FaLaLaLaLa

I’m definitely behind the curve. I just found out that the great singer Jo Stafford passed away last month.

She put out a bunch of great Christmas songs that will make her immortal in the minds of folks at FaLaLaLaLa.

There have been a number of noted passings in the Christmas music world. We may have to do a tribute this December.

Okay, it’s not Christmas. It’s not Christmas-in-July, Christmas-and-a-Half, Orthodox Christmas or any sort of solstice. But Yestermusic is having a sale on selected Christmas CD’s and DVD’s.

One disc I heartily recommend is Christmas Magic by Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians. This two disc set includes the following two albums:

The Meaning of Christmas

The Meaning of Christmas (Medley):
Christmas Magic (The Meaning of Christmas) /
Holiday /
A Musical Christmas Card /
Christmas Tree /
Mistletoe /
Carol of the Bells /
Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow /
The Sleigh /
Echo Carol /
Kentucky Wassail Song /
Toyland /
March of the Toys /
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer
Twas the Night Before Christmas
The Song of Christmas

AND

The Sounds of Christmas

Ring Those Christmas Bells
Caroling, Caroling
Carol, Brothers, Carol
O Hearken Ye
Christmas
The Star Carol
Rise Up Shepherd an’ Foller
Go Where I Send Thee
Jesu Parvule
Gesu Bambino
O Come All Ye Faithful / Come Dear Children
Bright, Bright the Holly Berries
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
While By Our Sleeping Flock We Lay
Jingle Bells/Caroling, Caroling (Reprise)
I Wonder as I Wander
Silent Night
O Holy Night
Finale (Chorus and Orchestra)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas / Closing

I wrote about this last year when I saw copies going for $100 on Ebay. Then it was $19.95. Now it’s only $16.95! So if you don’t have this in your collection (or want to replace your worn out vinyl), I encourage you to check out Yestermusic.

The sale only runs until August 17th.

 

We’ve finished up our Christmas-and-a-Half celebration.  However, lots of our friends in the blogosphere are deep in the heart of their Christmas In July festivities.

There’s plenty of great Christmas music to be had.  So go on over and sample the goodies!

Ernie (not Bert)

Cheerful Earful

It’s that time of year again–the time when my brain chemistry decides to ignore the cultural norms of the day and invent my own Christmas holiday!

With six months since last Christmas and six months until next Christmas, FaLaLaLaLa celebrates Christmas-And-A-Half!

Now I know you’re rolling your eyes (my wife certainly is) because you don’t get it.  Aren’t Christmas and Christmas In July enough?

Well, no.  As the Christmas celebration itself has its roots in ancient celebrations of the Winter solstice, I see it as more appropriate to have a celebration near the Summer solstice–in June as opposed to July.  It’s much more appropriate than celebrating appliance sales during Christmas in July.  So we don’t really do Christmas in July at FaLaLaLaLa (though I will be spinning tunes for my wife’s CIJ party–she is the queen, after all!).

So, my annual harrang now being through, I give you my Christmas-And-A-Half present: one and a half Tijuana Christmas albums.  So pour yourself a shandy and let the trumpets take you away….

Now you might look at the info below and see what you think are two Tijuana Christmas albums.  However, due to the bizarre and fickle workings of the record industry, side two of the second album below is 100% Tijuana Free.  You won’t find any Herb Alpert lite jazz numbers here.  Just some relatively standard (though well orchestrated) Christmas carols performed by chorus and orchestra.  So you’ll have to put down your margaritas during these songs or just skip them, even though they have far more Christmas content than some of the rest of the tracks.  The only yule flavor you’ll find in songs like Mrs. Claus Says–Ole! is a bit of sleighbell percussion.  Pretty cheap of Mr. Garabedian and the folks at Phillips 66.  Big oil has its way with us once again!

The albums were produced by the king of Herb Alpert clones, George Garabedian.  Apparently he put out quite a few of these little gems (and I suspect some of these tracks are recycled from other albums).  There isn’t really info about release dates, players, orchestrators, etc.

Phillips 66 Presents Tijuana Christmas
Mark 56 Records
196?

SIDE ONE
1. Jingle Bells   1:54
2. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers   2:36
3. Christmas Sleigh Bells   3:04
4. Let It Snow Let It Snow   1:36
5. Tijuana Christmas   2:55
6. White Christmas   2:50

SIDE TWO
1. Santa Claus, Santa Claus   2:15
2. Sleigh Ride   2:41
3. Winter Wonderland   2:02
4. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear   2:55
5. Adeste Fidelis/Silent Night   2:26

Phillips 66 Presents Tijuana Christmas Volume 2
Mark 56 Records
196?

 

 SIDE ONE
1. Tijuana Taxi   3:28
2. Christmas In Paris   3:14
3. The Star   3:12
4. March of The Reindeer   4:01
5. Mexican Pine Cones   2:55
6. Mrs. Claus Says–Ole!   3:28

SIDE TWO
1. Happy Holiday   2:54
2. Christmas Waltz   3:25
3. Snowfall   3:14
4. Good King Wenceslas   3:02
5. Silent Night   4:42
6. Christmas Sleigh Bells   3:40

See you in about 6 months….

Our friend Mitch Kezin posted some footage for his Jingle Bell Rocks documentary.

In it he talks with the inimitable Bob Dorough (whom most folks of my generation will recognize as the voice behind so many classic Schoolhouse Rock songs).  Dorough discusses how he got together to work on the only Christmas song that Miles Davis ever recorded.

Take a look (and listen). 

Well, I haven’t been around Emusic for a while but just couldn’t turn down their latest "come back" offer of 75 free downloads. As I’m poking around the holiday music section, I happen to find that Dave’s True Story have a Christmas album!

Now I’m a big fan of DTS. Back in the early nineties, my girlfriend at the time worked with the singer, Kelly Flint, and we used to go see them play in NYC. I even went to Kelly’s wedding to musician Richard Julian where the bride rode in on the back of a Harley. But that’s the past.

DTS have released several Christmas songs on various compilations and their jazzy lounge style seemed right for a full Christmas release. And now we have it.

At the moment you can download three tracks (Mele Kalikimaka, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and Baby It’s Cold Outside) at their website. The whole album is also available via Emusic, (a site I highly recommend for Christmas music and more).
—————- Listening to: HTTP Stream via FoxyTunes

This lovely little LP is newly posted over at Big Balls of Holly.  It’s listed as by the Longines Symphonette directed by Mantovani.  We’re curious as to whom the singers might be.
There’s a distinct possibility that it could be our faves, The Mike Sammes Singers, who have recorded Christmas music with Mantovani.
Pop on over and download this and hear what you think.

Christmas Eve Favorites

Powered by ScribeFire.

I’ve moved the site to a new host, so things may run somewhat strangely for the next few days.

Things should return to relatively normal soon.  You should be enjoying the holidays with your family anyway….

Well, it was 10 years ago today–December 27, 1997–that my best friend and I got married.

It was a beautiful ceremony in this tiny little church in Northumberland, PA.  There were about 25 or so in attendance and it was very intimate and special.  The reception was held at the very newly renovated Lewisburg Hotel and we spent the night at Anni’s B&B (I did the websites for both the Hotel and the B&B).

We spent part of our honeymoon at the Harry Packer Mansion (model for Disney’s Haunted House ride) and the rest at my sister’s apartment in Manhattan.

The whole event definitely had a Christmas vibe to it.  The church, the hotel, the B&B’s were all done up for Christmas.  A little before the evening ceremony we got some light snow.

Ever since, it has been Christmas every day in my life.  I have the great joy and privilege of spending all my days with my favorite person in the whole world.  And I feel more strongly for her now than I did 10 years ago (and the crazy thing is she feels the same!).  So we have a lot to celebrate!

So, happy anniversary to my friend and wife, the Queen of Jingaling!

2007 FaLaLaLaLa.com ADVENTure in Carols
Various Artists
2007

 

 

1. Deck the Halls - Veo Gray and the Jodie Lyons Singers
2. The Most Wonderful Day of the Year - The Quinto Sisters
3. Jingling Bells - Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
4. Buon Natale/Jingo Jango/Jingle Bells/Bossa Nova Noel - Living Strings & Living Voices
5. Santa’s North Pole Band - Line Material
6. Midnight Clear - Ed Sullivan
7. Fum Fum Fum - The Glad Singers
8. Christmas Journey - Wayne Newton
9. Christmas Isn’t Christmas - Dawn Vandepitte
10. Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow - Ronnie Aldrich
11. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Hal Mooney & his Orchestr
12. Christmas - Metro Strings
13. I’d Like To Find You In My Stocking - Vincent Lopez
14. Hey Daddy (I’m Gonna Tell Santa On You) - Billy Beau
15. Ding Aling Dong, The Sleighbell Song - The Cricketones
16. I Saw Three Ships - The Mike Sammes Singers
17. The Christmas Cha Cha - The Merry Macs
18. Blue Christmas - Living Voices
19. It’s Christmas Again - The Harry Simeone Chorale
20. Chree-see-mus - The Commander Shea Boys’ School Choir
21. Jingle Bells/Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Ruth Welcome
22. Pinheirinho Agreste - Luis Bordon
23. Merry Christmas Music - Jose Melis
24. Silent Night - Les Djinns Singers
25. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Merv Griffin

Here it is, my fourth ADVENTure In Carols collection.

I owe a debt of gratitude to two guys who really made this possible.

First, my old friend Ed McKeogh who designed the cover.  I’m so psyched that a good friend from my past has become part of this new tradition.  The art itself is great, but it’s more meaningful because it’s from a friend.  Thanks, Ed!

Second, this whole thing would be pretty empty if it weren’t for my friend Ernie.  He’s responsible for so much of the classic Christmas music that has been shared here and elsewhere.  As my life and this site have changed over the past four years, I spend less time recording albums from LP and more time as an administrator–answering emails (TONS of ‘em), searching for records for people, posting links, etc.  My original intent was for the AiC to represent songs that I recorded from vinyl myself.  This has become less and less the case as my life (and FaLaLaLaLa) have grown more complicated.  Without Ernie’s tireless work, this collection–and this website–would be much poorer.  Thanks, Ernie.

So download the collection, burn a disc, share them with friends.  Make this music part of your Christmas memories for years to come.  And in time the people who own these original recordings will find their way to rereleasing them….

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE COLLECTION (including all songs and artwork).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ONLY THE ARTWORK (for those who’ve already downloaded all the tracks).

DOWNLOAD 2004 ADVENTure In Carols
DOWNLOAD 2005 ADVENTure In Carols
DOWNLOAD 2006 ADVENTure In Carols