Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day One: Joni James, June Christy, Harry Simeone Chorale, Julie Andrews, Mannheim Steamroller, Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Merry Christmas from Joni (1956)

Joni James

This Time Of The Year (1961)
June Christy

The Wonderful Songs of Christmas (1963)

Harry Simeone Chorale

The lost art of the pop-chorale Christmas album well represented here. Though the groups signature Little Drummer Boy isn't here (it can be found on the Chorales previous and subsequent holiday releases) the album is full of charming holiday tunes.

Christmas With Julie Andrews (1982)

I would have loved to have included Julie's 1967 album, A Christmas Treasure, with André Previn but I can't find it streaming anywhere. You can find some individual tracks up on YouTube which are well worth checking out,

A Fresh Aire Christmas (1988)
Mannheim Steamroller

Christmas With The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (2009)

Bonus Playlist: Christmas Choir

Last Year’s Festive Faves Day One

 For more of my favorite holiday albums check out my picks from last year.

Frank Sinatra - A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra (1957)

The Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Gunter Kallmann Choir - Christmas Sing-In (1970)

Medieval Baebes - Mistletoe and Wine (2003)

Tori Amos - Midwinter Graces (2009)

Poema  - Once a Year (2010)

Sufjan Stevens  - Silver and Gold (2012)

Christmas Peaceful Piano (Spotify Playlist)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Eighteen (Soul Christmas, John Denver & the Muppets Amy Grant, Ray Conniff, Glen Campbell, David Rose...)

 

David Rose and His Orchestra- A Merry Christmas to You (1956)

The Ramsey Lewis Trio ‎– Sound Of Christmas (1961)

Ray Conniff - We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1962)

Sandler and Young - A Wonderful Christmas 

Soul Christmas (1968)

Glen Campbell - That Christmas Feeling (1968)

John  Denver & the Muppets - A Christmas Together (1979)

Amy Grant - A Christmas Album (1983)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Seventeen (The Glad Singers, Aimee Mann, Rosie Thomas, Sleeping at Last, John Fahey, Low, KPM...)

 

The Glad Singers - Swing Bells / Christmas with a Beat (1965)

John Fahey - The New Possibility (1968)

KPM Library - the Spirit of Christmas (1976)

Low - Christmas (1999)

Aimee Mann - One More Drifter in the Snow (2006)

Rosie Thomas - A Very Rosie Christmas (2008)

Sleeping At Last - Christmas Collection Vol1. (2017)

Bonus Playlist

Dinsdale's New Christmas Music Picks 2021

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Sixteen (The Carpenters, The King's Singers, Sixpence None the Richer, Scrooge, The Sixteen, Christmas Kisses...)

 

Christmas Kisses

A Capitol Christmas (2016)

Scrooge Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1970)

The Carpenters - Christmas Portrait (1978)

Academy of St Martin in the Field - Christmas with the Academy (1994)

A Tradition Christmas Carol Collection from The Sixteen (2005)

Sixpence None the Richer - The Dawn of Grace (2008)

Christmas Carols with the King’s Singers (2021)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Fifteen (Tennessee Ernie Ford & Roger Wagner Chorale, Hollyridge Strings, Dan Fogelberg, Mindy Smith...)

 

The Merriest of Christmas Pop (1959)

Tennessee Ernie Ford / Roger Wagner Chorale - The Story of Christmas (1964)

Hollyridge Strings - Christmas Favorites (1965)

Dan Fogelberg - The First Christmas Morning (1999)

Waterson:Carthy - Holy Heathens and Old Green Men (2006)

Mindy Smith - My Holiday (2007)

Chris Standring / Kathrin Shorr - Send Me Some Snow (2011)

Christina Perri - a very merri perri christmas (2012)

Bonus Playlist
Dinsdale's Festive Faves 2021 Playlist
(60 hours and growing)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Fourteen (Big Bands, Randy Van Horne Singers, Al Hirt, Emmylou Harris, Boston Pops, Leon Redbone, Katie Melua)

 

Christmas with the Big Bands (From the Sony Vaults) 

Randy Van Horne Singers - Sleighride (1960)

Al Hirt - The Sound of Christmas (1964)

Emmylou Harris - Light of the Stable (1979)

John Williams / Boston Pops - We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1981)

Leon Redbone - Christmas Island (1988)

Katie Melua - In Winter (2016 - extended 2017)

Bonus Compilation

Now That’s What I Call Christmas (2015)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Thirteen (Jingle Bell Jazz, Garou, Runa, Leroy Anderson, Percy Faith, David Ian...)

   

 Jingle Bell Jazz (1962)

Percy Faith - Christmas Is… (1966)

The Best Carols in the World… Ever (1998)

A Leroy Anderson Christmas (2004)

David Ian - Vintage Christmas (2011)

Garou - It’s Magic (2014)

Runa - The Tide of Winter (2020)

Bonus Playlist

A Swedish Folk Christmas

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Twelve (Seeburg, Christmas Cocktails, Celtic Christmas, Philadelphia Orchestra, Partridge Family, Jackson 5...)

 Seeburg- "The Sound and Color of Christmas." 1960's

Eugene Ormandy / Philadelphia Orchestra - The Glorious Sound of Christmas (1962)

The Jackson 5 Christmas Album (1970)

A Partridge Family Christmas Card (1971)

Celtic Christmas (Windham Hill) (1995)

Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails (1996)

A Chanticleer Christmas (2010)

Bonus Playlist

80’s Christmas

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Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Eleven (Sting, Oscar Peterson, Bella Hardy, Longines Symphonette, Carolas, Point of Grace, Janet Devlin...)

 "The Sound of Christmas." Brigade records (1957)

"Christmas at the Fireside" Longines Symphonette. 1964

Carolas Jul (1991)

An Oscar Peterson Christmas (1995)

Point of Grace - Winter Wonderland (2005)

Sting - If on a Winter’s Night (2008)

Bella Hardy - Bright Morning Star (2012)

Janet Devlin - Little Lights (2016)

Bonus Playlist

The FaLaLalaLa Great Big Christmas Variety Shuffle

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Ten (Jo Stafford, The Golddiggers, George Winston, Kathryn Williams/Carol Ann Duffy, Burl Ives...)

 

Jo Stafford - Joyful Season (1964)

Leonard Bernstein - The Joy of Christmas (1960)

Burl Ives - Have A Holly Jolly Christmas (1965)

The Norman Luboff Choir - The Night Before Christmas (1968)

The Golddiggers – We Need A Little Christmas (1969)

George Winston - December (1982)

Kathryn Williams & Carol Ann Duffy - Midnight Chorus (2021)

The first 2021 release to go straight into heavy rotation in the Kringleverse…

Bonus Compilation - Merry Christmas (2005)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Nine (Ames Bros., Ella, Enya, Jack Jones, Kate Rusby...)

 

The Ames Brothers - There’ll Always be Christmas (1957)

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960)

The Jack Jones Christmas Album (1964)

A Dave Brubeck Christmas (1996)

Enya - And Winter Came (2008)

The Boy Least Likely To - Christmas Special (2010)

Kate Rusby - The Frost is All Over (2015)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Eight (Boston Pops, Singers Unlimited, Over the Rhine, Tracey Thorn...)

 

The Boston Pops - Pops Christmas Party (1959)

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble - A Festival of Carols in Brass (1967)

The Singers Unlimited - Christmas (1972)

Ferrante and Teicher - Christmas is so Special (2000)

Over the Rhine - Snow Angels (2008)

Michel Legrand - Noel! Noel! Noel!

Tracey Thorn - Tinsel and Lights (2012)

Bonus Playlist
A Scandipop Christmas

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Seven (Dean Martin, Jimmy Smith, Doris Day, Charley Pride, The King's Singers...)

 

 

Dean Martin - A Winter Romance (1959)

Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin’ (1964)

Charley Pride - Christmas in my Hometown (1970)

John Rutter / Choir of Clare College - The Holly and the Ivy /The Christmas Album (1979)

The King’s Singers - A Little Christmas Music (1989)

Doris Day - Personal Christmas Collection (1994)

Plus  Doris' Season’s Best EP (1960) 

Bing Crosby - The Voice of Christmas: The Complete Decca Christmas Songbook (1998)

Loreena McKennitt - A Midwinter Night's Dream (2013)

Dinsdale's Festive Faves Day Three (Favorite Christmas Albums and Playlists)

 

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (1962)

The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963)

Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails Vol 2 (2000)

The Essential Winter’s Solstice (2005)

Hall & Oates - Home For Christmas (2006)

J.S. Bach - Christmas Oratorio

The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse (2019)

(Bonus Spotify Playlist) Christmas Choir