Pat Boone - White Christmas (1959)

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving holiday! So, today I begin my posts of Christmas records. I've already got the six albums picked out for this year, plus I'm currently working on my Cool Yule Tunes 2009 compilation, which I will post on the Sunday before Christmas. At the bottom of this post, I've included some pictures of my decorated vintage aluminum Christmas tree, which I just put up yesterday. I also switched out the framed record albums for some of my Christmas albums. You'll see in the pictures just a few of my Christmas albums, some of which I've posted on here, and some which I haven't posted yet.

But first, here is my first offering of this Christmas season - Pat Boone. And I dedicate this to my friend Vince. :-)

Track listing for Pat Boone - White Christmas:

Side 1:
1. White Christmas
2. Jingle Bells (with The Foley Sisters)
3. Adeste Fideles
4. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
5. O Little Town of Bethlehem
6. Silver Bells
7. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Side 2:
1. Silent Night
2. Oh Holy Night
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. The First Noel
5. I'll Be Home for Christmas
6. Joy to the World
7. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
8. Here Comes Santa Claus (with The Foley Sisters) (this song is not listed on the back cover but is on the record)



My vintage aluminum tree with color wheel.


The albums hanging in the entry way.


These are hanging on the living room wall (that's my cat's tail you see).

These are hanging in my den. I had the lights on and those are reflected.

Walter Brennan - The Country Heart of Walter Brennan (1966)

Been in a Walter Brennan mood lately, so I thought I'd share this album. Love him. Love his movies, TV shows, and the way he "spoke" on his albums. He spoke with such emotion that listening to his albums always brings a tear to my eye. "Scarlet Ribbons" does it for me on this album. Here's some of what the liner notes say:

Somewhere between outer space and the inner man stands Walter Brennan. There's a bit of earth and heaven in the way he reaches into all of us with a sprightly tug at the heart, a friendly chuckle or the shedding of a warm tear now and then. ... Walter Brennan is all of us put together as he tells us many things that we already know, but perhaps have neglected to ponder on for some time.

Track listing for The Country Heart of Walter Brennan:

Side 1:
1. Keep A Movin' Old Man
2. Cotton-Eyed Joe
3. Old Courthouse
4. Detroit City
5. Waiting for a Train

Side 2:
1. Moon Wanderer
2. Don't Go Near the Indians
3. Scarlet Ribbons
4. The Sound of Silence
5. Tennessee Stud

Johnny Mercer Tribute Compilation (2009)

Today is the centennial celebration of Johnny Mercer's birth. Johnny Mercer (1909 - 1976) was a singer and songwriter. As a songwriter, he was mostly known as a lyricist but he also wrote music. He wrote over 1000 songs, many of which are in the Great American Songbook. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. He also recorded many of his songs, as well as songs written by others. I put together this compilation of thirty-four songs in his honor and hope you enjoy them as much as I. He sings five of the songs on this compilation, three of which he didn't write (marked with ^). He wrote the lyrics for all the other songs that I've included, and also wrote the music for five of them (marked with *). The last song I've included was recorded after his death. Johnny's widow gave some unfinished lyrics to Barry Manilow, and Barry then wrote the music for "When October Goes." Enjoy!

Track listing for Johnny Mercer Tribute Compilation:

1. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive - Johnny Mercer
2. Goody Goody - Paul Petersen *
3. Too Marvelous for Words - Anthony Perkins
4. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby - Perry Como
5. And the Angels Sing - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
6. Day In, Day Out - Gene Barry
7. Fools Rush In - Tony Martin
8. Love of My Life - Shirley Jones & Jack Cassidy
9. Blues in the Night - Julie London
10. I Remember You - Doris Day
11. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer ^
12. Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra
13. Hit the Road to Dreamland - Betty Hutton
14. That Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keely Smith
15. Skylark - Linda Ronstadt
16. Dearly Beloved - Dinah Shore with Paul Weston & His Orchestra
17. Strip Polka - Myron Floren *
18. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) - Eydie Gorme
19. Dream - Steve Allen *
20. G.I. Jive - Johnny Mercer *
21. Laura - Johnny Mathis
22. I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City - Johnny Mercer ^
23. On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
24. Autumn Leaves - George Chakiris
25. Something's Gotta Give - Lorne Greene *
26. Moon River - Andy Williams
27. Days of Wine and Roses - Wayne Newton
28. Drinking Again - Dinah Washington
29. Charade - Bobby Darin
30. Emily - Andy Williams
31. Summer Wind - Frank Sinatra
32. Whistling Away the Dark - Henry Mancini
33. San Fernando Valley - Johnny Mercer with The Berries ^
34. When October Goes - Barry Manilow

Pat Boone - Sings Irving Berlin (1957)

Here's another of my Pat Boone albums, a gem I rescued from the HPB bargain bin. I love Irving Berlin songs and I love Pat Boone's smooth voice, so the combination is absolutely wonderful. There's even an endorsement on the back of the album by Irving Berlin himself, "Pat Boone sings these ballads the way I like to hear them sung." What better praise than from the composer?

Track listing for Pat Boone - Sings Irving Berlin:

Side 1:
1. All Alone
2. How Deep is the Ocean
3. Say It with Music
4. Always
5. Be Careful, It's My Heart
6. Soft Lights and Sweet Music
7. Remember

Side 2:
1. A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody
2. What'll I Do
3. All By Myself
4. The Girl That I Marry
5. Say It Isn't So
6. They Say It's Wonderful
7. Count Your Blessings

Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Volume 2 (1963)

This is a request. It's one of the first albums I digitized when I first learned how, so it's a lower bitrate than my usual posts. I also usually don't post the Herb Alpert albums (I have the first eleven) because most of them are available on CD, but I wanted to go ahead and fill the request I received. Anyway, this is the second album by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass (the way they were first called before changing to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass). There are some very familiar tunes on it and it's quite enjoyable. I don't much care for the album cover though - give me the "Whipped Cream" cover any day! Enjoy!

Track listing for Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Volume 2:

Side 1:
1. The Great Manolete (La Virgen de la Macarena)
2. Spanish Harlem
3. Swinger from Seville
4. Winds of Barcelona
5. Green Leaves of Summer
6. More

Side 2:
1. America
2. Surfin' Senorita
3. Marching Thru Madrid
4. Crea Mi Amor
5. Mexican Corn
6. Milord