“A Marshmallow World” (sometimes called “It’s a Marshmallow World“) is a popular song that was written in 1949 by Carl Sigman (lyrics) and Peter DeRose (music). The song is about winter and is commonly regarded as a Christmas song, although the lyrics make no mention of the holiday. The song compares a snowfall to marshmallows covering the ground. It also describes the snowfall as whipped cream and the sun as a big red pumpkin head. The singer “waits for it the whole year ’round.” The song was a Christmas Holiday hit for many artists such as Bing Cosby, Vic Damone, Brenda Lee and Dean Martin (which is included in his 1966 album, ‘The Dean Martin Christmas Album‘).
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
‘A JUDY GARLAND CHRISTMAS SPECIAL’
Aired on the night of December 22, 1963 on Detroit CBS WJBK-TV (Channel 2), 10:00 p.m., 57 years ago, on this day. Guests: Judy Garland’s children, Liza, Lorna and Joey; singers Jack Jones, Mel Torme, dancer Tracy Everett.
(Source: The Detroit Free Press; Sunday; December 22, 1963)
THE JUDY GARLAND CHRISTMAS SHOW * CBS-TV * SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1963
‘Jackson 5 Christmas Album’ is the first Christmas studio album (and fourth overall) by Motown family quintet the Jackson 5, released in October 1970. Included on the Christmas Album is the Jackson 5’s hit single version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. The Jackson 5’s versions of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” remain frequent radio requests during the Christmas season. The album spent all four weeks at the number one position on Billboard magazine’s special Christmas Albums chart that the magazine published in December 1970, making it the best-selling Christmas album of that year, and, would repeat also in 1972.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
“THE DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS SHOW“
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Aired on the night of December 21, 1967 on Detroit NBC WWJ-TV (Channel 4), 10:00 p.m., 53 years ago, on this day. Guests: Dean and Jeanne Martin and their children, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Jr.
(Source: Detroit Free Press; Thursday, December 21, 1967)
THE DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS SHOW * NBC-TV * THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1967
Dean Martin Christmas Album is a 1966 studio album by Dean Martin arranged by Ernie Freeman and Bill Justis. This was Martin’s only album of Christmas music released on Reprise Records (his only other Christmas album, A Winter Romance, having been released in 1959 on Capitol Records). Ricci James Martin, Martin’s son, wrote in a biography of his father that The Dean Martin Christmas Album was the only one of his father’s albums that was played in the Martin household, his parents seldom listening to Dean Martin’s music. Billboard magazine reported in its December 3, 1966 issue that The Dean Martin Christmas Album was on top of its “Best Bets for Christmas” chart.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.
THE DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS ALBUM * (COMPLETE LP) * 1966
“The Little Drummer Boy” (originally known as “Carol of the Drum“) is a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale; the Simeone version was re-released successfully for several years and the song has been recorded many times since.
When the Twentieth-Century Fox Records label contracted Simeone to make a Christmas album in 1958, he assembled a group he called “The Harry Simeone Chorale” and searched for recording material. After being introduced to an obscure song by producer and credited song co-author Henry Onorati, titled “Carol of the Drum” (originally composed by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941 and arranged to present form by Jack Halloran), Simeone changed the title to “The Little Drummer Boy” and recorded it under that title for his album Sing We Now of Christmas. He received joint authorship-and-composition credit for the album, although he did not actually write or compose the song. The single “The Little Drummer Boy” quickly became extremely popular and scored on the U.S. music charts from 1958 to 1962. The Simeone Chorale had another Christmas success during 1962, with their rendition of the then-new song Do You Hear What I Hear? for Mercury Records.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
‘A Merry Mancini Christmas’ is a 1966 album by Henry Mancini of orchestral and choral arrangements of Christmas music. In addition to traditional Christmas songs, it also contains the original Mancini composition “Carol for Another Christmas”, the theme of the 1964 television film of the same name.
The initial Billboard review from October 29, 1966 wrote that “It’s an important addition to the Christmas shelf because Mancini’s arrangements are as fresh and familiar as the material is familiar and lasting.”
The album was reviewed by Stephen Thomas Erlewine at Allmusic who described it as an “ideal holiday record” and added that ” . . . the album is filled with the lush arrangements that are his aural signature, and they sound perfect when matched with these 11 Christmas medleys and carols. It is a warm, appealing record that blends easily into the background, making it a good choice for holiday gatherings of all sorts.”
The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 in 1970.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.
HENRY MANCINI * A MERRY MANCINI CHRISTMAS (COMPLETE LP)
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song’s 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee’s original version had sold over 25 million copies with the 4th most digital downloads sold of any Christmas single. Because of her mature-sounding voice, Lee recorded this song when she was only thirteen years old. The recording features Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitar, Floyd Cramer on piano, Boots Randolph on sax, Bob Moore on bass, and veteran session player Buddy Harman on drums.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
Specs Howard and Dick Kernen March 30, 2012 (Photo credit: Specs Howard School Facebook page)
DICK KERNEN 1938-2020
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In memory of Dick Kernen’s passing, we will feature a statement, here, from Specs Howard. December 18, 2020
SPECS HOWARD STATEMENT — DICK KERNEN’S PASSING
Dick Kernen was much more than a colleague. He became, over the years, a dear friend. The day I hired Dick Kernen, all those decades ago, I could not have possibly known what a difference he would make in my life, the lives of the staff and the lives of thousands of Specs Howard School students and graduates. His passion for the broadcasting world permeated his every encounter. He was loved well beyond the walls of the school. Broadcast industry leaders relied on Dick for his unique brand of advice, his encyclopedic knowledge of the business and his “oh-so-Kernen” way of looking at the world. He was one of a kind and will be missed forever. Our hearts go out to Dick’s wife Char and the entire Kernen family.
— Specs Howard
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(Posted by Holly Kraus on Fr., December 18, 2020. Specs Howard School of media Arts; official blog page)
REMEMBERING DICK KERNEN
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Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media noted, “Joining the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting (as it was known at the time) was the wisest — and ONLY — career move Dick ever made. He really loved helping young people get into radio. And I know of no one who has personally started more radio careers in Michigan — and maybe all over the country.”
The RAMP RADIO and MUSIC PROS page remembers the broadcasting legacy of Dick Kernen. You can view their page, HERE.
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A FINAL WORD
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Dick Kernen.
He was one of a kind. Loved by his students, he was respected by his peers throughout the broadcasting medium, not only here, everywhere around the country.
With a desire to get into the radio trade at a young age, I was blessed in having him as my class instructor a long time ago. When I was just but a handful of students who attended the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts (as it was called then) in 1980-1981.
Sometime shortly after completion of my courses there, the phone rings. Dick Kernen was calling. My first stop, WJLB.
A tutor, a mentor, that he was. But Dick Kernen was more than that. For he single-handedly impacted the many lives in the profession he so loved, having served so well. For a phenomenal six decades of his life.
‘Christmas Album’ is a late-1968 album by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. It was the group’s eleventh release. The LP edition of the album was issued twice. The album contains a mixture of popular Christmas-season music, mostly American secular standards. Collaborating with Alpert in the production was his usual cadre of musicians: Nick Ceroli (drums/percussion), Bob Edmondson (trombone), Tonni Kalash (trumpet), Lou Pagani (keyboards), John Pisano (guitars/mandolin) and Pat Senatore (bass). Perennial sideman, Julius Wechter, appears on marimba and percussion. Alpert provides lead vocals on “The Christmas Song” and “The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle,” and there are also appearances by a studio choir and string instruments, arranged by Shorty Rogers.
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(Source: Wikipedia)
— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —
Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.
