Stars Of Deutschland

Been a while now since we've heard from any German stars, so here's a Christmas record filled with them. Lots of big names on this one including the recently discussed Heino. I think there are a few other artists on here that have been blessed (?) with full albums shared here at the blog, but I'm too lazy to link to any of them. A quick search should tell you all you need to know. Think of this is a teaser for all those other records waiting to be discovered. This is Stars Wünschen Frohe Weihnacht (Ariola (Germany) 206556-570, Stereo, 1984).

1. Der Tölzer Knabenchor-Ltg.: Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden-Ihr Kinderlein Kommet
2. Andrea Jürgens-O Tannenbaum
3. Tony Marshall-Laßt Uns Froh Und Munter Sein
4. Mary Roos-Kling Glöckchen, Klingelingeling
5. Heino-Weiße Weihnacht (White Christmas)
6. Der Bielefelder Kinderchor-Ltg.: Friedrich Oberschelp-Ehre Sei Gott
7. Günter Noris-Petersburger Schlittenfahrt
8. Julia Migenes Mit Tochter Martina Und Dem Münchner Studioorchester-Ltg.: Peter Stamm-Aba Heidschi-Bumbeidschi
9. Mireille Mathieu-Süßer Die Glocken Nie Klingen
10. Udo Jürgens Orchester Robert Opratko-Wünsche Zur Weihnachtszeit
11. Nini Rosso, Solotrompete-Leise Rieselt Der Schnee
12. Roland Kaiser-Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen
13. Rias Kinderchor-Alle Jahre Wieder Kommt Das Christuskind
14. Rex Gildo-Still, Still, Still
15. Dresdner Kreuzchor-Ltg.: Rudolf Mauersberger-Vom Himmel Hoch
16. Rudolf Schock-Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
17. Unknown Artist-Glockengeläut

MEGA

Holy Relic

Sometimes there's an interesting story hidden behind a stock cover like the one on this record. I almost missed it but I did a little bit of Google work here before I threw up this post and now I can tell you a bit more of the history tied to this record. The music here is more organ and chime stuff like you've heard here so many times but it's from a church in Ohio called the Akron Baptist Temple. Wikipedia tells us that this was one of the first US megachurches serving more than 15,000 people on a typical Sunday. The building you see on the labels of this record was built in 1949 and was added onto a few times, including after a fire in 1981 that was deemed suspicious. The whole thing was sold off in 2018 and eventually demolished in 2024. Like I said, none of that really has anything to do with the music here, but history is in details like these. This is Mickey Outland And Billie Floyd-Joy To The World-Christmas Chimes From The Akron Baptist Temple (Akron Baptist Temple, Akron, Ohio, 4112N5, Stereo). Enjoy!

1. Joy To The World
2. Silent Night
3. The First Noel
4. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
5. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
6. There's A Song In The Air
7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
8. I Heard The Bells
9. O Come All Ye Faithful
10. The Birthday Of A King
11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
12. O Holy Night
13. Away In A Manger
14. Star Of The East

MEGA

Noël En France

Here's a unique record that I'm hoping maybe one of you can help me with. There appears to be an instrumental version of it out there somewhere that I'd like to find. This record was released in America, but I suspect it was recorded in France. If you look closely at the label below, you'll see a note about instrumental versions of the included songs being available on a different record. I doubt if that other record has the actual same recording without the vocals, it's more likely that it's just different recordings of the same songs, but you never know. This label appears to have specialized in recordings for educators, so they likely sold this to teachers who had French language classes to maybe liven up the lessons during the holiday season. It's a good little record no matter who it was aimed for and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And if anyone can point me towards a copy of that other record, I'd love to feature it here at the blog some day. This is Jacques Brison-Noël En France (GMS Disc GMS-D 7020, Mono, 1959). Oh, almost forgot to mention, there was an insert in this LP with all the lyrics for all the songs, so you could sing along and teach the French words to your class. I scanned it into the package for your singing enjoyment.

1. Minuit Chretiens (Noël)
2. Le Sapin
3. Douce Nuit, Sainte Nuit (Silent Night)
4. Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes
5. Venez Divin Messie
6. Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
7. Ave Maria De Schubert
8. La Vierge A La Creche
9. Ave Maria De Gounod
10. Noel Bourguignon
11. Allons Bergers
12. En Allant A L'Etable

MEGA

Ye Olde Organ

I don't think I've given you a remaster here in a while, so this is a new stereo version of something I was very excited to share a few years ago. Wasn't sure if it even really existed in stereo, but I found a copy during a very fruitful visit to Banana's Records in St. Pete earlier this season. I think it was the same day I found three new Salvation Army records that I shared with you on an earlier Saturday between Christmas and New Year's. I'm afraid I don't have enough records left in the pile at this point to give you a Super Saturday like I've been doing, you'll have to make do with just this one. But trust me when I say this is a rare one. Is this the first year of the UA label? I think maybe it is. They went on to great things, but this is where it all began. This is Reginald Foort-Christmas In Your Heart (United Artists UAS 5057, Stereo, 1959). It's a fun one.

1. Joy To The World; O Little Town Of Bethlehem
2. We Three Kings; What Child Is This
3. Deck The Halls
4. O Holy Night
5. Angels We Have Heard On High
6. See Amid The Winter Snow; White Christmas
7. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
9. Away In A Manger; The First Noel
10. Good King Wenceslas; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
11. A Christmas Tree Carol; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
12. Silent Night
13. We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Jingle Bells
14. O Come All Ye Faithful

MEGA

Au Temps Des Fetes

Let's continue on with the Canadian records today, going back to the French side of the country with this selection. This is not your typical American Christmas music, but it sure is infectious fun. You'll be stomping your feet and carrying on like nobody's business before you know it. This is Roland Lebrun Et Sa Famille-Au Temps Des Fetes (Carnaval (Canada) CS-529, Stereo, 1969). By the way, I checked and we're not quite at the two month mark. Thanksgiving was late this year so we didn't start sharing until November 27th. We've still got a few days before we get to that two-month point. Stay tuned, we're almost there.

1. Au Temps Des Fetes
2. Retour De Papa Noel
3. La Tournee De Jour De L'an
4. L'enfant Jesus Dans Son Berceau
5. Chanson De Nouvel An
6. Merci Papa Noel
7. Le Petit Noel Joyeux
8. A Votre Marriage
9. Petit Pierre
10. L'arbre De Noel

MEGA

Teach A Man To Fish

I'm gonna stick to this plain and simple Canadian choir for you now. No French involvement here that I can discern, unlike yesterday. I still have little or no idea who these folks are or when this record may have dropped into my collection. I'm listening to it now and it's a straight ahead choir with an awful of of voices singing over a low-key organ. Or at least that's the one track that's played so far. Not sure what the market for this sort of thing was, but I suppose it existed. Oh, wait, the next track is more of an orchestra thing with no organ. Much more up-tempo, too. OK, this is better. Still too many people singing to get a clear recording of them. Hard to get a good clear recording of a large choir, it just al turns to mud at some point. Not trying to turn you off here, just want you to have some idea of what you're downloading. This is The Fischer Choir-Merry Christmas From The Fischer Choir (Polydor (Canada) 2371 789, Stereo, 1976). And thanks for sticking around this late in the season. It's been going on for a long time now. Have we hit the two month point yet? I think we're pretty close.

1. Jingle Bells
2. White Christmas
3. Little Drummer Boy
4. Ave Maria
5. Silent Night
6. Sleighride In Petersburg
7. Christmas Gifts For All Ye Children
8. Softly Falls The Snow
9. Never The Bells Toll So Sweetly
10. O Ye Joyful

MEGA

The Giant

I feel like I've forgotten how to post these shares. I've gotten down to just a very few in the queue and here I am trying to write something new and failing miserably. I don't know what to say about the record. At this great remove, I don't remember anything about it, what it sounds like, where I found it, how the recording went, nothing. It's been too long. All I can say for certain is that this is French-Canadian music, though it may just be French music released in Canada. Giving it a listen tells me it's a leather-lunged crooner backed with a pretty good orchestra. Is that a good enough intro for you? This is André Dassary-Noël (Alouette (Canada) ALP-49, Mono).

1. Belle Nuit, Sainte Nuit
2. Mon Beau Sapin
3. Venite Adoremus
4. Trois Anges
5. Agnus Dei
6. Marche Des Rois
7. Minuit Chrétiens
8. Venez Divin Messie
9. Ave Maria
10. La Légende De Saint-Nicolas
11. Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
12. Notre Père Qui Êtes Aux Cieux

MEGA

I'll Have A Killian's Red

I pulled this record out of the collection because it looked like something interesting. The name on the cover kept tickling a memory and it took a while to place it but I finally made the connection and the entry at Discogs seems to confirm it. This children's chorus seems to be the same one that Andre Kostelanetz used on his 1965 Christmas LP, Wishing You A Merry Christmas. Not entirely sure when this recording was made, but I suspect it was prior to the Kostelanetz record. And it's on pretty red vinyl, so there's no way you can pass it up. This is St. Kilian Boychoir-Christmas (Gregorian Institute Of America CA-3 (Red Translucent Vinyl), Mono).

1. O Come All Ye Faithful
2. Ding Dong, Merrily On High
3. While Watching O'er Their Flocks
4. Pat-A-Pan
5. The Morning Star
6. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
7. Silent Night
8. O Tannenbaum
9. Joy To The World
10. Noel, Let Us Sing
11. The Happy Song (La Chanson Joyeuse)
12. In Dulci Jubilo
13. The Little Drummer Boy
14. Jingle Bells
15. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA

Hawaii, Belgium And The North Pole

Hello, hello, hello. It may not seem like much, but this is the first post I've made since my return from New Mexico. All the other posts you've seen up to now were made in the month before we left to spend the holidays with my in-laws out there. Good to be back in the saddle, at least a little bit. It's been a long season and I don't know how much longer I can keep it going. I've shared out a lot of records and there isn't much left in the pile. But that's OK because we're almost a month past Christmas day and I'm not seeing a whole lot of traffic any longer anyway. The share of the day is a record that I posted earlier in the season by mistake when I meant to post a similarly named record, so there is a chance you've already downloaded it from me thinking you were getting something else. If that is the case, then you might want to go to that old post and download the share I meant to post and ignore this one. If this is a new post to you, then great. This is a remaster of something I've been sharing with you for a long time now (since 2011!) and I'm bringing it back tonight. These guys are a studio group from Belgium that made a series of records that claimed to be from Hawaii. Well, I don't know if there was any subterfuge involved, but they certainly didn't mentioned Belgium in big print on the front covers. This is the Christmas album in the series and it's a good one. Lots of surf/exotica bits here alongside your favorite Christmas carols. Oh, and a couple of great originals as well. It's not Ventures-level good, but it's not bad. This is the stuff, people, better grab it while you can. This is The Waikikis-Merry Christmas In Hawaii (Kapp KS-3444, 1965, Stereo). Enjoy!

1. White Christmas
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Silver Bells
4. Snow In Hawaii
5. O Tannenbaum
6. Sleigh Ride
7. The Little Drummer Boy
8. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
9. Winter Wonderland
10. Waikiki Christmas
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
12. Silent Night

MEGA

Ray Gay

We're well past the halfway point of January, so I'm going to see how long I can keep this going. I'm down to one album a day on most days, and that's pretty sustainable for the short term. I don't have a timetable or a plan for this thing, so we'll see how it goes. Up next is a nice little Christmas record from the island of Jamaica and that means it's reggae music! I see reggae records from time to time in my travels, but they always seem to be beat to death when I come across them, even more so than kiddie records. I don't know why that it, other than maybe people like them so much they play them to death. This one wasn't so bad though I do remember having a bit of trouble with one track. I eventually got it to play and record. I think there's some good stuff on here and you'll enjoy it. This is Carlos Malcolm & Friends Of Santa-Christmas Reggae: Merry Christmas From Carlos Malcolm & Friends Of Santa (Starwood (Jamaica) LP 502, Stereo, 1971).

1. Good King Wenceslas
2. The Little Drummer Boy
3. Joy To The World
4. Holly Holy
5. O Holy Night
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. Canon In D
8. Silent Night
9. Mary's Little Boy Child
10. O Come All Ye Faithful
11. Give Me Love
12. I Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA