A Steve Hoffman Christmas

[guy incognito]

How's this for an idea? A compilation of popular Christmas recordings, mastered with that trademark Hoffman touch? Sort of a "24k gold hits of the season".

You could have Bing's "White Christmas", Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" (I'd especially love to hear Steve do the rare '50s version with Nelson Riddle), Elvis's "Blue Christmas", Orbison's "Pretty Paper", the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick", etc.

I know--a holiday compilation just won't sell enough to justify the time, money and effort. Still, it's a good idea in theory, at least. Isn't it?

Besides, I can just see the front cover, depicting a bag-toting Santa Steve. He already looks a bit like the jolly old elf with that beard of his. :D

[Gary]

A great idea but expand it a bit!

A Jazz Christmas! A Doo-Wop Christmas! A Big Band Christmas! A Rock and Roll Christmas (include Run, Run Rudolph by Keith Richards somewhere, please! I know it's not the original but it's so hard to find!)

Can you say "box set"? :D Well maybe not.....

[Bob Lovely]

All,

It would have to include the great sounding Christmas Is by Lou Rawls!

Bob :)

[Gary]

Lou Rawls!?! Now THERE"S a classic performer for you!

(why don't I have any LR in my CD collection.....?? :o Time for a fix!)

[Dave]

And absolutely, for sure must include Burl Ives.http://ubb.fanasylum.com/smiles/icon15.gif

[Bob Lovely]

Dave,

Are you sure that you want "Holly Jolly Christmas" on a Hoffman compiled and mastered Christmas CD filled with great sounding Big Band, Jazz and Pop Holiday treats?

Bob ;)

[Dave]

Well Bob,

Seeing as how it's going to be a multiple style box-set it must include Traditional Christmas Carols as well.http://ubb.fanasylum.com/smiles/santa2.gif

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Dave
Well Bob,

Seeing as how it's going to be a multiple style box-set it must include Traditional Christmas Carols as well.http://ubb.fanasylum.com/smiles/santa2.gif

Dave,

If we are going to a multiple CD configuration then we should compile a list of not only great sounding Christmas classics but also Christmas hits that sold well regardless of recorded quality...I will work on a master list for our perusal!

Bob :D

[Gary]

Don't forget George Thorogood's Christmas and New Years songs! :)

[Bob Lovely]

All,

Two holiday comps--1) a 24k gold, audiophile CD mastered by Steve with the overwhelming selection criteria to be sound quality and traditional commercial viability excluding novelty or "kids" songs 2) traditional holiday classics and/or big sellers including novelty and "kids" songs--no holds barred, in other words.

24K Holiday Hits

1) The Christmas Song--Nat King Cole 1961 (the popular Stereo version)
2) The Nutcracker Suite--Les Brown 1957 (Stereo, big band arrangement, very dymanic recording)
3) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town--Bill Evans Trio 1964
4) That's What I Want For Christmas--Nancy Wilson 1963
5) Mistletoe And Holly--Frank Sinatra 1958
6) Danke Shoen--Wayne Newton 1963 (yes, there is a Christmas reference)
7) Do You Hear What I Hear?--Bing Crosby 1961
8) Winter Wonderland--Peggy Lee 1965
9) I'm Beginning To See The Light--Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie 1963 (mistletoe in the lyrics)
10)Christmas Is--Lou Rawls 1966 (great sound and arrangement)
11) Christmas Blues--Ramsey Lewis Trio 1966
12) I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm--Dean Martin 1960
13) What Are You Doing New Years Eve?--Nancy Wilson 1963
14) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town/White Christmas--Jimmy McGriff 1963
15) Soul Santa--Brook Benton 1969
16) Let It Snow--Dean Martin 1960
17) Merry Christmas, Baby--Booker T. & the MG's 1966
18) I'd Like You For Christmas--Julie London 1957
19) Pretty Paper--Roy Orbison
20) Blue Xmas--Miles Davis

These are all great sounding titles!


All-Time Holiday Hits 2 disc-set (possible tracks)

1) Holly Jolly Christmas--Burl Ives (for Dave)
2) Blue Christmas--Elvis
3) Little Saint Nick--Beach Boys
4) Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree--Brenda Lee
5) Jingle Bell Rock--Bobby Helms
6) Santa Baby--Eartha Kitt
7) White Chtistmas--Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters
8) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town--Johhny Mercer
9) Christmas Waltz--Doris Day
10) Cool Yule--Louis Armstrong & the Commanders
11) Please Come Home For Christmas--Charles Brown
12) Let It Snow--Les Brown
13) Merry Christmas, Baby--Lionel Hampton & Orchestra
14) Merry Christmas, Baby--Charles Brown
15) Feliz Navidad--Jose Feliciano
16) This Christmas--Harry Connick, Jr. & Bradford Marsalis
17) I Believe In Father Christmas--Greg Lake
18) Christmas Kisses--Ray Anthony
19) (Everbody's Waitin' For) The Man With The Bag--Kay Starr
20) Christmas Night In Harlem--Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars
21) There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays--Robert Goulet
22) Blue Christmas--Grover Washington, Jr.
23) Silent Night--Stanley Jordan
24) It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas--Johnny Mathis
25) Run, Rudolph, Run--Keith Richards
26) Run, Rudolph, Run--Chuck Berry
27) Christmas Candy--Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely
28) Santo Natale--David Whitfield
29) How Lovely Is Christmas--Bing Crosby
30) Sleigh Ride--Johnny Mathis
31) Sleigh Ride--Boston Pops Orchestra
32) Here Comes Santa Claus--Doris Day
33) All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth--Spike Jones and his City Slickers
34) Something--Jim Reeves
35) Happy Xmas (War Is Over)--John Lennon
36) Step Into Christmas--Elton John
37) Please Add More

That gives us a start!

Bob :D

[Gary]

Bob, that's very impressive! You should contract yourself out to DCC or someone.... seriously!

I still want a Rock and Roll Christmas CD of some sort. Nothing too old (like Brenda Lee), but with Run Run Rudolph (Richards), the aforementioned G Thorogood and others. Can't think of anymore at the moment....

Do you have the Sinatra Family Christmas gold CD from DCC? It's excellent.... :)

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Gary
Bob, that's very impressive! You should contract yourself out to DCC or someone.... seriously!

I still want a Rock and Roll Christmas CD of some sort. Nothing too old (like Brenda Lee), but with Run Run Rudolph (Richards), the aforementioned G Thorogood and others. Can't think of anymore at the moment....

Do you have the Sinatra Family Christmas gold CD from DCC? It's excellent.... :)

Gary,

I would love to work as a compiler sometime...and let Steve do the mastering, of course!

Good ideas for additions! I have not ever heard the DCC Sinatra Family Christmas.

Another addition to the All Time Holiday Hits List--Run, Rudolph, Run--Chuck Berry

Bob :)

[Chris Desjardin]

I would also love to see a Steve Christmas set. Too many of the holiday songs I grew up with sound terrible in their current releases!

[MagicAlex]

While were at it let's make it a hybrid SACD!

Oh...and we gotta have Blue Xmas - Miles Davis....

'it's a time when the greedy give a dime to the needy..."

Ho Ho Ho

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by MagicAlex
While were at it let's make it a hybrid SACD!

Oh...and we gotta have Blue Xmas - Miles Davis....

'it's a time when the greedy give a dime to the needy..."

Ho Ho Ho

Alex,

Blue Xmas--Miles Davis is a great choice. I will add it to the list!

Bob :)

[Brian W.]

Great suggestions. I'd also like to suggest some rareties, B-sides of Christmas 45s that have never been on CD.

One that comes to mind is "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, which was the B-side of their classic 1950 Capitol "Silver Bells" single. Mono, and a weird little song (which is why I like it), but it was recorded on tape. Also, I don't think David Whitfield's 1954 "Santo Natale," which was a Top 40 pop hit, has ever been on CD.

Bing Crosby's superb single "How Lovely Is Christmas" and its B-side "My Own Individual Star" have never appeared on a legit CD in their original form (a drastically edited-down version of "How Lovely" is on a CD from Drive Entertainment, who owns the rights, I think).

Bing did several Christmas singles from 1959 to the mid-sixties for various labels, but they were not hits and most have never appeared on albums, so they sadly have been forgotten. They are deserving of a CD reissue. Among them:

The Secret of Christmas b/w Just What I Wanted For Christmas (w/Frank Devol Orch.)
The Secret of Christmas (different rec.) b/w Christmas Candles (w/Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians -- both these stereo, I believe)

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by Brian W.


The Secret of Christmas b/w Just What I Wanted For Christmas (w/Frank Devol Orch.)
The Secret of Christmas (different rec.) b/w Christmas Candles (w/Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians -- both these stereo, I believe)

Three-track, actually.

Neat.

Welcome!

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Brian W.
Great suggestions. I'd also like to suggest some rareties, B-sides of Christmas 45s that have never been on CD.

One that comes to mind is "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, which was the B-side of their classic 1950 Capitol "Silver Bells" single. Mono, and a weird little song (which is why I like it), but it was recorded on tape. Also, I don't think David Whitfield's 1954 "Santo Natale," which was a Top 40 pop hit, has ever been on CD.

Bing Crosby's superb single "How Lovely Is Christmas" and its B-side "My Own Individual Star" have never appeared on a legit CD in their original form (a drastically edited-down version of "How Lovely" is on a CD from Drive Entertainment, who owns the rights, I think).

Bing did several Christmas singles from 1959 to the mid-sixties for various labels, but they were not hits and most have never appeared on albums, so they sadly have been forgotten. They are deserving of a CD reissue. Among them:

The Secret of Christmas b/w Just What I Wanted For Christmas (w/Frank Devol Orch.)
The Secret of Christmas (different rec.) b/w Christmas Candles (w/Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians -- both these stereo, I believe)

Brian,

Welcome to the Forum! Some great suggestions and I will add them to the "master" list we are developing here.

Bob :)

[guy incognito]

Bob, please add Johnny Mathis's "Sleigh Ride" to your master list. No Christmas compilation is truly complete without at least one Mathis offering. ;)

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by guy incognito
Bob, please add Johnny Mathis's "Sleigh Ride" to your master list. No Christmas compilation is truly complete without at least one Mathis offering. ;)

You got it!

Bob :)

[Chris Desjardin]

How about these:

Here Comes Santa Clause - Doris Day
Sleigh Ride (instrumental) - The Boston Pops
Holly Jolly Christman - Burl Ives
All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth - ??
Something by Jim Reeves

[Gary]

Originally posted by Chris Desjardin

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth - ??


That's Spike Jones!

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Chris Desjardin
How about these:

Here Comes Santa Clause - Doris Day
Sleigh Ride (instrumental) - The Boston Pops
Holly Jolly Christman - Burl Ives
All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth - ??
Something by Jim Reeves

Chris,

Holly Jolly Christmas is already on the list! I will make some additions.

Bob

[chip-hp]

Bob, good list! May I suggest a Gene Authry Christmas song from the following list:

1) Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
2) If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas
3) He's A Chubby Little Fellow
4) Sleigh Bells

a Jo Stafford "Ski Trails" song from the following list:

1) Baby, It's Cold Outside
2) Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
3) Winter Wonderland
4) Sleigh Ride

and for comic relief, if it doesn't ruin the mood

Cheech & Chongs "Santa Claus And His Old Lady"

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by chip-hp
Bob, good list! May I suggest a Gene Authry Christmas song from the following list:

1) Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
2) If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas
3) He's A Chubby Little Fellow
4) Sleigh Bells

a Jo Stafford "Ski Trails" song from the following list:

1) Baby, It's Cold Outside
2) Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
3) Winter Wonderland
4) Sleigh Ride

and for comic relief, if it doesn't ruin the mood

Cheech & Chongs "Santa Claus And His Old Lady"


Welcome to the Forum and thanks for suggestions! I will make some additions from your suggestions....

Bob