Audio

A ’63 HOLIDAY MEMORY. THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS!

 

THE ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS ALBUM (COMPLETE LP) * 1963

 

 

—THE ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS ALBUM—

The Andy Williams Christmas Album is the first Christmas holiday album released by singer Andy Williams and his twelfth studio album overall. It was issued by Columbia Records in 1963, and it would prove to be the first of eight Christmas albums released by Williams. Though it was also the album that introduced Williams’ perennial holiday classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, Columbia instead opted to release Williams’ cover of “White Christmas” as the album’s promotional single at the time. From 1963 to 1973, Billboard published special weekly Christmas Albums and Christmas Singles sales charts. For all five weeks that these special charts were published in 1963 (for the weeks ending November 30, 1963 through December 28, 1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album was the number one selling Christmas album, while Williams’ cover of “White Christmas” was the number one selling Christmas single. The Andy Williams Christmas Album spent three weeks as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1964, and one week as the number one selling Christmas album during the holiday season of 1965.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.

 

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A HOLIDAY TUNES COUNTDOWN! 02 CHRISTMAS DAYS

 

 

 

—THE CHRISTMAS SONG—

“The Christmas Song” (commonly subtitled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” or, as it was originally subtitled, “Merry Christmas to You“) is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song in June 1946. At Cole’s behest – and over the objections of his label, Capitol Records – a second recording was made in August utilizing a small string section, this version becoming a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts. Cole again recorded the song in 1953, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and once more in 1961, in a stereophonic version with another full orchestra arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael. Cole’s 1961 version is generally regarded as definitive. Fourth recording: Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York City, March 30, 1961. This rendition, the first recorded in stereo, is widely played on radio stations during the Christmas season, and has become the most popular/familiar version of this song. Label credit: Nat King Cole (Nat King Cole, vocals; Ralph Carmichael, orchestra conductor).The instrumental arrangement is nearly identical to the 1953 version, but Cole’s vocals are deeper-sounding and more focused. Originally done for The Nat King Cole Story (a 1961 LP devoted to stereo re-recordings of Cole’s earlier hits), this recording was later included in a reissue of Cole’s 1960 holiday album The Magic of Christmas replacing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. Retitled The Christmas Song, the album was issued in 1963 as Capitol W-1967 (mono) / SW-1967 (stereo) and today is in print on compact disc.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

 

 

NAT KING COLE * 02 * DECEMBER 24

 

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THE FIRST CHRISTMAS. ‘FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN’

 

WBFG FM * The First Christmas * DECEMBER 24, 1977

 

 

 

—THE FIRST CHRISTMAS—

For three consecutive years in the 1970s, ‘The First Christmas‘ aired on 98.7 WBFG-FM in Detroit during the holiday seasons, 1975, 1976 and 1977. At the time ‘The First Christmas’ first aired, WBFG was Detroit’s only premiere station known for it’s all-religious broadcasting format. The call letters WBFG was also the station’s heralded acronym as well. The calls represented their out-going religious radio content heard daily 24/7 on the FM side, “We’re Broadcasting For God.” This special holiday recording, “The First Christmas,” was conceived, created, produced and narrated by Bob Pratt.

 

 

A Prophecy Fulfilled

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

 

A special THANK YOU to Bob Pratt for sharing this special holiday program with Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

 

 

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MOTOWN MONDAY! JACKSON 5 CHRISTMAS LP: 1970

 

JACKSON 5 CHRISTMAS ALBUM (COMPLETE LP) * 1970

 

 

—JACKSON 5 CHRISTMAS ALBUM—

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.

(Source: Wikipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.

 

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DETROIT MOTOWN MONDAY: RECORD FLASHBACK ’65

 

 

 

—CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS SONG—

“Children’s Christmas Song” was written by Isabelle Freeman, co-written by Harvey Fuqua and was released on Motown Records in November 1965. Two originals, taken from the ‘Supremes Merry Christmas” album,”Children’s Christmas Song” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me”, were issued as the sides of a late 1965 Supremes holiday single. The former was thought to feature background vocals by Berry Gordy’s children — Joy, Berry and Terry — the inspiration for Motown’s publishing division JoBeTe — as well as Diana’s youngest brother, Chico. Background by the Andantes.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

 

 

THE SUPREMES * DECEMBER 1965

 

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A HOLIDAY TUNES COUNTDOWN! 03 CHRISTMAS DAYS

 

 

 

—MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING—

“Merry Christmas Darling” is a Christmas song by the Carpenters (music by Richard Carpenter, lyrics by Frank Pooler), and originally recorded in 1970. It was first available on a 7-inch single that year (A&M Records 1236), and was later re-issued in 1974 (A&M 1648) and again in 1977 (A&M 1991). The single went to number one on Billboard’s Christmas singles chart in 1970 (and did so again in 1971 and 1973) and peaked at number 41 in Cashbox. In 1978, the Carpenters issued their Christmas Portrait album, which contained a new version of “Merry Christmas Darling”. The original 1970 mix continued to be used for all single releases, however. The major difference between the 1970 and 1978 versions is a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter on the latter, which was done at her request. Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister’s very best.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

 

 

THE CARPENTERS * 03 * DECEMBER 23

 

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A ’66 HOLIDAY MEMORY. THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS!

 

THE DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS ALBUM * (COMPLETE LP) * 1966

 

 

—A DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS ALBUM—

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.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.

 

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A HOLIDAY TUNES COUNTDOWN! 04 CHRISTMAS DAYS

 

 

 

—MARSHMALLOW WORLD—

“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‘).

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

 

 

DEAN MARTIN * 04 * DECEMBER 22

 

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A ’68 HOLIDAY MEMORY. THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS!

 

HERB ALPERT CHRISTMAS ALBUM (COMPLETE LP) * 1968

 

 

—HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS CHRISTMAS ALBUM—

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.

(Source: WiKipedia)

— Christmas Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life —

Click on (COMPLETE LP) for the complete track listing on this album.

 

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