🎄 Holidays! 5 Favorite Christmas Albums

[350hunny]

These are Richard's five favorite Christma albums as of 1984.

1)Christmas Portrait - The Carpenters
2)An Old Fashioned Christmas - The Carpenters
3)Let's Sing a Song of Christmas - Spike Jones
Music of Christmas - Percy Faith
4)Hallelujah! - Percy Faith
5)Christmas Album - The Swingle Singers

What're yours?

 

[Chris May]

I have (4):

"Chrismas Portrait" (Carpenters)
"An Old Fashioned Christmas" (Carpenters)
"Rocky Mountain Christmas" (John Denver)
"White Christmas" (Bing Crosby)

-Chris

 

[andywithaz]

Isnt that 6?

 

[Mark-T]

"Christmas Portrait" Special Edition- Carpenters
"Home for the Holidays"- Amy Grant
"Let There Be Peace on Earth"- Vince Gill
"Because Its Christmas"- Barry Manilow
"The Christmas Song" (single) Al Jarreau

 

[Mike Blakesley]

1. CHRISTMAS ALBUM - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
2. CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT - Carpenters
3. POPS GOES CHRISTMAS - Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops
4. CHRISTMAS IN THE AIRE* - Mannheim Steamroller
5. DECEMBER - George Winston

* This is a compilation I made myself of the "best of" the four Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums. It's better than any of the individual albums, IMHO!

 

[aaflyer98]

1. Christmas Portrait - Carpenters
2. Home For Christmas - Amy Grant
3. Christmas Stays The Same -Linda Eder
4. What A Wonderful Christmas - Anne Murray
5. Christmas Spirit - Donna Summer


These are my 5 favorite Christmas CD's... Selections 2 thru 5 trade places now & then, but #1 is ALWAYS "Christmas Portrait".

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I picked some of my more obscure favorites - hard to find, but great music:

Rob Mathes - "William The Angel"
Various Artists - "Christmas In Our Time" (a compilation from a small Christian record label called Broken Records, all original songs)
Haven - "Come Let Us Adore Him" (they're a quartet of singers/musicians out of LA who did music for a radio show also called 'Haven' - great a cappella vocal arrangements & cool Celtic-style instrumentation)
Take 6 - "He Is Christmas"
Mari Falcone - "Unto Him This Christmas" (a solo piano album by a great pianist who's played for Donna Summer, Amy Grant, Deniece Williams)

 

[Tim Neely]

Isnt that 6?

It depends on how you look at it. In 1958, the year before Music for Christmas was re-recorded for stereo, Columbia issued both Percy Faith Christmas albums as a 2-LP gatefold called The Columbia Album of Christmas Music.

 

[Tim Neely]

With the size of my collection, picking only five favorites is almost impossible. But here are five that get a spin almost every year:

1. A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas -- Vince Guaraldi
3. The Beach Boys Christmas Album
4. The Complete Capitol Christmas Recordings -- Nat King Cole (homemade CD-R)
5. Some variation or another of the Carpenters' Christmas music

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

It seems the Carpenters really fulfill my appetite so I don't buy new music each year. Here's what gets played from me each year.

1. Carpenters-Christmas Portrait (German CD)
2. Carpenters-An Old-Fashioned Christmas
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas-Vince Guaraldi Trio
4. Nat King Cole-The Christmas Song
5. Amy Grant-A Christmas Album

Also known to get spun are Original Soundtrack to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Barry Manilow-Because it's Christmas, Michael W Smith-Christmas and Olivia-Newton John-The Christmas Collection along with a Hallmark Duets CD of Olivia & Vince Gil.

 

[Rudy]

First, I moved the thread since there seems to be a lot of general answers regarding favorites.

For my favorites, hard to choose, as they vary with mood. But there are some I pull out every year and play, but with others, they may go a year or two without a spin, maybe more. Some I've played once or twice and shelved. Don't even know why I keep 'em.

So I can't stick to five...can I indulge in a few runners-up? In no particular order and depending on mood:

Herb Alpert & TJB Christmas Album

Something Festive (A&M various artists...my expanded edition on CD-R)

Carpenters: Christmas Portrait (expanded edition--my CD-R includes all the KC tracks and one RC instrumental along with the full Christmas Portrait album)

A GRP Christmas, Vol. 1

Time-Life Rock 'n' Roll Christmas (from the late 80s)

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Christmas (again, expanded edition CD-R that this year, will have at least seven bonus tracks...and if you can catch his live Xmas shows on the east coast this season, do it--they are a LOT of fun!)

Henry Mancini: A Merry Mancini Christmas

Ella (Fitzgerald) Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas

...and last but certainly not least...

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I do like Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" (1961 version, the most popular one), but I don't play the album as often. It's songs like his and many dozens of others that drive me to create my own Xmas compilations. So if my own compilations are considered "albums", then that's a whole new avenue to explore...and another idea for a thread...

 

[LPJim]

Here's some of my favorites:

THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR: Kingston Trio

IT'S CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN : Jimmie Rodgers

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU aka PHIL SPECTOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM:
The Ronettes, Crystals, Bobb B. Sox & the Blue Jeans, Darlene Love

DECEMBER: The Moody Blues

JETHRO TULL CHRISTMAS ALBUM: Jethro Tull.

JB

 

[Dave]

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS Various Artists on Columbia Records -- 3-Record Boxed-Set of Various Artists on Columbia's Musical Treasures-series... It even sports Herb Alpert & TjB's "Winter Wonderland" and Julius Wechter & The Baja Marimba Band's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", courtesy of A&M Records...! I bought this set for a BUCK and was the FIRST person to open it and play it, too...!


NOEL by Joan Baez -- My LEAST-Favorite Artist on A&M, yes...! But this is her more sensible, eariler stuff on Vanguard...! And I think one of the most Sweetest and Touching reinditions of Holiday Favorites ANYONE could ever do...



CHRISTMAS PRESENT by Andy Williams -- Highlights are "Christmas Bells" ("Carol Of the Bells")--which Andy did with his brothers on his Christmas Special on his TV Series, and the title-track, which is an "original" Christmas Song...!


LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR by The Kingston Trio -- Features their trademark 3-part harmony Folk-Reinditions of Seasonal Favorites... "They don't make 'em (or SING 'em) like they used to...!"


HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by Diane Krall -- a 3-song CD, which features, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Christmas Time Is Here" (which hearing on the radio one morning, had me looking for this song) and "Jingle Bells"... It also includes a 1999 Calender featuring some excellent photos of "Miss Krall", and... Well, I know... but it just WOULDN'T be Christmas without it...!



Dave

 

[Plucky87]

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Christmas

I love this album! I think the Nutcracker track is the best version of it ever made.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Christmas

I love this album! I think the Nutcracker track is the best version of it ever made.

And, IF I WERE A RICH MAN, on MONDAY MONDAY, I'd WADE IN THE WATER for FIVE MINUTES MORE with A BEAUTIFUL FRIEND,,but I MIGHT FRIGHTEN HER AWAY...

Seriously...I have a new favorite Christmas album...I was watching late-late-late night tv the other day, and Chris Isaak was doing a Christmas special...sure enough, he has a new album out, and it's really good. There are a lot of old standards, including MELE KALIKIMEKKA[sp?], of all things; and they're done in an upbeat manner with a lot of respect and class[especially HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS...it's almost a bounce...not at all dour as most serious arrangements of the song tend to be, IMO]. Stevie Nicks joins him on SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN, and she's as bland and lifeless as ever, but HE isn't...

Chris' original songs are standouts, as well; BRIGHTEST STAR brings tears to my eyes. LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR gets a rollikin' gospel rockabilly treatment with a wicked organ.

The only disappointment was that Brian McKnight wasn't featured on piano during HYAMLK as he was on TV, but you can't have everything...give this one a spin, you'll be glad you did; and for Chris Isaak fans, it's a must-have...


Dan

 

[Rudy]

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Christmas

I love this album! I think the Nutcracker track is the best version of it ever made.

Setzer actually bases his on another big band arrangement (Les Brown, I thought). I have another different rendering of Nutcracker: "The Swingin' Nutcracker" by Shorty Rogers & His Giants. I got the CD when it was in print from Spain. The cover says "It's Nutty!".

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Here's mine (for now):

1. Something Festive -- Various A&M Artists -- CDR
2. Christmas Portrait -- Carpenters -- CD
3. Old Fashioned Christmas -- Carpenters -- CD
4. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Christmas Album -- CD
5. Songs Of Christmas -- Julie Andrews -- CDR

And, of course, there are many individual songs -- too many to list here.

Jon

 

[Murray]

Here's my list:

1. Christmas Portrait - Carpenters
2. Home For Christmas - Amy Grant
3. A Little Christmas Music - The King's Singers
4. Just In Time For Christmas - Nancy Lamott
5. The Star Carol - Tennessee Ernie Ford

Murray

 

[Dave]

Mason Williams and Gladys Knight & The Pips made Christmas albums that I enjoy and I have a Various-Artist Collection of Country singers doing Christmas songs, too...

Guess the closer Christmas is coming, the more I feel like getting them out and playing them, now...! :santa:


Dave

 

[PJ]

5 favourites off the top of my head that I always enjoy listening to every year :

Carpenters : Christmas Portrait

Herb Alpert : Christmas Album

Perry Como : Christmas Album

Peggy Lee : Christmas Walltz

Carpenters : An Old Fashioned Christmas

Honourable mentions go to Phil Spector, Henry Mancini, Spike Jones, Nat King Cole , Anne Murray, Something Festive , Roy Orbison 's Pretty Paper , Frank Sinatra , Amy Grant .....some great tracks on each of these albums ...

Peter

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

A quick question to you all - how could I ever get a copy of "Something Festive"? Have any of the tracks been made available on CD? Also, have any of you ever heard of a Brazilian-style Christmas album from about 5-7 years ago by a Japanese artist entirely with Dori Caymmi arrangements?

JTCW

 

[Rudy]

Something Festive sort of propagates in used LP bins. Nothing on CD though, at least as a package. We Five had a two-fer CD on Collectors Choice that had "My Favorite Things" on it, and the TJB's two songs are on the TJB Xmas Album.

 

[Harry]

A quick question to you all - how could I ever get a copy of "Something Festive"? Have any of the tracks been made available on CD?

The December 2004 rundown:

Winter Wonderland - HA & TjB - If you eliminate the opening choir, then this one's been on the Herb Alpert CHRISTMAS ALBUM CD.

The Christmas Song - SM & B'66 - Appeared last year on a compilation called YULESVILLE from Shout! Factory, but the middle bridge appears twice with no explanation of why.

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy - Liza Minnelli - I'm unsure whether this ever made it to a CD compilation or not. Likely a Japan release if it did.

Partridge In A Pear Tree - JW & BMB - Though it appeared on the FOR ANIMALS ONLY LP, it's not yet shown up on any officially released CDs.

My Favorite Things - We Five - Appeared on a two-fer issued by Collectors Choice of their first two albums.

The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - Burt Bacharach - Finally appeared properly mastered this fall on the SOMETHING BIG: THE COMPLETE A&M YEARS box set from Hip-O Select. Previously it had been on a compilation from Collectables poorly mastered from a 45.

It's The Most Wonderful Time - Pete Jolly - Sadly, this one's only ever appeared on SOMETHING FESTIVE, unless I've missed something - entirely possible!

Snow - Claudine Longet - Appeared on Claudine's LOVE IS BLUE album, released on CD in Japan, as well as on the A&M DIGITALLY REMASTERED BEST disc. Her other Christmas song, never on THIS compilation, "I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You" is also on that "BEST" disc.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - JW & BMB - It's only ever been available on the SOMETHING FESTIVE LP and possibly a 45.

Jingle Bell Rock - HA & TjB - Though it appeard on the CHRISTMAS ALBUM, this version is a little different, eliminating an opening marimba passage and substituting a celeste or glockenspiel(?) - not sure which.

Copies of this albums are omnipresent and available almost anywhere that used LPs might be sold. It seemed everone back then picked one up at their B.F.Goodrich dealer! Conditions of course will vary, but I've found enough copies to make a pretty nice-sounding CD.

Harry
NP: an expanded 22-track CD-R of SOMETHING FESTIVE

 

[Mr Bill]

My five (#1m and 2 are consistent, #3-5 will vary with my mood in any given year) are:

1-HA & TJB Christmas Album
2-Various Something Festive
3-Various Christmas Cocktails (Capital's Ultra-Lounge series)
4-Various The Edge Of Christmas
5-Various Jazz To The World
HM- Various IRS's Just In Time For Christmas

--Mr Bill