Search - Various Artists :: TV Family Xmas

Amazon Marketplace Delivered The Goods

06/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was able to locate this little Christmas gem, first released by Scotti Bros. in 1992, through Amazon's Marketplace (used copies) by searching for a particularly hard-to-find Christmas hit. That being The First Christmas by Danny Thomas, star of the TV sitcom Make Room For Daddy. Taken from the soundtrack of the 1967 animated TV production of The Cricket On The Hearth, based upon the Dickens story, it was released on RCA Victor 47-9342 with the backing of the Sid Feller orchestra and went to # 24 on the Billboard Christmas charts that December b/w Christmas Story.



Another in that category is A Crosby Christmas (Parts 1 And 2). Billed to Gary, Phillip, Dennis, Lindsay and Bing Crosby, backed by the John Scott Trotter Orchestra with The Jeff Alexander Chorus, it became a # 22 Pop hit in December 1950 on Decca 9-40181, offering a two-sided medley of That Christmas Feeling, I'd Like To Hitch A Ride With Santa Claus, and The Snowman, with Bing introducing each of his sons who sing a portion of the tunes.



Neither seems to be available anywhere else in a quality CD. Which this is, in every respect including excellent sound reproduction, and an insert which contains recording details for each track, including the T.V. production/show in which it appeared. What it doesn't reflect are the label numbers and chart performances, where applicable. The liner notes are also limited to four brief paragraphs written by Don Grady, star of My Three Sons.



However, the other songs here are every bit as enjoyable and will surely bring great joy around the home during the Festive Season, as well as bring back old and fond memories for grown-up children and their parents and grand-parents:



'Twas The Night Before Christmas by Alvin, Simon and Theodore, with David Seville, was originally released in 1963 by Liberty Records; Silent Night by John Schneider of The Dukes Of Hazzard, originally released in 1981 by Scotti Bros.; Merry Christmas Neighbour by Lorne Green, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts, issued by RCA in 1963 on the LP Bonanza - Christmas On The Ponderosa; A Howdy Doody Christmas performed by Howdy Doody and The Fontane Sisters and released in 1950 by RCA; Frosty The SNowman by The Brady Bunch (Maureen McCormack, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Barry Williams, Chris Knight and Mike Lookinland) and released by Paramount Records in 1970; Christmas Is My Time Of The Years by The Monkees (Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz and David Jones); Nine Little Reindeer by Gene Autry and first released by Federal Records in 1959; Goin' Home (Sing A Song Of Christmas Cheer) by Bobby Sherman from the production Here Come The Brides, and released by Metromedia Records in 1970; Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy by Buck Owens and a # 2 Billboard Christmas hit in 1965 on Capitol 5537; and Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by The Partridge Family (Davis Cassidy, Shirley Jones, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce, Suzanne Crough and Brian Forster) and released by Bell Records in 1971.



If ever a CD was crying out for a re-release, and proper publicity, it's this one. Until then, grab a used copy if you can. You will not be disappointed."