FaLaLaLaLa

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.

So have you finally dropped from all of that Black Friday/Saturday shopping? Need to turn off your brain for awhile but you’re all out of EggNog? Spend some time playing a nice easy game of Holiday Bonus.

It’s a really straightforward Christmas-themed 3-in-a-row game. Nothing new or exciting, but it can be just the right way to spend some down time during the holidays. We love it at our house.

And a $7 download is not a bad deal either….

CLICK HERE to buy and download from Amazon.

Al Alberts (born Al Albertini), former singer of The Four Aces and longtime host of Philadelphia TV staple “Al Alberts’ Showcase” passed away today.

“Uncle Al”, as he was widely known, played a large role in my childhood.  We regularly watched his Showcase on Sunday mornings at my Grandmother’s apartment after church.  Granted, most of the time we watched with a wry irony as lots of tone-deaf toddlers mimed their way through songs too cute for words.

But as the show would close and Al would take center stage (or sit coolly by the piano) and croon “Try A Little Love”, it would all make sense.

The man had great talent and loved to share his spotlight with kids all over Philly.  Many will be missing him.

Here’s a song from “A Merry Christmas” by The Four Aces.

I must firstly state categorically that this is, hands down, the Christmas release of the year as far as I’m concerned.

That would be strong praise in any year, but in a year in which we will see digital releases (or re-releases) by Mantovani, The King Family, The Anita Kerr Singers, Phil Spector, Wayne Newton and even Bob Dylan, you have to know that this is pretty special.  There is so much to love about this collection  from the Johnny Douglas led Living Strings.

White Christmas 1963

First is the fact that Johnny’s daughter, Norma Canby, decided to release three immortal Easy Listening Christmas album in this 2 CD collection.  Along with the title album, The Spirit of Christmas (1963), this collection includes the extremely sought after White Christmas (1968) as well as the lesser known, but impressive, “A Christmas Songbook” (1974).

What is also amazing about this release is the clarity and detail evident in the recordings thanks to the expert remastering by engineer Tony Bridge.  The instruments are brought to life with plenty of room for each to stand out.  Listen to the guitar strums on Mary’ Boy Child or the subtle rimshots of I’ll Be Home For Christmas and you’ll feel like you’re in the studio with the musicians.  These albums probably sound better now than they did on their original vinyl releases.

A Christmas Songbook (1974)

This is some classic Easy Listening Christmas music, very much in the vein of Percy Faith, The Hollyridge Strings or Mantovani.  The strings are lush, the singing sweet and simple and the arrangements full of spirit.

Head on over to the Dulcima Records website where you can listen to a few track samples and order the discs directly from them.  I urge you not to let the $30 price tag scare you away.  You get THREE gorgeously recorded and produced albums on TWO cd’s with full artwork and liner notes, sent to you (very quickly, if my experience is any indication) from the U.K.

Go now!

It’s also available from Amazon UK for $20 including shipping.