It may seem difficult to imagine, but once upon a time, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas (Is You)” didn’t get played three times per hour on every single radio station that broadcasts holiday tunes.
Having recently acquired my father’s vintage Marantz record player and hi-fi speaker system, I’ve also got a bunch of the old records he and mother had. I came to find out that includes a whole bunch of holiday albums that I didn’t know existed, and that definitely don’t get enough air time alongside the Michael Bublé Christmas album and the Chipmunks.
Are all of them great? Not necessarily. I suspect you could find all of the songs on the double-LP “JC Penney Presents the Holiday’s Brightest Hits” elsewhere. And don’t get me started on the patently ridiculous Super Friends Christmas story record.
But several of these are genuinely excellent holiday records, and they’ll be getting a lot more airtime in my house, for certain.
‘The Statler Brothers’ Christmas Card’ (1978)
As soon as the first verse of “I Believe in Santa’s Cause” started, I immediately recognized this as one of the records my grandfather used to play when we’d be over for Christmas.
For anyone younger than 50, it’s highly possible that you only know the Statler Brothers from “Flowers On the Wall,” which occurs as incidental music shortly before one of the most horrifying scenes in the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.” But they were a fantastic country group, and their voices blend beautifully on this late’-70s album, both on classic tunes and on fun originals like “Santa’s Cause.”
‘The Clancy Brothers’ Christmas’ (1969)
I know the Clancy Brothers mostly through my favorite version of the traditional Irish tune, “Wild Mountain Thyme.”
I should’ve known I’d love their Christmas album, which is a lot of fun. I challenge you to listen to their version of “Jingle Bells” and not end up running around the kitchen singing “Buala bas!” in Gaelic and annoying your relatives.
This particular song is titled “When Joseph Was an Old Man” here, but I’ve seen it other places listed as “The Cherry Tree Carol.” It’s about Joseph’s eminently-understandable reaction when Mary gave him the news about Jesus.
‘Exciting Christmas Stories with Superman, Wonder Woman & Batman’ (1977)
This one is almost too ridiculous to even explain, apart from saying that once upon a time, dear children, the family would gather around the radio (or the record player) and listen to stories told in audio form, with sound effects and what-have-you.
But by 1977, we weren’t doing that very often. And so it’s difficult for me to imagine the family that wants to sit down and listen to Superman tell the story of how a mad scientist tried to start World War III by wiring the button that lights the White House Christmas Tree to a trigger that would set off the world’s entire nuclear arsenal. But hey… to each his own.
I was expecting this to be goofy superhero-themed holiday tunes, like “12 Days of Christmas” and every one is a new scheme the Joker is trying to pull on Batman. But no, it’s just a handful of comic-book stories centered around the holidays.
‘The Snowman’ (1982)
I’m going to cry just writing about this one.
I should have included it on my list of obscure holiday specials you don’t see on TV anymore, but it also had a full soundtrack to go with it, so it merits inclusion here.
Based on Raymond Briggs’ 1978 children’s book about how life is precious and even good things must come to an end, “The Snowman” tells the story of a young boy whose snowman comes to life one night and takes him on a winter adventure. The centerpiece is this tune, “Walking In the Air,” a beautiful and haunting song that accompanies their flight across the winter landscape.
The whole thing is gorgeous and heart-breaking and now I need a Kleenex.
‘Firestone Presents Your Christmas Favorites, Vols. 3 & 5’ (1964/’66)
For some reason, the same company that made your tires decided they needed a Christmas vinyl series.
And not for like one or two years. There are at least SEVEN volumes in the “Firestone presents Your Christmas Favorites” series.
I happen to have the third volume in my collection, featuring singers Gordon McRae, Martha Wright, Franco Corelli, Roberta Peters and the Columbus Boys’ Choir, all backed up by the Firestone Orchestra. I also have the fifth volume, which is all Christmas songs sung by “Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins” star Julie Andrews.
‘Capitol Records Presents Christmas in France’ (1957)
The version that is linked here is a reissue with a different cover. The version I have came from my paternal grandmother’s record collection, passed down over the years. It has a mix that includes French-language versions of familiar tunes like “We Three Kings,” but also some more traditionally French holiday songs.
The album features the Petits Chanteurs de Versailles, a French boys’ choir.
And just like with the Clancy Brothers, I challenge you to listen to the French “Jingle Bells” and not run around all Christmas morning singing “Vive le vent! Vive le vent!”
