Ernie (Not Bert)

And now, the post you've all been waiting for. It's not Moog, but it's close. I found this record in the bathroom of Fantasyland Records in Atlanta this summer, and I've been excited about it ever since.  I think Joseph Byrd was the leader of The United States Of America, a hippie band from back in the time of the hippies.  Since then, he's done a lot of stuff, including this Christmas album, performed on the Arp Synthesizer.  Imagine a Christmas version of Walt Disney World's Electric Light Parade, that's what this reminds me of.  Trust me, if you like the electronic stuff, this is going to rock your world.  I'm going to shut up and let the music do the talking.  Please download Joseph Byrd-A Christmas Yet To Come (Takoma C-1046, Stereo, 1975).  Note:  There's some distortion in some of these tracks.  That's on the vinyl that way.  I don't know if the sounds he was creating couldn't be contained on mere vinyl, or it's a bad pressing or something else.  I hope it's not too distracting.

1. Deck The Halls
2. E La Don Don Verges Maria
3. Christmas In The Morning
4. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
5. Silent Night
6. Taublein Weiss
7. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
8. Carillon
9. Carol Of The Bells
10. The Holly And The Ivy
11. The First Nowell
12. Christmas
13. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
14. In Dulci Jubilo
15. Jingle Bells

MediaFire
Torrent

OK, I'm hoping that by now you've downloaded and listened to my previous share of Christmas music played on the Moog Synthesizer. Now download and listen to this one. Sound familiar? When I was first recording this one, I thought I'd stumbled onto some great, new, undiscovered Moog Christmas record. What I'd actually discovered was a rehash of Sy Mann's LP, with some kids singing Spanish over top of it. Further research turned up even more rehashing.  I think they took the version of Tijuana Christmas from this other LP (which is itself just wordless vocals over the Moog version) and again added some very minimal kiddie singalong.  Gotta love budget labels! Anyhow, it's still well worth your listening, so go download Los Mensajeros De La Alegria-Navidades Blancas (White Christmas) Cantan Y Tocan Los Mensajeros De La Alegria (Mr. Pickwick (Pickwick) SPC 1506, Stereo, 1973).  By the way, I lucked out and found a copy that still had the original tear-off sheet attached.  I've included scans of it in the download.  Print it out and you can make your own decorations in the shape of the three kings!

1. Santa Claus Muy Pronto Llegara (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)
2. Navidad Tijuana (Tijuana Christmas)
3. El Niño Del Tambor (The Little Drummer Boy)
4. Navidades Blancas (White Christmas)
5. Al Mundo Paz (Joy To The World)
6. ¿Que Niño Es Este? (What Child Is This?)
7. Rodolfo, El Siervo De La Nariz Roja (Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer)
8. Hoy Es Navidad (Jingle Bells)
9. Angels Cantando Estań (Angels We Have Heard On High)
10. Noche De Paz (Silent Night)
11. Cosas Que Me Hacen Feliz (My Favorite Things)
12. Campanas De Navidad (Christmas Bells)

MediaFire
Torrent

One of the few albums that was created and released specifically for the Pickwick label, this is the great LP of all-Moog music that I first discovered of at FaLaLaLaLa! I don't think he's sharing it out anymore, so I'm sharing out my copy tonight.  The music here is great, if the whole thing is a bit short.  And if you'll bear with me for a while, I've got another reason for sharing it, but I've got to finish it up first.  In the meantime, please download Sy Mann-Switched On Santa!-The Merriest Moog Synthesizer Plays Christmas Favorites (Pickwick SPCX-1007, Stereo, 1969).  And isn't that Jean Jacques Perrey as Santa on the cover?

1. Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
2. Jingle Bells
3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
4. Tijuana Christmas
5. My Favorite Things
6. The Little Drummer Boy
7. Christmas Bells
8. White Christmas
9. Joy To The World
10. When Christmas Comes
11. Angels We Have Heard On High
12. Silent Night
13. What Child Is This

MediaFire
Torrent

This is one of my favorite discoveries this year! What I thought was just a reissue of some random budget label stuff turned out to be a nice album of brass-led Christmas tunes. I've gone back and listened to this one as much or more than I've listened to anything else I recorded all year.  It's not a vocal album, and those seem to be everyone's favorite, but I'm sure this one will become a top-player if you give it a listen or two.  I don't know much about Mr. Fielding, but he did make a few albums back in the day.  I've only ever seen one copy of this one and you're looking at it.  Please be my guest and download Jerry Fielding And His Brass Choir-Favorite Christmas Music (Signature SM 1028, Mono, 1959).

1. Joy To The World/Hark The Herald Angels Sing
2. Winter Wonderland/Jingle Bells
3. The First Noel
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/O Come All Ye Faithful
5. Oh Tannenbaum/Cantique De Noel
6. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas
8. Auld Lang Syne/White Christmas
9. Silent Night
10. The Christmas Song/Let It Snow/Let It Snow, Let It Snow
11. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
12. Deck The Halls/Here We Come A-Caroling

MediaFire
Torrent

Why is this organ record so good? All I can figure is that it's by a guy from Canada, and that's pretty close to the North Pole. So all that Santa goodness just rains down on him, making the music full of that Christmas spirit. And if the internet is correct, this guy has recorded something like four Christmas records! If they're all this good, sign me up! (Anyone? Anyone?) To be honest, I only picked this up because of the cover, and what a cover it is.  Who knew that the music could live up to that, but it does.  It's a nice mix of the sacred and profane here, too.  The carols are reverent and the ditties are happy and bouncy.  Oh, I could just go on and on, but if I don't hurry, I'm going to miss the next episode of Gold Rush (and don't tell me it's faked, I can't imagine they bury all that gold for the guys to find...not like Storage Wars).  This is Lucien Hétu-Noël (RCA Gala (Canada) CGPS 343, Stereo, 1969).

1. Minuit Chretiens
2. Adeste Fideles
3. Jesus De Nazareth
4. Noël Des Petits Santons
5. Miracles De Noël (Christmas Is A Day For Miracles)
6. Symphonie De Noël (Christmas Symphony)
7. Le Petit Renne Au Nez Rouge (Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer)
8. Cloches D-Argent (Silver Bells)
9. L'Enfant Au Tambour (Little Drummer Boy)
10. Noël En Mer
11. Le Pere Noël S'En Vient (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)
12. Tourbillon De Noël

MediaFire
Torrent

Try to imagine a time in American politics when a sitting Senator could record a Christmas album? Hard to believe, but it wasn't that long ago. I first saw this LP shared out at the now-defunct blog run by Inkydog (Cheerful Earful, I think it was called). I'd not seen it or heard of it, but I just thought it was the coolest thing. I eventually tracked down a copy (or two) for myself, and now I'm sharing it with you. The name Dirksen was familiar to me even without knowing of this Christmas album, and it took me a while to figure out why.  It turns out that one of the office buildings near the US Capitol is named for him, and I've walked past it many times while visiting DC.  So I guess he must have been a pretty popular fellow.  This isn't the only LP he recorded, either.  I think there were at least two other albums, all following the same theme of recitations and spoken lyrics.  You can't go wrong with an album like this, believe me.  Just imagine John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi doing something like this today.  Anyhow, please be my guest and download Everett McKinley Dirksen At Christmas Time (Capitol ST 2792, Stereo, 1967).

1. The First Time The Christmas Story Was Told
2. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
3. The Prophecy: He Is Coming
4. Christmas Has Come...Joy To The World
5. Shepherds Are Guided: Away In A Manger
6. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
7. The Wise Men
8. The Night Before Christmas
9. Epilogue
10. Silent Night

MediaFire
Torrent

Here's a little re-do of one of the favorite downloads of all time. Don't know if I'm still allowed to share this, but I hope so. This may be the only share you get all season that can honestly be called jazz.  This is The Ramsey Lewis Trio-More Sounds Of Christmas (Cadet LPS-745, Stereo, 1964), first recorded and shared 'round here back in 2007, so this remaster only took me five years to get to.

1. Snowbound
2. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
3. Egg Nog
4. Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
5. Jingle Bells
6. Plum Puddin'
7. Snowfall
8. We Three Kings
9. White Christmas
10. Little Drummer Boy

MediaFire
Torrent
Pretty sure the one I recorded is shown up top, but I also found this other cover. I'm afraid I didn't do enough research to figure out which one came first and which one is a re-issue. Pretty sure I've seen a third cover as well, but I couldn't dig it up to scan it when I had the chance.

And if one cruelly overlooked Fred Waring LP isn't enough for you, how about another one? This is another record that was in my collection for years, but I never paid too much attention to it. I picked it up this year, and decided maybe you needed to hear it. This is nearly 20 years after the last one, close to forever in the music business, but it's still got some of that old Fred Waring magic.  I don't think I like the cover as much, though.  This is Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians-A Caroling We Go (Decca DL 74809, Stereo, 1966).

1. A Caroling We Go
2. Carol, Brothers, Carol
3. (I) Away In The Manger (II) What Child Is This? (III) Come, Dear Children
4. Some Children See Him
5. Bright, Bright The Holly Berries
6. Mary's Baby
7. Be Joyful, Be Merry
8. (I) Season's Greetings (From "A Caroling We Go") (II) Christmas Roundelay
9. O Listen To The Angels' Song
10. (I) Angels We Have Heard On High (II) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (III) Jubilate Deo
11. It Was A Night Of Wonder
12. King Herod's Black Decree
13. I Wonder As I Wander
14. Caroling, Caroling

MediaFire
Torrent

I've been sharing records by Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians with you for years now, but it was only recently that I realized I was missing at least one (maybe two). I started looking at the one you see above and recognized some of the songs, but not all of them. It turns out that this record was Fred's first full Christmas album, from 1949.  It was released on 78 and vinyl, and oddly enough, I stumbled across a copy from across the pond, which is what I recorded and scanned.  American audiences might be more familiar with the cover shown down at the bottom, but I thought it would be cool to go with the UK cover, just to keep you on your toes.  Pretty sure the music is identical, but I do know it is not the same as the songs that showed up on the 12" version with the same title that came out six years later.  So if you want to hear more old Waring, please download Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians-'Twas The Night Before Christmas (Brunswick (UK) 10" 33 RPM LA 8693, Mono, 1949).

1. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas
2. Silent Night, Holy Night-Introducing: Come Unto Him from "The Messiah"
3. Oh, Gathering Clouds
4. Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)
5. Cantique De Noel (O, Holy Night)
6. The First Nowell; O, Little Town Of Bethlehem; Carol Of The Bells
7. Beautiful Savior

MediaFire
Torrent

Since it is almost Christmas, I figured I'd go ahead and give you Mike's other Christmas album, but I'm going to leave you with a little warning. This one came out in 1979, and here there be disco. Not much, but enough. Don't say that I didn't warn you.  This one is another remaster, I first shared it out back in 2007.  If I had to pick between the two, this one is the second best, but I like to be complete about things.  If you do, too, please download Mike Douglas-The Mike Douglas Christmas Album (Word WSB-8815, Stereo, 1979).

1. Oh Holy Night
2. One Small Child
3. Do You Hear What I Hear?
4. What Child Is This?
5. Christmas Song
6. It's O.K. To Be A Kid At Christmas
7. Christmas Is Love
8. Thanks To You At Christmas
9. Special Delivery
10. Happy Birthday, Christmas

MediaFire
Torrent