What Are Your Top Five Christmas Albums From The Golden Age (1950's to the 1960's) ?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RSteven, Nov 3, 2018.

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  1. Schu

    Schu But Mama, that's where the fun is . . .

    Location:
    LA
    That would be great. I'd appreciate any recommendations you have.

    I'll be looking out for Mom on A Classic Christmas - PBS Presents if I can find the airing date.

    On another note I hope that Jack Jones Christmas album goes back in stock as Real Gone currently has it listed as sold out.
     
  2. Simon A

    Simon A Arrr!

    I don't want to rain on your parade but I doubt it will have another physical release. I have yet to see a Real Gone Music release getting a second pressing.

    The good news though is the Jack's 1969 RCA Christmas album is now available as a 192-24 High Resolution download as well as being available on iTunes.



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    Last edited: Dec 11, 2019
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  3. BeatleJWOL

    BeatleJWOL Senior Member

    Just 5?

    Sure. Being from the 50's or 60's makes this easier. :D

    Elvis' Christmas Album
    Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
    Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
    Les Paul & Mary Ford - Christmas Cheer (okay so it's an EP. still!)
    Johnny Cash - The Christmas Spirit

    I've gone through the Wikipedia lists of Christmas albums and added to my saved albums on Youtube, as well as adding several new-to-me selections from this thread and others that I look forward to checking out. One in particular is the Kenny Burrell Christmas album. What a great listen!
     
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  4. Jskoda

    Jskoda Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
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    Had to mention this one. Here's the messy current availability story for this very popular album.

    Brenda recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in 1958, before she had any big hits. It did OK, but was no blockbuster. In 1959, she hit it big with "Sweet Nothin's" quickly followed by "I'm Sorry" and her many other hits. After that, Decca put out "Christmas Tree" again every Christmas, and it has since become her biggest selling single ever.

    She did the pictured Christmas album in 1964, which included the original "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" track in stereo for the first time. When the album was released in Japan in 1965, three additional songs were recorded and added to the LP. In 1999, Decca/MCA did a COMPLETE DECCA CHRISTMAS RECORDINGS CD putting all these tracks together. A good idea, but, unfortunately, someone was asleep at the wheel and 16 of the 18 tracks are mono rather than their original stereo.

    I just checked on iTunes, and you can buy the original 64 album there, but, again, for some reason, only "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is stereo--the rest is mono.

    There were two earlier budget CDs that, together, have the whole 64 album in stereo (but not the Japanese tracks). Sigh.
     
  5. zonka

    zonka Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peoria, AZ USA
    I see Andy Williams mentioned often, but it is nearly always the first album (the red one). I don't see the second one mentioned much, "Merry Christmas" from 1965, which I like every bit as much. Those two albums are the blueprint for Christmas albums as far as I'm concerned. Both would be desert island discs for me:) I've got way more Christmas albums than I need (like many here!) but if I only had those two I think I would be happy:)
     
  6. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    I have a joke that I probably made earlier in the thread: Because I like the secular sides of both albums, I have considered super-gluing them together to create a 180-gram album of seasonal holiday songs!
     
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  7. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    I'll get them to you tomorrow.
     
  8. zonka

    zonka Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peoria, AZ USA
    I prefer those sides, myself:) press me an extra copy when you do it!
    Seriously, though, it was hearing those awesome uptempo tracks from my mom's albums as a kid that directly led to my interest in non-Christmas Sinatra, Martin, and big band music in general.
     
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  9. Eric Carlson

    Eric Carlson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Valley Center, KS
    Not top five, but Eddie Dunstedter at the organ on The Bells of Christmas (Capitol T1264) from 1959 sure takes me back a long way. Picked this LP up for about 10 cents yesterday.

     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2019
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  10. Eric Carlson

    Eric Carlson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Valley Center, KS
    New to me also for a dime is Mahalia Jackson's Sweet Little Jesus Boy (Columbia CL 702). I love her Apollo gospel sides but was less impressed by much of her time on Columbia. This one though is terrific! According to the liner notes Lionel Hampton came through the studio during one of the sessions and played vibraphone on this song No Room at the Inn and several others. Definitely a contender for my top five now. Cool Yule indeed!

     
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  11. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I saw that A Jack Jones Christmas got a Hi-Res release. I wonder what the deal is with Real Gone regarding which albums get a Hi-Res release. Most don't, but a few have. I bet it's the label that licensed the album and nothing to do with Real Gone regarding pushing these out to the hi-res market.

    EDIT: A Jack Jones Christmas didn't get a Real Gone Music release, just a hi-res release. Sorry for the confusion.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2019
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  12. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Listening to Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Courtesy of my fellow travelers at Real Gone Music, of course.

    Man... this is a GOOD one. Don't get much more Christmasy than this. Classic.

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  13. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians offer a terrific bit of nostalgia music from an almost forgotten era of multitalented arrangers with fantastic choral voice singing and some great big band sounds. Twas The Night Before Christmas also featured what might be the greatest holiday album cover ever, although I am a big fan of John Klein's A Christmas Sound Spectacular cover as well, but I am a little bias towards that one, since I wrote the liner notes for the historic RCA Victor Living Stereo album from 1959 that RGM reissued on CD for the first time last year. I cannot recommend Real Gone Music's gorgeously remastered CD twofer enough that also features John Klein's very fine follow-up holiday album, Let's Ring the Bells All Around The Christmas Tree.

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    Last edited: Dec 20, 2019
  14. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    OMIGOD, I did forget one last year:
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    Came across it tonight, a CD copy the Burt family commissioned themselves, of this 1964 album, the first collection of all 14 of the Burt carols. Details here:
    Alfred Burt - Wikipedia
    I became fascinated by the ultra-proto-retro sound of these after discovering the 1978 Singers Unlimited Christmas album after college.
     
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  15. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Sweet! I didn't know you wrote the liners, that's awesome! I of course have the John Klein RGM release too -- great stuff. And yes, that cover is stunning!! I blind-buy (as much as I can afford) everything RGM releases in its Christmas line. If there was ever a need to just-send-me-them-as-they-come -- this would be it. But one look at the cover and it was "add to cart." No questions asked. The music surely didn't disappoint. Great pairing too, with the 1964 release. Seamless transition.

    I think this was the first one I played this season, honestly. It's that cover! It screams "You want Christmas?? Here you go!" The same goes for the Fred Waring cover. Amazing, iconic cover. Both covers perfectly encapsulate the contents.
     
  16. noirbar

    noirbar Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Antone
    Right there with you guys. Just start an RGM subscription service and send me the latest!

    Speaking of lost classics that could use the upgrade treatment, can't get enough of my Longines Symphonette rip (Vols. I-III). Very little info on the artists, but completely puts me in the holiday spirit!

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  17. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Any of you fellow Christmas nuts get this CD from Bear Family? Yeah, it's a whole CD of different versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! It's actually really cool. I mean, you go crazy... but...

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  18. Yep, I have the Rudolph compilation. Bear Family has put out a few different Christmas compilations. I wonder what other single song compilations could be done like Rudolph? Surely Silent Night.
     
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  19. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I would definitely do a disc of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Maybe "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for those bluesy nights...

    I have a few of the Bear Family Christmas single-disc comps, as well. They're good -- well done, as usual. If anyone gifts me a gift card, Bear Family and Real Gone Music releases are at the top of the list. Christmas snuck up on me this year. I've got lengthy wish list.
     
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  20. Shaker Steve

    Shaker Steve Beatles & Elvis Fan

    Going off the reviews on here I've just ordered "The Great Songs Of Christmas" from Amazon UK. All the best to everyone!
     
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  21. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It's worth noting this new remaster of the album sounds notably better than the old Laserlight CD from the 90s. The Laserlight was somewhat compressed and (by comparison to this new release) seemed to have ye old smiley-face EQ. The new version is a more natural, smooth sounding master.
     
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  22. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    His second Christmas album is slightly marred by what I consider (in my cranky, opinionated way) two non-Christmas songs which don't belong there. But other than that it's very much the equal of the first record. Just really fantastic, creative arrangements all around.
     
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  23. Herman Schultz

    Herman Schultz Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    I could not agree more.
     
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  24. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I really like A Jack Jones Christmas, although it pales in comparison to his first Christmas album for Kapp. Mr. Jones has a version of O Holy Night that is simply one of the greatest versions ever of that iconic carol, but whoever came up with that album cover artwork should be...well, I don't even want to finish my own sentence here. I would say that the front cover easily qualifies for the one of the very worst holiday album covers in history. I still love what is on the grooves of the album though.
     
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  25. noirbar

    noirbar Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Antone
    After all these years, how did I miss a second classic Christmas album from Andy Williams! It's terrific and has been streaming throughout our house this week.
     
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