What Are Your One Or Two Favorite Christmas Albums To Play While Trimming The Tree Or Opening Gifts

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RSteven, Dec 20, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    My two favorites albums would be John Klein's A Christmas Sound Spectacular from 1959 and Johnny Mathis's Merry Christmas album from 1958. The John Klein album is great for both adults and kids as it features some great jazz orchestrations and the largest Carillon in the world, so it is festive and reverential all at the same time. At times you can hear sleigh bells jingling, trumpets sounding like horses neighing, and strings and harps that glisten like the sound of snow falling. This iconic RCA Living Stereo album just got remastered and released for the first time ever on CD. I was honored to be chosen to write the liner notes for this historic release, which also includes Mr. Klein's very fine second holiday album as well as part of a twofer CD.

    Johnny Mathis's Merry Christmas album features the magnificent string arrangements of Percy Faith and this great album, with its chimes and plucking strings, seems like it was made to play while the family gathers around the Christmas tree. To this day, my daughter will not let us open any presents until Johnny Mathis's iconic holiday album is playing on the stereo.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2018
    Horse Majeure and Talisman954 like this.
  2. willy

    willy hooga hagga hooga

    There is a little-known song by Jon & Vangelis, Journey To Ixtlan, which is like a huge aural helping of xmas pud with a big dollop of double cream melting all over it. My go-to putting up the xmas tree music.
     
    Horse Majeure likes this.
  3. Shriner

    Shriner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    I have a playlist of about 25 Christmas Novelty songs that my kids look(ed) forward to every year while we put up the tree (Stan Freberg, Fountains of Wayne, Cheech & Chong -- Dr. Demento stuff...)

    Followed by Phil Spector's Christmas album. That's the holiday spirit in a nutshel!
     
  4. WMTC

    WMTC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Sound Of Christmas by The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Classic holiday jazz album, one of my favorites!
    Merry Christmas by Johnny Mathis - Again, a phenomenal album.
    A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio
    Barbra Streisand Christmas Album - Barbra Streisand
    Phil Spector Christmas Album - Various

    As well as quite a few compilation albums and whatnot.
     
  5. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    What a blast. I like your style and I love the Christmas novelty songs. I never get tired of the Chipmunks' Christmas Don't Be Late or Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer for that matter, and Phil Spector's Christmas album is solid gold. It is not Christmas until I hear Darlene Love's version of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Your kids are lucky to have you as parents.
     
    Shriner and WMTC like this.
  6. bluejimbop

    bluejimbop Thumb Toe Heel Toe

    Location:
    Castro Valley, CA
    If I wanna see lots of presents under the tree, I know enough to put on Bootsy Collins’ Christmas album while we trim it. GF has a direct line to Santa’s workshop.
     
    oldjollymon and fuzzface like this.
  7. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    This is a stellar line-up to say the least. Yes indeed, the Johnny Mathis album is a must have for this time of year, and the rest of your picks are fantastic as well!
     
    WMTC likes this.
  8. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    A Charlie Brown Christmas
    - The Vince Guaraldi Trio
    A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector
    - Various Artists
    December
    - George Winston
     
  9. gpalz

    gpalz Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    Have to go old school on this. Classics for me.


    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  10. zilig

    zilig Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Brings back memories, we used to play it every Christmas Eve
     
  11. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger

    Andy Williams- Merry Christmas (1965)
     
    RSteven and Simon A like this.
  12. SWLABR

    SWLABR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ayr, Ontario
    Sarah McLachlan: Wintersong
    Colin James & The Little Big Band: Christmas
     
  13. Harry Hotspur

    Harry Hotspur Forum Resident

    Location:
    London England
    A Xmas tradition for a pal of mine - a big Jimmy Webb fan - is to decorate the tree to Richard Harris's A Tramp Shining!
     
    willy, CBS 65780 and Sammy Waslow like this.
  14. numer9

    numer9 Beatles Apologist

    Location:
    Philly Burbs
  15. Uncle Ernie

    Uncle Ernie Forum Resident

    Here's a selection from our family's favorite Christmas morning album--A Crescent City Christmas Card by Wynton Marsalis.

     
    culabula, RSteven and bluejimbop like this.
  16. Astralweeks

    Astralweeks Diamond Dog

    Location:
    Concord, NH
    The Beach Boys Christmas and Elvis Christmas are my favorites. Frank Sinatra too. My father liked to put on Trans-Siberian Orchestra but that I never cared for that much.
    My TOP favorite Christmas albums I prefer to sit down and listen to on the stereo, like Phil Spector, Charlie Brown, Bob Dylan, etc.
    Such great music came out of the Christmas genre!
     
    RSteven likes this.
  17. Another Steve

    Another Steve Senior Member

    In no particular order.


    [​IMG] & / or[​IMG]
     
  18. Parachute Woman

    Parachute Woman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Here are a few I grew up with:

    [​IMG]
    It's Christmas Time, Frank Sinatra, Nat 'King' Cole, Bing Crosby
    Wonderful vintage feeling, a sound quality like a 1940s radio broadcast (I think that's what it is) and it always makes me feel so cozy and warm. My dad always played this one.

    [​IMG]
    Christmas with the California Raisins
    I've mentioned this one before. They may have been a marketing gimmick, but it's really fun R&B/pop and Buddy Miles did the lead vocals. Total nostalgia.

    [​IMG]
    Home for Christmas, Amy Grant
    I actually picked this one out for our family when I was 6 or 7. I loved Amy Grant at that age and this ended up being something we played every year. Great songs, both traditional and new.
     
    RSteven and lightbulb like this.
  19. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I think every household should have at least one holiday album from Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis or Perry Como. If these guys didn't nail the Christmas genre than who has ever done it better?
     
    willy, gov, eschorama and 3 others like this.
  20. fuzzface

    fuzzface Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lebanon, MO
    Agreed. Bootsy's xmas album is my all-time favorite.
     
    bluejimbop likes this.
  21. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    My favorite Christmas album is The Roches - We Three Kings. I was just grabbing Good King Wenceslas from YT when I found this wonderful live video;

     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2018
  22. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Trimming the tree I usually do alone (need to do it tomorrow morning actually), and I put on Jolly Sinatra.
    [​IMG]

    Opening presents with the family - well, they don't care for Frank as much as I do. So then it's Elvis:
    [​IMG]
     
  23. Pennywise

    Pennywise Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Sewers
    I usually go with something by the Vienna Boys Choir, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
     
    RSteven likes this.
  24. plugmeintosomething

    plugmeintosomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I have a bunch of old Christmas albums, but usually the first two that get played are A Charlie Brown Christmas and Elvis' Christmas Album.
     
    RSteven likes this.
  25. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine