1949 sleeve (above) and disc (below)
Here's info on Line Material, if you want to read about the company. I'm sure there's more material (no pun intended) out there regarding LM, but for our purposes, what matters are the marvelous Christmas sides they produced as giveaways for their employees, starting in 1957 and ending in 1962. I'm also including (in a separate file) a giveway from 1949, with narration by Jim Ameche, though it's a very standard affair and nothing remotely like the elaborate, joyous productions to come. Also, their 1956 The Magic of Christmas, which isn't all that bad, and which ends this playlist. I didn't want to place it first, since it hardly compares to the 1957-1962 efforts, which were arranged by London-born John McCarthy (1919-2009), best known for his Ambrosian Singers Christmas sides. I wonder if the superbly professional singers on these 45s are those same folks. From 1961 to 1966, the Ambrosian Singers were known as the London Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and it's possible their services exceeded the holiday give-away record budget of LM at this point, since the last McCarthy LM side is the 1962 Let's Trim the Christmas Tree. It could have been recorded the year before. It's interesting that the Singers' increased status corresponds with the end of McCarthy's services to LM. I feel bad for all the kids who, after six years of enjoying Christmas giveaway sides of a major-label quality, had to go without. That must have been a bummer.
These are new rips. I had been reposting my c. 2007 rips, but these should be an improvement, as I used my 1.0 mil mono stylus and VinylStudio declicking. I've also acquired clean copies of every side but the 1962 title, which isn't all that nicked up--just moderately. Nearly all its surface noise is no more.
If you haven't heard these before, you'll very possibly be surprised by the stunningly good quality of performance and production. I consider it highly improbable that any other company's holiday sides came anyplace near these. Oh, and, "Merry Christmas... from Line Material. Merry Christmas... from Line Material. (Repeat till fade)."
DOWNLOAD: Line Material Christmas singles, 1956-1962
DOWNLOAD: Keeping Christmas--Line Material, 1949
Santa's North Pole Band, 1957
The Sounds of Christmas, 1958
The Kinds of Christmas, 1959
Santa's Factoree, 1960
The Day That Santa Was Sick, 1961
Let's Trim the Christmas Tree, 1962
The Magic of Christmas, 1956
Lee
4 comments:
Thank you for posting/sharing these. It took me years to complete this series. Not easily found. Now I'm working on collecting the books that went with them. Wishing you the best for the Holidays!! - Raymond 12/19/2021
Raymond,
And for you, too, Raymond! Oh, and here are scans of the majority of the LM booklets, save for 1957, at Falalalala.com: https://www.falalalala.com/?s=line+material
I just watched "Bathtubs over Broadway" on Netflix last night and suddenly "Merry Christmas...from Line Material...Merry Christmas...from Line Material...." started running through my head. I had no idea what "Line Material" was (or was it "lime" ?). But now I've found it and know a little more of the story. My father did industrial sales for Appalachian Power back then and must have ended up with this in his collection through a connection (no pun intended) with McGraw Edison. My brother and I loved listening to it when we were kids. Isn't the internet wonderful? Thanks!
Robert,
Sure! Thanks for sharing that history!
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