Christmas Anthology
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDAudio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2005-06-21
Music Label: Cleopatra
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- White Christmas
- December
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- Christmas Island
- I'll Be Home for Christmas
- Toyland
- Jingle Bells
- The First Noel
- I'm Sending a Letter to Santa Claus
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Christmas Eve in Fairyland
- The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- The Christmas Song
- Silent Night
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- The Fairy on the Christmas Tree
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Santa Claus Came in the Spring
- Jingle Bells
- March of the Toys
- What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin')
- Good Morning Blues (I Wanna See Santa Claus)
- I Want You for Christmas
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
- Send Me Your Love for Christmas
- Savoy Christmas Medley
- Winter Wonderland
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- The Skater's Waltz (In Swingtime)
- Frosty the Snowman
- I'm Spending Christmas with the Old Folks
- White Christmas
- What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
- Auld Lang Syne
Free Music Notes for Christmas Anthology
Free Music Review: Excellent Christmas collection with some less-known recordings
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm also a big collector of Christmas music (mostly pre-1970: jazz, big band, blues, rock, R&B, classical, pre-rock vocalists, country), and I found this to be a very well done collection that has some rare recordings that I, at least, have never heard before. We have over 200 Christmas CDs in our collection at home, including many that are from the big band era like this two-disc set, so I was surprised that they came up with material that was new to me.
Yes, there are some familiar commercial recordings that have been reissued numerous times (for example, Louis Prima's "What Will Santa Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin')"; Vaughn Monroe's "Let It Snow"). There are also some radio broadcast recordings that also aren't all that hard to find on CD (for example, Glenn Miller's "Jingle Bells"). These are all very enjoyable, but I've heard them before.
But the compilers here have also dug up some sides that were completely new to me: the Nat King Cole Trio's very lively "Jingle Bells" from a radio transcription disc is one. There are also different versions of familiar holiday hits: the "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland on this set, for example, aren't the commercial versions that are on every other anthology, but less well known radio broadcast recordings. Both performances are very good. The version of Dick Haymes' "O Little Town of Bethlehem" here is from a V-Disc, and "Good Morning Blues (I Wanna See Santa Claus)" by the great Count Basie is a broadcast recording instead of the more familiar commercial record. And the compilers have also included some British performers who may be new to some American listeners (e.g., Lew Stone and His Band on "Winter Wonderland," which I'd heard before; and one that I hadn't, the Three Sisters singing "The Fairy on the Christmas Tree" with harmonies that seem to come from the film version of The Wizard of Oz).
The sound quality is generally quite good for music of this age (1930-1950), although there are one or two cuts that are not as good as the rest. (Unfortunately, Perry Como's "I'll Be Home For Christmas," while a good perfomance from a radio program, is in much lower fidelity than the remainder of the material.) Overall, the remastering here was very well done. I also appreciate it that the compilers have carefully edited out the audience applause from the broadcast recordings, so that they fit more seamlessly with the commercial recordings. (I do like the live feel of broadcast recordings with applause, but it's kind of nice here that it doesn't disrupt the flow.)
So, while this CD set does have some very familiar recordings, it also has some nice surprises, with very good sound quality on most. The compilers did a very creative job of choosing a fine selection of holiday tunes that most fans of big band music will probably enjoy.
Christmas Anthology Poster
DISC 1: The Vocalists - Songbirds And Crooners1. Bing Crosby - White Christmas
2. Kay Starr - December
3. Dick Haymes - O Little Town Of Bethlehem
4. The Andrews Sisters - Christmas Island
5. Perry Como - I'll Be Home For Christmas
6. Anita Ellis - Toyland
7. The King Cole Trio - Jingle Bells
8. Dinah Shore - The First Noël
9. Phyllis Robins - I'm Sending A Letter To Santa Claus
10. Frances Langford - O Come, All Ye Faithful
11. Gracie Fields - Christmas Eve In Fairyland
12. Vera Lynn - The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
13. Vaughan Monroe - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
14. Peggy Lee - The Christmas Song
15. Lena Horne - Silent Night
16. Bing Crosby - God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
17. The Three Sisters - The Fairy On The Christmas
Tree
18. Judy Garland - Have Yourself A Merry Little
Christmas
DISC 2: Swing, Sweet And Dance Bands
1, Glenn Miller And His Orchestra - Jingle Bells
2. Benny Goodman And His Orchestra - Santa Claus Came In The Spring
3. Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra - March Of The Toys
4. Louis Prima And His New Orleans Gang - What Will Santa Claus Say? ( When He Finds Everybody Swingin')
5. Count Basie And His Orchestra - Good Morning Blues (I Wanna See Santa Claus)
6. Dick Robertson And His Orchestra - I Want You For Christmas
7. Woody Herman And His Orchestra - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
8. The Raymond Scott Orchestra - Send Me Your Love For Christmas
9. The New Mayfair Orchestra - Savoy Christmas Medley
10. Lew Stone And His Band - Winter Wonderland
11. The Les Brown Orchestra - Let It Snow, Let It
Snow, Let It Snow
12. Bob Crosby And His Orchestra - The Skater s Waltz (In Swingtime)
13. Jan Garber Orchestra - Frosty The Snowman
14. Oscar Rabin And His Romany Band - I'm Spending Christmas With The Old Folks
15. Charlie Spivak And His Orchestra - White Christmas
16. Kay Kyser And His Orchestra - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
17. Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians - Auld Lang Syne
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