A Christmas Yuleblog

This is a picture of my friend Jeff Fox (of Jeffco Productions - We're Fun People™). I discovered his website in 2001 while looking for Weird Al Yankovic Christmas Greetings. Jeff was the first Christmas music enthusiast who got what I did and we've been close friends ever since. He has helped me along the way by providing assistance with artwork, technical problems, pointing out Christmas music I never knew existed, and sending me an annual Christmas package loaded down with music, DVDs, and anything else he can think of. I first reviewed one of his podcasts back in 2006 and have frequently made mention of his stellar lines of comps called "Christmas Wishes" and "Christmas Turkeys" - a classic mix of Jeff's love of Christmas music (both good and bad) and his expertise in graphic design: In recent years, Jeff has been a participant in the sharity network with a definite advantage over the rest of us. At present, it's legal to prese...

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And so it begins. This yuleblog entry begins a two month odyssey that will have me post 69 reviews of Christmas compilations sent to me at the P.O. Box or found online. It's fitting that the first comp to be reviewed is from the same person responsible for the first comp that I reviewed last February. That person is my very good friend Jeff Fox of Jeffco Productions. (Click on the link above to read last year's review and some great background information about the amazing output Jeff has produced over the years.) For more background info, I've asked Jeff a set of questions that I will be asking everyone whose comp will be reviewed here. 1.) When did you begin creating your Christmas compilations? The earliest I remember was 1991, the official "Christmas Wishes" which lasted for 10 years started in 1992, Christmas Turkeys, the more famous (less tune-worthy) off-shoot started in 1997. It'...

If you're getting bored with Christmas (or already are), here are five places to visit on the web that might shake you up out of the Christmas doldrums: 1.) Jeffco Christmas My Canadian brother Jeff has had albums and podcasts for your listening pleasure all month. If that's not enough, he has just posted his annual Christmas compilation "Christmas Turkeys 10" - a veritable feast of Christmas music that will make you smile, laugh, vomit, have convulsions, whatever. Still not convinced? Jeff's posted some of your favorite Christmas songs sung by the cast of "The Facts of Life"! 2.) FaLaLaLaLa.com This has been the place to be at Christmas for three years running. It's the final weekend over at the King Of Jingaling's palace. There's going to be some incredible surprises in store. Other like minded Christmas music people will be gathering to bask in the glow of Christmas memories via music. If you can't find something to re...

Earlier this year, I reviewed a bunch of podcasts that my good friend Jeff of Jeffco Productions posted at his web site late last year. He is once again offering these brilliant gems for a limited time! Point your cursor at this little link and zap 'em before they disappear! Happy listening... Capt

Several weeks ago, I reviewed a certain album from the Ontario Lottery Corporation that came to us from my good friend Jeff in Canada at his website . Buried in my stack of CDs was the OTHER album by the Ontario Lottery Corporation! Released in 1982, these sixteen tracks were possibly if not probably used for radio & TV commercials for the Ontario Lottery. The first album was very straight laced - harmonized singing, lush orchestra, well produced, occasionally some of the strangest lyrics you'll ever hear, and very homogenized. It's worth a listen and a chuckle. This second album has these elements and a little bit more. The camp factor on this album is ten times higher than the first album - making this one of the best finds of the year in my book! Here's a track by track review: 1.) Christmas Is For Children There was a song on the first album with the exact title. Coincidence? This one isn't oversung though! 2.) Whenever It Snows "Whenever...

You're looking at a typical 1960s Christmas compilation album that was branded and sold by a department store during the holiday season. However, this store is probably one you've never heard of... unless you live north of the 49th parallel. Back in 1869, a young man by the name of Timothy Eaton sold his interest in a dry-goods store and went into business for himself. Finding a store location in Toronto, he opened his first store - appropriately named Eaton's . Eaton's soon became the largest department store chain in Canada. In many ways, it resembled Macy's - it soon had a Gimbel like competitor in the Simpson's department stores and billed itself as "Canada's Greatest Store". In a nod to Sears, it began a mail order catalog which doubled Eaton's sales yearly. An old saying in Canada states that "only two books mattered in a typical Canadian home: the Bible and the Eaton's Catalog". History was made on December 2nd, ...

Ist hier ein Album für den Deutschen in allen uns! Dieses kommt zu uns von den guten Völkern an den Jeffco Produktionen und Sie können dieses an ihrem Aufstellungsort NOCH downloaden ! Dennie Christian wuchs in Deutschland auf und hoffte, ein Musiker zu werden ein Tag. Daß Tag in 1975 kam, während seine notierende Karriere anfing zu blühen. Er beanspruchte schnell herauf einige Erfolg singles und Alben und wurde betitelt "dem deutschen Andy Gibb." Ende der Dekade war seine Karriere emporgeragt. Er notierte dann das Album, das Sie vor Ihnen 1980 sehen. Die meisten Schienen sind direkt, keine Krausen, und - alle auf Deutsch ziemlich gut gesungen. Ungeachtet es gibt eine grosse Überraschung - Christ singt eine Version "des weißen Weihnachten" auf englisch, das ziemlich ist gut, Teutonic des Akzents. Es ist ein netter Oasis mitten in dem Album. Er ist kein Hasselhoff, aber das ist ein definitives Plus für Dennie! Um diese Zeit fing Christian, seine Karrierewa...

Shocking, isn't it? Bet you didn't know that St. Nick's real name is St. Canuck. Turns out that Santa is a fan of Hockey Night in Canada. Santa even has Red Green on retainer as "advisor" to all the elves at his workshop. Well, maybe. My last yuleblog entry came to you from the Oregon State Lottery from last year. This charming album title comes to us from the Ontario Lottery Corporation circa 1981. Sense a pattern forming? My good Canadian buddy Jeff at Jeffco Productions decided to offer this album at his website where you can STILL download this album for your own listening pleasure. The Oregon lottery had five tracks to offer - "Santa Claus Is Canadian" is a full album with thirteen original tracks all quite lush and well produced - what you'd expect from a big lottery corporation. Several of the tracks are instrumentals ("Fanfare For Christmas", "Country Christmas", "Christmas Samba") and hold up v...

O Canada, Jeff's home and native land... Jeff who? No, that's Jeffco ! If you click on this link to a previous yuleblog entry, you can read the fascinating but true story of how I met Jeff Fox, my very good friend from Nepean, Ottawa and the recepient of ALL my Christmas music in the case of my untimely death. Is that why Jeff sent those snakes on a plane? Curious. Last week, I received an e-mail from Jeff shortly after I posted my last review of Ernie (not Bert)'s stack of CDs. The e-mail simply read: "I hear you're done reviewing your Ernie CDs. Download at will." One click of the mouse led me to a new page on Jeff's amazing, ever changing web site. There I discovered NINE digitalized Christmas albums available to download! Another new stack? WOW! This album you see before you is one of the seven albums I didn't already own (the others will be reviewed here, I promise!). History lesson: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) ha...

Starting this week, I will reviewing six different Christmas comps that were either sent to me by other Christmas collectors / enthusiasts or download available comps that were created by Christmas collectors / enthusiasts. To start it off, I present to you Canada's very own Jeffco Productions and my very good friend Jeff Fox. One day in the summer of 2001, I was doing some deep searching on Napster and Google for Weird Al Yankovic Christmas greetings (WEIRD AL CHRISTMAS GREETINGS!). This search led me to the website of Jeffco Productions . Upon first look, I discovered a group of people who've known each other for a long time and did fun things together. They held the Jeffco Giveaway every year, they occasionally did ice sculpting , and every Christmas since 1992, they issued Christmas compilations. I immedately e-mailed "To Whom It May Concern", introduced myself, sharing my passion for Christmas music, and, like any other self-respecting Christmas collecto...