Christmas on 45 Part 3

I apologize once again for the lateness of this post. If it's any consolation, the delays are all related to Christmas music! I've been working on the Wayside Waifs charity compilation, and also in getting my radio show demo ready and creating podcasts for the upcoming holiday season...so lots of stuff has kept me busy in preparation for the coming Holiday season!

But I do not want to neglect the current themed posts any further...

14) Saturday's Children-Deck Five

Ok, here we get into some of the b-sides of singles I shared previously, plus some new stuff. We start off today's post with the second track on the fourth side of the 45 EP by Saturday's Children. You may recall that I shared their other song in part one of this compilation.

15) The Spirit of Christmas-Will You Still Believe In Me

A lot of attention goes to side A of this single. When you do find the single posted on other Christmas/music blogs, it's usually just side A. And side A is a fine song, but I really like this side. If I was to compile a list of top ten favorite Christmas songs (if I EVER get that ambitious!) this would be in that list, for sure.

16) DiMara Sisters-My First Christmas

I shared side A of this single WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY back when I first started this blog, so long ago that the link to that song expired! I said I would share side B later. Well...now is later!

This is a single I found in a random search on Alibris, and I had no idea what the songs sounded like, I just knew the titles were nothing I was familiar with, so money was soon parted from this fool, and I ended up with two great Christmas songs that I enjoy greatly to this day.

17) DiMara Sisters-Santa's Italian Wife

That side A I teased you about that is now an expired link on an old post? Here it is again for you to enjoy.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my mind swirls around with ideas that abound for an animated special with the same title. Rankin-Bass missed the boat in not adapting this to a TV special...it would have been awesomely fun. If anybody has the capability to make such a special, I have some writing experience.... Just putting it out there! But this is a great story song, and a fun, original Christmas song at that. A true audio treat.

18) Bob Morrison-Santa Mouse

Yet another single I chose to share the B-side with you first in part one of this post. I held off on this side because I thought it would compliment the sheer fun of "Santa's Italian Wife" well, and I think it does go well with that song. It could have been another Christmas special as well...

19) Jewel Blanch-Christmas Kangaroo

I am not exactly sure which came first...kids looking for hippopotamuses for Christmas or kids looking for kangaroos for Christmas. This has an "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" feel to it to me, and it does delve into that novelty territory I am cautious of stepping into. But, hey, if it's obscure enough, I am willing to share it here. Jewel Blanch went on to have a nice career in TV and movies.

20) Jewel Blanch-By the Window

This is actually the A-side of the single, though in my mind this is the B-side because I prefer to think of the Christmas side as the A side. (The 45 doesn't actually say which side is what on the label, but "By the Window" is used for the front cover.) For some reason, they thought this was a better song to sell than the Christmas track. Of course, you all know which side I am partial to, but I thought this was a nice little tune to share here, even if it's not a Christmas song. I just thought there would be those of you out there who would want to know what the flip side of this single was, so here it is.

21) Christmas Squirrels-Country Christmas Party

Time to get these novelty songs out of the way since we are going there. I shared the B-side of this earlier. It's fairly clear to me that they were trying to be the next Alvin and the Chipmunks. I always like how we humans think that if small animals could talk, they would sound like sped up adult human voices. Sure they would, sure they would.

22) Miss L.L.-No Cheese (On the Xmas Tree)

23) Miss L.L.-Wedding Ring for Christmas

Here is a single I picked up from the record show for a buck in Minneapolis. Not sure if it made the $80.00 in gas to get up there and back worth it, but hey...it was only a dollar for the single! And ends up this run of novelty songs with small animals quite well.

Until next time, thank you for reading and listening!

OK, I realize I am late...

I realize I am late in posting part 3 of my Christmas on 45's post, but I will be back VERY soon to do that.

In the mean time, I wanted to share this wonderful find: a LIVE performance of Momus performing "Christmas on Earth." (Perhaps my MOST FAVORITE Christmas song I've encountered in quite some time.) The live recording is a little shaky with the live elements over the prerecorded sound bytes, but it's exciting to see.

Christmas on 45 Part 2

8) The Trashmen-Dancin' With Santa

The Trashmen are better known for "Surfin' Bird," but Christmas music aficionados will also recognize them for their 7 inch single "Dancin' With Santa," recently reissued by Sundazed records.

9) Royal Guardsmen-It Kinda Looks Like Christmas

This is the b-side of the Snoopy's Christmas song, which I LOVED when I was a kid. I never knew the b-side until recently. Oh, it's on CD, but not on the CD that I had that contained the Snoopy's Christmas song, and I never felt too compelled to buy a whole CD for one more song I didn't have. But I tracked down a decent copy on 45 for only a dollar, so here we go. If there are a few more out there who haven't heard this yet...

10) The Tropics-Groovy Christmas

Or by Chipper? I have a scratchier copy of this in my 2007 Christmas music folder credited to Chipper with 197? (sic) as the date. But that's exactly what it appears to be...as far as I have been able to locate info online, The Tropics made this record under the name Chipper. What year? I actually believe 1968 is the correct date on this record.

11) The Knickerbockers-I Want a Girl For Christmas

I believe I already shared this track in one of my summer compilations, but what the heck...it's worth another spin here, don't you think?

This is yet another resurrected single on the Sundazed label. And it has that late 60's kind of feel I am into at this point in the compilation, so it fits right in. For more information...

12) The Trashmen-Real Live Doll

Sticking in with the period pieces here, this is the first of a bit of a trend I noticed on a handful of records around this time...grown men desiring sex dolls for Christmas. There were just a few too many of these songs around back then for my comfort level. I guess if Lars and the Real Girl had been a movie back in the late 60's, it would have been hugely popular. And this is from the gents who brought us "Surfin Bird," as if I had to remind you...

13) Jim Eanes-Christmas Doll

Yet another obscure single I picked up this year...and yet another song about wanting the technology that wouldn't be available until today.

BONUS TRACK-Paul Revere and the Raiders-Dear Mr. Claus

Not found on a 45 (though maybe it had been released on one, I don't know...this comes from CD), but yet another example of the strange fetish that was sung about in Christmas songs from this period. SING A LONG, KIDS!!!!!

Santa Claus Presents: Christmas on 45

After much mulling about, as I thought about making this like my usual month long compilation posts and have all the songs run under 80 minutes in length so they can make for a nifty CD compilation, I had a real hard time whittling down my selections from my 45's to just 80 minutes of music.

Then today I picked up a record I bought in Minnesota during my vacation and inside the record were two more 45's I bought as well but forgot about and I also received two more 45's in the mail today.

So I said forget about it...forget a nice and tidy 80 minute CD length compilation on this one. Cutting nothing, restoring all the cut files from the folder on my computer, here it is...my Christmas on 45's collection, uncut and unrated! I have over 50 tracks chosen just for you!

Well, they aren't rated. It's not like the MPAA has rated these, and they came out before Tipper Gore could have any say, so...

Before I get into the first part of the compilation, I want to mention again that the holiday season is right around the corner. That means it's time to clean out my old files on my file sharing service, which means that inevitably I will have to take down certain old links. Now, I honestly don't know which ones are more popular or not, so I will do it as I personally see fit. I have to make room for the new files I have in plan to post for this coming holiday season. So, if you are new around here, stop dilly-dallying around and get to downloading those older files! There's no promises on how long they will remain up! Consider any time after today time that they could be subject for removal.

Without further adieu...

1) Country Squirrels-How I Love Those Christmas Songs

I picked up this record a few weeks ago from a retired DJ selling off their collection online. It was in perfect condition; it really looked like it could have come off the store shelf yesterday, yet this record was pressed in 1972.

The record label that put this out is Metromedia Country, and the best I can tell they were looking for the next Alvin and the Chipmunks. The A side of this single is pure kiddiefied pap designed to capitalize in on the Alvin and the Chipmunks frenzy that no doubt enthralled the nation in 1972. Don't worry...I will post side A later on in the compilation listing. But first is side B. While it maintains the ridiculous sped up voices that are common in kids records featuring animals (because we all know that if animals could really talk, their voices would sound like adult humans who speed up their voices), it's actually a relatively decent song in of itself. So much so that I wish it wasn't recorded like kiddiefied pap, but made into a regular song by the people behind the Country Squirrels.

It's not a lost treasure that will leave you scratching your head why it's been lost to time, but it's certainly a fine, capable song.

And as a bonus, here is the same song with the voices sounding normal (with digital editing, not by simply playing the 45 at regular speed.) I am not exactly sure if this is what their voices would really sound like in normal speed, but I did my best to edit it in a version that sounded relatively normal. Perhaps with different production values, this could have turned out to be a really good song.

BONUS: Country Squirrels-How I Love Those Christmas Songs (the Tone King Edit)

2) Becky Lamb-Little Becky's Christmas Wish

Perhaps the most hated and loved Christmas song. But it seems for everybody who hates it, this song receives an outpouring of support. I've read stories online about how well this song charted back in 1967 and the requests for it and the compliments outweighed the complaints.

I have to be honest and say I never heard the song until I spun the 45 record on my player a few weeks ago. I bought the record because I never heard of the song, and that was all the reason enough for me.

3) The Spirit of Christmas-Christmas Is My Time of Year

Now I am sure there is a good number of you reading this blog who recognize this by the name alone. Don't get excited...I haven't tracked down my own copy of the original White Whale records 45. I haven't been that lucky, and I doubt I'd have that much money to blow on one record.

So maybe this entry in this compilation is a bit of cheating, as I don't have this on 45. But this is from the 45, just as it appeared on the White Whale Story Vol 2 CD compilation. (It's also on Rockin' Christmas from Rhino Records, which I also own.)

4) Saturday's Children-Christmas Sounds

God bless us, everyone. Oh, and Sundazed Records, too. They have been re-released a lot of great records and singles and have given us some great lost treasures to enjoy on vinyl again. This song actually comes from side 4 (or is that D???) of a self titled two 45 EP set. Originally recorded in 1966 it is now on a fresh new pressing for us to enjoy today, but it is the same great sound from yesteryear .

Saturday's Children were Chicago's answer to the Fab Four. This song (and the second one from this side that I will share later) was written by Ron Holder and Geoff Bryan, who were the Lennon/McCartney of this band. For some reason the Fab Four didn't give us too many Christmas songs, but we have a good selection of Christmas songs inspired by them from that time period, and I think this is a pretty darn good song.

5) The Cameos-Merry Christmas

From 1957 on the aptly named Cameo Records. A pretty good example of some early doo-wop as well as an example of a pretty good Christmas song.

6) 5.6.7.8's-Rock and Roll Santa

Released in 2003 by Norton Records, this might be the most recent of 45's I have to offer in this compilation. Yet I chose to put it with the oldies because it sounds like and oldie but a goody. They are a Japanese band fronted by Ronnie Fujiyama, with Akikio Omo on bass, Sachiko Fujii on drums, Jun Tomia on sax and Chiho on piano.

7) Bob Morrison-It's Christmas

Another B side of a 45. I will share the A side, Santa Mouse, on another part of this compilation. This comes from Columbia Records in 1966. Two pretty strong sides here...

Well, this is a good start, I must say. Look for weekly updates until all the songs are posted (so i am figuring 4 weeks of posts for this compilation.)

Thank you for reading and listening!

Holiday hump

Well, we are over the hump month for the holiday season! Now I feel like Christmas is just right around the corner...and it IS! The leaves will be falling before we know it, the snow flying soon after that... it's amazing how fast time flies.

My trip to Minnesota yielded a few Christmas music finds. I didn't score a whole lot from Cheapo or from the record show I went to (unfortunately, I got there late so I felt rushed enough as it was and I didn't have time to search through everything.)

And there was also a record store in Kansas City that closed because the owner died and they were selling off a TON of records (and I mean a TON) downtown Kansas City two weeks in July. I was out of town for the first week, but I went down there once I got back in town. It was hot...105º heat advisories...and it was in this hot warehouse downtown where they had these records for sale and it about killed me to be there for four hours the day I went. I didn't go back the next day because it was even HOTTER. And there were other people there loading up on Christmas records too...some to give away as joke gifts for Christmas, some serious collectors (one I saw was rambling on about different versions of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, for some reason. Hey, to each their own!) And the records there were only a dollar each. I wish I could have gone more often. It was a once in a life time opportunity.

(Hmmm...there were other Christmas music collectors there....Did anybody who reads this blog show up there?)

But in all these trips, I didn't amass huge amounts from one single place, but I managed to get a few records here and there to make a decent sized collection to add to what I already have.

There are also a few more things I am working on. One, of course, is the Wayside Waifs Holiday Charity CD. I will be updating the latest news on that project soon, but briefly for here: Out of 79 artists I've contacted so far to date, 11 have said they would be willing to contribute. I have one completed song ready for the compilation, and I am contact with the other contributing artists and always reaching out to more to see if they are interested. I've had musicians from as close to me as the next town over from me all the way to Sweden interested in contributing, so I am rather excited about the prospects of this project.

One band I am especially delighted to say are contributing a song is Shi-Sho, who are known around these parts for their contributions to the Filthy Angels online compilations. I wrote a song for them and they are working on recording it as I type this!

So, please, SPREAD THE WORD on this project! Share information on your blog/Christmas site about it if you have one. Submissions are welcome from anywhere and everywhere. So if you know a band or a musician who would like to contribute a song for this charity project, share this information with them.

Another thing I am excited about and I am looking into (though this is entirely up in the air and admittedly a bit ambitious) is there is a local community radio station in Kansas City called KKFI. They allow people to volunteer, do guest DJ spots, and such. So......yeah, I recorded a "pilot episode" of a Christmas music program. Hey, you never know! They just may play it! Either way, the readers of this blog will be treated to a podcast of it once I hear back from the radio station, pro or con. Pro, and I will post the podcast as soon as it airs on the radio. Con, I will post it here sometime during the regular holiday season, and may very well do a few more podcasts for this blog even if I can't get the shows on KKFI.

Hey, it may be a long shot, but it's a community radio station, not a corporate owned commercial station...and I wouldn't collect a dime for my work, so you never know.

Not too long ago I opened EVERY Christmas song on my hard drive to play them in Windows Media Player. Mind you, these are JUST the songs on my hard drive, and I have not transferred everything I have to MP3. I have a solid 12 days worth of music so far, and that is if the songs played back to back for 24 hours a day! Yeah, I think I could pull off a few podcasts for the radio. Well, we will see what KKFI has to say about it! And I will keep you up to date!

No songs to share with you today. I just wanted to touch base with you all to let you know what's been keeping me busy these past few weeks. I am currently working on my next compilation for this blog: a collection of my recent acquisitions of Christmas songs on 45 record! I should have the first part of that up in a few days.

Keep it bookmarked to this blog (somehow I don't think it works to say keep it "tuned" when referring to a website....) and thank you for reading!

Christmas on the Beach Part 4

OH MY! Time just goes by so fast. I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning for my vacation, so this will just be a quick post! I might be sparse on the comments/why I chose the songs I did, but hey, I did promise to make my post before I headed out of town, and here it is...

19) The Knickerbockers-I Want a Girl For Christmas

There just isn't enough good 60's pop Christmas music in my book!

20) Fats Domino-I Told Santa Claus

21) The Debonaires-Christmas Time

22) The Weavers-Lulloo Lullay/It's Almost Day

23) LaDawn Lundstrom-I Can't Hardly Wait `Til Christmas

24) CLM Industries-Santa's Factoree

Again, I apologize for the rushed post.

I hope you find some time to set aside to celebrate Christmas in July!

Christmas on the Beach Part 3

13) Lundstroms-The Joys of Christmas Day

From their 1981 release "Best of Christmas." They actually have quite a few Christmas releases under their belt. There is one more LP I have to transfer to MP3 to share later on in the year, and I hope to come across more as my collection grows. I can't say I think their music is the best...it capably written and enjoyable and at times it hits a good mark. However, what I appreciate most about this family's music is that Lowell Lundstrom managed to pen quite a few original tracks for his Christmas releases, a rare thing to see in Christian music Christmas releases that just regurgitate the same standards over and over again.

14) Jane Siberry-Are You Burning, Little Candle?

I don't think I gave this song much notice the first time I listened to the Winter, Fire & Snow compilation (currently going for as little as 27¢ from amazon.com's sellers right now! Buy it!!!) but when it came around on my MP3 player while I was figuring what to include on this compilation, this song was one of the first ones to stick out to me. In fact, I think it was the first song I put on my list for songs to include, and I never wavered from it. A nice, nice tune...a good listen.

15) Gene Stewart-I Love Christmas

Wow, I just realized I am sharing a lot of tracks from this CD on this blog: Christmas Countdown. It may not be filled with the most revolutionary original Christmas music on Earth, but wow...it does deliver in a string of one great song after another. Highly recommended.

16) Ferlin Husky-In Santa's Bag

Like the song I used to kick off this compilation (The First Christmas) I wonder why we haven't heard versions of this over the years, keeping this on the rotation for classic standards to enjoy at Christmas time. Well, radio's loss is this blog's gain...I just wish that this song would get more attention around the holiday times! A fun, fun song, and from a great record over all: Christmas All Year Long. I have it on LP but I see amazon.com sells it as a MP3 album!

17) Bob Morrison-It's Christmas

From a 45 I acquired earlier this year.

18) Autumn Leaves- Wintertyme Joy

This was one of the My Space finds I found last December, but never got around to sharing it on the blog. Seemed fitting some how for a summer Christmas release to reflect on the joy of winter! The band is from Minneapolis, MN.

I promise to post the remaining six songs from this compilation before I head out of town!

Thank you for reading and listening!