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| Selections From Irving Berlin's White Christmas (1954, this re-issue 1985) |
White Christmas the movie was based on the 1942 film Holiday Inn, both starring Bing Crosby. This album is not a true soundtrack however; because Crosby and co-star Rosemary Clooney were signed to different record labels at the time (Decca and Columbia respectively), Decca enlisted Peggy Lee to record Clooney's parts. Columbia released its own not-quite-a-soundtrack-either the same year featuring just Clooney, called Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
Still with me? In the film, Clooney's character has a sister; actress and dancer Vera-Ellen, whose singing parts were over-dubbed by Trudy Stevens, except for in the duet Sisters, where Clooney sang both parts. On this album, however, as Clooney was unable to record, both parts are performed by Peggy Lee. So in fact neither of the female stars of this well-loved Christmas movie appear on the album!
It doesn't matter a bit though. From the opening salvo of The Old Man and Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army to the closing White Christmas, it's a lovely reminder of a great film (which I saw on TV this year as early as November 24th!) and a must for any festive record collection, even if the only properly Christmassy songs are the title track and the pretty awful Snow ("snow, snow, snow, snow..." - yes, we get it!).
Tracklisting
Side 1.
1. Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye - The Old Man.
2. Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye - Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army.
3. Peggy Lee - Sisters.
4. Danny Kaye with The Skylarks - The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing.
5. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Peggy Lee, Trudy Stevens - Snow.
6. Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye - Blue Skies.
7. Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye - Mandy.
Side 2.
1. Danny Kaye with The Skylarks - Choreography.
2. Bing Crosby - Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep.
3. Peggy Lee - Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me.
4. Peggy Lee - What Can You Do With A General.
5. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Peggy Lee, Trudy Stevens - White Christmas.
Another seasonal find from the seemingly long-ago days of September, this time for £1, was Festival Of Carols:
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| Festival Of Carols: 20 Christmas Favourites from Guildford Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral& Westminster Abbey (1980) |
Here Music For Pleasure pack in a total of 20 carols, all previously released by MFP and recorded during the 1960s by The Guildford Cathedral Choir, The Sunbury Junior Singers of the Salvation Army, The Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral and The Choir of Westminster Abbey.
Christmas wouldn't be complete without some proper traditional carols, and the choirs and organists here all do a fantastic job of turning me into a dewy-eyed old fool. Moving stuff indeed.
Tracklisting
Side 1.
1. Once In Royal David's City.
2. While Shepherds Watched.
3. The Holly And The Ivy.
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
5. Unto Us Is Born A Son.
6. As With Gladness Men Of Old.
7. O'Little Town Of Bethlehem.
8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
9. I Saw Three Ships.
10.Silent Night, Holy Night.
Side 2.
1. In Dulci Jubilo.
2. The First Noel.
3. In The Bleak Mid-Winter.
4. Good King Wenceslas.
5. The Rocking Carol.
6. The Coventry Carol.
7. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.
8. Away In A Manger.
9. Ding Dong Merrily On High.
10.O'Come All Ye Faithful.
Come back again tomorrow (Tues 23rd Dec - getting close now!) for a real Christmas cracker of an album. You can hear me playing my favourite selections from this year's Christmas vinyl haul on the Car Boot Christmas 2014 cloudcast using the player below, or by following the link to mixcloud. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it - it's sure to get you in a festive mood if you're not quite there yet!
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