John Gary - The John Gary Christmas Album (1963)

This is my final Christmas post, before I return with more vintage goodies in 2012. John Gary sang in movies, on Broadway, had his own TV show, appeared at Carnegie Hall, and was considered to be one of the best crooners of the time. He had a wide vocal range, which you can hear very well on this album. This is another one of those Christmas albums that is nice to hear on Christmas Eve when you are home with your family, sitting in front of the fireplace and sipping some hot cocoa.

May you all have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!


Track listing for The John Gary Christmas Album:

Side 1:
1. The Christmas Song
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Little Snow Girl
4. Medley: The First Noel; O Come, All Ye Faithful; O Holy Night
5. Wintertime and Christmas Time
6. White Christmas

Side 2:
1. Do You Hear What I Hear
2. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
3. I'll Be Home for Christmas
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
5. Medley: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Silent Night

Dennis Day - Sings Christmas is for the Family (1958)

Here's an album I found in the HPB bargain bin. I never saw "The Jack Benny Show" or Dennis Day in any movie or TV show, but I had heard of him. And I loved the cover of this album, so I decided to buy it. Besides, I'm also a big fan of the "economy" record labels. This album has all the familiar favorites and is a nice album to play on Christmas Eve, when one is spending a quiet evening with the family before the fireplace, with Dad or Mom reading a favorite Christmas story. I hope you choose to make this album part of your Christmas Eve.

Track listing for Dennis Day - Sings Christmas is for the Family:

Side 1:
1. Jingle Bells
2. White Christmas
3. May Santa Fill Our Hearts
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
5. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
6. Christmas is For the Family

Side 2:
1. Silent Night
2. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
3. O Little Town of Bethlehem
4. Oh Holy Night
5. Away in the Manger
6. Medley: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful; The First Noel; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

The Ray Conniff Singers - Christmas with Conniff (1959)

Christmas wouldn't be complete without the Ray Conniff Singers, especially for a big fan like me! And this album is perfect when played on my big vintage Magnavox console stereo in my retro mid-century modern living room, while gazing at my aluminum Christmas tree (with color wheel)! This is definitely a must-have for any Christmas collection!

Track listing for The Ray Conniff Singers - Christmas with Conniff:

Side 1:
1. Here Comes Santa Claus
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
4. Christmas Bride
5. Sleigh Ride
6. Greensleeves (What Child is This)

Side 2:
1. Jingle Bells
2. Silver Bells
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. White Christmas
5. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
6. The Christmas Song

Cool Yule Tunes 2011 - A Stax o' Wax Compilation

It's time for my annual Christmas compilation! I've picked some favorite Christmas songs for this year's Cool Yule Tunes 2011 as a little token of my appreciation to all of you for visiting my blog and sharing in my love of this type of music and the nostalgia of glorious vinyl. I haven't been as consistent in posting this year, but I plan to get back into it in 2012!

There's a little bit of everything here and I hope you enjoy the songs I've picked. And, if you don't already have them, click on the "Cool Yule Tunes" label to see the previous four Christmas compilations and download them to have a complete collection!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you get to spend it with those you love. (I still have three more Christmas albums I plan to share this year before I take my Christmas holiday.)


Track listing for Cool Yule Tunes 2011:

1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas - The Mastertone Orchestra featuring The Don Janse Chorale
2. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Bing Crosby
3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - The Mistletoe Disco Band
4. Winter Wonderland - Lena Horne
5. Jingle Bells - The Partridge Family
6. White Christmas - Vera Lynn
7. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Johnny Cash
8. Hark the Herald Angels Sing - The Lennon Sisters
9. Sleigh Ride - Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians
10. Do You Believe in Santa Claus - Billy May
11. Deck the Halls - Mirror Image
12. The Christmas Song - Esquivel
13. Christmas Dreaming (A Little Early This Year) - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
14. Silver Bells - Jack Jones
15. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Helen O'Connell
16. Christmas Is - The Harry Simeone Chorale
17. Blue Christmas - Bobby Sherman
18. Silent Night - The Golddiggers
19. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Teresa Brewer
20. Merry Christmas, Baby - Lou Rawls
21. We Need a Little Christmas - The Muppets
22. What Child is This - Tijuana Voices with Brass
23. The Twelve Days of Christmas - Harry Belafonte
24. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - The Three Suns
25. Joy to the World - Ed Ames
26. Frosty the Snowman - Ray Conniff
27. The Merry Christmas Polka - Freddy Martin
28. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - Johnny Mathis

The Chipmunks - Christmas With the Chipmunks (1961)

How many of you grew up listening to this record every Christmas? I remember getting this when I was very little and playing it every year - and I still do! My record is still in amazing shape considering how long I've had it and that my mother would also take it to school and play it for her students. Of course, my favorite is "The Chipmunk Song", and my favorite part is about the hula hoop! I remember that as a child I would skip over the "boring" songs that David Seville sang, and I'm afraid that I still tend to skip over those. Well, I hope this one brings back memories for many of you!

Track listing for Christmas With the Chipmunks:

Side 1:
1. Here Comes Santa Claus
2. Up On the House-Top
3. Silver Bells
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. Jingle Bells
6. Over the River and Through the Woods

Side 2:
1. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
2. It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. White Christmas
5. The Chipmunk Song
6. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

The Border Brass - Tijuana Christmas (1968)

Christmas is almost here so it's time to share some of my Christmas records! I know this one has probably been shared a lot by others, but those of you who don't have it, here is one of my favorites. This record was obviously released to capitalize on the "Tijuana sound" popularized by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and by the Baja Marimba Band. Since I like both those bands, I knew I would like this record, and I do find it quite enjoyable. The cover is so kitschy that I find it worth framing during this time of year. So, here's the Border Brass to help you get in the Christmas spirit!

Track listing for The Border Brass - Tijuana Christmas:

Side 1:
1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
3. What Child is This
4. Deck the Halls
5. Jingle Bells

Side 2:
1. Tijuana Christmas
2. Jolly Old St. Nicholas
3. Christmas Bells
4. The First Noel
5. Silent Night