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

Xavier Cugat - Cugi's Cocktails (1963)

Time to invite some friends over for cocktails and put on your dancing shoes! I have yet to find an album by Xavier Cugat that I didn't like. And I just love this one! The songs all have cocktail names and I guess my favorite (tonight, anyway) is "Zombie" (because tonight is the season premiere of the zombie TV show, "The Walking Dead"). The album cover is cool, too - definitely worth framing! So, mix yourself a few cocktails and dance a little!

Track listing for Xavier Cugat - Cugi's Cocktails:

Side 1:
1. Cuba Libre (Guaracha)
2. One Mint Julep (Cha-Cha Twist)
3. Old-Fashioned (Beguine)
4. Daiquiri (Bossa Nova)
5. Cocktails for Two (Cha-Cha)
6. Rum and Coca-Cola (Mambo)

Side 2:
1. Cugi's Cocktail (Hully Gully Cha-Cha)
2. Grasshopper (Rhumba)
3. Blue Champagne (Bossa Nova)
4. Zombie (Bolero)
5. Manhattan (Cha-Cha)
6. Singapore Sling (Rhumba)

Johnny Crawford - A Young Man's Fancy (1962)

I remember watching Johnny Crawford on "The Rifleman" when I was a little girl. It was one of the TV shows that my father and I would watch together. I had a big crush on Chuck Connors, and really didn't pay much attention to Johnny. Other than this show, I never saw Johnny in anything else, and I don't remember ever hearing his big hit, "Cindy's Birthday", on the radio. I never even knew that he was a Mouseketeer until sometime in the 1990s, when I went to a vintage toy show and he was there signing autographs. Of course, I stopped by and got an autographed pic and talked to him a little bit (by then, I was into collecting the vintage LPs, and trying to find those in the "celebrity vocals" category). That's when I found out that he was now the leader of a big band orchestra. Now, I just love Johnny and love watching him on reruns of "The Rifleman", which are being aired on AMC and the Encore Westerns channels. The title of this album was also the title of one of the episodes of "The Rifleman", and features "Cindy's Birthday", which I hear pretty regularly now on a local "music legends" radio station. I cleaned it up as much as I could, but there are still clicks and pops, and some skips. (If anyone has a better rip, please do share!) Enjoy!


Track listing for Johnny Crawford - A Young Man's Fancy:

Side 1:
1. Cindy's Birthday
2. Sittin' and A Watchin'
3. Debbie
4. Something Special
5. I'm Walkin'
6. Your Nose is Gonna Grow

Side 2:
1. Mr. Blue
2. In the Wee Small Hours
3. Moon River
4. Little White Cloud
5. Young at Heart

Ray Conniff - Broadway in Rhythm (1958)

Hello there! Sorry I haven't been keeping up on here - just had a lot going on. (But I do hope that in the meantime, y'all have been checking out my podcast The Spin-O-Rama Hour!) Well, I am going to try to do better and post more often on here, as I still have a lot of great vintage records that I would love to share!

To get back in the swing of things, I have this Ray Conniff gem from 1958. Ray, his orchestra and chorus, play selections from Broadway hits "Oklahoma!", "The King and I", "My Fair Lady", and "South Pacific". As always, it does not disappoint! Enjoy!


Track listing from Ray Conniff - Broadway in Rhythm:

Side 1:
1. Oklahoma!
2. People Will Say We're in Love
3. The Surrey With the Fringe on Top
4. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'
5. Hello, Young Lovers
6. Getting to Know You; I Whistle a Happy Tune

Side 2:
1. On the Street Where You Live
2. I Could Have Danced All Night; I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
3. A Wonderful Guy
4. Bali Ha'i
5. Younger Than Springtime
6. Some Enchanted Evening

Summer Compilation Vol.5 (2011)

It's time for my annual summer songs compilation! The first day of summer is not for two days yet, but it's felt like summer for a few weeks already! It's already hit the three digit temperatures in Dallas, Texas! The hot temps don't bother me though, as summer is my very favorite season, and I am glad it's here! The first three summer compilations contained only songs with the word "summer" in the title, but last year I expanded the song choices to include the words "beach", "surf", and "sun". Please do post a comment with other summer song suggestions that I can use in future compilations. Hope you enjoy this!

Track listing for Summer Compilation Vol.5 (2011):

1. Theme from 'A Summer Place' - The Ventures
2. The Things We Did Last Summer - The Beach Boys
3. Summertime - Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed
4. It's a Sunshine Day - The Brady Bunch
5. Sun-Kissed Chicks - Jean-Jacques Debout
6. Miami Beach Rumba - Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra
7. The Green Leaves of Summer - The Ray Conniff Singers
8. Turn On the Sunshine - Sally Field
9. Twenty-Four Hours of Sunshine - Reg Owen & His Orchestra
10. Sunny Days - Lighthouse
11. Our Last Summer - ABBA
12. On the Beach At Waikiki - Les Paul and Mary Ford
13. Summer Mood - Skip Martin
14. One Summer Dream - Electric Light Orchestra
15. Sunshine - The Partridge Family
16. Good Day Sunshine - Claudine Longet
17. We'll Sing in the Sunshine - Helen Reddy
18. Hey Mr. Sun - Kurt Russell
19. Bustin' Surfboards - The Lively Ones
20. Summer Cruise - Syd Dale
21. Surf Scene - The Surfaris
22. Bossa No Praia (Beach Samba) - Walter Wanderley
23. Bikini Beach Party - Annette Funicello
24. The Long, Hot Summer - Jimmie Rodgers


If you haven't downloaded the first four volumes of my Summer compilations, click on the "summer" label to take you directly to those posts. Happy Summer!

Petula Clark - I Know A Place (1965)

This is another of my recent purchases, although I can't remember if I got it from my v.o. instructor or from the HPB bargain bin. Either way, I'm glad I got it because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Petula Clark is one of those singers who transports me back to the 1960s just by the sound of her voice, and I really liked what I can remember of the 60s (my early childhood). There are some good songs on this album, and some of them are quite danceable! Enjoy!

Track listing for Petula Clark - I Know A Place:

Side 1:
1. Dancing In the Street
2. Strangers and Lovers
3. Everything In the Garden
4. The "In" Crowd
5. Heart
6. You're the One

Side 2:
1. A Foggy Day
2. Gotta Tell the World
3. Every Little Bit Hurts
4. Call Me
5. Goin' Out of My Head
6. I Know A Place

Here's an old clip of Pet singing the title song of this album (love the dancing!):

Boxcar Willie - King of the Road (1980)

Here's an album that goes well with the Slim Whitman album! I remember the TV commercials for this album. I never would have thought that I would end up getting it! After I got the Slim Whitman album a few weeks ago, I went in search of the Boxcar Willie album, and I found it in the HPB bargain bin! There's no yodeling on this one, and Boxcar Willie doesn't have the nice hair that Slim Whitman has, but I enjoyed it. Also, Boxcar Willie was from Ellis County, Texas, which is just south of Dallas! I also found out that he was Tommy Lee Jones' first cousin. (Throwing in some trivia for you there.) I had a nice surprise when I heard the song "I Saw the Light" on this album. It brought back memories of being in choir at school from 7th through 9th grades. That was one of the songs we sang regularly, and I hadn't thought of it in a long time. Enjoy!

Track listing for Boxcar Willie - King of the Road:

Side 1:
1. King of the Road
2. Wabash Cannonball
3. You Are My Sunshine
4. Boxcar Blues
5. Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
6. Your Cheatin' Heart
7. I Saw the Light
8. Wreck of the Old '97
9. Hank and the Hobo
10. Peace in the Valley

Side 2:
1. Mule Train
2. Hey Good Lookin'
3. Kaw-Liga
4. Move It On Over
5. London Leaves
6. Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms
7. Divorce Me C.O.D.
8. Red River Valley
9. Heaven
10. San Antonio Rose

Slim Whitman - All My Best (1979)

Here's another treasure that I got from my voice-over instructor! This is the record I was most excited about, too! I never thought I would be excited to get a Slim Whitman record. I think I've become a fan because it brings back good memories from my youth. I remember when his commercial came on TV where he advertised this album. Usually, it would come on late night when my mom and I were watching old movies. We always got a kick from the commercial, especially when they showed him singing "Vaya Con Dios". Neither one of us had ever heard of Slim Whitman, and we weren't fans of country music, so we just thought the commercial was funny. As the years have gone by, I have developed a very eclectic taste in music, and just LOVE Slim Whitman now! I especially like when he yodels (I've become a yodeling fan in the last year). I hadn't seen this album in years, and the first thing I asked my v.o. instructor was if he had any albums by Slim Whitman. He said no (but he obviously knew he did), and he was just tickled when he saw my reaction at finding the album in the stack. So, even though my mom and I never listened to Slim back in the day, this album brings back good memories of spending time with my mom. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Track listing for Slim Whitman - All My Best:

Side 1:
1. Indian Love Call
2. Ramblin' Rose
3. My Happiness
4. Room Full Of Roses
5. Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain
6. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
7. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
8. There Goes My Everything
9. My Heart Cries For You
10. Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Side 2:
1. Rose Marie
2. Vaya Con Dios
3. Roses Are Red
4. Somewhere My Love
5. I Love You Because
6. Una Paloma Blanca
7. I Can't Stop Loving You
8. Sail Along Silvery Moon
9. You Belong To My Heart
10. Red River Valley

Here is Slim singing "Indian Love Call":

Baja Marimba Band - For Animals Only (1965)

This is one of the treasures I bought from my voice-over instructor. It's a cute album - all the songs have animals in them. I hadn't heard some of them before, but overall I was pleased. It's just a nice easy-listening record to listen to while having dinner or trying to relax. I hope you enjoy it!

Track listing for Baja Marimba Band - For Animals Only:

Side 1:
1. For Animals Only
2. Puff (The Magic Dragon)
3. Elephant Soul
4. Gnu Bossa Nova
5. Last of the Red Hot Llamas
6. La Cucaracha

Side 2:
1. How Much is That Doggie in the Window
2. Yellow Bird
3. Swan Waltz
4. A Partridge in a Pear Tree (The Twelve Days of Christmas)
5. El Gazelle
6. Las Mananitas

The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett - Visit Hawaii (1962)

Just spent a little time meditating in my Hawaiian-themed guest room, which left me in a Hawaiian state of mind, so I decided to share this one with you today. I do love Tommy Garrett and this album is a delight (love the cover art, too!). It has the usual selection of Hawaiian songs, including my very favorite, "Hawaiian War Chant". I don't know what it is about that song that just makes me get up and dance! (I'm just grateful that no one is around to videotape me.) So, put on your Hawaiian skirt and dance like no one is watching!

Track listing for The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Visit Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. Blue Hawaii
2. Hawaiian Wedding Song
3. Pagan Love Song
4. My Little Grass Shack
5. Now Is the Hour
6. Hawaiian War Chant

Side 2:
1. The Hukilau Song
2. Song of the Islands
3. Lovely Hula Hands
4. Sweet Leilani
5. Moon of Manakoora
6. Aloha Oe

Billy Vaughn - 12 Golden Hits from Latin America (1965)

Sorry I haven't been regular in my posts lately - just have had a lot going on. I tell you, this having to work for a living just takes up too much of my time! :-)

I have been acquiring some new treasures for my record collection though. I got about fifteen albums the other day from my voice-over instructor, and got ten albums from the HPB bargain bin today (Memorial Day sale!). So, I'll try to get some of these digitized soon so that I can share them with you (and also include some of the songs on my podcast, The Spin-O-Rama Hour).

For today, I have Billy Vaughn bringing you twelve hits from Latin America. It's some nice easy-listening music that you can dance to or have as background music for your dinner party. Enjoy!


Track listing for Billy Vaughn - 12 Golden Hits from Latin America:

Side 1:
1. Perdoname Mi Vida
2. Noche de Ronda
3. Corazon de Melon
4. Adios, Mariquita Linda
5. Sabor a Mi
6. Contigo

Side 2:
1. Incertidumbre
2. Acercate Mas
3. Mambo Jambo
4. Quien Sera
5. El Dia
6. El Cumbanchero

Danny Thomas - An Evening with Danny Thomas (196?)

Here's an album in my "celebrity vocal" category that I've had for quite awhile but just got around to digitizing. I couldn't find the release year on this one and my celebrity vocals book just says "196?", so that's all I know. There was an earlier 10" version of this album released in 1954 on MGM, but this is a 12" later release on Columbia which was a promotion by Post Cereals. Danny Thomas sings the songs, music is by the Spencer-Hagen Orchestra featuring Walter Popp at the piano, and Danny's TV family (Marjorie Lord, Rusty Hamer, and Angela Cartwright) are all on hand. I never saw "Make Room for Daddy" (the name of the show the first three years) or "The Danny Thomas Show", so I'm not familiar with any of the characters, but I know that Marjorie was "Kathy", Rusty was "Russ", and Angela was "Linda". So, I'm wondering who is the "Terry" that speaks at the beginning of "Daddy's Little Girl" - is it Danny's real-life daughter, Terry? And if it is, then why didn't Marlo participate in this record? Gosh, I hope these questions don't make me lose sleep tonight (because I'm the kind of person that would). Hope you like it!

Track listing for An Evening with Danny Thomas:

Side 1:
1. Danny Thomas Theme and My Blue Heaven - has a skip in it
2. Linda's Wedding Day
3. It All Depends on You
4. Daddy's Little Girl
5. But Beautiful
6. When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along

Side 2:
1. Glory of Love
2. September Song
3. My Funny Valentine - has a skip in it
4. You Make Me Feel So Young
5. Violets for Your Furs
6. Scarlet Ribbons
7. Love In A Home

The Serendipity Singers - The Many Sides of the Serendipity Singers (1964)

I love the Serendipity Singers and this album! What fun it is! I just really like choral groups and this type of folk music. The melodies and harmonies are great, and the songs are just fun. I have three favorites on this album - "Let Me Fly", "Beans In My Ears", and "Movin' In My Heart". I think I really like that third one because the Osmonds performed it in a medley on their live album back in the 1970s (I had not heard that song until they performed it). All the songs are great and I think you'll enjoy this album! Plus - how can you not like an album with a banjo???

Track listing for The Many Sides of the Serendipity Singers:

Side 1:
1. Let Me Fly (Zion)
2. Beans In My Ears
3. Soon It's Gonna Rain
4. Mill Girls Don't Sing or Dance
5. Look Away Over Yondro
6. The New Frankie and Johnny Song

Side 2:
1. You Don't Know
2. Down Where the Winds Blow
3. Movin' In My Heart
4. Six Foot Six
5. Hi-Lili-Hi-Lo
6. Fast Freight

Here's a vintage clip of The Serendipity Singers on Hollywood-A-Go-Go:

Nelson Riddle - Sing a Song With Riddle (1959)

Here's a treat for those of you who like karaoke. This album by Nelson Riddle has the background music for several hit songs from back in the day, and all it needs is your voice to sing along! The album itself even has the sheet music and lyrics for each of the songs. I tried to sing along but the songs are all in keys that are a little high for me (my vocal range is more like Diana Krall's), but maybe y'all will have better luck. I bought this many years ago and it's the hi-fi version. So, if anyone has the stereo version, I would love it if you shared it! I absolutely love Nelson Riddle!

Track listing for Sing a Song With Riddle:

Side 1:
1. Little White Lies
2. Darn That Dream
3. Near You
4. Day In-Day Out
5. The More I See You
6. My Baby Just Cares for Me

Side 2:
1. Everywhere You Go
2. I Had the Craziest Dream
3. Fools Rush In
4. You Make Me Feel So Young
5. It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
6. You're Driving Me Crazy

Patti Page - Patti Page's Greatest Hits (1966)

I love the Singing Rage, Miss Patti Page! "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" was one of my favorite songs growing up. I've shared a couple of other records by Patti Page, so I'll try to not repeat myself as to what I say here. I generally stay away from greatest hits albums if I have all or most of the artist's albums. Usually I only buy them if I just want the most well-known songs by an artist. When I bought this album, I didn't have any other Patti Page records, so it was fine to have this one. But for those of you who are familiar with her recordings, you'll notice that these songs don't sound like the songs you've heard so many times. That's because Patti re-recorded them for this album, which is on the Columbia label (she was on the Mercury label when she had all those hits). Maybe Columbia just wanted a new "take" on the songs, since the arrangements are all different. "Tennessee Waltz" is quite different, so you may or may not like it. "Old Cape Cod" is my favorite (besides "Doggie"), and I like this version fine.

Track listing for Patti Page's Greatest Hits:

Side 1:
1. Mockin' Bird Hill
2. (How Much is That) Doggie in the Window
3. Cross Over the Bridge
4. Detour
5. Mister and Mississippi
6. Old Cape Cod

Side 2:
1. I Went to Your Wedding
2. Tennessee Waltz
3. With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming
4. Changing Partners
5. Allegheny Moon