Well, this was a slightly tricky rip, since the second side is in a narration-with-music format. I could have made a number of awkward track breaks, but instead I divided the Christmas-story side into two tracks. Reason being, I could only fit so many song titles into the mp3 tag fields.
And I had to decide which name to use for this group. The Renee Craig Singers? The Ramapo Valley Chapter (Sweet Adelines) under the direction of Renee Craig? Or Ramapo Valley Sweet Adelines? I went with the first, because it's what the labels say, and because it's the simplest. This LP comes from 1981, which I know only because of a sticker on the back jacket, all about how the arrangements aren't necessarily cleared "for contest"--a Sweet Adelines reference, obviously. In 1981, it was apparently still okay to include the Nativity story in a concert--it may even have been expected. And so we get the story, only in a somewhat modified version. It's kind of a layered chronicle.
Even listening through headphones, it seems as if I'm hearing fewer singers than contained in the very large group in the jacket photo. There should be a bigger sound or something. Oh, well--maybe it's just my ears. (No, I'm not quoting Mr. Spock.) This is a fun listen, and it has very much of a Barbershop feel to it (of course), which means everything sounds more like an old-fashioned glee club than, say, the Ralph Carmichael Singers. We get a not-very-rocking Jingle Bell Rock, as to be expected when you have this many voices, but we also get a more musically successful March of the Toys/Toyland performance, with a sung Toyland, for a change. It's very charming.
The Side 2 Nativity narration puts a new twist on the story--or should I say, multiple new twists. Because of this, it's impossible to properly summarize things, but it concerns the mother of a son who works at the inn, with the Star of Bethlehem suddenly appearing, and angels giving instructions to the mother and son, and then a long and exciting car chase, with Mannix smiling sardonically just before the freeze frame. But, seriously, a few too many cliches happen in the storyline, but everything is very smoothly and expertly rendered. Maybe it's best to simply enjoy the Side 2 music and let the story happen in the background. That may be the reverse of the original intention, but it works for me.
A Diane gift for the season. Thanks, Diane!
DOWNLOAD: A Gift of Love--The Renee Craig Singers
Come Let Us Sing of Christmas Day (Renee Craig)
Jingle Bell Rock
Christmas Was Meant for Children
March of the Toys--Toyland
My Favorite Things
A Child Is Born
Winter Wonderland
A GIFT OF LOVE
Come Let Us Sing of Christmas Day (Renee Craig)
Gloria
A Child Is Born in Bethlehem
Rise up Shepherd and Follow
A Baby in the Cradle
I Am So Glad on Christmas Eve
Play a Lullabye for All Children (Vic Cenicola-Renee Craig)
Silent Night
A Gift of Love (Renee Craig)
Make Today the Best Day (Isabelle Peters)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
A Gift of Love--The Renee Craig Singers (Mew Marketing International Inc.; 1981)
Lee
6 comments:
Hey Lee,
I will get back to you on this one, but...
A Christmas musical offering, an album titled "a Gift of Love", and with a CHEESECAKE photo on the back too. Umm, now I wonder WHO is supplying the Gift of Love?
Oooh, nice! Barbershop Christmas is hard to find. I once went through eight to ten boxes of records at a Goodwill bookstore, almost all of them barbershop albums, and I think I came away with two records, each with one Christmas track. So this is a great find!
Bryan,
Yes, I do find that back cover pose a little bit wrong for the occasion, but maybe it's a Sweet Adelines tradition? A showbiz-style convention? But, yeah, the front and back covers don't go together as well as they could!
Ernie,
Thanks--I didn't realize that all-Christmas Barbershop LPs are uncommon, but when I think about it, I don't think I've seen any others in my own crate and box digging. And this one even has a Nativity story added to the mix. My thanks to Diane for finding this foe me.
Hey Lee,
I think you are right. There seem to be so few voices singing and too many girls pictured on the back cover. Just a thought. Maybe there are three groups: The Renee Craig Singers? The Ramapo Valley Chapter (Sweet Adelines) under the direction of Renee Craig? Or Ramapo Valley Sweet Adelines. Just kidding. But what about different girls in groups singing different songs. How about this, the girls in the back at just planted there. The REAL singers are those leggy CHEESECAKE girls. Come to think of it, I am surprised the songs were not a bit, more, suggestive? Haha...
I really enjoyed this one. But, I was a little taken aback at that story. Being a Catholic, it is just not Christian to me. But, who am I to judge.
Oh well, I still will give this album additional listens. Songs and Story.
Lee, there are a couple others that I know of, one of which will be appearing soon at a blog near you in a remastered edition soon, and another one that I have yet to find a stereo copy of. The hunt is on! :)
Thanks, Ernie! And you're welcome, guys.
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