Christmas Music 2007, Part 5--"Night Before Christmas"-athon; more!

One of a number of cool antique Christmas cards I found this week at a local antique mall. No date (looks like it was never mailed), but the others are circa 1909-1910. This is probably from the same period. "To Dorothy, from Edith" it says on the back.

I have a number of hardcore, Santa-riding-through-the-sky postcards from the Edwardian Period, but the non-Santa themes are often more interesting, if less sexy.

I will savor that last sentence forever. No doubt, "hardcore" suggests different kinds of Christmas images. But I mean it in the sense of all-out. (Maybe I'd better quit while there's still a chance.)

Where else are you going to read intros like this?

And where else are you going to get eight versions in a row of The Night Before Christmas in one zip file? Well, two--I split it in half, since things are moving kind of slowly in these days just before Christmas. Keep in mind that Christmas Chopsticks uses the NBC text--and there's something about Bobby Vinton's version that makes Guy Lombardo's sound stodgy. (Imagine that--Lombardo sounding stodgy!) Even though Lombardo's more literal triple pulse is truer to the spirit of Chopsticks. When it comes to Christmas Chopsticks, I prefer a Post-Lombardo reading.

And we have two classics by John McCormack, including his 1914 recording of the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria. The Schubert Ave Maria is also included on the RCA Camden LP in question, but I never cared for that nearly as much.

And we have the wonderful Captain Santa Claus, the original flip side of the original Jingle Bell Rock. You'll be glad you unzipped these files.

Link to Christmas Music 2007, Part 5. There are two zip files at this link.

SLEIGHLIST

Sleigh Ride--Leroy Anderson and His Pops Concert Orchestra, 1950.
Dearest Santa--Bobby Vinton, 1964.
Christmas Time Is Here Again--Marty Robbins, 1967.
Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod)--John McCormack, Fritz Kreisler, 1914.
The Holy Child (Easthope Martin)--John McCormack, 1925.
Christmas Chopsticks--Bobby Vinton, 1964.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--The Caroleers.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--Steve Lawrence
Christmas Chopsticks--Guy Lombardo and His RC, 1951.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--Perry Como w. Mitch Ayres.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--Miss Frances of Ding Dong School.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--The Lancers, 1954.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas--from Treasure LP, Merry Christmas!
Captain Santa Claus (And His Reindeer Space Patrol)--Bobby Helms, 1957.


Lee