I recently acquired this Christmas EP that pairs Jo Stafford with frequent collaborator Gordon MacRae. For this post I've coupled the EP with a number of Christmas songs Stafford recorded in the 40s and 50s. Paul Weston directed the ensembles on all these records.
The EP is from 1955, although recorded in 1949, and combined the soloists with choir in two medleys of familiar carols. It was unreissued until a CD several years ago that combined it with a Stafford Christmas LP from the early 60s. That later production, with multitracked vocals, Hammond organ, and electric guitar, is the aural equivalent of an aluminum Christmas tree. It may be the worst thing ever done by the Westons that wasn't issued under the names Jonathan and Darlene Edwards or Cinderella G. Stump.
The 45s include a Capitol release of White Christmas and Silent Night, originally from 1946, an excellent version of the Christmas Blues from 1953 (see below), and a 1952 duet with frequent partner Frankie Laine on the country tune Christmas Roses.
11 comments:
Cinderella G. Stump? I must have missed that one. Thanks for these great sides. More holes in my collection that desperately needed filling. You're on a roll this holiday already!
Thank you! These are great!
I LOVE yr blog. There is a fat chance I already said thate here before... I used to say I didn't like Xmas songs but since people like you posts tunes with singers I love and discover more & more, I collect some...
Thanks.
Thanks to all of you for the comments - they are what makes sharing holiday music special for me.
Thanks for sharing this Christmas music with me, so I can share it with my family. Any chance for a re-up on this music from Jo?
Remastered version (Apple lossless):
https://www.mediafire.com/?yvoodlt8nh6k7mh
Hi Buster;
My wife and I enjoy your performance every Christmas in: The Donna Reed Show - "A Very Merry Christmas".
It is a great half-hour, and YOU absolutely make it!!
What I really want to say is THANK YOU for all the happiness you bring to folks like my wife and me. Christmas music is our favourite music of all...and we are fairly 'secular'! With this great music, older sources work the best it seems.
So your mining of so many forgotten, lost, & quirky nuggets provides so many unexpected riches:)
Bless you, and all the best, year 'round,
tanktop
Hi Buster;
My wife and I enjoy your performance every Christmas in: The Donna Reed Show - "A Very Merry Christmas".
It is a great half-hour, and YOU absolutely make it!!
What I really want to say is THANK YOU for all the happiness you bring to folks like my wife and me. Christmas music is our favourite music of all...and we are fairly 'secular'! With this great music, older sources work the best it seems.
So your mining of so many forgotten, lost, & quirky nuggets provides so many unexpected riches:)
Bless you, and all the best, year 'round,
tanktop
The mediafile link has gone bad. You do such amazing things...I hate to ask, but could you repost? Many thanks for this and all you do!
I may be missing something here...like a link? :)
Sorry, folks - the link in the body of the post wasn't bad when I checked it the other day. Here's a new one:
https://mega.nz/#!qFUTiC4R!BCWRCF2Ij6WjXhPZIPfYdE6Jm91AsL-JmNBDj-iG-to
Post a Comment