No, no, guys. Kiddie Christmas, not kitty Christmas. Sorry about that.
They don't care, so long as they get their treats. By the way, that photo shows fewer than half of our brood. Believe it or don't.
And, boy, do we have a kiddie Christmas to remember. We start with two tracks by the Marty Gold Children's Chorus, both chronicling the triumphs of unusual, vaguely Rudolph-esque heroes. The first title comes closest to aping the Montgomery Ward fable, though it conks out midway. You'll recall that Rudolph's target of bigotry (his shiny nose) eventually earns him a place at the head of the team (from which, hopefully, he passed wind on his critics.). By contrast, Roaring Sam the Snowmobile's loud engine noise--the source of his ostracism--is changed by Santa into a more pleasant sound, whereupon everyone likes Sam. Kind of the antithesis of the Rudolph story, and not much of a story, to boot. Elmer Elf is even more vapid--Elmer becomes Santa's "right hand man" when his clan fixes Santa's van. I mean, when his clan shovels up all the snow on a "frightfully snowy" Christmas Eve. Very lame. But (please don't tell anybody), I love it. Great melody, classy arrangement, and very nice singing by the kid's chorus. I don't suppose they'd have gotten the gig if they couldn't carry a part.
Roaring Sam, The Snowmobile, Marty Gold Children's Chorus, 1973.
Elmer Elf, Marty Gold Children's Chorus, 1973.
And here's the not-so-well-known country singer Ray Smith with Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, credited on the label to "Horton" (as in, Vaughn?).
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, Ray Smith (1949), from Columbia 78.
And we have Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra (from I don't know when) with the Spike-Jones-esque Does Santa Claus Sleep with His Whiskers and The Fairy on the Christmas Tree.
Does Santa Claus Sleep with His Whiskers (Over or Under the Sheets), Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra.
The Fairy on the Christmas Tree, Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra, featuring The Three Sisters.
Marty Robbins joins the kiddie fest with a cute rendition of the 1934 Christmas pop song, Santa Claus Is Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-H.... I mean, ...Is Coming to Town.
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Haven Gillespie--J. Fred Coots), Marty Robbins (1967).
Peggy King plans to trap Santa by way of putting glue around the Christmas tree (she must be using some pretty powerful dry-on-contact-with-Santa cement). Too bad about the carpet. Someone's parents are going to be unhappy come XMas morning.
I'm Gonna Put Some Glue 'Round the Christmas Tree (So Santa Claus Will Stick Around All Year), , Peggy King with Mitch Miller and His Orchestra, 1954.
More kitty--er, kiddie--tracks to come!
Lee
6 comments:
Lee,
I was wondering if you would tap into those British kiddie classics of the 1930s--and now you have. I have Jack Jackson's version of "Does Santa Claus Sleep With His WHiskers Over or Under the Sheet?" but Henry Hall's is its equal. In fact, it's a tad superior. The Marty Gold stuff should have been filed under "Kitsch An(d) Sink." Alas, Peggy King is all but forgotten. I saw her when she tried to make a comeback about 20 years ago and she was terrific. On the Mitch Miller record she sounds like a harbinger of Lesley Gore. Keep up the good work. I am trying to get all my friends to visit your sites at least once a week. I'm also trying to get technically competant enough to send you some treasures from my own trove.
Hi, David.
I've never heard Hylton's version--used to have a lot of his stuff in my collection, 78 and LP alike. In Scotland, Hylton records weren't hard to find, needless to say! Peggy King was great; "Zero Hour" is my favorite single of hers--of the relatively few I've heard. Yes, she does have a Gore sound on this one! I think a number of the '50s Columbia female singers had a teen-rock sound before there officially was such a thing. I plan to post a Conniff-produced Columbia side (Jeri Adams, maybe?) that has a Goffin/King Brill Building, only a couple years before same.
Thanks for recruiting visitors!--I'll try to make it worth everyone's while. With audios to make you smile. And, now, I've got to reduce the pile. (My Box.net account is 96 percent full.)
Lee
The Marty Gold is available on CD though you wouldn't know it by looking at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000IGGV/qid=1133051216/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_9/102-4904068-7740120?v=glance&s=music
Many thanks for "Does Santa Claus..."
My father has this song on a 78rpm - but haven't listened to it for years. We used to love it as kids.
A sample of the Bobbie Comber version can be heard here
Thanks for those Henry Hall songs which i dont have despite having two Henry Hall LPs and maybe even a tape . I can't quite get my head round it being Xmas yet being only the first of December but if you are going to upload gems like this I'll be back for more!
Hopefully some similar Xmas songs on my Boot Sale Sounds blog nearer the yule tide season when I'll be feeling a little more festive!
Thanks, everyone!
I'll have to post some more British classics. So much to post, so little time....
Aieee!!
Lee
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