Christmas album reissues (2 Viewers)

[davidmatychuk]

"Joy and Peace to you" from the mellow folks at Muzak. "The Muzak Christmas Album": more Peace than Joy, but that's their style.

 

[Rodney]

The Muzak Chrismas Album??? David, you have one great collection!

I'll try to top Muzak with Seeburg, though I only have an MP3 of the album:

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oh boy. I'm gonna have to pull out a couple good ones now, too!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Full disclosure: I don't own the NORAD album in any form. What's on it? Is it a compilation album? I've got so many compilation albums from various businesses: A&P, Grant's, Big N, Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone, Agway, Singer (see below), and on and on and on...

Here's some LPs that I pulled randomly from the collection tonight as I went to see what might rank up there with NORAD:

 

[Osato]

Just wanted to resurrect this message from last year and give a big thank you to Bob for letting me know about this station. I checked it out this morning and enjoyed hearing these classic songs. Yeah, "bending" my rule about listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, but I should follow the advice of others and "keep Christmas in our hearts through every day of all the year".

Listening now....great station!!!!!!

 

[Rodney]

Full disclosure: I don't own the NORAD album in any form. What's on it? Is it a compilation album?

Mike:

The NORAD Tracks Santa album was used by radio stations. Here's a quote from the album:

"Five "Santa Tracks" are found on side one...followed by two promo spots that you can use to advertise your station's unique Christmas Eve service. One other bonus rounds out side one of this production. It is the Charles Tazewell Christmas classic, "The Littlest Angel," written and arranged by Major Franklin Lockwood, former Director of the NORAD Band. The song poem has received wide acclaim when performed in concert, and is included here to add a special touch to your holiday programming.

Side two features the NORAD Commanders, one of the finest big bands in the world playing their original variations of traditional Christmas themes.
The Canadian and American men and women of NORAD are pleased to bring you this Christmas production and hope it will earn a permanent place in your library..."

Now about your albums, great stuff there!

The Singer album especially is a favorite of mine. However, the one I want to talk about is Ira Ironstrings. I have not heard of that album before, but I liked that cover so much I just went online to research it, and found out Collector's Choice had put it out on CD in 2003. I love Christmas music, and I enjoy Dixieland, so I just bought it! Thanks for enlightening me about it.

 

[Mike Frezon]

However, the one I want to talk about is Ira Ironstrings. I have not heard of that album before, but I liked that cover so much I just went online to research it, and found out Collector's Choice had put it out on CD in 2003. I love Christmas music, and I enjoy Dixieland, so I just bought it! Thanks for enlightening me about it.

For the uninitiated, Ira Ironstrings was a pseudonym used by steel guitarist and bandleader Alvino Rey--who I knew best as someone who played quite often with the King Sisters and on the Lawrence Welk show. He cut a number of albums for WB under the name Ira Ironstrings.

 

[Bob_S.]

Guys, I also listen to Classic Holiday Radio on my phone. If you download the Tune in Radio app, you can search for it there. Now you can listen to it in the car AND at home!

 

[Rodney]

Guys, I also listen to Classic Holiday Radio on my phone. If you download the Tune in Radio app, you can search for it there. Now you can listen to it in the car AND at home!

I'm now listening to CHR... on my phone!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I guess this, technically, is also not a Christmas LP reissue...but it's pretty close.

I ran into this CD this weekend at my local Barnes & Noble. I had never seen it before:

I thought it was going to be a compilation, of sorts, of Autry's various Christmas recordings. It is released on Varese Sarabande.

I was intrigued when I read the fine print on the back cover that "The masters used in this collection are from Gene Autry's opersonal archives. Every effort has been made to use the best source material available."

While the back cover also lists all the tracks and artists...it neglects to mention (although it might seem obvious to others) that all material was taken from live radio broadcasts of Autry's Melody Ranch radio show which aired on the CBS Radio Network from 1940 through 1956. The quality is quite good. The liner notes make clear that all tracks are sourced from Autry's personal archive of radio show lacquer transcription discs that were restored via digital transfer and restoration over the last twenty years.

Two big thumbs up from me. This is great music from a great musician and those he surrounded himself with.

And, frankly, it is always nice to hear alternate takes of recordings we have heard thousands of times over the years--especially Here Comes Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I guess this, technically, is also not a Christmas LP reissue...but it's pretty close.

I ran into this CD this weekend at my local Barnes & Noble. I had never seen it before:

I thought it was going to be a compilation, of sorts, of Autry's various Christmas recordings. It is released on Varese Sarabande.

I was intrigued when I read the fine print on the back cover that "The masters used in this collection are from Gene Autry's opersonal archives. Every effort has been made to use the best source material available."

While the back cover also lists all the tracks and artists...it neglects to mention (although it might seem obvious to others) that all material was taken from live radio broadcasts of Autry's Melody Ranch radio show which aired on the CBS Radio Network from 1940 through 1956. The quality is quite good. The liner notes make clear that all tracks are sourced from Autry's personal archive of radio show lacquer transcription discs that were restored via digital transfer and restoration over the last twenty years.

Two big thumbs up from me. This is great music from a great musician and those he surrounded himself with.

And, frankly, it is always nice to hear alternate takes of recordings we have heard thousands of times over the years--especially Here Comes Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Here are the two Gene Autry Christmas CD's I have. The 1999 "Here Comes Santa Claus" is also on Varese Sarabande, but the recordings were all regular releases on Challenge and Republic from 1957 on. The 2003 Columbia/Legacy "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and other Christmas Classics" is all material released by Columbia Records from 1947 to 1956, so it has original hit versions on it. Sounds like what you have is something else again, and I'll be on the lookout for it.

 

[Rodney]

Just got an announcement from Real Gone Music that they are putting all their Christmas albums at 20% off.

 

[Rodney]

I guess this, technically, is also not a Christmas LP reissue...but it's pretty close.

I ran into this CD this weekend at my local Barnes & Noble. I had never seen it before:

I thought it was going to be a compilation, of sorts, of Autry's various Christmas recordings. It is released on Varese Sarabande.

I was intrigued when I read the fine print on the back cover that "The masters used in this collection are from Gene Autry's opersonal archives. Every effort has been made to use the best source material available."

While the back cover also lists all the tracks and artists...it neglects to mention (although it might seem obvious to others) that all material was taken from live radio broadcasts of Autry's Melody Ranch radio show which aired on the CBS Radio Network from 1940 through 1956. The quality is quite good. The liner notes make clear that all tracks are sourced from Autry's personal archive of radio show lacquer transcription discs that were restored via digital transfer and restoration over the last twenty years.

Two big thumbs up from me. This is great music from a great musician and those he surrounded himself with.

And, frankly, it is always nice to hear alternate takes of recordings we have heard thousands of times over the years--especially Here Comes Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Mike strikes again!
This looks like a good 'un and one I'm going to have to put on my list. Thanks for the information, and keep your recommendations coming.

 

[Rodney]

Chip has an exclusive posting over at The Yule log.com Message Board with a list of the 2017 Real Gone Christmas CD releases to be released in November! I don't want to just cut and paste the announcement, since it is an exclusive and doesn't feel proper. Once Real Gone Music announces these I will post here.
I just want to make y'all aware of them. Not as many as last year, but real gems!

 

[Charles Ellis]

Recently I've been going to various thrift shops to get some holiday vinyl and a few weeks ago I got a boxed set of Longines Symphonette holiday music- for only $1.00! Any opinions or memories of the Longines people and the stuff they put out?

 

[Charles Ellis]

Chip has an exclusive posting over at The Yule log.com Message Board with a list of the 2017 Real Gone Christmas CD releases to be released in November! I don't want to just cut and paste the announcement, since it is an exclusive and doesn't feel proper. Once Real Gone Music announces these I will post here.
I just want to make y'all aware of them. Not as many as last year, but real gems!

I recently bought Connie Smith's Xmas LP, so it'll be interesting to get the CD version. The Supremes album is a misnomer: nowhere on the album do you hear Florence Ballard or Mary Wilson. It was recorded in Los Angeles with just Diana Ross backed by Motown's premier backup group The Andantes. Hopefully the CD reissue will correct this with bonus tracks featuring Ballard and Wilson, like "Silent Night" with Florence singing lead.

 

[Greg_S_H]

One of the Real Gone releases this year is The Robert Shaw Chorale? We're gonna need a bigger CD changer.

 

[Rodney]

Recently I've been going to various thrift shops to get some holiday vinyl and a few weeks ago I got a boxed set of Longines Symphonette holiday music- for only $1.00! Any opinions or memories of the Longines people and the stuff they put out?

I have Shell's Wonderful World of Music: Christmas Edition albums which feature The Longines Symphonette Society. These albums are from my childhood so of course they bring back wonderful memories and I think the music is grand.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The Ames Brothers!

 

[Rodney]

The Real Gone Christmas releases have been officially announced and our now available for pre-order, with availability in November.
Some great music here, definitely something for everyone. I cannot wait to get my "ears" on a couple of these! Which ones will you be purchasing?