An Old-Fashioned Christmas with The Alcoa Singers (1979)
Featuring a number of songs from The Stiguest Man in Town (sadly those few songs are the only ones I could find streaming.)
And, while I'm at it, I might as well include the original television soundtrack to The Stingiest Man in Town from The Alcoa Hour in 1958
Arthur Godfrey - All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth (1967)
Kid's album from Godrey and The Richard Wolfe Children's Chorus. Godrey's reputation took a major hit back in the fifties when he fired popular singer Julius LaRosa while on the air. My father knew LaRosa personally and hated Godfrey from that moment on, a hatred that persisted well into the 70s and 80s as I began my interest in old time radio, vintage pop and classic movies. so, I have mixed feelings about "the old redhead" and the drunken uncle unctuousness of his performance here makes this one a tough sell for me.
A far more palatable holiday release is the much earlier Christmas with Arthur Godfrey and All the Little Godfreys. A more traditional album with a more diverse array of vocalists, including the aforementioned LaRosa, make this more enjoyable, though still inessential effort.
From 1980 comes the lackluster bargain bin easy listening/ elevator music of The Birchwood Pops Silent Night. Not even worth using as background music.
A Christmas Card (1987)
The Forester Sisters
I'll close with a handful of recent shares from legendary vintage Christmas music blogger Ernie (not Bert). For years Ernie has been rescuing rare, forgotten, out of print Christmas vinyl and giving it new life while exposing a whole new audience to the songs and sounds of Christmas past. The work he's done over the years has been a magical gift to holiday music lovers. Let's take a peek at just the tip of the iceberg of what he's got going on so far this season...
(All images in this section come from Ernie (Not Bert))
Beegie Long - Organ and Chimes (1966)
If you never experienced it the way I did this may seem like dull, old fashioned elevator music ripped from vinyl that's seen better days. For me it jumpstarts a Proustian rush of pure joy and contentment, with just a tad of melancholy for times, people and places now past.
Christmas with Al Martino
Seasonal radio program featuring festive reminisces from crooner Martino between appropriate musical selections, mostly from Martino himself, naturally. Martino recounts tales of Christmas during his humble Philadelphia childhood and a look at how the Martino's past and present celebrated the holidays.
A nice flashback to Christmas radio back in the day.
A cute novelty single from Barefoot Man,, Santa Got a Sunburn is worth at least one or two listens, though the flip, Grandpa's Christmas Fiddle, perhaps less so
Speaking of novelty singles today Ernie offered a bit of a novelty post - eleven tracks by artists whose name begins with "Little". So we get everything from blues great Little Milton, bandleader Little Bobby Rey and a bunch of kid novelty acts with tracks like Have a Gluey Christmas, A Oscar for Santa and Picture Of Mommy Twisting With Santa. The Little Milton track is the best of the bunch with Rey and the "Little Toodles", a kid act that seems to have an older girl singer, also providing listenable fare.
More rare and wonderful finds from The Ernie-verse include a selection of holiday themed films strip soundtracks.
They all have there own nostalgic charm, even without the accompanying visuals, though Holidays - The Spirit of Christmas from Eye Gate House is hampered by a particularly harsh beep to indicate when the teacher should move the strip along, making the terrible voice acting and on the nose storytelling where young Wendy visits Mr. Oldman, and old man, and Mr. Riches, a rich man, armed with holiday gifts.
A far more pleasant and professional sounding releases come from Singer featuring less brutal, and sometimes even lovely, cues. The Beasts at Jesus' Manger , How We Got Our Christmas Customs, The Baby King and the children's story The Lollipop Dragon Helps Santa are quaint, charming listens.
Ernie also offers up a trio of excellent releases from Cathedral Films ; The Story of Jesus - The Nativity (two different versions) and Stories for Christmas - The Christmas Donkey and Peter and the Hermit.
I'll finish off my Ernie's with another filmstrip release, though these play more like a regular album. Christmas Songs in Latin and Christmas Songs in Spanish featuring solo operatic performances. accompanied by Organ of various hymns and carols. An interesting one time listen. especially the Latin selections, but not much more. Still. A treat to have the chance to experience this all but forgotten Christmas media.
