A Budget-Line Christmas

It's rare that I would feature budget recordings, but they are often interesting, giving you a chance to hear name-brand artists who were past their peak and others who were mainly professional studio singers.

Today we have two LPs on the Tops label that are good examples. The names on the two covers are Martha Tilton, famed from her work with Benny Goodman, and the Pied Pipers, who first became popular with the Tommy Dorsey band.

In true budget-label fashion, the name artists present a minority of the songs on these LPs. Most of the singing is by artists with lesser pedigrees - folks who made a living in vocal groups and in the studio setting; little-known but undeniably talented.

Before I give the details about the songs and singers, let me mention that this post is made possible through the generosity of frequent collaborator Ernie Haynes, whose Ernie (Not Bert) site is well into his annual foray into the wide world of holiday music. I told him I was looking for the Pied Pipers LP, and he not only came up with a transfer, it was the stereo version - and he sent along a stereo version of Christmas at Our House, the album that touts Martha Tilton on the cover. I had only the mono version of the latter.

Both The Pied Pipers Sing Christmas Carols and Christmas at Our House came out in 1958, at first in mono and a bit later in stereo.

The songs on these LPs are what you might expect - well-worn holiday classics, most of them in the public domain, and most repeated on both LPs, although not by the same vocalists. 

What follows are some notes about the artists involved, who were barely mentioned by Tops, except for Martha Tilton and the Pipers. The rest are only named on the labels - and even then not always accurately.

The Pied Pipers - Lee Gotch, Sue Allen, Allan Davies, Clark Yocum

Let's start off with the Pied Pipers, who as I mentioned became known with Tommy Dorsey's band - that is until one of the members made the bandleader mad and was fired. The entire group then quit the band in solidarity. The object of Tommy's ire was Clark Yocum, still in the group when this record was made.

The leading light of the Pipers back in the Dorsey era was Jo Stafford. By the time this record was made, the female lead was Sue Allen, a studio singer who had been in several well-known groups. The other members were Lee Gotch and Allan Davies. Their performances here are pleasing, and amusing when appropriate, such as their version of "Jingle Bells."

The Pipers sang on six of the 12 numbers on the LP named for them, but not at all on the other record.

Martha Tilton

The artist mentioned - in relatively small print - on the Christmas at Our House LP cover, Martha Tilton, was with Goodman's band in the 1930s, then had some hits as a recording artist for Capitol in the 1940s.

Although Martha is touted on the sleeve, she is heard only on two songs - but they are the high points of the LP. Like the Pied Pipers, she makes "Jingle Bells" fun again, even including the seldom-sung second verse. And she has a good time with "Rudolph" and his red nose as well. Tilton does not appear on the other album.

Marni Nixon

The singer with the most numbers on Our House LP is the well-regarded vocal double Marni Nixon, with three - "Silent Night," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Away in a Manger." Her perfect technique is well in evidence throughout. She also does not show up on the other disc.

John Gustafson

Just as impressive is tenor John Gustafson, who was allotted two songs on Our House - "The First Noël" and "Deck the Hall." Gustafson recorded gospel music and was a choir director in the Los Angeles area. He too was not selected for the other album.

Thurl Ravenscroft

Thurl Ravenscroft's mighty bass was celebrated here recently, so it's good to hear him in holiday mode with "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," even though he is uncharacteristically subdued on that number. On the other disc - at least the stereo version - the label claims that he sings "Joy to the World," but the pleasant fellow who spreads holiday cheer is not Thurl, but a lighter-voiced singer who may be Bill Reeve, discussed below.

Thurl's version of "Joy to the World" actually does appear on the mono edition of Christmas at Our House, so I've added that track to the end of the transfer.

Doris Drew

Doris Drew had been a band singer, then recorded several singles followed by a well-regarded LP for the Mode label in 1957. She later became a voice artist. For these records she contributes charming versions of "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song."

John Gabriel

Singer-actor John Gabriel, then in his 20s, was appearing as a guest star on television shows when he recorded "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" for these LPs. He later would have a long-running part on a TV soap opera, appear on Broadway in The Happy Time and become a producer.

Norma Zimmer

Norma Zimmer was a well-regarded studio singer when she recorded of "Joy to the World," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and "The First Noël" for Tops. She would later become famous as the "Champagne Lady" on Lawrence Welk's television show.

Bill Reeve is the most obscure member of this cast. His credits include a vocal in Disney's Westward Ho The Wagons! and the pre-recordings for the Ice Follies of 1953 - where he worked with Norma Zimmer. He sings on both LPs - "Silent Night," "O Come! All Ye Faithful" and (I think) the stereo "Joy to the World."

Tops kept the musical background simple for these records - just "George Mather at the console," presumably handling the both electronic organ and chimes. (The latter do tend to get in the way, if truth be told.) The recording is typical of early stereo - mostly the vocalist and the chimes on the left and George and his organ on the right. It is otherwise pleasing, although too much reverb was added to the stereo vocals. Sorry, I haven't been able to find any information about the organist.

The mono artwork

Tops named its stereo line "Mayfair" and at least in these early days pressed the discs on yellow vinyl. The stereo LPs also had different covers. For record nerds like me (and Ernie), the much different mono covers are shown above.

LINK to Christmas at Our House

LINK to The Pied Pipers Sing Christmas Carols