In our last post, I explained how FaLaLaLaLa has brought thousands of Christmas music enthusiasts together to read, listen, learn, and even contribute anything Christmas to the site.
I had this album in my collection (mono - badly scratched) and wasn't planning on sharing it out. However, FLLLL community member Voldar had a STEREO version and shared it on November 26, 2006 at 9:25 AM - great post V!
This wasn't the first time I obtained a copy of a Billy Vaughn Christmas album. Several years ago, I traded for a Canadian CD copy called "Christmas With" that featured an exact budget number ten songs.
Are they both and the same?
To let the suspense build, here's some information on the artist in question. Born and raised in Kentucky, Billy Vaughn was only three years old when he taught himself the mandolin after contracting measles.
As he matured into adulthood, he joined the United States National Guard in 1941 for a one-year hitch. That changed when World War II broke out and Vaughn served his country until the end of the war in 1945. Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, he enrolled into Western Kentucky University, majoring in music composition.
While in college, Vaughn earned money by playing piano in clubs and lounges, even some cutting hair as a barber. In the early 1950s, he was asked by several classmates to sing and accompany their vocal group on the piano. Calling themselves "The Hilltoppers", they became quickly popular and even recorded several songs for a new record label out of Nashville called Dot Records.
At the height of their popularity, Vaughn left the group to become a music director at Dot Records. His first order of business was to form his own orchestra and record albums under his new banner. Between 1954 and 1957, he developed a signature "twin sax" sound that might have stood out from the rest. For every good album Vaughn released, there were several syrupy albums issued.
In 1957, Dot Records was sold to Paramount Records. Vaughn suddenly found his orchestra and himself backing several of Paramount's major stars like Gale Storm, Pat Boone, even some word jazz with Ken Nordine! Vaughn continued his own musical career while helping many others during this time.
At Christmas, 1958, Vaughn released this album in both mono and stereo. It's a simple album, nothing too fancy, not much to get excited about. He mixes up the orchestra with some nice choral work and presents it in straightforward fashion. Not one song stands alone in sound or arrangement - the "twin sax" sound could have helped a-plenty.
And yes... this album and the Canadian version I own already contain many of the same songs. However, there are subtle differences in both that would scarcely make owning two copies of each worth the trouble.
Around 1963, Vaughn abandoned his "twin-sax" sound and tried to recreate the Glenn Miller sound. It has been argued that during this period, Vaughn was so busy recording for others at Dot Records that he simply lended his name to the albums. Several albums were also issued featuring Vaughn and his orchestra trying to capture the Ray Conniff sound - an attempt so blatantly bad that these are seldom talked about.
In 1968, Dot Records was bought out again and promptly became a country & western label. Vaughn's popularity in the United States was close to nil but in Germany and Japan, he was extremely popular. He led orchestra tours through these countries several times throughout the 1970s before calling it a career.
Billy Vaughn died in September, 1991 at his home in California.
UP NEXT: What I downloaded on November 25, 2006 at 1:12 AM
Capt
In our last post, I explained how FaLaLaLaLa has brought thousands of Christmas music enthusiasts together to read, listen, learn, and even contribute anything Christmas to the site.
I had this album in my collection (mono - badly scratched) and wasn't planning on sharing it out. However, FLLLL community member Voldar had a STEREO version and shared it on November 26, 2006 at 9:25 AM - great post V!
This wasn't the first time I obtained a copy of a Billy Vaughn Christmas album. Several years ago, I traded for a Canadian CD copy called "Christmas With" that featured an exact budget number ten songs.
Are they both and the same?
To let the suspense build, here's some information on the artist in question. Born and raised in Kentucky, Billy Vaughn was only three years old when he taught himself the mandolin after contracting measles.
As he matured into adulthood, he joined the United States National Guard in 1941 for a one-year hitch. That changed when World War II broke out and Vaughn served his country until the end of the war in 1945. Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, he enrolled into Western Kentucky University, majoring in music composition.
While in college, Vaughn earned money by playing piano in clubs and lounges, even some cutting hair as a barber. In the early 1950s, he was asked by several classmates to sing and accompany their vocal group on the piano. Calling themselves "The Hilltoppers", they became quickly popular and even recorded several songs for a new record label out of Nashville called Dot Records.
At the height of their popularity, Vaughn left the group to become a music director at Dot Records. His first order of business was to form his own orchestra and record albums under his new banner. Between 1954 and 1957, he developed a signature "twin sax" sound that might have stood out from the rest. For every good album Vaughn released, there were several syrupy albums issued.
In 1957, Dot Records was sold to Paramount Records. Vaughn suddenly found his orchestra and himself backing several of Paramount's major stars like Gale Storm, Pat Boone, even some word jazz with Ken Nordine! Vaughn continued his own musical career while helping many others during this time.
At Christmas, 1958, Vaughn released this album in both mono and stereo. It's a simple album, nothing too fancy, not much to get excited about. He mixes up the orchestra with some nice choral work and presents it in straightforward fashion. Not one song stands alone in sound or arrangement - the "twin sax" sound could have helped a-plenty.
And yes... this album and the Canadian version I own already contain many of the same songs. However, there are subtle differences in both that would scarcely make owning two copies of each worth the trouble.
Around 1963, Vaughn abandoned his "twin-sax" sound and tried to recreate the Glenn Miller sound. It has been argued that during this period, Vaughn was so busy recording for others at Dot Records that he simply lended his name to the albums. Several albums were also issued featuring Vaughn and his orchestra trying to capture the Ray Conniff sound - an attempt so blatantly bad that these are seldom talked about.
In 1968, Dot Records was bought out again and promptly became a country & western label. Vaughn's popularity in the United States was close to nil but in Germany and Japan, he was extremely popular. He led orchestra tours through these countries several times throughout the 1970s before calling it a career.
Billy Vaughn died in September, 1991 at his home in California.
UP NEXT: What I downloaded on November 25, 2006 at 1:12 AM
Capt
Before 1987 and the release of "A Very Special Christmas", Christmas music was pretty much in four categories:
1.) Traditional - Bing, Frank, Conniff, Mitch Miller, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
2.) Rock n Roll - Elvis, Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, Phil Spector's Christmas Album and the Beach Boys.
3.) Novelty - Alvin & The Chipmunks, Elmo & Patsy, Cheech & Chong, and the Singing Dogs doing "Jingle Bells".
4.) Country - Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton.
Throughout the 1980s, small independent labels released incredibly fantastic compilations that foreshadowed the explosion of Christmas music after the release for the aforementioned "Very Special Christmas" album. Two record labels that started out as mail-order record shops out of New York City led the way in this movement:
Ze Records released "A Christmas Album" in 1981 that featured songs from up and comers like Was (Not Was), Nona Hendryx, and the first recording of "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses. AND WOW O WOW! I just discovered that this album was RE-RELEASED on CD last year in March! Check it out over at Amazon.com!
Midnight Records, founded by J.D. Martignon, was THE place in NYC to find rare, obscure, forgotten, and just plain unknown music. Riding the crest of the mutant disco/no wave movement of the early 1980s, Martignon brought together several different bands and started his label in 1984.
At the end of that same year, this album you see before you was released. Featuring a treasure trove of artists (Plan 9, Suburban Nightmares, and even the legendary Screamin' Jay Hawkins!), it's a fantastic album. Elements of the New Wave, garage, surf, punk, and rockabilly can all be heard here. Martignon even makes an appearance on this album, backed up by The Droogs, in a nod to a predecessor. He records word for word the famous "Silent Night" sign-off by Phil Spector on Spector's "Christmas Album".
This album proved so popular that Midnight Records released two other Christmas albums. "Oh! No! Not Another…Midnight Christmas Mess Again!!" was released in 1986 and "Midnight Christmas Xmess" in 1987.
I obtained all three of these albums over at FaLaLaLaLa.com during the download season of 2005 and two little good elfs named Voldar and Sanity Clause posted the albums (thanks guys!). If you happen to have the back cover of the first album and all of the artwork of the third album, please pass it my way since I can't seem to find it!
J.D. Martignon continued his Midnight Records label until 1993 when he closed the label and focused on the Midnight Records store. The mail order business kept them afloat for many years until the rent became a problem and they faced eviction. Enter the federal government. Seems Uncle Sam decided that he was selling bootleg material of concerts (and what independent record store doesn't?) and tried to shut him down by indictment based on a 1994 law.
Happy ending: Martignon was free after the 1994 bootleg law was considered unconstitutional but the storefront was forced to close thanks to the legal fees and high rent in NYC. However, Midnight Records still maintains a mail order business aided by a strong Internet website.
Check them out at MidnightRecords.com and do some snooping as you would at a record store!
On to the next new Christmas CD in my collection...
Capt
Before 1987 and the release of "A Very Special Christmas", Christmas music was pretty much in four categories:
1.) Traditional - Bing, Frank, Conniff, Mitch Miller, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
2.) Rock n Roll - Elvis, Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, Phil Spector's Christmas Album and the Beach Boys.
3.) Novelty - Alvin & The Chipmunks, Elmo & Patsy, Cheech & Chong, and the Singing Dogs doing "Jingle Bells".
4.) Country - Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton.
Throughout the 1980s, small independent labels released incredibly fantastic compilations that foreshadowed the explosion of Christmas music after the release for the aforementioned "Very Special Christmas" album. Two record labels that started out as mail-order record shops out of New York City led the way in this movement:
Ze Records released "A Christmas Album" in 1981 that featured songs from up and comers like Was (Not Was), Nona Hendryx, and the first recording of "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses. AND WOW O WOW! I just discovered that this album was RE-RELEASED on CD last year in March! Check it out over at Amazon.com!
Midnight Records, founded by J.D. Martignon, was THE place in NYC to find rare, obscure, forgotten, and just plain unknown music. Riding the crest of the mutant disco/no wave movement of the early 1980s, Martignon brought together several different bands and started his label in 1984.
At the end of that same year, this album you see before you was released. Featuring a treasure trove of artists (Plan 9, Suburban Nightmares, and even the legendary Screamin' Jay Hawkins!), it's a fantastic album. Elements of the New Wave, garage, surf, punk, and rockabilly can all be heard here. Martignon even makes an appearance on this album, backed up by The Droogs, in a nod to a predecessor. He records word for word the famous "Silent Night" sign-off by Phil Spector on Spector's "Christmas Album".
This album proved so popular that Midnight Records released two other Christmas albums. "Oh! No! Not Another…Midnight Christmas Mess Again!!" was released in 1986 and "Midnight Christmas Xmess" in 1987.
I obtained all three of these albums over at FaLaLaLaLa.com during the download season of 2005 and two little good elfs named Voldar and Sanity Clause posted the albums (thanks guys!). If you happen to have the back cover of the first album and all of the artwork of the third album, please pass it my way since I can't seem to find it!
J.D. Martignon continued his Midnight Records label until 1993 when he closed the label and focused on the Midnight Records store. The mail order business kept them afloat for many years until the rent became a problem and they faced eviction. Enter the federal government. Seems Uncle Sam decided that he was selling bootleg material of concerts (and what independent record store doesn't?) and tried to shut him down by indictment based on a 1994 law.
Happy ending: Martignon was free after the 1994 bootleg law was considered unconstitutional but the storefront was forced to close thanks to the legal fees and high rent in NYC. However, Midnight Records still maintains a mail order business aided by a strong Internet website.
Check them out at MidnightRecords.com and do some snooping as you would at a record store!
On to the next new Christmas CD in my collection...
Capt
In our last post, I explained how FaLaLaLaLa has brought thousands of Christmas music enthusiasts together to read, listen, learn, and even contribute anything Christmas to the site.
