20 Christmas Tunes from Vintage 78s

My record record-transferring paraphernalia has had a bad case of the troubles for some weeks now. The main turntable isn't tracking properly and is having some speed issues. My usual analog-to-digital converter has been flaky. And even my audio drivers are acting up, resetting themselves to mono repeatedly for no good reason.

While these problems get sorted out, I've been plunging into the limitless depths of the Internet Archive in search of items to bring to you. Today I am kicking off the Christmas sharing season with a selection of 20 holiday tunes taken from vintage 78s, as extensively remastered and repitched by me. The sound on all these is very good, with the one exception noted.

The selections date from 1945 to 1957, when 78s were being phased out. (I am just old enough to have purchased quite a few new 78s myself - I've been a record collector as long as I can remember.) I've selected familiar items in versions you may not heard and unfamiliar songs, sprinkling R&B, jazz and country selections among the pop platters, plus a polka!

The earliest item in our collection is from orchestra leader Mark Warnow and vocalist Dick Todd, the "Canadian Crosby." Both were mainstays of radio's Your Hit Parade in 1945. As far as I know, "All Around the Xmas Tree" was only recorded by them.

Next we have one of the innumerable jazz takes on "Jingle Bells." This specimen comes from a 1946 single helmed by veteran pianist Frank Signorelli, who was in the Original Memphis Five way back in 1917, and later in the ODJB. He's best known for writing "I'll Never Be the Same."

Also in 1946, Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers had a success with "Winter Wonderland." Capitol had a habit of reissuing this number during subsequent holiday seasons. This pressing is from 1950.

Steel guitar virtuoso Leon McAuliffe made his name with Bob Wills' band during the 1930s. In 1947, he recorded "A Cowboy's Christmas Song" for Majestic, with a vocal by Gene Autry sound-alike Jimmy Hall.

Another little known song, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," comes from 1948 and the tonsils of Crosbyite John Laurenz, who recorded for Mercury, Pan-American and Jubilee during his career. If there are any Bowery Boys fans out there, you may be interested to know that Laurenz dubbed Huntz Hall's vocals in the great Blues Busters, in which Satch becomes the world's most unlikely romantic crooner.

Also in 1948, country artist Doye O'Dell became the first to record "Blue Christmas." It wasn't a hit then, but the following year, Ernest Tubb did well with it, as did Hugo Winterhalter with the pop version in today's collection.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" has endured so many awful recordings since it debuted in 1949 (in Neptune's Daughter), that it's refreshing to encounter one that throws away the coy aspect of the song in favor of a more straightforward approach. That's what you get from Pearl Bailey as the knowing female who is all too willing to be ensnared by the raspy wolfishness of Hot Lips Page, a trumpeter by trade. Their version came out on Columbia's budget label, Harmony, which Pearlie Mae manages to name-check during the proceedings.

Poor Hot Lips Page didn't even rate a mention in this ad

Frankie Yankovic, the most popular polka artist of the time, came up with "Christmas Polka" in 1949. As with many of Frankie's records, the chorus is nothing exciting, but the break is a wonder to behold. Yankovic also recorded a "Merry Christmas Polka" in 1950, but I believe the bigger hit version was by the Andrews Sisters.

Al Hibbler taped "White Christmas" for Decca later in the 50s, but today's version is an earlier one he did with the Ellingtonians for Mercer Ellington's label right at mid-century. The Ellingtonians were a side group from Duke's band led by Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Billy Strayhorn. Duke himself even showed up on one of their record dates. There is some overloading on the peaks here, which I have tried to moderate. This was caused by the transfer being done at too high a level, a no-no in digital recording.

Nineteen fifty also was the year for "Silver Bells," from Bob Hope's epic The Lemon Drop Kid. The hit versions were by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards for Decca and Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely for Capitol. Here we have Mercury's entry in this race, performed by Richard Hayes and Kitty Kallen.

Our final work from 1950 is the first of three tunes set down by the great Billy Eckstine for M-G-M - another version of "Blue Christmas." Skipping ahead slightly to 1953, we have Eckstine's two-sided holiday effort for the year, the unfamiliar "Christmas Eve" and the all-too-familiar "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve." The label says the conductor here is Lionel Newman. My ears say the arranger on "What Are You Doing" is Nelson Riddle.

M-G-M's holiday lineup for 1953

From 1952 or 1953, we have a "White Christmas" from the combination of adenoidal crooner Jack Russell and the Honey Dreamers, a vocal group that has appeared on this blog before. Russell was unknown to me, although he does appear on some Peter Pan children's records, as do the Honey Dreamers.

We move to Nashville and 1954 for an Ernest Tubb side called "Lonely Christmas Eve," with strong backing by some talented studio vets, including Owen Bradley on piano and Billy Byrd on guitar.

Also from 1954, jump blues artist Oscar McLollie joins us for a two-sided entry on Modern, the boisterous "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" and the lugubrious "God Gave Us Christmas." As with many of McLollie's efforts, these are Leon René productions.

Johnny Desmond, who has been featured here a few times, offers up "Happy Holidays to You," which comes from 1955. This is the flip of "Santo Natale," which I vaguely recall sharing here before.

To close things off, we have two earnest efforts from Big Maybelle, "Silent Night" and "White Christmas," on Savoy. Maybelle started out as the less colorfully named Mabel Smith, band singer for Tiny Bradshaw. Okeh records bestowed the fancier name on her when she joined its roster. This single comes from 1957, when the 78 era was drawing to a close.

Please enjoy these tunes, and the entire festive season! More soon, if my recording apparatus cooperates.