The Dennis James Boys and Girls, more!

Read all about Dennis James at the Internet Movie Database: Dennis James, imdb. Pianist Roger Williams got his start after Jack Kapp heard him on James' Chance of a Lifetime and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and signed him to Kapp Records. Cool. Anyhow, after checking two on-line Kapp discographies, I can say with moderately safe certainty that this is Dennis James' sole Kapp single. Too bad, because these numbers are a lot of fun.

Maybe 1955 listeners disagreed? Hard to believe. How could anyone not love this cross between Art Mooney and Mitch Miller's Sing Along Chorus (the latter yet to come, at least in title)?

In other news, ever since I updated my Rhapsody mp3-burner/please-pay-$10.00-a-month-to-sample-the-latest-pap software, it's been experiencing problems and closing. Sorry to hear it's having issues--I hope it doesn't turn to drink. When will I ever learn NOT to update?

I ask you, dear reader.

And we have Paul Evan's version of The Bell That Couldn't Jingle (Burt Bacharach-Larry Kusik), which was arranged and conducted by Bacharach himself, Lew White's outstanding 1942 recording of March of the Toys (as expertly reissued on the Camden label), the superbly sentimental Let's Light the Christmas Tree, Jim Lowe's hokey but nice Prince of Peace, and the fourth (?) replay of Paddy Roberts' Merry Christmas You Suckers, which I discovered hiding between LPs in a box at Volunteers of America years ago. Whatever I just typed.

The Roberts side is a pretty traditional Christmas roast--typical Scrooge-lite humor, but very well done. Which I guess a roast has to be, to be a roast. (Whatever I just typed, Part 2.)

Moving on, there's the great mono version of Arthur Fiedler's Sleigh Ride, the year of which I forget. The stereo version is the one that ends up on comps, and this mono mix is much, much better. What a single channel can do for a recording.

The uncredited chorus on Jingle Bells and White Christmas were featured on a Westerfield LP called, um... something. Not sure. The jacket isn't handy, as I'm in the process of rearranging the Media Room--something that's been needed for a while. After all, should I suddenly croak in this room, I'd hate for the search team to be digging for hours. ("Look! I see a foot!") I'm just being considerate.

Okay, I exaggerate a little. But not when I say that this playlist will make your Christmas. ("This playlist will make your Christmas.") There. I said it. Can't put a Kapp on this kind of fun.

To the sleighlist: The Dennis James Boys and Girls, more!

SLEIGHLIST

JINGLE BELLS--The Dennis James Boys and Girls, 1955.
LET'S ALL SING A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS (Skylar-Kapp)--Same.
JINGLE BELLS--Unidentified singers on Westerfield 1006.
WHITE CHRISTMAS--Same folks.
THE BELL THAT COULDN'T JINGLE--Paul Evans, Burt Bacharach, 1962.
PRINCE OF PEACE (Jim Lowe)--Jim Lowe, Jack Halloran Singers, David Carroll O., 1956.
MARCH OF THE TOYS (Herbert)--Lew White, organ, 1942.
LET'S LIGHT THE CHRISTMAS TREE--Ruby Wright, Cliff Lash O., Dick Noel Singers, 1957.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU SUCKERS--Paddy Roberts, 1962.
SEASON'S GREETINGS (A CHEERFUL HELLO)--Larry Noble, Pete Pontrelli Orch., 1959.
SLEIGH RIDE (Anderson)--Arthur Fielder, Boston Pops.
PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIER ROCK (Actually, Tchaikovsky)--Statler Rec. 1169
JINGLE BELLS MAMBO (Rugolo)--Pete Rugolo Orch., 1954.
MIDNIGHT SLEIGHRIDE (Troika, from Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije Suite)--Sauter-Finegan Orch., 1952.
SANTA WON'T BE BLUE THIS CHRISTMAS--Jimmy Charles, 1960.



Lee