Ring Those Bells 1

I remember being all excited when I found a track from this group that I could use back during Christmas In July 2007.  Then I was even more excited when I found an entire album of Christmas music.  All the songs on this album are performed with hand bells, a unique instrument that you may not be familiar with.  Each bell is tuned to a single note, and for the song to work, each person has to ring his or her bell at just the right time.  One person can play multiple bells, but it gets tricky if the song gets complex.  You've probably heard handbells without knowing it, since they're featured prominently in that holiday Hershey's Kisses commercial where each Kiss shakes and plays a note.  So to hear some unique Christmas music that will have you coming back for more, please download The Klokken Ringers-I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Omni Sound N-1043, Stereo, 1981).

1. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
2. Gloria
3. Variations On A French Carol
4. The Skaters, Op. 183
5. Now Sing We, Now Rejoice (In Dulci Jubilo)
6. O Come, All Ye Faithful
7. Joy To The World
8. O Tannenbaum
9. Away In A Manger
10. Hosanna
11. God With Us For All Time (Veni Emmanuel)
12. Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle
13. Ding, Dong Merrily On High
14. Stille Nacht

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July 2009

Here it is, the collection of all the best stuff from Christmas in July 2009.  So far I've brought you similar collection from 2006, 2007 and 2008.  (That still leaves one year unaccounted for. We'll have to wait and see about that one.)  So for all of you who missed this one last year, or who didn't download all these tracks I shared in the middle of summer when it 100 degrees outside and the furthest thing from your mind is Christmas, this is Ernie (Not Bert)'s The Very Best From Christmas In July 2009-Life's A Beach (Ernie (Not Bert), 2009).  As usual, the linked tracks go to the day I originally shared it.  The links for the whole collection in one ZIP file are down below.

1. The Weavers-Santa Claus Is Coming (It's Almost Day)
2. John Klein, Orchestra And Chorus By Leo Addeo-Sweet Nutcracker!
3. Perry Como With The London Boy Singers-Christmas Dream
4. 101 Strings-Ski Run
5. Larry Chesky And His Orchestra-Sun Valley Polka
6. Johnny Dyno-Jingle Bells-Polka
7. Tom T. Hall-Christmas Is
8. Skitch Henderson, His Piano And Orchestra-I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
9. The McGuire Sisters With Orchestra Directed By Dick Jacobs-Children's Holiday
10. The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra Conducted By George Barati-Mele Kalikimaka
11. Roger Miller-Footprints In The Snow
12. The Duluth Accordionaires, Directed By John Copiskey-Brazilian Sleigh Bells
13. Lockhart Cougar Chorus-Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up
14. The Merrill Staton Voices-That Man Over There
15. David Rose And His Orchestra-The Sad, Sad Rocking Horse
16. Eddie Albert-Let There Be Peace On Earth
17. Fay McKay-Twelve Daze Of Christmas
18. Dick Shawn, Arranged And Conducted By Milton DeLugg-My Favorite Things
19. Jane Morgan-The Marvelous Toy
20. Anna Russell With Eugene Rankin And Arthur Hoberman-Let Us Hang The Holly
21. The Ray Charles Singers-A Toy For A Boy
22. Jack Shaindlin Conducting The Cinerama Symphony Orchestra-Hup-Sa-Sa
23. Leroy Anderson-Song Of The Bells
24. Merle Haggard-Blue Christmas
25. Kurt Wege & His Orchstra-Sleigh Ride
26. Ernie Maxwell-The Bells Of St. Mary
27. Esquivel, His Piano And His Orchestra-Snowfall
28. Ray Bohr-Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
29. Polyphon Music Box-Silent Night
30. Jimmy Soul-Rockin' Santa
31. Eddie Lawrence, The Old Philosopher-What Do You Want For Christmas

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Christmas Sax

I don't think I've brought you any Christmas on the saxophone this year,so here's a little album that I first brought you back in 2008.  It's Ace Cannon-Christmas Cheers From Ace Cannon, His Alto Sax And Chorus (Hi SHL 32022, Stereo, 1964).  If you're excited by the thought of hearing saxophone Christmas music, you might want to head on over to the forums at FaLaLaLaLa where our good friend Stubbyfears has shared a Japanese only Christmas album from Sam 'The Man' Taylor.  It's good stuff.

1. White Christmas
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
4. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
5. Here Comes Santa Claus
6. Frosty The Snowman
7. Blue Christmas
8. Jingle Bells
9. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
10. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
11. Jingle Bell Rock
12. Rock Around The Christmas Tree

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Another Beep

I got a few nice comments on the last of these filmstrip soundtracks I shared with you, so I figured I'd throw another one up here.  This time it's a couple of stories that have some relation to Christmas, one related to the Nativity, the other a parable.  I wish I had the visuals to go with these, but those seem to be even rarer than the records.  But you should be able to get the point just from the audio I'm sharing.  Here's hoping you enjoy Stories For Christmas-The Christmas Donkey b/w Peter And The Hermit (Cathedral Films SFC 13/14, Mono, 1963).

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Above The ORGANary

Every once in a while, I'll spot something in a stack of records, and I immediately know it's going to get shared out at the blog.  When I flipped to this record, I just knew that anything titled ExtraORGANary had to be for me.  The question mark at the end of the title didn't hurt it's desirability, either.  The next record in the stack was a second copy, and I bought that one too.  Don't ask me why, I just didn't want to take the chance that the first one wouldn't play correctly.  I knew this was some sort of homebrew release when I flipped it over and it didn't have anything on the back cover.  What's it sound like?  Well, this is not the worst organ record you will hear at the blog this year.  It's also not the best, but I'm not gonna tell you who the best is.  This is in a nice comfortable spot somewhere near the middle.  Just in case all this talk makes you curious, why don't you download Hal Greene-Christmas ExtraORGANary With Hal Greene At The Hammond Spinet? (WAM Records 5001, Mono).

1. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
2. There's A Song In The Air
3. White Christmas
4. Adeste Fideles
5. Santa Claus Medley
6. O Tannenbaum
7. Away In A Manger
8. Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland
9. Mary's Boy Child
10. Let It Snow
11. I'll Be Home For Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. Jingle Bells
14. O Holy Night

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See The Light

One of my old shares that's just too good not to keep bringing back, this is The Lighthouse Singers- Christmas Carols By The Lighthouse Singers (Vik SPV-2, Mono, 1955).

1. Silent Night, Holy Night
2. O Come, All Ye Faithful
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. The First Noel
5. Ave Maria
6. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
7. O Holy Night
8. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
9. Joy To The World
10. The Lord's Prayer

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Edward (Not Blake)

Yep, it's a new-for-2010 share from the Grand Award label, one of Enoch Light's earliest ventures.  He doesn't seem to be on this one, though, but he could be a member of the chorale easily enough.  Anything is possible.  This is a nice group of singers, though not as memorable as some that I've brought you here at Ernie (Not Bert).  But it's worth the price of admission, which just happens to be free.  So get to clicking and download a copy of The Edward Carrington Chorale-Christmas Chorale (Grand Award GA 33-387, Mono, 1958).  By the way, do you know that I get a couple of cents if you click on that ad to the right?  You don't have to buy anything, but it wouldn't hurt if you were to click on one and take a look once in a while.  I'm just sayin'...

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
2. Good King Wenceslas
3. Silent Night
4. The First Noel
5. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
6. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
7. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
8. O Come All Ye Faithful
9. Oh Holy Night
10. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
11. Deck The Halls
12. Angels We Have Heard On High
13. Joy To The World
14. Away In A Manger
15. God Give Ye Merry Christmastide
16. Jingle Bells
17. White Christmas
18. Sleigh Ride

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