Christmas on the Beach Part 2

Continuing our summer celebration of Christmas! These are just some of my most favorites of my favorites so far this year.

7) Merrill Osmond-A Very Merry Christmas

From the 1976 Osmond Christmas Album. The Osmonds have always brought great Christmas music to our ears, much like Lawrence Welk. I feel not much of it gets heard these days (like with Welk's Christmas music) because times have changed, people associate the name with something outdated, but man...this sounds as fresh and as invigorating to me as anything released recently. If not more so.

8) Valerie Masters-Christmas Calling

It may be hot, humid, and sticky today (at least in my stomping grounds!) but Christmas is coming soon. Hear it calling? From World in Winter.

9) Brook Benton-Our First Christmas Together

From the compilation Holiday Magic. According to his Wikipedia page, he charted on the Christmas charts. I am not sure if it was with this song, but I imagine so. A lost treasure for sure.

10) Sonny Knowles-Old Christmas Dinner

From the Irish compilation Christmas Countdown.

11) Lula Bolden-Old Time White Christmas

Now this is a nice little track. I wish I could say where I found it. The fact is it's been in my collection for a little while now...I don't recall where I got it. I believe it's from a rare 45, and I believe I got it on Ebay (which is a safe bet as I found most of my Christmas 45's on "the Bay." It really could have landed on my favorite cover versions compilation I posted not that long ago
as it really turns into an interesting cover of White Christmas.

12) Phoebe Snow-Merry Christmas, Baby

From the very, very nice compilation called Winter, Fire and Snow. It's out of print but can be found at a fair price.

Back next week with six more...

Christmas on the Beach Part 1

So this is the first day of Summer, and what better way to commemorate it than by reflecting on the festive season of CHRISTMAS! (Because you expected me to do something else???)

Santa's on vacation, people are heading to the beach, but yet for those festive ones among us, Christmas isn't just one day out of the year...Christmas is in the hearts of men! Yes, you can have Christmas without the snow and mistletoe! In fact, that is what the first song that starts off this compilation says...

1) Danny Thomas-The First Christmas

The goal of this blog from day one was to locate and share Christmas music that is great but rarely heard on the radio. I don't think any song achieves that goal more than this one. It's so simple, so melodic, easy lyrics...all the signs of a Christmas standard, yet this is on an album that is only on LP (at least according to amazon.com): Cricket on the Hearth. The album opens with this song and also closes with it, though it's Danny's version that wins me over. This deserves to stand along side some of the most beloved Christmas standards we know. If Danny hadn't been busy with acting and doing his charity work, no doubt he could have made some good cash at singing.

And what better way to start a compilation about celebrating Christmas in Summer than declaring that we can have Christmas without the snow and mistletoe!

2) Evie-Christmas, A Happy Time

This comes from her record of the same name. It can also be found on her CD Christmas Memories.

3) Michael D'Egidio-Santa's Vacation

I would have started posting this compilation earlier this month, but I had to wait on this record! It's from a 45 record released in 1986 on Saxtone Records. I hope it was worth the wait!

4) Irene-Christmas on the Beach

A single released on Labrador Records in 2006. I actually found this in my files at the last minute! I was about to post this compilation without this song, but I found it by chance in my files and knew I had to share it!

5) Lawrence Welk-Christmas Dreaming

Oh, the perfect songs for this compilation just keep coming! No snow around, but I am dreaming of Christmas! How about you?!?

6) Captain Carla Voeller-Wake Up, It's Christmas Time

Well, I only have so many songs about Christmas when it's not Christmas. Now I get a chance to share with you some of my favorite Christmas songs of the year so far (not released this year...just some of my personal favorites of all I've been listening to lately!) This comes from a compilation I found on Ebay called Twin City Christmas (not St. Paul/Minneapolis!) It seemed fitting to follow up Lawrence dreaming of Christmas with this song.

Well, there will be more to come...this is just part one! I have 24 tracks to share with you over the coming weeks! I hope to have all of them posted by July 14th, as I am going on my own vacation then (on which I will be going to a record show AND getting to shop at a Cheapo Records! OOOH, YEAH, new Christmas music here I come!!!)

Thank you, and I appreciate you listening and reading!