A Christmas Yuleblog

As a kid, I remembered going through my mother's stack of Christmas albums around Christmas and gazing at this exotic, green covered album that contained some of the most bizarre Christmas music I had ever heard. When she told me this was how children in Africa celebrated Christmas, I nodded my head and still thought it was strange music. This album was seldom played at our house growing up. Flash forward to 2006. One of my wife's relatives gave me her entire collection of albums and included in that stack was her copy of this album. So I listened again and I appreciated the drumbeats, the style of singing, and the pure joy in the voices that were celebrating Christmas. Then my kids entered the room and wondered what the mysterious noises from the turntable were... the circle of life indeed. Les Troubadours Du Roi Baudonin - Christmas In The Congo Happy listening... Capt

This 10" Christmas LP was given to me by my in-laws when they were cleaning out their closets. When Columbia Records first unveiled the long playing record in 1948, two formats were introduced - the 10" version (same size as 78s, used for popular music) and the 12" version (more expensive / reserved for classical & Broadway shows). This 10" Christmas LP was issued in 1950 (look at the back cover at the popular music of the day) and contains only eight songs. The Canterbury Choir has had so many Christmas albums under different titles that I threw my hands up after looking for them on MusicStack . At some point, MGM rereleased this album under another title (where & what title, I don't know). This is a standard organ & choir album. Nothing fancy to detract. A nice change of pace if you're looking for that sort of thing. The Canterbury Choir - Christmas Hymns And Carols Sung By Happy listening... Capt

Last December, I shared an album entitled " KFUO Presents Christmas Hymns And Carols ", an album from a St. Louis Christian radio station featuring two different Lutheran choirs. This December, I'm sharing yet another album from KFUO. This one features two choirs from St. Louis - straightforward hymns and carols. KFUO is a Christian St. Louis radio station that's been spreading the gospel since 1924. Its sister station, KFUO-FM, has been doing the same since 1948. Strictly for the KFUO completist... KFUO Presents Christmas Hymns Happy listening... Capt

If you're thinking this is "just another Christian Christmas album", you're only partially right. Merrill Womach was blessed with a four octave singing voice - twice over the norm! He began singing publicly at the age of 6 and dedicated his life to bringing his message to the masses through his God given talent. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 1961, Womach was in a fiery airplane crash that almost took his life. Burned beyond recognition - his head swelled to the size of a basketball. Womach has had over 50 skin graft operations to repair the damage since that tragic day. Despite losing most of the skin on his face, his voice was unaffected and continued his career of singing. His story was told in an autobiography called "Tested by Fire" and a documentary movie entitled "He Restoreth My Soul". This was recorded seven years after the crash and his phenomenal voice really comes across and Merrill doesn't hold back - it's a tou...

Indiana's vinyl bins contain more religious Christmas albums than any other in the Union. If I purchased every one of these albums during my search and rescue missions over the past five years, I would probably have close to 1000 LPs. This is one of those typical albums. Designed with a Sunday School or Bible camp in mind, we listen as "Uncle Earl" (red flag) and two kids named Kathy and Bill share special stories lifted right out of the Bible. Even now and then, Christmas is involved! The Christmas music sandwiched inbetween the stories is mostly standard carols with a choir and organ and I shared a track from this album for the 2007 Yuleblog Sampler. So this year, kids, you get the whole album! Can I get an "Amen"? The Kid's Bible Club - At Christmastime Happy listening... Uncle Capt

Heino is the most successful German folk (Volksmusik) singer of all times. His characteristics are the blond hair, the omnipresent dark shades and the clear, baritone singing voice. He has sold more than 30 million records in the last 30 years and has become one of the most beloved and famous persons in the German speaking part of the world (98% of all Germans know him - only surpassed by Chancellor Helmut Kohl - 99%). This album was released in 1969 and it's an epic. Side one is one gigantic Christmas medley (nineteen songs - nineteen minutes in length, all in German!). Side two is a collection of religious Christmas songs (all in German again). Heino - A Festive German Christmas If you're not a big fan of Christmas carols, religious Christmas songs, but still want your Heino for Christmas, then this video is for you - all 23 minutes of it! Thanks to Anna-Lena Lodenius for finding this: The Blonde One reportedly went on a farewell tour recently so who knows ...

From time to time this Christmas season, I'll be posting some amazing videos that have been rescued by people like us and posted at the mecca of all things wonderful and obscure - YouTube . 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. Earlier this week, my family and I sat down to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on VHS (some things I refuse to upgrade). We all laughed, we all grooved to the Vince Guaraldi music, and we had a great time. Thank you, Charles M. Schulz and Bill Melendez ! This leads me to YouTube. There was a famous video that made the rounds a few years back that had Charlie Brown and company rocking out to "Hey Ya" by Outkast. Clever. I wondered what else YouTube had in the ways of Charlie Brown parodies and found these three. First is a take on the Outkast mashup:...

This EP was given to me by my in-laws when they were cleaning out their closets. According to my father-in-law, this was one of his mother's Christmas favorites on the old Philco. There's exactly four tracks on this EP - one by Frankie Laine, one by Eddy Howard, and two songs by a young up & comer named Vic Damone. I could have cleaned up the back cover with PhotoShop but I decided against it - I wanted you to see the original price tag from 1950 - $1.49 plus tax! This is vintage Christmas at its best. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as my in-laws did... Christmas Favorites EP (Mercury Records) Happy listening... Capt

My friend Scott Marks has been gracious to lend me several of his Christmas movie reviews from his amazing website Emulsion Compulsion . If you haven't visited his site for some thoroughly honest movie reviews, commentary, and image vaults to die for (including a bunch of Christmas related stuff), take a moment to head over this his site and surf - you'll be there for at least 20 minutes max. For his final review, Scott chose a movie that was being shown in 3-D at the time and is one of my personal... umm... let me just post the review and let my opinion fall by the wayside: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Directed by : Henry Selick Written by : Tim Burton & Michael McDowell Cast : Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, Edward Ivory, Susan McBride, Debi Durst, Greg Proops, Kerry Katz, Randy Crenshaw, Sherwood Ball, Carmen Twillie Aspect Ratio : 1.66 : 1 Running Time : 76 min. Rating : ...

Found this one on eBay and caveat emptor indeed! The seller finally contacted me a week after the auction ended and took their sweet time shipping it to me. When it finally arrived, there was a huge tear into the middle of the front cover they neglected to tell me about... Grrrrr! I wasn't sure if my handiwork with PhotoShop would be up to the task but I got it patched up pretty well if I do say so myself. Paul Steffen & his daughter Nancy operate antique Swiss handbells and put them into eighteen different Christmas carols & standards. No orchestra behind them, no chimes or other instruments to accent them. Straight handbell Christmas music. This 1959 release was the first ever Christmas album issued by the Atco Record company, the Atlantic subsidiary. Paul & Nancy Steffen - Christmas Bells Happy listening... 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. 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 arrived at the Friday before Christmas. What better way to start the final Christmas weekend then with some vintage celebrities in vintage Christmas ads pitching everything from cigarettes, clock radios, cameras, Christmas Seals, and candy. I've selected ten for your viewing enjoyment (click on all images to enlarge): Jackie Gleason for Manhattan Shirts Donna Reed for Singer Machines, Inc. Ann Sothern for Lucky Strike Cigarettes Dick Van Dyke ...

Sammy Kaye released four Christmas albums in his lifetime - Ernie has shared out " Christmas Day With Sammy Kaye " and " Christmas Serenade " which is a 45 RPM box set of different tunes than the original 10" LP that Hi-Fi Holiday shared out. I reviewed Ernie's shares and at some point down the road, I'll probably review Hi-Fi Holiday's contribution to the Kaye display (bad puns are all I have left today... sorry). This is the fourth and I'm guessing it's very similar in sound to what's already been out there. It's a nifty album - some great melodies and arrangements set up by Mr. Swing and Sway himself. If you ever get the Christmas blues, this album will cure them - guaranteed or your money backed by the U.S. Government (uh-oh...) Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra - I Want To Wish You A Merry Christmas Happy listening... Capt

Last night as we slept, ol' man winter decided to pay us a visit. We got around 1" of snow followed by thunderstorms (ever awake to thunder in the middle of December) that froze everything and anything in its path. Schools were cancelled, power outages were everywhere, and thousands of broken limbs scattered streets and yards. Put your ear up to the screen and you'll probably hear the drone of the chainsaws outside my window. I grabbed my purchased last year, already obsolete digital camera and took a few snaps of the view from my kitchen into my backyard. We did lose power for a brief time but it's fully restored. Compared to some of the areas in town that could be without up until Christmas, lady luck smiled on us. What a way to start Christmas vacation for the kids! Capt

Here's an album I grossly overpaid for - I wasn't sure what I was getting but it wasn't available anywhere. Open Pantry was (or is) a major chain of food stores throughout Pittsburgh and the Eastern Pennsylvania area. I assume when you purchased x amount of groceries, you could get this tagged Christmas album for an extra $3 or $4 back in 1974. Walt Harper was a Pittsburgh jazz legend - for years he was a behind-the-scenes player in jazz circles and rubbed elbows with practically everyone in the jazz world. But he never forgot his hometown of Pittsburgh. In 1958, he landed at the downtown Crawford Grill and stayed for ten years. Then in 1969, he opened his own jazz club/restaurant (the first of several), and got a regular gig playing at Steelers home games from the mid-1970s to 2002. This album is smooth Christmas jazz deluxe! Walt Harper - Open Pantry Presents Christmas Eve With Happy listening... Capt

Of all the thrift stores in all the towns in all the world, this album found mine. I never expected to see an actual Taiwanese Christmas album here in Fort Wayne. But this cover stood out like a someone wearing a White Sox jersey at a Cubs game in Wrigley Field. With the exception of the title, the artist, and the city of origin, and the names of the songs on the back cover, there is no other printing in English. What's worse is I'm not certain of the language printed all over the covers and insert. This album contains fourteen Christmas songs sung by a children's choir either in Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, or Philippino. It's fun, touching, and a treat to hear these favorites in a brand new way. And if the final seven songs sound like the album's warped, you're only half right. When I transferred this, I noticed the grooves on side two were off-center. This meant the needle was bucking and weaving side-to-side like a seismologist's needle durin...

From time to time this Christmas season, I'll be posting some amazing videos that have been rescued by people like us and posted at the mecca of all things wonderful and obscure - YouTube . 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. Okay kiddies... put your wet boots by the fire, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and settle in for a nice winter's storytime: I had heard about this sketch many times but until today, I had never seen it before. God bless us, one and all... What do you think? CrimsonCrow says: I love that man! Any other opinions? Capt

Back in October, I reviewed "Warner Brothers Stars - We Wish You A Merry Christmas" - an album released on Warner Bros. Records from 1959 - the second year of WB Records existence (and available for download courtesy of our friend Ernie (Not Bert) .) Here's an album from 1958 - one of only two Christmas albums released on Warner Bros. Records that year (the other being Jimmy Joyce's " A Christmas To Remember " - Ernie again). What stars are on this album? Who's got the hot song? It's an entire album of Christmas music boxes accented with bells & chimes. This album might have been the first Christmas music box album ever - Rita Ford's legendary "Music Box Christmas" on Columbia wasn't released until 1961 and I've yet to see a Christmas music box album earlier than this. And guess what? Ernie did it again - he has this very same album in the STEREO format. Turns out I had the mono version after all with some nif...

This isn't my first share of The Hollywood Pops Orchestra - they helped out the Veteran's Administration for their 1976 Christmas Hospital Program with several tracks. Google turned up very little in the ways of information on the Hollywood Pops Orchestra. Nowhere could I find an official website, a reliable discography, or any other pertinent info on the organization. There's plenty of comps out there with a track or two from these guys but nowhere in my research did I find a CD reissue or a MP3 album for download of this album. As the title says, there's some great orchestral instrumental Christmas music on this album - why it's not out there is beyond me. The Hollywood Pops Orchestra - Great Instrumental Christmas Music Happy listening... Capt

The main reason I bought this album at my local thrift store was the pretty nifty cover artwork. It's an eye catcher and I hoped the music inside would live up to it. Here's a budget release from Mount Vernon Music (Google comes up empty) from the Manhattan "Pops" Symphonic Band (again empty). If you're looking for a larger, Salvation Army-style band playing your favorite Christmas tunes (including two Christmas Medleys with some nameless music that connects real Christmas music), than this album is for you. At some points on this album, the music sounds like the tapes were slowing down slightly - truly recorded on the cheap. The Manhattan "Pops" Symphonic Band - The Sound Of Christmas Happy listening... Capt

I finally found a copy of this amazing album when it came up on eBay earlier this year - a DJ promo copy no less with an obnoxious sticker tattooed to the front cover. The Stoneman Family (or the Stonemans) ranked among country music's most famous family bands, and were closely associated with their legendary father, Ernest "Pop" Stoneman , who played with them for a number of years. The core of the band was made up of six of Pop's thirteen children: Patsy, Scotty, Donna, Jimmy, Roni and Van. It's a great mix of country, bluegrass, and gospel - very folksy and all Christmas. There are some great covers but the original songs are just as good - how can a song entitled "Santa Played The Autoharp" NOT be good? Most Christmas albums are recorded in the summer for a December release. However, Pop Stoneman died on June 14, 1968. - which makes the final track very bittersweet. Entitled "Christmas Without Dad", in any other context, this so...