A Christmas Yuleblog

This past weekend, I spent most of my time in front of my computer working on two different projects. The first was the final stages of my annual Christmas CD - as October draws to a close, we enter the assembly phase of this yearly undertaking. All of the artwork is nearly ready to cut, stick, and be arranged on each of the copies I'll be sending to family and friends. Needless to say, this meant my workspace around the computer (located in our library room at our home) was littered with CD covers and labels that were spit out by my trusty HP printer at a steady rate. It was a mess in here for a time. The second project was done while waiting for everything to be printed. I updated the layout and added tags to the yuleblog for the first time in its existence. Most of yesterday was spent trying to figure out how to post a tag cloud to the template but that left me confused and frustrated (not the first time that's happened). After a weekend of adding tags like Track...

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like. Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection. I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it. Back in 1990, Spy Magazine did a scientific study on Santa's annual trip around the world. To quote: There are 2 billion children (persons under 18) in the world. BUT since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15% of the total - 378 million according to the Population Reference Reference Bureau. At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 mi...

Yesterday morning, I met with my best friend Joel who's constantly on the lookout for anything Christmas that I don't already own in my collection. He actually found this album on eBay and called my wife to scan through my collection to see if I already had it. She looked at my CDs and not the albums - Joel bid and won. When I opened this and stared at the cover, I was floored. Joel immediately screamed for and cried tears of joy, thinking he had found something I didn't own. " Ummm , Joel?" With those two words, his bubble was burst. However, when I explained that I didn't own the artwork, then he perked up. Thanks Joel for trying to find something new and succeeding (sorta). I'm confident you'll come up with something like you did when you introduced me to Jana . What does this me for you? It means if you visit the original L'il Wally & The Harmony Boys post, you'll find a new link for full high-resolution scans of thi...

This was downloaded at the Members Share forum of FaLaLaLaLa on November 30, 2006 at 12:07 AM. Veteran FLLLL'er Inkydog posted this unique album there for all to share. Last Christmas, he posted this very same album at his own blog Cheerful Earful - go download and hurry back! Some of you are asking yourself "Who's Helen O'Connell?" She was born in Lima, Ohio on May 23, 1920 and her family eventually moved to the metropolis known as Toledo to settle in. It was here that Helen began singing and was noticed by bandleader Jimmy Richards. She went on the road with Richard's nine-piece orchestra and toured the country for 1 1/2 years. This exposure led to a radio show in St. Louis for a brief time until Larry Funk and his Band of A Thousand Melodies persuaded O'Connell to go with them to New York City in 1938. While in New York, popular bandleader Jimmy Dorsey heard Helen sing in a nightclub and wanted her in his band. O'Connell said goodb...

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like. Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection. I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it. Everyone wants a really good Christmas present. Every December 25th, there amongst your individual piles of swag you got from Santa and your family are gifts that you really love, like, dislike, or really dislike. Many people shop for themselves at Christmas - and why not? You yourself know what you want for Christmas. Placing ones faith in Santa only goes so far. It's okay to splurge on yourself for that fine, FINE present you've always dreamed...

Looking at the calendar, we are nearly two months away from Christmas. This past week, I've been reloading, re-uploading, relinking, and rewinding to stay one step ahead with my workload before the holiday madness descends on us all. So here are my shares from 2005 - 2007 - up and active and waiting for you. Please post a comment after you've clicked on an album you've been waiting to get - a simple "thanks" is sufficient! 1983 Air Force Public Service Spots - Disc V The Alcoa Singers - An Olde-Fashioned Christmas Around The Christmas Tree - A Special Christmas Day Program Pat Boone - White Christmas Bowen & Csehy - Christmas Steepletime Owen Bradley & His Quintet - Joyous Bells Of Christmas Al Caiola & Riz Ortolani - The Sound Of Christmas Capitol Production Music Christmas 1971 Veteran's Administration Hospital Program CLM Industries - Christmas 1961 - SINGLE A Country Christmas Jimmy Dean - Jimmy Dean's Christmas...

Yesterday I was scrounging around in a Goodwill store and found this album - which freaked me out because I was due to write about it today - talk about coincidence! This was yet another album brought to us by our pal Ernie (downloaded at his blog on November 29th, 2006 at 11:57 PM). Ernie was going through a Latin phase at the time - the other Christmas albums he shared around this time were from Menudo and Charo ! If you're still wondering "who is Jose Melis?", then take a trip with me to a time when there were only five channels on your B&W television. Jose Melis was born in Havana, Cuba on February 27, 1920. He aspired to be a classical pianist and this took him to the Havana Conservatory of Music. When he was 16, he arrived in the United States and attended the Longy School of Music at first, then the Juilliard School of Music in New York. While he attended Juilliard, Melis began appearing in clubs around New York as a lounge pianist. World War II ...

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like. Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection. I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it. Today we look at state of the art technology from 1982. The compact disc wasn't introduced to the public yet. Cell phones didn't exist. Forget about MP3 players - we had Sony cassette Walkmen (for the retail price of $189). At Christmas, 1982, the home computer was beginning to make an impact on the public. You had plenty of choices - Atari, Commodore, IBM, Apple, Xerox, and Radio Shack all had products available for you to put under the Christm...

(Click on image to enlarge) If you take a blood sample from our friend Ernie (Not Bert), you'll find 80% red blood cells, 10% white blood cells, and 10% vinyl. This was downloaded on November 29, 2006 at 1:54 PM from his blog and nearly two years later, I'm getting around to reviewing it - sheesh! Back in the late 1940s, MGM - the movie studio with the roaring lion - created their own record label. For a time, they were the only movie studio with its own record label. By the mid-1950s, television had so badly eroded the box office that other movie studios needed new streams of revenue. In 1957, Paramount began its record label and Warner Bros. were undecided as to start its own label. That changed when Dot Records signed then-WB star Tab Hunter to its label. Even though Hunter had an iron-clad exclusive movie contract with WB, without a record label, Tab was free to sign with Dot. Sure enough, plans for Warner Bros. Records went into high gear and in March, 1958 ...

In a previous post , I talked about the great website that is FaLaLaLaLa.com and mentioned several of the people I've met there. In today's post, we get to look at not ah-one, but ah-two Christmas cardboard flexis that were submitted by two longtime FLLLL members. The first flexi was posted by Shemp at the Members Share forum of FLLLL. This was downloaded by me on November 28, 2006 at 3:25 PM. Recorded especially for GM employees by GM employees, The General Motors Chorus was established in 1933 as one of the earliest employee activities within General Motors. I'm assuming this flexi was given to file and rank employees as a Christmas bonus. Or perhaps they were played in the background throughout GM lunchrooms and UAW halls at Christmas time. In any case, you get a medley of standard Christmas carols on each side - all accompanied by a lone organ. The voices blend terrifically, the organ isn't too intrusive, and the end result is pleasing to the ear. I...

The picture says it all. The 2008 Chicago Cubs died a simple death on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Cause: no offense, shaky defense, and the weight of a century of losing. My kids have tried to console me: "We'll get 'em next year, Dad". They don't know... Why did I ever subject them to this? I should be locked in jail for making them Cub fans. Another cold winter to deal with but there's always the promise of a warm spring. Next February, when pitchers and catchers report, the whole process will begin again. And so it goes... Click here to see whose bandwagon I've jumped on for the remainder of the season. Capt

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like. Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection. I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it. We've covered some taboos here with these Christmas ads (i.e. suicide, smoking, liquor). That leaves sex - a delicate subject when it comes to Christmas. Every ad that showed a Christmas morning had Mom tightly snuggled in her bathrobe without a hint of nightgown showing. Most of the vintage Christmas advertising that's of a risque nature fell into the lingerie & evening wear category. But even then, how can you sell a product using sex appeal...

That cover looks good enough to eat... it's morning and I haven't snacked yet... stay focused... In yesterday's post , I reviewed two disco albums both downloaded on the same day just minutes apart from each other (1:11 AM and 1:13 AM). Upon looking at the spreadsheet, I discovered that this almost edible album was sandwiched inbetween the two disco records - November 28, 2006 at 1:12 AM. This was a featured album at FaLaLaLaLa.com - the focal point for all things Christmas music on the web since 2004. This is where the King of Jingaling set up his kingdom and invited one and all to help preserve the memories of Christmas vinyl past. It was at FLLLL where hundreds of Christmas music enthusiasts gathered (and continue to gather) to share their knowledge of Christmas music, quickly making FLLLL the best resource for Christmas music online. Dig deep into their Forums and you'll find treasures of all sorts. It was here I met many fellow collectors with diverse...

It seems on November 26, 2006 at 1:11 AM and again on November 26, 2006 at 1:13 AM , our good friend Ernie was in a Christmas disco kind of mood. Which is fine by me because on several occasions here, I've openly admitted that I have a guilty pleasure for all forms of Christmas disco. Shortly after I began this blog in January, 2006, I reviewed my first Christmas disco album - The Salsoul Orchestra's "Christmas Jollies II". Several months later, I did another review for The Mistletoe Disco Band's "Christmas Disco" with a bonus - this was the very FIRST album I ever shared here at the yuleblog (does that tell you how I feel about this genre?). With the addition of these two beauties (thank you Ernie), I now own nine Christmas disco albums. Not counting the disco album I intend to share at Christmas (more on that later). Turning on the disco ball... This is what Ernie wrote about the first album: "Today you get some disco Christmas! ...