A Christmas Yuleblog

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...

Yesterday, two Christmas flexis were offered by members of FaLaLaLaLa in their Forums section. FLLLL member Shemp gave us the first paper record at 78 RPM. "General Motors Songs of Christmas" is a two tracked flexi that features the "General Motors Chorus" singing Christmas favorites. Do you think GM pulled some of these singers off the line to record this? This prompted FLLLL member PDMan to comment that he had a Lawrence Welk Christmas flexi. After some urging (and ah-share, and ah-share), he was gracious enough to post "Christmas Music For Your Holiday Pleasure", compliments of your local Dodge dealer. Back in 1958, if you test drove a new Dodge, you were handed this flexi with Welk introducing the "luvely" Lennon Sisters singing "Merry Christmas From Our House To Your House." All of this communal sharing touched me deeply (although some think I'm touched in the head already). So I dug deep into my stacks of 33s and 45...