FaLaLaLaLa

Living Voices
The Little Drummer Boy
RCA Camden CAS-911
1965

SIDE 1
01-1 Medley: Jingle Bells / Sleigh Ride     3:31
02-1 A Holly Jolly Christmas*     1:55
03-1 Medley: Silver Bells / Little Christmas Tree Waltz*     3:31
04-1 Be A Santa*     2:17
05-1 Pine Cones and Holly Berries (with It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas)     2:35

SIDE 2
06-2 The Little Drummer Boy     3:35
07-2 Do You Hear What I Hear*     3:38
08-2 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day     2:26
09-2 Blue Christmas     2:01
10-2 What Are You Doing New Years Eve     2:56

LINER NOTES:
Woe to the Ebenezer Scrooges among us and fie on the Santa scoffers! This is the happy time, the wonderland time, when we will turn on all the bright colored lights in the world and ring all the bells. We will find an old dapple-gray and sleigh to spirit us through the frosted, icicled, snow-covered wonderful world. We will carry home evergreen and sprigs of holly. We will hang up mistletoe and feast on oyster stew.  And—we will sing the holiday songs. So, come on. Bring your best girl or best beau.  Bring the children. Pull up a crackling fireplace and join the Living Voices in this happiest and coziest of Christmas albums.

Meet your old favorites again—the familiar "faces" of Jingle Bells and Sleigh Ride and Silver Bells. Welcome new friends like Pine Cones and Holly Berries, Be a Santa
and A Holly Jolly Christmas. Carol to your heart’s content to the time-treasured Do You Hear What I Hear and be caught up in the wonder of The Little Drummer Boy.  Look ahead to What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve. It all spells the gaiety and infinite warmth of the holidays.

This is music for gift wrapping and cookie baking, and snowfall watching and tree trimming … an album for this holiday season^ for the next, and for years to follow … a traditional joy for you and your family.

A long, low bow is in order for Anita Kerr, whose wonderful arrangements completely capture the enchantment of these songs, and to the Living Voices, who sing
them with love and heart and affection.  And so can you.     1965

*Arranged by Cameron L. Mullins

A&R Coordinator – Ethel Gabriel

Recorded in RCA Victor’s “Nashville Sound” Studio, Nashville, TN

Recording Engineer – Jim Malloy

THOUGHTS FROM THE KING:
Well, I figured that since I’ve been gradually letting this out piece by piece (several tracks having appeared on previous ADVENTure In Carols) I might as well share the whole album.

It’s most notable, perhaps, for the work of the great Anita Kerr, who conducts the singers and arranges most of the tracks.  While the singing does retain some of her signature sound, what seems missing most is her own voice (though it may be present in there somewhere, it’s certainly not as prominent as in her own work).  Anita recorded several albums with/as Living Voices during her career.

The instrumentation on this is relatively simple—piano, guitar, bass, vibes and drums (mostly with brushes)—so the overall is feel is relatively mellow and intimate.  This contrasts with the lush sounds that Living Voices produced when paired with the Living Strings.  I like the casual, warm feel of the whole affair here.

So, add this to your collection and enjoy the Living Voices.

Muzak
Joy And Peace To You
MU 1977
1977

SIDE 1
01-1 I’ll Be Home For Christmas     2:20
02-1 Home For The Holidays     2:27
03-1 Christmas Song     2:16
04-1 White Christmas     2:15
05-1 Silver Bells     2:22
06-1 Here Comes Santa Claus     1:49
07-1 Winter Wonderland      2:07

SIDE 2
08-2 O Little Town of Bethlehem     2:23
09-2 We Three Kings of Orient Are     2:23
10-2 O Holy Night     2:48
11-2 The First Noel     2:11
12-2 O Come All Ye Faithful     2:44
13-2 Joy To The World     2:05

THOUGHTS FROM THE KING:
I’ve had this sitting on my hard drive for years now.  I can remember when I found this record thinking that it was so cool to have an actual Muzak LP in my hands.  They were always this mythical organization out of some James Bond flick—this shadow power that controlled the flow of goods throughout the world through the scientific application of violins….

The truth is far more mundane, as we all know.  And I have to say that I have some mixed feelings about this music.  It comes from 1977 and sonically seems to occupy space between disco and the 80’s.  It’s not as straightforwardly lush as the 70’s yet not quite as technical and canned as the 80’s.  So it just somehow sounds strange to my ears.  I think it could benefit from some Stu Phillips/Hollyridge Strings style reverb.  But that’s my opinion.  And there’s something about the slight phase shifter/flanger used on the guitar that doesn’t sit right with me.

Still, the arrangements are relatively lush and dynamic.  It’s EZ Christmas music for shopping.

Check out some of the other Muzak Christmas albums at Ernie’s place….

The Longines Symphonette Society
Silver Bells
SYS 5204
Year Unknown

SIDE 1
01-1 Silver Bells
02-1 Scarlet Ribbons
03-1 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
04-1 Winter Wonderland
05-1 One Little Tree
06-1 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

SIDE 2
07-2 March Of The Toys
08-2 Away In A Manger
09-2 Medley: I Saw Three Ships/We Wish You A Merry Christmas
10-2 Medley: Wassail Song/Here We Come A-Wassailing
11-2 Medley: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Good Christian Men Rejoice
12-2 Silent Night

Thoughts From The King:

Though the Longines Symphonette Society (an outgrowth of the Swiss Longines watch company) was very active in recording and broadcasting music through the 1960’s and 1970’s, there’s surprisingly little information about them on the Internet.  They were most prolific in releasing multi-LP sets of Easy Listening music, usually focused around specific themes.

They recorded a released a number of Christmas albums, most notable the boxed set “Christmas By The Fireside” and “The Sweet Voices of Christmas”.  (Both of these have seen CD release through Yestermusic Records, though they seem to go in and out of stock there.)  You can also find various songs on some budget CD’s credited to either The Symphonette Society or “The American Symphonette”.  However, this collection seems to have been missed.

This is a really unusual collection for The Longines Symphonette.  It’s not the typical orchestra and chorus.  In fact there is a mix of instrumentation on the album.  Some of it is straight organ, some is organ with orchestra, some is orchestra and chorus.  And the chorus songs are so deep in reverb that it sounds like they recorded them at the bottom of a gigantic well.  And I’m sure you’ll be shaking along with the vibrato of track 1, Silver Bells.

I don’t have any information on the date or the conductor/arranger/choir.  The Longines folks were effusive in discussing the technical processes behind these albums, but really stingy regarding the creative process.  Click on the image below to see the back cover of the record:

But you can hear the artistry that went into this music.

Enjoy!

The Harry Simeone Chorale
It’s Christmas Once Again
Omnisound N 1001
1973

SIDE 1:
01-1 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 2:17
02-1 Silver And Gold 3:07
03-1 A Holly Jolly Christmas 2:05
04-1 Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 2:33
05-1 The Night Before Christmas Song 1:59
06-1 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day 2:14

SIDE 2:
07-2 It’s Christmas Once Again 2:31
08-2 Calypso Noel 2:59
09-2 Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow 2:43
10-2 Love Came Down 4:08
11-2 The Christmas Polka 2:37
12-2 Silent Night 3:49
13-2 Carol Montage 1:58
(Jingle Bells, Away In A Manger, What Child Is This,
O Little Town Of Bethlehem, We Wish You A Merry Christmas)

Listen to some tracks:

LINER NOTES:
Bright, Fresh and Lovely interpretations of Your Christmas Favorites, Spiced with a few Tasty New Christmas Songs

IT’S CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN, with the Harry Simeone Chorale and Orchestra, and this is an album of Christmas music that you, your friends and family will rediscover and treasure more each year at Christmas time.

Harry Simeone captured the attention of the musical public a few years ago with his Chorale’s world-famous "gold record" interpretation of "The Little Drummer Boy," but his love for the music of Christmas goes back much farther than that, and it continues to shine in this album.

As an unusually versatile and imaginative musician, Harry Simeone brings to this recording many years of experience as one of America’s most sought after studio musicians with extensive film, radio, television and recording credits.

All of the music on IT’S CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN was fashioned into brand new arrangements by Maestro Simeone, and freshly recorded by the Chorale in England. Two of the songs on the album present Harry Simeone as triply-talented: composer as well as arranger-conductor.

You will recognize the songs on Side 1 of IT’S CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN as the featured music from the traditional annual telecast of the animated cartoon, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." These songs, by the master songwriter Johnny Marks, are all well-known to the younger set, and regardless of one’s age, it’s hard to remember a Christmas without "Rudolph."

Music for tree-trimming . . . music to accompany your version of the traditional wassail bowl . . . music for Christmas family get-togethers . . . music to enjoy when all the company is gone and only the lights on the Christmas tree twinkle. It’s Christmas, once again.

Cover Art · Willie Lonardo

Recorded in England by the Chorale and Orchestra, Conducted by Harry Simeone

THOUGHTS FROM THE KING:

Well, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Harry Simeone, would it?  This is one of the men responsible for The Little Drummer Boy.  That 1958 recording has become one of the classic Christmas songs of all time.  And Mr. Simeone has several classic Christmas albums to his credit.  However, until Christmas of 2006 I was completely unaware of this little gem from 1973.

One of the members of the forum, our friend Bumble, shared this one and man did my ears perk up.  I finally got a copy of my own and cleaned it up to share here.

This is some groovy 70’s Now Sound inspired Christmas music.  While the earlier Simeone albums are more traditional in their arrangements, this one goes out on a limb a bit and throws in some funky drums, heavy bass and rock guitar in places.

The first side is basically a tribute to that giant of Christmas songwriting, Johnny Marks; most of the songs coming from the classic Rankin/Bass Rudolph special.  Indeed some of the arrangements seem to owe something to the Maury Laws’ arrangements from the special.

The second is a little more traditional in some ways but there are still some fun surprises.  For instance, see if you get the little musical joke when track 10 starts.  And then there are some decidedly less familiar songs.  There’s plenty to hear.

So please enjoy the first FaLaLaLaLa featured album of 2009.  There’s more to come, plus our SIXTH(!) annual ADVENTure IN Carols which starts on Tuesday.

Read the rest of this entry �

It’s that time of year again–the time when my brain chemistry decides to ignore the cultural norms of the day and invent my own Christmas holiday!

With six months since last Christmas and six months until next Christmas, FaLaLaLaLa celebrates Christmas-And-A-Half!

Now I know you’re rolling your eyes (my wife certainly is) because you don’t get it.  Aren’t Christmas and Christmas In July enough?

Well, no.  As the Christmas celebration itself has its roots in ancient celebrations of the Winter solstice, I see it as more appropriate to have a celebration near the Summer solstice–in June as opposed to July.  It’s much more appropriate than celebrating appliance sales during Christmas in July.  So we don’t really do Christmas in July at FaLaLaLaLa (though I will be spinning tunes for my wife’s CIJ party–she is the queen, after all!).

So, my annual harrang now being through, I give you my Christmas-And-A-Half present: one and a half Tijuana Christmas albums.  So pour yourself a shandy and let the trumpets take you away….

Now you might look at the info below and see what you think are two Tijuana Christmas albums.  However, due to the bizarre and fickle workings of the record industry, side two of the second album below is 100% Tijuana Free.  You won’t find any Herb Alpert lite jazz numbers here.  Just some relatively standard (though well orchestrated) Christmas carols performed by chorus and orchestra.  So you’ll have to put down your margaritas during these songs or just skip them, even though they have far more Christmas content than some of the rest of the tracks.  The only yule flavor you’ll find in songs like Mrs. Claus Says–Ole! is a bit of sleighbell percussion.  Pretty cheap of Mr. Garabedian and the folks at Phillips 66.  Big oil has its way with us once again!

The albums were produced by the king of Herb Alpert clones, George Garabedian.  Apparently he put out quite a few of these little gems (and I suspect some of these tracks are recycled from other albums).  There isn’t really info about release dates, players, orchestrators, etc.

Phillips 66 Presents Tijuana Christmas
Mark 56 Records
196?

SIDE ONE
1. Jingle Bells   1:54
2. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers   2:36
3. Christmas Sleigh Bells   3:04
4. Let It Snow Let It Snow   1:36
5. Tijuana Christmas   2:55
6. White Christmas   2:50

SIDE TWO
1. Santa Claus, Santa Claus   2:15
2. Sleigh Ride   2:41
3. Winter Wonderland   2:02
4. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear   2:55
5. Adeste Fidelis/Silent Night   2:26

Phillips 66 Presents Tijuana Christmas Volume 2
Mark 56 Records
196?

 SIDE ONE
1. Tijuana Taxi   3:28
2. Christmas In Paris   3:14
3. The Star   3:12
4. March of The Reindeer   4:01
5. Mexican Pine Cones   2:55
6. Mrs. Claus Says–Ole!   3:28

SIDE TWO
1. Happy Holiday   2:54
2. Christmas Waltz   3:25
3. Snowfall   3:14
4. Good King Wenceslas   3:02
5. Silent Night   4:42
6. Christmas Sleigh Bells   3:40

See you in about 6 months….

The Old Sweet Songs of Christmas
Frank DeVol & The Rainbow Strings
Columbia CS-8343
1960

SIDE ONE:

1. Ring Christmas Bells/The First Noel/Jolly Old St. Nicholas   2:44
2. We Three Kings/Good King Wenceslas/O Tannenbaum   2:49
3. Silent Night/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/O Little Town of Bethlehem   3:33
4. Joy To The World/Away In A Manger/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen   3:18
5. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear/Deck The Halls   3:14
6. Adeste Fideles/O Holy Night   3:09

SIDE TWO:

7. Here Comes Santa Claus/March of the Toys   2:17
8. The Christmas Song/Twelve Days of Christmas 3:17
9. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas/Toyland   2:59
10. White Christmas/We Wish You A Merry Christmas   2:52
11. Winter Wonderland/Skaters Waltz
12. Silver Bells/Jingle Bells   3:17

LINER NOTES:

More than any other season of year,
Christmas is a time of music. Music of reverence, music of gaiety,
music of frivolity: all combine to provide a melodious expression of
the joyous season. Frank De Vol’s generous collection of Christmas
music ranges through the centuries, from the ancient majesty of
Adeste Fidelis to the tuneful merriment of Here Comes Santa
Claus, presenting hymns, carols and songs that create a glowing
musical tapestry of the holidays.

Mr. DeVol has chosen twenty-eight
Christmas melodies, divided into two parts; the first consists of
hymns and carols of primarily religious significance, the second of
popular songs that have become seasonal classics. The hymns and
carols embrace the English tradition with its robust echoes of
pre-Christian eras (Good King Wenceslas, Deck the Hall with Boughs
of Holly) the European tradition (Germany’s Silent Night, Holy
Night and O Tannenbaum, France’s The First Noel and
Cantique de Noel or O Holy Night) and the magnificent
American tradition of the nineteenth century which provided O
Little Town of Bethlehem, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
and others.

The popular selections naturally
include Irving Berlin’s incomparable White Christmas, along
with Victor Herbert’s March of the Toys and Toyland,
the jolly Skaters’ Waltz by Waldteufel and the irresistible
Jingle Bells. Mr. DeVol has also included the old English
carol Twelve Days of Christmas, which in recent years has
virtually attained the status of a popular song. With his Rainbow
Strings, he blends these numbers into a suite of Christmas music that
beautifully complements the older carols and hymns.

In this program, Frank De Vol evokes
the atmosphere of his other collections of old sweet songs. His
arrangements are simple, melodic and straightforward, drawing
attention to the music rather than to the presentation. One of the
most versatile musicians in American music, Mr. DeVol is a conductor,
arranger, composer and performer. He wrote the scores for the movies
Pillow Talk, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award,
and The Big Knife, and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for
his work as conductor and actor on the Rosemary Clooney TV show. Mr.
DeVol is an able performer on every instrument except the oboe, the
English horn, the bassoon and the harp. He began his musical career
at the age of nine, helping his father in the music library of the
Canton, Ohio, Grand Opera House. Young Frank soon learned to play the
violin and piano, later mastered several other instruments, and wrote
his first score at sixteen. A lengthy period of arranging for various
dance orchestras followed, until he moved to Hollywood to compose and
conduct for movies, radio, television and recordings.

He joined Columbia Records in 1957.

COVER PHOTO: COLUMBIA RECORDS PHOTO
STUDIO – HENRY PARKER

THOUGHTS FROM THE KING:

Now when it comes to Christmas songs, we here at FaLaLaLaLa certainly like them old and sweet, and Mr. DeVol does not disappoint.

These recordings fall somewhere between classical and easy listening in my book.  I suppose that they fall more in the latter camp, perhaps especially for their time, but some of the arrangements would not be out of place at a Pops concert today.

This album is part of a series of LPs that De Vol released on Columbia, including Old Sweet Songs, More Old Sweet Songs and The New Old Sweet Songs.  He also composed and arranged for films and TV, as well as performing sometimes as an actor.

He can also claim another place of high esteem in the world of Christmas music.  It is his orchestra that backs up Ella Fitzgerald on the magical Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, which was recorded the same year as the album above.

I’ve had several requests for this one and I hope you enjoy it.  I have also included a cover scan of the rerelease on Harmony records for those who might be more familiar with that image.

(I only just noticed last week that I put track one of this album on both the 2005 and 2006 ADVENTure In Carols.)

REPOST: This was originally posted 12/11/2004 but it’s worth bringing back to your attention. 

Ferrante & Teicher
Adventure In Carols
Westminster WP 6021
1956

SIDE ONE

1. Sleigh Ride 2:54
2. Good King Wenceslas 1:57
3. What Child Is This (Greensleeves) 2:37
4. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 2:03
5. White Christmas 3:30
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 2:05

SIDE TWO

7. The Christmas Song 3:29
8. The First Nowell 2:21
9. Silent Night 2:17
10. Jingle Bells 3:01
11. Adeste Fideles 3:03
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 1:53

LINER NOTES:

If you are looking for something different in Christmas music —
if your Christmas office parties or gatherings at home
have been too much the same for the past few years,
and you would like to introduce a refreshing new note
into the proceedings—let pianists Ferrante & Teicher
take you on an ADVENTURE IN CAROLS. The paths
along which this talented team will lead you bear the
old names with which you are familiar — White Christ-
mas. Jingle Bells, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and
others just as popular — but the names, plus the fa-
mous melodies, are the only things about this recording
which bear any resemblance to any other version of
these carols you may have heard. For this recording
Ferrante & Teicher arranged the carols for two pianos
—or should we say that they arranged two pianos for
the carols? Actually, they did both—for, if playing con-
ventional pianos in the conventional manner did not
produce the effect the boys were after, they worked on
both music and pianos until they got just what they
wanted.

Westminster’s studios never had seen anything like
the session that produced this unique recording. All
over the country, of course, audiences for years have
seen Arthur Ferrante or Louis Teicher rise from his
bench in the middle of a performance and address
himself to the innards of his Steinway—alternately mut-
ing, plucking, strumming and beating the strings. Nor
does either of them hesitate to use his elbows, fore-
arms or knuckles to elicit a desired chordal effect—
not to mention an assortment of wooden and metal
gadgets designed to give the pianos a new personality
althogether. These unorthodox and sometimes gymnastic
doings are not calculated to amuse. They are an in-
tegral part of the team’s very special arrangements.
Their goal always is to achieve the maximum tonal con-
trasts and to simulate orchestral color as vividly as
possible within the limitations of pianistic dynamics.

But no concert audience ever saw what Westminster’s
engineers saw — or ever heard what has been cap-
tured on this recording. It’s not a single recording,
to start with, but a double one—no pun intended. The
boys played everything through once, then donned ear-
phones and went over the same ground again, inter-
polating all manner of fancy figurations and fugal
folderol. What with a profusion of microphones sta-
tioned over the keyboard, the gadget-laden strings and
the paired celestas, the results herewith are unlike any
pianism, duo or otherwise, that you have ever experi-
enced. It is as if Santa had, at last, discovered high
fidelity. After so many years of hearing the same old
tunes played the same old way, Old Nick undoubtedly
would join everybody else in welcoming these new
Christmas sounds.

THE ARTIST
What other duo-painist can boast that
they have played together since the
age of six? Arthur Ferrante and
Louis Teicher were fellow prodigies at New York’s famous
Juilliard School of Music, and even while students they appeared
as a team. After graduation they gave a few joint recitals,
then decided to take time out to prepare a really distinctive
repertoire. Together they returned to Juilliard, this time as
fellow members of the faculty, and spent all their spare hours
for the next year or so working over the standard pieces and
cleansing them of every last hackneyed cleche. Their profes-
sional debut as a team took place quite a distance from the
concert hall, for they bowed in as a popular piano duo at New
York’s sophisticated penthouse night club, Spivy’s Roof. They
were such a hit with the starlight crowd that they went on to
more cosmopolitan boites like the Blue Angel, the Little Club
and the Ritz-Carlton Terrace. Since 1947 they have been criss-
crossing the country annually, winning laurels everywhere for
what The New York Times called their "prodigious technical
feats." Radio and television audiences know them for their
guest stints on Piano Playhouse, and the Firestone, Telephone,
and Carnation hours. . . They have also appeared with leading
symphony orchestras throughout the country. Their gift for
blending the classic with the modern and the "heavy" with the
"light" their extraordinary sensitivity, their technical perfection
—these are just a few of the reasons why one stern Manhattan
critic, echoing the national concensus, called Ferrante and
Teicher "the most exciting piano team of our time."

THE RECORD
This recording is processed accord-
ing to the R.I.A.A. characteristic
from a tape recorded with Westmin-
ster’s exclusive "Panorthophonic"®
technique. To achieve the greatest fidelity, each Westminster
record is mastered at the volume level technically suited to it.
Therefore, set your volume control at the level which sounds best
to your ears. Variations in listening rooms and playback equip-
ment may require additional adjustment of bass and treble
controls to obtain NATURAL BALANCE. Play this record-
ing only with an unworn, microgroove stylus (.001 radius).
For best economical results we recommend that you use a
diamond stylus, which will last longer than other needles. Aver-
age playback times: diamond—over 2000 plays; sapphire—50
plays; osmium or other metal points—be sure to change fre-
quently. Remember that a damaged stylus may ruin your
collection.

Thoughts From The King:

Sorry that the sound quality is not up to my usually high standards, but it’s kind of hard to find one of these that isn’t scratched up. It’s like they used the vinyl to treat the pianos….

Anyway, I enjoy this as a bit of history and as an oddity. To me it doesn’t have a whole lot of the warmth of the season. It comes off as an experiment rather than music for its own sake. So I don’t actually listen to it a lot.

Still, it’s good to have it in the collection. And since it is so sought after I figured it would be a good one to share.

Fenwick
by Motorola
FLP-621
1966/68
Story by Joseph C. Schrank
Illustrations by Laszlo Matulay
Music by Jack A. Boring
Lyrics by Patti Jacob
Narrated by Walter Slezak
Musical Supervision by Don Elliot
Singing by Anita Bryant

SIDE ONE:

1. Fenwick Theme Introduction/Santa’s Workshop/Fenwick (Reprise)   8:16

SIDE TWO:

2. What A Land Santa Land!/Keep Thy Faith Children  10:14

LINER NOTES:

"FENWICK"
is the story of a little lost elf. The youngest in a family of eight,
he always got the hand-me-down" clothes, the unwanted toys. And
because he was so puny and weak, he couldn’t help his brothers with
the work. So he had to leave home to seek his fortune. Eventually, he
ended up at the North Pole and kindhearted old Santa Claus took him
into his workshop.

But
Fenwick couldn’t make perfect toys—the only kind Santa ever
delivers. Not only that but the other elves complained. So Santa took
him out of the workshop.

When
no one was about, however; Fenwick. stole into the workshop and
filled a sack full of his imperf~t toys. Then, on the night before
Christmas, he stowed away on Santa’s sleigh. At each stop l).e would
slip down the chimney and" leave one of the toys he had made.

When
Santa discovered his plot, Fenwick explained that, just as his
brothers had never allowed him to keep a toy that really worked,
there must be children in the world who might not get any toys unless
there were three-legged dolls, balls that don’t bounce or carts with
one square wheel.

Santa
was touched by Fenwick’s simple faith and gift of love! He hugged the
tiny little elf in his mighty arms and appointed him the official
"Keeper of the Reindeer."

——————————

"Fenwick"
is the first new Christmas fable in many years. It is essentially a
story of love and faith. In presenting it as a television play, it is
the hope of the people at Motorola to recreate some of the wide-eyed
wonder of childhood that is so easily lost in the sophistication of
the Space Age. For it is in the very early formative years, when a
child’s imagination literally knows no limits, that the simple basics
of life are implanted. And it is the intent of "Fenwick"
to give that imagination something to feed on so that as the child
grows older he will retain these simple values. Indeed, Motorola
feels that it is the duty of the business community to create an
atmosphere in which these values can survive. Hopefully, "Fenwick’s"
message of faith and love will play a part in keeping alive the
dreams of childhood so that these younger children will not follow
the route of the confused, angry, militant alienated youth of today.

Everyone
who has been involved in the production of "Fenwick" has
found it a "very rewarding experience and a pleasure to have a
part in its presentation.

WALTER
SLEZAK, the narrator of "Fenwick," is known for so many
outstanding stage, screen, and television performances, it would be
difficult to single out his best. He won the Antoinette Perry Award
for his Broadway role in "Fanny," and was prominently
mentioned for an Oscar for his performance in "Lifeboat."
He has starred on such TV shows as U.S. Steel, Playhouse 90, Studio
One, Hallmark, Omnibus. His stage and screen credits include "Pursuit
of Happiness," "Doll’s House," "My Three Angels,"
"Fallen Sparrow," "Call Me Madam," “The
Gazebo”—to mention a few.

HENRY
JAFFE, who arranged the story for TV, is perhaps the foremost
independent television producer I packager in this country. Some of
his notable successes are "The Dinah Shore Show";
"Producer’s Showcase"; and the" Bell Telephone Hour
which he has produced for the last ten years. He is currently
producing a show for Hallmark and one for General Motors.

EDWARD
H. MAHONEY, Executive Producer, has spent 21 years in television in
both a creative and production capacity for such clients as General
Foods, Procter & Gamble, Texaco, Alcoa. He wrote and produced a
series of Benny Goodman specials for Texaco, and did the original
"Mama" shows for TV. He has created a number of well-known
television commercial campaigns such as the introduction of Zest and
Crest, and "Tide’s in, dirt’s out." He worked with Henry
Jaffe on "The Ed Wynn Salute" and"The Ethel Barrymore
Special."

JACK
A. BORING wrote the original score for "Fenwick." He has
been composing "all his life," had his first ‘music
published at the age 15, and played professional piano as a teenager.
He attended the Cavanaugh School of Music, the Kansas City
Conservatory, and the Sherwood School of Music in Chicago. He has
many popular songs to his credit, but his chief interest is in
children’s music.

The
lyrics were written by Patti Jacob; musical arrangements and
orchestra, Don Elliott, "Keep Thy Faith" is sung by Anita
Bryant.

ANITA
BRYANT’S lovely voice soars to new beauty when she sings "Keep
Thy Faith" as a tribute to "Fenwick." A veteran of
many shows–"Arthur Godfrey," "Lawrence Welk,"
"The Anita Bryant Show" -she is probably best known for her
poignant rendition of sacred music. She has collaborated with Dr.
Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Billy Graham in personal appearances and
records. A frequent guest at the White House, Anita is also known as
Bob Hope’s "right arm" in the USO. She has three"
gold" records to her credit and was voted Number One Female
Recording Artist.

DON
ELLIOTT, musical director of the album, is well known on Broadway and
in Hollywood. Among his many credits are the original music and
scoring of James Thurber’s "The Beast in Me," and the
"Thurber Carnival." Millions have heard his music on the
outstanding commercials for Buick, National Airlines and Xerox, among
others.

Thoughts From The King:

This is one that has been on the list of records to release for quite some time.  And a flurry of recent requests pushed it to the top of the list.

I honestly don’t know much about this production.  The liner notes mention that it was presented (or to be presented) as a "television play".  The only thing I could find is a VHS tape from 1996 called "Fenwick: Keeper of the Reindeer", which features the narrator of this record, Walter Slezak, and one Johnnie Whitaker of Family Affair/Sigmund and the Sea Monsters fame.

It’s a sweet little fish-out-of-water story.  Fenwick seems to be of the same elf breed as Hermey from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Luckily, the LP comes with an illustrated version of the story in a nice booklet.  I scanned all the pages and put them together into a PDF that’s part of the zip file.  So you can listed and read along with the kids.

Enjoy!

Have A Jewish Christmas
Ray Brenner and Barry E. Blitzer
Tower ST-5081
1967

SIDE ONE
1.    The Problem   6:54
2.    Christmas Cards   4:22
3.    Christmas Trees    3:07
4.    Tanta and the Tree   5:35

SIDE TWO
1.    Santa Claus   3:32
2.    Christmas Machers   7:25
3.    The Party   5:28
4.    Shut Up, Irving   5:47

LINER NOTES:

Created, Written and Produced by
RAY BRENNER AND BARRY E. BLITZER

Narrated by and Featuring
Lennie Weinrib

With

Naomi Lewis
Christine Nelson
Reginald X. Carlisle

Special Guest Star:
BENNY RUBIN

Music Conducted and Arranged by:
Jimmy Haskell

With the Jackie Ward Singers

Engineers: Pete Abbott, Jack Manchen
Editing: Rex Updergraph
Recorded live in Hollywood
Cover: Roland Young
A CHUTZPAH PRODUCTION

SIDE ONE:
1. THE PROBLEM
Ida Glickman……………Chris
First Rabbi……………Benny
Second Rabbi……………Reggie
Peacemaker……………Benny

2. CHRISTMAS CARDS
Hall Markowitz……………Reggie

3. CHRISTMAS TREES
David……………Naomi
Sharon……………Chris
Harry……………Lennie
Doctor……………Reggie
Salesman……………Benny

4. TANTA AND THE
TREE
Sharon……………Chris
Harry……………Lenny
Tanta
Sophie……………Naomi

SIDE TWO

5. SANTA
CLAUS
Larry……………Naomi
Santa……………Benny

6. CHRISTMAS
MACHERS
Aaron……………Lennie
Hymie……………Benny
Fanny……………Naomi

7. THE PARTY
The
Dispatcher……………Reggie
Goldie……………Chris
Esther……………Naomi
Abe……………Lennie
Sol……………Benny
First
Man……………Lennie
First Woman……………Chris
Second
Man……………Reggie
Second
Woman……………Naomi
Cantor……………Benny
Bernie……………Lennie
Abdul……………Benny

8.
SHUT UP, IRVING
Irving……………Benny
Sadie……………Naomi
Ghost……………Lennie

“I’d love having a Jewish Christmas
but somehow I have difficulty sustaining Jewish friendships”…
Martin Bormann

“Whether you’re celebrating a Jewish
Christmas or a Gentile Christmas, I’ll meet you half way”… Barry
Goldwater

“This year, I’m thinking of asking
all my followers to celebrate the Jewish Christmas…by burning down
a delicatessen”… Rap Brown

“I personally would have preferred a
Gentile Chanukah”… Cardinal Spellman

“Down here at the Ranch, we’re
celebrating the Jewish Christmas by ‘having a Jew to the
barbecue’”… Lady Bird, Lucy Bird and Rabbi Byrd

“All right—have your Jewish
Christmas but we demand a Negro New Years”… Adam Clayton Powell

“Have a Jewish Christmas—but do we
have to have them for neighbors!?”… King Hussein

Disclaimer: These quotes were collected
by the Producers on one of their recent trips…from now on they’re
going TWA instead of LSD.

RAY BRENNER AND BARRY E. BLITZER:

Ray Brenner and Barry E. Blitzer are
one of television’s most active comedy writing teams. Ray, a native
Californian, worked on such shows as The Real McCoys and Dinah Shore;
Barry, a displaced New Yorker, achieved recognition as a writer on
the Sergeant Bilko Show, for which he was awarded an Emmy. The boys
first collaborated on McHale’s Navy and subsequently scripted for
such shows as Donna Reed, Andy Griffith and Get Smart. They’re
currently in their second season as staffers for Gomer Pyle and are
also contributing to the Carol Burnett Show.

LENNIE WEINRIB:

Lennie Weinrib has become one of the
busiest “voices” in radio and television. You hear him regularly
on commercials for Avis, Hunts Tomato Sauce, G.E., Pepsodent and
countless others. In addition to his practically full-time voicing
schedule, Lennie is a director, writer, actor, comedian and
singer—and is currently active in all these fields. He was the
comedy star of the famous Billy Barnes Review which had long runs in
Los Angeles and New York, and was recently featured in such TV shows
as The Man From UNCLE, Laredo, Jericho and others. Lennie narrates
all the tracks on this album.

BENNY RUBIN:

Benny Rubin could easily qualify for
the title of “Mr. Show Biz.” In his more than fifty years as a
performer he’s played everything from Mississippi Riverboats to
Burlesque to Vaudeville where he headlined at the Palace Theater. A
master dialectician, Benny has appeared in numerous movies as well as
being a near-regular on the Jack Benny television show. He recently
finished a picture with Don Knotts and can be seen in guest
appearances on the Joey Bishop Show.

NAOMI LEWIS:

Naomi Lewis is one of radio and
television’s best known voice specialists. Early in her career, she
headed her own TV series, NBC’s famous “Rootie Kazootie Show”
which ran daily for over thirteen hundred performances. Since then
she has been lending her comedic talents to commercials including
those produced by the inimitable Stan Freberg.

CHRISTINE NELSON:

Christine Nelson is regarded as one of
the most versatile comediennes on the scene. She’s appeared on many
of television’s outstanding comedy shows: Ray Bolger, George Gobel,
Danny Kaye and has appeared in several movies including “Send Me No
Flowers” with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Among her outstanding
successes was the role of “Sarah Jackman” in the Allen Sherman
comedy album.

REGINALD X. CARLISLE:

Reginald X. Carlisle is the pseudonym
for a famous radio, television and screen personality. Since Reggie
has relatives living in both Israel and the Vatican—he prefers to
remain anonymous.

THOUGHTS FROM THE KING:

The first thing that I will have you notice is the full title of this album, most especially the punctuation at the end.  This is a question.  A question that was alive and well in 1967 even before there was a "War on Christmas".  So how do people of the Jewish faith deal with a national holiday that is nominally Christian?  By engaging in skits of Borscht Belt humor, of course.

There is abundant comic talent available here (click the performers names above to see more).  Probably most recognizable to folks of my generation (b. 1965) is Lennie Weinrib’s voice.  He voiced many cartoons throughout my childhood but will forever be heard in my head as the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf.  And not only was he the voice of that giant dragon, he wrote every episode of the series as well.

I’m sure that there are lots of jokes here that a gentile like me is bound to miss.  I mean I’ve seen plenty of Seinfeld/Mel Brooks/Marx Brothers, but I’m not really one of the chosen people.  But you don’t really need to be, do you?  This is humor that is really about being a fish out of water.

Now, if anybody can listen and tell me who the mysterious "Reginald X. Carlisle" I will be forever grateful.

Listen.  Enjoy.  L’chaim.