I like Christmas music myself, and golly, do the visitors here like it! Holiday records are far and away the most popular things I share. Let's start things off with a most enjoyable 78 album from just before the LP era. It is called, sensibly enough, "A Merry Christmas" and it features several artists then associated with the Signature label, which was run by longtime industry figure Bob Thiele.
Ray Bloch gets top billing here. The orchestra leader was then active on radio, and later on TV (including with Ed Sullivan). Here he presents two songs ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow") with a good vocal group called the Eldorado Five. He also provides backing for the excellent vocalist Monica Lewis, who may remind you of Dinah Shore. She does a touching version of "White Christmas" and a good one of "The Christmas Song" (although her initial entrance misses the mark on pitch).
Also on board is bandleader Johnny Long, an exponent of the inexplicable swing era convention called the band vocal, in which the musicians form a tuneless chorale and bark out the lyrics of the song. Long had just had a big hit with "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" with Decca, which thanked him by showing him and the boys the door. They ended up with Signature, a much smaller label.
For this album, Signature had Long do "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonderland," and the results are surprisingly pleasing, mostly due to the fine band vocalist Francey Lane.
Lane and Lewis were both highly attractive, and had brief stints in Hollywood in addition to their singing careers.
For this album, Signature had Long do "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonderland," and the results are surprisingly pleasing, mostly due to the fine band vocalist Francey Lane.
Lane and Lewis were both highly attractive, and had brief stints in Hollywood in addition to their singing careers.
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| Francey Lane |
The sound on this 1947 release is quite good, and the records were in fine condition. I really enjoyed transferring this set - hope you like it as well.
Note (June 2024): This has now been remastered in ambient stereo.
14 comments:
You jumped the gun on me! Looks like a great share. Here's to another great Christmas season! :) Have a cookie...
Ho ho ho, and away we go.
I shall unzip my present later-thanks Buster & Happy Thanksgiving to you to from deepest Devon (UK)
Thank you-- for me there is still something magical about the Christmas music from this period of time.
Looks terrific -- thanks and have a piece of pie!
Excellent Share! I just received some Signature 78s and one of them was Monica Lewis. So great to have more. Your share and the commentary as always are such a treat. Thank you for starting the holiday off with this jewel and THANK YOU got the MediaFire Link. Rapidshare is such a pain in the pah-toot. Happy Holidays!
Johnnyusa
Cookies, cookies and more cookies and nog to you. Cheers to another wonderful holiday season thanks to your glorious shares. *clink*
Love it... thanks. COOKIE!
heh - i thought of doing something like this myself but I'm leaving it to the expert. happy holidays, busterooni!
Thanks a ton for doing all this work and sharing and the great music. It really makes the holidays! Merry Christmas!
These look great, Buster, thanks! I have them downloaded and queued up to listen to this morning.
Any chance of a new link? :-)
Anon - The Mediafire link above does work but give me a day and I'll refurbish the files.
A new link is at the end of the post itself.
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