3 comments about Red Garters / Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

1. These were originally 10" Lps issued in the mid 1950s and out-of-print ever since the 10" format was abandonned. Since most copies of the records are in less-than-mint condition, the chance to hear these without scratches is a plus. Still the sound is not as sharp and bright as it could be.
   
   RED GARTERS - an experimental film (it is now out on DVD) with a pleasant score by Livingston & Evans. Four of the eight tracks are taken from the soundtrack of the Paramount film, while the remaining tracks are studio recordings. Rosemary comes off best here with the torchy "Bad News" and the plaintive "Good Intentions." Her duet with Guy Mitchell, "Man and Woman" is a fun piece of sexist 50s kitch.
   
   WHITE CHRISTMAS - Decca did the official "soundtrack" album of this 1954 film but Clooney was under contract to Columbia and not allowed to appear. (Decca used Peggy Lee instead.) Rosemary recorded this 8-track selection for Columbia. None of these tracks are taken from the film soundtrack. Collectors will need both this CD and the (now out-of-print) Japanese issue of the Decca release to assemble their own "original cast" recording of the film. The best tracks here are "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me" given a definitive performance, and the delightful "Sisters" featuring Rosemary and her sister Betty.
   
   The original LP covers and liner notes are re-produced.



2. Yes, here is another CD that I have long been waiting to see. When I was a kid living in Michigan my parents took me to see a re-release of White Christmas at the local movie theater in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Naturally I loved the film, its music, and best of all, Rosemary Clooney. A few years later, now living in NYC, my grandmother took us to a record shop on 7th Avenue looking for a rock record for my brother. It was a collectors' shop and I noticed a 10 inch copy of songs from White Christmas as sung by Clooney. I begged for the record but my grandmother said no. Finally, as a teenager in the seventies, I went back to that shop and, believe it or not, the record was still there. I bought it for $40!!!! That was a great deal of money then.
   Although I prefer most of the arrangemnts in the film version it is Clooney's voice that still provides the definitive sound to most of these songs. "Snow", "Sisters" (with sister Betty), "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and "Count Your Blessings" all are here and are treated beautifuly with that warm Clooney sound. And then there is "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me", a corny torch song that somehow transcends to a higher level thanks to Clooney's subtle acting. That really sums up her performance in the film as well. Of all of the actors, hers is a performance of infectuous warmth that is totally natural. Too bad this was to be her last major motion picture.
   Red Garters is fun but no great film but again it is best served by Clooney. I was hoping for a little better sound on this CD but maybe Steve Hoffman will someday get a crack at at the sound. Last year I went to see a stage version White Christmas in San Francisco and during intermission hundreds of audience members were asking the ushers selling film memorabilia in the lobby if the soundtrack was available. No, not the old Decca /MCA studio recording with Peggy Lee and the others but the actual tracks from the film. Maybe Paramount could come up with something from a pristine print. Meamwhile, here is Rosemary Clooney at the top of her form singing songs that so many of us love to hear during Christmas season.



3. Rosemary Clooney found her two greatest film roles in WHITE CHRISTMAS and RED GARTERS. Both were lavish Technicolor productions from Paramount, where Clooney was under contract at the time.
   
   WHITE CHRISTMAS, based on the earlier "Holiday Inn", is still rightly regarded as one of the greatest Christmas films of all time. It would be a very sad holiday indeed if this film wasn't trundled out for it's regular airing. In the film, Clooney starred alongside Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen, and the story revolved around a pair of ex-GI's who try to help their former commander when his Vermont ski-lodge is threatened with closure. Enter Clooney and Vera-Ellen as a cute sister-act, who soon cause romantic fireworks with the leading men!
   
   With it's unforgettable Irving Berlin score, WHITE CHRISTMAS offered Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney a very solid tunestack to work their magic. Clooney dazzles with the bluesy eleven o'clock number "Love You Didn't Do Right by Me"; and she shares the spotlight with her real-life sister Betty (who dubbed for Vera-Ellen in the film) as they perform the cute "Sisters" duet.
   
   At this time, Clooney was under exclusive contract to Columbia, and thus could not particpate in the "original cast soundtrack" album, which was to be done by Decca. Peggy Lee replaced her on the soundtrack, and Columbia prepared it's own "White Christmas" album featuring Clooney doing all the numbers, and it's this album that has been reissued here.
   
   RED GARTERS was one of the better musicals that showcased Clooney with all her shades and talents in evidence. In the film, she plays Calaveras Kate (perhaps a sly dig at "Calamity Jane"), the resident entertainer at the Red Dog Saloon. The film centers on a handsome cowboy (played by Guy Mitchell) on a mission to avenge his brother's death, until Kate decides to use him in a ploy to get her long-standing fiancee (Jack Carson) down the aisle!
   
   Under contract to the Columbia label, Guy Mitchell had been paired with Clooney on a number of cover singles (including an entire series from the Broadway musical "Call Me Madam") and their chemistry played to good effect with their performances in RED GARTERS, where they get a fun duet entitled "Man and Woman". Clooney dazzles with the smokey ballad "Bad News". Co-star Joanne Gilbert also has a ball with a frisky eleven o'clocker, "This is Greater Than I Thought".
   
   Thankyou Collectables, for reissuing these classic albums with Rosie at the height of her Hollywood years.
   
   [Collectables COL-CD 6685 / Sony Special Markets A-50963]

1 comments about Holiday 3 CD Collection.

1. I ordered this Christmas music set 2 years ago after I couldn't decide which of the O'Neill Brothers four holiday CDs to buy. It was a gift for myself, something relaxing to listen to while I wrapped gifts. I took it along on Chritmas Day to our Grandparents house and it immediately turned into a family tradition. We listen to these CDs throughout the day on Christmas every year. This is a beautiful collection of all the holiday favorites.

No comments about Christmas Carols (favourites).

2 comments about Merry Christmas.

1. This is a delightful Christmas CD for people of all ages. Joe Scruggs combines traditional holiday selections with some new, original, and even humorous songs. It stands up to the quality of his other CDs/tapes.



2. This is a great Holiday tape, complete with a couple of Christian Christmas songs that Joe wrote himself. Glad I found it!

4 comments about It's the Thought.

1. I realized something today. I've only had this CD for 10 years. It seems like it should have been longer to me since I can't picture Christmas without it any more.

   7 of the 12 tracks here are classic Christmas songs. But such tracks as "Midwinter," "I Saw Three Ships," and "Down in Yon Forest" are less familiar and recorded songs. Twila wrote four of the originals, including the title song, which ties Christmas and Easter together. My favorite of the original songs is "This World," written by her father, talking about the change that the first Christmas had on the entire world. I also like the pairing of "White Christmas" with the chorus "Whiter then Snow." It gives a whole different spin on the traditional classic.

   I heard an interview with Twila Paris about this CD, and she said her goal was to create a CD that was worshipful. As if you'd expect from Twila, she hit the mark. This is especial evident in the second and third songs, "Alleluia, Christ is Born" and "Glory to God (The Angel's Song)."

   This is one of the first CD's I pull out every Christmas. It you're at all a fan of Twila's music, get it today. You'll enjoy it for years to come.




2. So many Christmas albums sound like they were thrown together in an afternoon. But this album shows great care and thought by the artist. Note the last two recordings: "O Holy Night" and "Wandering Pilgrim". I play them throughout the year when I want to enter into the presence of the Lord.



3. I gave this to two of my best friends when it first came out. I was at their home this past weekend for a Christmas party. They still had this cd and were playing it while we visited. Only Twila could create such a worshipful Christmas cd. She's a true gift from God.
   
   I'm ashamed to say that after hearing it again, I wish I had kept it for myself. A true blessing.



4. This strangely titled Christmas album is a nice mix of standard Christmas tunes with a few original compositions. Twila Paris does a solid job with some traditional songs. It's rare for any pop artist to do justice to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus," but this is a nice arrangement. And her "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "O Holy Night" are also well-done.
   
   Of particular note are a few new songs, written by Paris herself. "Alleluia, Christ is Born" and "Wandering Pilgrim" are particularly outstanding.
   
   I only gave this album four stars because its sound is somewhat dated. On several tracks, the dominant synthesizer sound is just screaming, "This was recorded in the 1980's," which unfortunately detracts from the overall experience.
   
   Nonetheless, this is a quality Christmas album, and I look forward to listening to it each year. I recommend it to anyone interested in a somewhat unique offering of Christmas music.

5 comments about Bummed Out Christmas!.

1. "Bummed Out Christmas" is a collection of Christmas songs that are are considerably less cheerful or uplifting than the type of music usually associated with the holiday season. But these songs are not really all "bummers."

   Some of the songs express the hope of optimism in spite of a minor problem, as in "Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit". Some others tell funny stories of holiday setbacks such as "Santa Came Home Drunk" and "Christmas in Jail". Still others are hauntingly beautiful and poignant, such as "Christmas Eve Can Kill You". And "Don't Believe in Christmas" is a rather catchy song of cynicism and disdain for Christmas.

   There are two songs on this disc that merit special mention because they are so wretchedly awful. "Santa Got a DWI" is a rather stupid novelty tune about the jolly fat man being arrested for drunk driving in his sleigh. Sherwin Linton's vocal is so irritating that I wish the police would beat him with a rubber hose. "Lonely Christmas Call" is a godawful old George Jones number that is so depressing it will have rednecks and trailer park denizens everywhere crying in their beer.

   Some of these songs will bum you out. Others will make you laugh. Still others will just annoy you with their stupidity. This is what you get in "Bummed Out Christmas".




2. The people at Rhino Records have put together some great collections over the years, and you can count this one among them. They always seen to find songs that you just can't get anywhere else. I bought this just for one song, the 50's doo-wop "Christmas In Jail" by The Youngsters, but I ended up liking almost the entire disc. The songs range from the 50's to the 80's and cover all sorts of musical styles tied together by the common theme of a less-than-merry Christmas. The only clunker is the hokey "Santa Got A DWI". Just ignore that one and enjoy the rest of the great songs here. In addition to "Christmas in Jail", there is also a zydeco version of John Prine's "Chistmas in Prison". There are two smokin' garage-rock songs from 1966 by two bands from Tacoma, WA; "Don't Believe In Christmas" by the Sonics, and "Christmas Spirit??" by the Wailers (not the reggae band). The Everly Brothers "Christmas Eve Can Kill You" may be sad, but it sure is pretty. And The Staple Singers' gospel song "Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas?" is done so well, they make it seem uplifting. The disc may be called "Bummed Out Christmas", but you'll be glad to own it.



3. This compilation album focuses on the unhappy side of Christmas. The songs tackle the subject in a variety of styles and with varying degrees of seriousness. For instance, the first song, "Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit", is a jug band song and it's played for laughs. While the second song, "Christmas Eve Can Kill You", is played seriously and is about the saddest Christmas song I ever heard. Both songs are great, however. In fact, there are a lot of great songs here. The only song I hate is "Santa Came Home Drunk", which is a slurred blues song that is basically an excuse for the singer to slip the names of as many brands of whiskey as possible into the lyrics. Anyway, if you are looking for a different kind of Christmas album, this may be for you.



4. Bought this as a cassette in 1989, after both New Kids On The Block and The Jets released their Christmas albums before Labor Day of 1989 (Yes, that happened!). Helped me through a number of ugly Christmases.
   
   My favorites on this CD are:
   Christmas Eve Can Kill You (about being alone)
   Santa Came Home Drunk (love the way he fits the liquor names in)
   Don't Believe in Christmas (A spoonful of cynicism makes the medicine go down...)
   Santa Got a DWI (I like this song, don't know why so many others hate it)
   Who Say There Ain't No Santa Claus (dig the punchline)
   Christmas Spirit (the Xmas song Bob Dylan should have done but didn't)



5. I bought this Cd, because I wanted to expand my musical taste about the holidays. I love the song of "Somebuddy Stole My "Santa Claus Suit". It's really funny, and I can listen to it over and over again. I also like the other songs on this Cd, such as "Santa Got A DWI", "Christmas In Jail", "Christmas Spirit?", "Christmas In Vietnam", "Santa Came Home Drunk", "Lonely Christmas Call", "Don't Believe In Christmas", and "Christmas In Prison". I also love the song "Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas". It's a good song, even if I don't know what it's about. This Cd comes highly recommended if you are sick and tired of the holiday music you hear in shopping malls, and department stores and want something to ease the stress about the holidays. All the emotions are in this Cd. Go out and buy it. You won't be disappointed. This Cd is meant for adults, so make sure that kids don't hear it, because this Cd may not be suitable for them.
   
   Happy New Year!

5 comments about Cool Yule: A Christmas Party With Friends.

1. Ok, I've read the other reviews and here's what I got to say, Mary Kate and Ashley may not be he greatest sigers in the world, but they make a nice album. There nice girls, and some of the criticism I've been reading, they don't deserve. In my opinion, it's a great album with nice tunes, coming from a guy who's always ready to get into the christmas spirit. Mary Christmas!!



2. ...There are not many songs in it where Mary-Kate and Ashley really sing. The rest are some other people singing but I would rather hear Mary-Kate and Ashley sing. The songs aren't bad but they just don't sing in many of them. I love the cd but would like to hear more of Mary-Kate and Ashley.



3. I am a big fan of the Olsen Twins! And I also think that the FANS of the Olsen Twins are the greatest fans and deserve a fair honest review of this CD. What would your reaction be if you paid for Brittany Spears or N'Sync's latest CD and discovered they sang on less than half the songs on the CD! You would be very disappointed and feel very cheated! Well the same is true about this Olsen Christmas CD!!! Sure their friends really sound great like polished professionals, I loved ALL their songs on the CD---but I paid to hear the OLSEN TWINS!!!! If I wanted to hear other people I would buy a CD adverstising other people. The few songs that the OLSEN TWINS sang were very good! If it was not for the OLSEN TWINS doing a great job, especially on the song "Silent Night", I would of rated this CD just ONE or TWO stars. But I will give this CD a full THREE stars due to the tremendous effort by the OLSEN TWINS on the few songs they sang. "I Do Believe it's Christmas Time" was a very well written and beautifull ORIGINAL SONG. "Silent Night" gave me goose bumbs all over as I listened to their powerfull harmonizing...easily the best song they ever recorded! SUGGESTION: Why could they not have added Christmas songs from their "Christmas Party" video? RECCOMMENDATION: This CD would of been much much better if those "Guest Friends" would have been dropped from the CD and replaced with MORE songs from the Olsen Twins----That is what we PAID TO HEAR!!!!! Even if the extra Olsen Songs were not as good as the other songs, I think the public would be much much happier JUST TO HEAR THE OLSEN'S SING!!!!!!-----I hope Dualstar Entertainment Group can read this review!!!!



4. This cd, it sounds like it can be wonderful for a christmas time our for a wintr party. If yiu are a fan like I am you will enjoy it. I have it!



5. This album is so great. It gives you a great festive feeling and mary-kate and ashley are at their best for singing. I love it, guess u'll jus have to buy it to find out for yourself. If you love the twins it's a must.

2 comments about Christmas Memories.

1. This CD has wonderful traditional tracks as well as some new ones Steve has written. It makes me enjoy the season more just by listening to it!



2. Steve has a great voice well suited to Christmas music. His song selection is astute - he has picked a lot of familiar songs yet avoided all the most-recorded standards. So Silent night, White Christmas, Winter wonderland, Silver bells, O holy night and all the other classics that nearly everybody records are missing.

   Steve, whose birthday is 25th December, contributed three originals - the instrumental title track, Our saviour is born and On Christmas morning.

   Of the old songs chosen, The first Noel is perhaps the one that appears most frequently on other Christmas albums, but it's not as common as those previously mentioned. Here. Steve puts it into a medley with two other classics, Hark the herald angels sing and O come all ye faithful.

   Let it snow has also proved popular on Christmas albums. Past three o'clock is an old English carol that rarely gets recorded these days and it's nice to find it here. I saw three ships, The most wonderful time of the year, Do you hear what I hear and God rest ye merry gentlemen are not that rare, but they deserve to appear on Christmas albums more often than they actually do.

   So this is a great Christmas album containing many familiar songs that are not over-familiar.

5 comments about Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas/Jessie's Girl.

1. im 1st of all MAD at them for merry merry merry frickin xmas cause im a yankee fan. only 2 songs r ok. merry merry merry frickin xmas i hate my family (2nd song), and jesies girl.
   so long suckers



2. I am not really sure if this CD is a joke or really a band recording music. If it was meant as a joke, well I find it rather funny but I don't think thats the case. There is zero talent in this band. There best song is a cover of a bad song. The Lyrics are childish and the bands name is lame. I can go to GarageBand.com and find 100's of bands I would sign before this nonsence. Worst of all, to top it all off, they disrespected New York. That's a great way to start a music career, by pissing off a large number of people who might buy your album. Real genius work guys. I just want to make it clear, the 2004 World Series was a fluke, just like this band. Don't be jelouse of the Yankee's and the 26 World Series that they won. And by the way, I didn't like this band at all from the beggining but after hearing there song about the Yankees, it inspired me to writte this review. Lets go YANKEES!!!!!!!



3. listen "robert" if that is ur real name no one would want to kiss ur a** even if u told them to. yankees suck and so do u. nextly i love this song. just cuz ur a yankee fan dosnt mean u cant apreaciate good music. great cd BUY IT dont listen to the yankee fans there douche bags. hehehe :) i give it 5 stars and thats not just cuz im a sox fan. yea buy it.



4. ok im a total ubsessive person about frickin a. i mean id explain all the millions of miels ive gone to see um but theat would take to long. neways. i dont have this cd....tear. but i have heard the song b4 and it kicks a**. but then of course everything frickin a does kicks major a**. but neways. e mail me if u wanna hear me ubsess.



5. Let us leave it at this: If you're a Yankees fan, of course you'll hate this song, there's not a good reference to them in this song. However, with my being a Red Sox fan, I would have to say that the first time I heard this song, I thought it was just a joke made for a morning show that I listen to. Upon further research, I found that it was an actual song.
   
   The only reason I can enjoy that song is because of how much it puts the Yankees down. I enjoy hearing about giving A-Rod "a knuckle sandwich and the Varitek punch." But yes, for most Red Sox fans, it was a Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas last year, after the World Series win.
   
   As for the remainder of the songs on the album, most are OK. The cover of Jessie's Girl is not what I would have expected. I'd much rather listen to the original from the 80's.
   
   If you're buying the CD because you like all the songs, go for it. Else, I would say to pay iTunes the 99 cents for the single and use the 4 remaining dollars to put towards a CD you like.

No comments about The Best of the Baltimore Consort.