CCM's 2009 Xmas release.....

[stubbysfears]

And the winner is..........

Courtesy of The Yule Log, we have learned that Collector's Choice Music will be doing for The King Family this year what they did for The Hollyridge Strings last year.  That is to say that they will likely be issuing a number of King Family LPs on CD for the first time ever.  First and foremost, of course, 1965's "Christmas With The King Family."

From the Yule Log's webmaster:
Gordon Anderson (Sr. VP/GM of Collectors' Choice Music) advised me today that they will be releasing on CD for the first time later this year the King Family's 1965 Warner Bros. Records LP, Christmas With The King Family. It will be available this fall.

(I borrowed Ernie's scan for this one.)


Auld Lang Syne
Caroling, Caroling
Come Dear Children
First Noel
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Hear The Sledges With The Bells
Holiday Of Love
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
Joy To The World
Little Drummer Boy
O Come Ye All Faithful
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Silent Night
Some Children See Him
Star Carol
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
What Child Is This?
White Christmas 

That's not necessarily to say that this will be CCM's only Christmas release in 2009.  The Yule Log also informs us that Mr. Anderson has submitted a request for licensing rights to some of Mantovani's Christmas works, including 1958's stereo London release, "Christmas Carols."

Anyway, back to the King Family.  We can also expect a new Christmas special on PBS this year, though, as with many of the "new" Christmas specials, it's mostly expected to be a compilation of the highlights of their Christmas specials past with some new interviews mixed in.  If you weren't around back then, The King Family were as much an annual holiday TV staple as Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Andy Williams. 



Collector's Choice Music, and specifically Gordon Anderson, are about as customer responsive as they get in the industry today.  So, if there's some long lost forgotten LP of Christmas cheer that you think is just crying out for digital release (you know, the kind of stuff this site was built for), by all means let him know. 

[Ernie]

I'd better go take down my share...  Thanks for the info!

[mr.christmas]

Really anxious for this 'King's' release as I've never heard it before and the song selection and chorus style seems like it'll be a great listen. I know it's been shared but I usually always prefer to wait for christmas albums I don't have to be released to cd so I can enjoy it through that means. I still don't own any mp3 as I still prefer cd's (am I the only one?).

[stubbysfears]

I still don't own any mp3 as I still prefer cd's (am I the only one?).

I very much prefer CDs to mp3s.  And I still prefer vinyl to CDs.  But I do own plenty of mp3s, for lots of reasons (including lots of stuff--obviously recent stuff--that's never been released on a hard copy of any kind), although I have a devil of a time keeping track of them.

[The King of Jingaling]

But I do own plenty of mp3s, for lots of reasons (including lots of stuff--obviously recent stuff--that's never been released on a hard copy of any kind), although I have a devil of a time keeping track of them.

I stand by my favorite music software--JRiver Media Center.  It's the only software I've used for years to keep track of all of my music.

http://www.jrmediacenter.com/

There's a bit of a learning curve as it is very thorough and does everything (including photo and video).

They have a free player just for music too:

http://www.mediajukebox.com

Feel free to ask me any questions on how to use it/optimize it/etc.

[Ernie]

I don't have the problem so much of keeping track of what I have (although that is a problem, too).  It's finding space to keep it all near at hand.  As fast as hard drives are growing and prices are dropping, it's still not enough.

Oh, and don't get me started on people who don't tag their files... 

[PDMan]

Chip at The Yule Log is reporting the the Mantovani reisuue is a done deal.  Original artwork plus, if I'm understanding correctly, both the mono and stereo versions of the LP.

[mr.christmas]

Chip at The Yule Log is reporting the the Mantovani reisuue is a done deal.  Original artwork plus, if I'm understanding correctly, both the mono and stereo versions of the LP.

Excellent news.

It's especially nice to have a new 'vocal' release and an 'instrumental' orchestra release this year, the best of both worlds.  There is, of course, the Living Strings And Living Voices cd set, too, but I have most of those songs. But the two CCM releases I don't have. Can't wait!

[stubbysfears]

Just got my CCM catalog and the King Family CD is in and includes some "mostly unreleased tracks pulled from various specials and TV appearances" in addition to the LPs original tracks.

The listing at CCM says it contains the following bonus tracks:   ''Twas the Night Before Christmas/Santa Claus Is Coming to Town; Sleigh Ride; The Shopping Song; Tell Us What You Got; Holiday of Love; I'll Be Home for Christmas; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm; Do You Hear What I Hear Medley; Snowfall; Chree-see-mus; Children Go Where I Send Thee; My Favorite Things; Winter Wonderland', and 'The Christmas Song/Christmas Waltz'.

Below is the track list on CCM.  I don't get the numbering system over there and it's a little confusing, but I'm guessing they ran out of room since the blurb includes "Chree-see-mus" and the track list doesn't seem to.

1   CAROLING, CAROLING/ COME DEAR CHILDREN
    The King Family
2   WHITE CHRISTMAS
    The King Sisters
3   GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
    The King Cousins
4   MEDLEY: HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING / O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL / IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT       CLEAR / JOY TO THE WORLD
    The King Mothers & Daughters
5   THE HOLIDAY OF LOVE
    The King Fathers & Sons
6   SILENT NIGHT
    The King Family (Solo by Alyce King)
7   HEAR THE SLEDGES WITH THE BELLS
    The King Family
8   THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
    The King Sisters
9   THE STAR CAROL/ O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
    The King Family (Solo by Alyce King)
10   WHAT CHILD IS THIS?
    The King Cousins
11   SOME CHILDREN SEE HIM
    The King Family
12   JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS/ JINGLE BELLS
    The King Kids
13   MEDLEY: THE FIRST NOEL / AULD LANG SYNE/ WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS /
    The King Family
14   SLEIGH RIDE (INSTRUMENTAL)
    Lex de Azevedo
15   THE HOLIDAY OF LOVE
    The King Sisters (Solo by Alyce King)
16   TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS/ SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
    The King Cousins
17   THE CHRISTMAS SONG/ THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ
    The King Mothers & Daughters
18   HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
    Marilyn King
19   MEDLEY: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR / CAROL OF THE BELLS / WE'LL DRESS THE HOUSE
    Alyce King & Sons
20   SOME CHILDREN SEE HIM
    The Four King Cousins (Solo by Tina
    Cole)
21   SOALIN' / GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN
    The King Cousins (Solo by Cathy Green)
22   SLEIGH RIDE
    The King Family
23   CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE
    The King Cousins
24   MEDLEY: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR / CAROL OF THE BELLS / WE'LL DRESS THE HOUSE
    The King Sisters & The Four King
    Cousins

Oh, there's also a DVD.

I gotta go.  Make of this what you will.  I'll try and clean it up later.

[Ernie]

I'd forgotten about that Chree-See-Mus track.  I think The King put that on one of his ADVENTures collections.  I like when reissue companies do their homework.