asking his daddy to come home.  Hard to swallow since it's a singin' schoolteacher asking the request...

Track 13 - Miss Sza'vee - A Prayer For Christmas

Soular Records - 501  (S-501-A)  (1969)

The other Vietnam Christmas record.  This one's sincere.  If you need further proof, the picture sleeve says it all.

Watch for the flip side on my Christmas CD next year.

Track 14 - The California Raisins - Hark!

Atlantic Records - 89008  (ST-A-56042-SP)  (1988)

Strictly for the California Raisins completists...

Track 15 - Larry Klevos - When Santa Does The Polka

World Renowned Sounds - 2005  (WR7-72005A)  (1991)

The A side of track 10 (see above).  Yep, another Christmas polka. 

Track 16 - Nat Stuckey - How Can Christmas Be Merry?

Paula Records - 288 (SL-1295)  (1967)

This record was a NIGHTMARE to capture.  Lots of pops, cracks, and scratches but Sound Forge did a great job cleaning it up. Glad it came out okay - very good tune!

Track 17 - The Rovers - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

Attic Records - 275 (AT 275-A-2)  (1982)

Before Elmo & Patsy assaulted the airwaves with this one, the Rovers released this cover in Canada.  Not too many covers of this song out there...  you surprised?

Track 18 - David Whitfield (with Stanley Black & His Orchestra) - Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)

London Records - 1508  (DRF-19622)  (1954)

Whitfield was the first UK male vocalist to have a gold record, a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Top 100, and the first to sell 1,000,000 copies in America.  The oldest song on this year's sampler.

Track 19 - Little Jimmy Osmond - If Santa Were My Daddy

MGM Records - 14328 (71-L-2780)  (1971)

The youngest of the Osmond clan, this is hardcore Christmas bubblegum.  Not for the faint of heart.  The following year, Jimmy has a Christmas Number One in the UK with "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool".

Track 20 - Bob Morrison - It's Christmas

Columbia Records - 43786 (ZSP-115994)  (1966)

One of the rare instances in which the B side ("Santa Mouse") is far better than the A side. 

Track 21 - Peter Foldy - My Christmas Wish For You (Vocal)

Nightflite Records - 108 (NFS 108-A)  (1982)

Another Canada track - this one's on the easy listening side.  Has a Neil Sedaka feel to it, complete with multi-tracking vocals from Foldy.

Track 22 - Scott Grimes - We Believe In Christmas

Jamex Records - 017 (J-45-017A)  (1984)

Grimes was a kid actor with a singing career in the early 1980s.  This epic single was produced by Rick Segall, a kid actor of the 1970s!

Track 23 - Art Walunas & His Orchestra - Silver Bells

Dearborn Records - 528 (ZTSC-107352)  (1970)

The third and last Christmas polka to grace this year's sampler. 

 

The obligatory two secret bonus tracks.

Possibly my favorite tracks on this year's sampler.

A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2011

Okay, here's the part where the Capt talks about his year, what's next, how he's gonna re-invigorate this blog again by adding new remastered titles, updating the template, giving it a fresh look, and start writing reviews again.

We've heard it all before...

There's not a lot I can add this year, folks.  I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Wait...  what about the promises, the updates, all of that?

I made those promises in the past and nothing came of them.  I'm not going to promise or commit to anything with the yuleblog.  If it happens, I trust you'll be around and I hope you'll like what I have to offer.

So, you are going to make changes, re-add the titles, etc.?

I appreciate all the kind comments about the music left here (not keen on the spammers) and you've been terrifically loyal through these many years.  I'd love to add all the changes but that takes a commitment of time and effort.  

I can't commit to that.  Only time will tell.  Be patient and hope for the best.

Whatever, Capt.

If you're one of the people in red, thanks for stopping by.  If you're a fan of the yuleblog, thanks for sticking around all these years and for appreciating the music.  I'm glad you understand what I've tried to do here since the beginning.

To you and yours, a sincere wish for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rob Martinez

aka CaptainOT

See you next Christmas Capt.  Peace.