Belafonte - To Wish You a Merry Christmas

Here’s the last Christmas album for the year. Nothing much to say because still enjoying my long holiday break.

Song List:

Side A - A Star In The East, The Gifts They Gave, The Son of Mary, The Twelve Day of Christmas, Where The Little Jesus Sleeps, “Medley : TheJoys of Christmas; Oh Little Town of Bethlehem; Deck The Halls; The First Noel”

Side B – Mary’s Boy Child, Silent Night, Christmas is Coming, Mary Mary, Jehovah The Lord Will Provide, “Medley : We Wish You A Merry Christmas; ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’; O Come All Ye Faithful; Joy to the World", I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Emmylou Harris - Light in the Stable

Emmylou Harris is a country and western singer as well as a song writer. I came to know her through the song, “The Boxer” in the early 80s. I have collected several LPs of Emmylou Harris since I started my LP collection hobby 3 1/2 years ago.

In this album, Emmylou Harris sang the Christmas songs with her usual crystal clear voice. I particularly like the second song on side B, “Little Drummer Boy” because she really sang the song with her unique Emmylou Harris’ style.

This album was released in 1980.

Song List :

Side 1 – Christmas Time’s A-Coming, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, Angel Eyes, The First Noel

Side 2 – Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Little Drummer Boy, Golden Cradle, Silent Night, Light of the Stable

John Denver - Rocky Mountain Christmas

I think John Denver was the first country singer that I knew. During the cartridge era on the 70s, there was already a John Denver’s “Greatest Hits 1” album in my house. I liked “Take me Home Country Road” so much that I memorized that song by heart and could sing the entire song along when I played that song on cartridge. My second John Denver album was “John Denver’s Greatest Hits 3” CD which I bought in the 80s. O was again mesmerized by several songs namely “Some Days Are Diamonds”, Seasons of My Heart”, Shanghai Breezes” and “Perhaps Love”, in that album.

“
Rocky Mountain Christmas” was my first John Denver LP. I bought this LP in April 2007. When I replay this LP, I feel that John Denver is reciting poems and telling Christmas tales rather than singing songs. This is one of the albums that could keep me sitting on the sofa and listen with total relaxation.

Jim Reeves’ “12 Songs of Christmas”, Pat Boone’s “White Christmas” and this album are the 3 Christmas albums that I listen most often this year.

Song List:

Side 1 - Aspenglow, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire), Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Silver Bells, Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas), Christmas For Cowboys

Side 2 - Away In A Manger, What Child Is This, Coventry Carol, O Holy Night, Silent Night Holy Night, A Baby Just Like You.

Slim Whitman - The Christmas Album

I have been listening to Slim Whitman's songs for many years. In fact my brother told me that my father owned one LP of Slim Whitman during the 60s. However, I could not remember which LP did my father own that time.

I like to listen to Slim Whitman because he was a very good yodeler. his unique voice and the steel guitar which was the essential part of his music. However, the organ took over the place of his steel guitar as the main muical instrument in this album.

This album was released in 1969.

Song List:

Side 1 - Joy to The World, There's a Song in The Air, Long Ago There Was Born, The Bethlehem Star, The Silver Star

Side 2 - The Joy Bells Are Ringing, The Song of The Desert, Silent Night, Christmas, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, O Holy Night

Song - An Old Christmas Card

Sung by Jim Reeves

(It's the mem'ry of an old Christmas card)
There's an old Christmas card in an old dusty trunk
And it brings back sweet mem'ries dear to me
Though it's faded and worn it's as precious as the morn
When I found it ‘neath our first Christmas tree
I thrill with every word every line guess I'm always sentimental round this time
Pardon me if a tear falls among my Christmas cheer
It's the mem'ry of an old Christmas card

You know I don't know why I get to feeling sentimental about this time every year
But every time I see a Christmas card I somehow can't help reminiscing
About the very first Christmas that you and I spent together
What a beautiful Christmas card you gave me that year
Why I know you must have looked through thousands of cards
To find that wonderful poem that still brings a tear to my eye

I thrill with every word every line guess I'm always sentimental round this time
Pardon me if a tear falls among my Christmas cheer
It's the mem'ry of an old Christmas card

* * *

This song is collected in Jim Reeves’ Twelve Songs of Christmas album. Personally I think this is more of a love song than a Christmas song. However, it stands out from the rest of Christmas songs in this album.

Jim Reeves - Twelve Songs of Christmas

In an early post, here, I mentioned about my neighbour, Ah Beng, and the numerous weekends I spent with him to listen to English songs. I think Ah Beng’s family was the only Christian family in our neighbourhood. Ah Beng’s Christmas party was one event I was looking forward to attending every year in late 60s.

For several years during Christmas eves in the late 60s, my childhood friends like Su Bee, Su Kien, Su Long, Su Lee, Wei Lun, Wei Kien, my brothers and sister, Kien Huat (I think so) and some other kids were invited to his house. Although we didn’t understand the significance of Christmas but we were all thrilled by the festive mode, the games, the foods, the drinks and the presents. But the biggest thrill of all was the boys got to spend the night sleeping by the twinkling Christmas tree at Ah Beng’s house. We also got to hang our socks at the best spots on the Christmas tree. Ah Beng would then lead us to lie down and pretend to sleep. I can still remember vividly that when the REAL Santa Claus appeared, we held our breath quietly to wait for the Santa Claus to stuff some little presents into our socks. When the Santa Claus left, Ah Beng would then switched on the lights and we would continue jollying until early morning.

This fond childhood memory still lives in my mind till today. So when December comes, I never fail to retrieve my CDs and LPs on Christmas songs and replay them.

One of the CDs and LPs that I listen more often is Jim Reeves’ Twelve Songs of Christmas. This album contains many of the traditional Christmas songs that many are familiar with. With Jim Reeves’ smooth and silky voice, he has that little magic touch that brings out the Christmas mood in my heart.

How nice if Ah Beng were to organize a Christmas party for all the childhood friends once more…

Song List:

Side 1- Jingle Bells, Blue Christmas, Senor Santa Claus, An Old Christmas Card, The Merry Christmas Polka, White Christmas

Side 2 – Silver Bells, C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Mary’s Little Boy Child, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night