Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Must Be Santa


Can you tell who that is in the Santa suit above? Yep, it's your old pal Jack Benny. The family you see belongs to Dennis Day, who was a singer on Jack Benny's TV program. That's a pretty large family! Looks close at the boy in the center, and you'll see he's got a black eye. Maybe he didn't want to come to the photo shoot, and Dad had to persuade him a little. No, no, I'm sure that's not the case. Anyhow, the LP for the evening is Dennis Day Sings "Christmas Is For The Family" Featuring Lou Hollingsworth At The Wurlitzer Electronic Organ & The Vail Boys Choir With Full Orchestra (Design Records DLP-X-1). This particular LP is mono, but I have a stereo version also (SDLP X-1). I tried to record the stereo one, but it was just too noisy. Besides, I don't think it's real stereo. The actual label on the vinyl says "In AuthentiPhonic Stereo Process", which sounds like fake stereo to me... (The LP scan is a combination of the stereo cover, with the Stereo-Spectrum label across the top, and the mono cover, with the Jack Benny note at the bottom.) Anyhow, give it a listen and see what you think. Most of it is Mr. Day doing what he does best, which really doesn't do much for me, but there are a few short bits with Jack Benny that make this more than worth the price of admission.

[Also, before you send me an email, there is no bit of Jack Benny dialogue at the start of side two as mentioned on the back sleeve. Don't know why it says that. Well, yes I do, it's because this label is owned by Pickwick, one of the worst record labels of all time. We're lucky they spelled Jack Benny correctly.]

6 comments:

  1. Thanks Ernie!!

    Dave from jersey

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  2. Thank you for finding the Album Ernie and for showing me your terrific music site! How do I play the music file to hear the song 'Christmas is for the Family?'
    Thanks again.
    Byron Los Angeles

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  3. You have to click on the LP name, which takes you to RapidShare. From there, select the free download option at the bottom of the page. On the next page, wait for the counte to get to 0, then enter the code it shows you, then the file should start downloading. The download is a Zip file. When it's done downloading, you have to unzip it into a folder, then play the file using something like iTunes or Windows Media Player.

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  4. Gee, Thanks Ernie, I did not know the procedure. I'll try that later tonight before I reformat my hard drive and enter un-charted waters. (It was suggested by tech support at Gateway because I have spyware somewhere lurking). Ernie, do you have any old 78's of Christmas (just like Lee has at MYPWHAE ?) I remember a funny Mitch Miller & the Gang one called 'Must be Santa' a great sing-a-long one, do you have that one? My Media Player doesn't work with my old windows 98, I'd have to try it through Winamp to hear Dennis Day.
    Thanks a bunch!
    Byron Los Angeles

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  5. The Mitch Miller track you mentioned is out on CD. I've got it. I also put it on my Christmas CD this year, but I grabbed it from vinyl just for the sake of continuity. You can download a better version of that track below as performed by the one and only Lorne Greene!

    I can't do 78's. unfortunately.

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  6. Thanks for checkin' Ernie.
    Byron Los Angeles

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