Christmas Chimes

I wish this was better. It is a little slow. The bells aren't on pitch. It is just not as great as I would like.

Christmas favorites

Fantastic compilation of singers who where hot back in the day. Any Williams, Robert Goulet, Barbara Streisand - you name it. Great record

Christmas Strings

Fantastic record by the Herald Singing Strings playing some classic instrumentals of Christmas favorites. Great great great. The record was totally worn down.

Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music

I absolutely love the happy sounding Lawrence Welk orchestra. These Christmas classics have the added flavor that Welks arrangements have. Some how he manages to make happy Christmas songs even happier!. Great.

Deep Purple Song

So interesting to see all the different renditions of this song. In one instant it is very jazzy, the next very pop, and lastly it is very embellished and almost a waltz.
Deep Purple was written by Peter DeRose and published in 1933. It was originally just a piano composition however it was soon converted to big band orchestra.

The song took on another personality when Nino Tempo and April Stevens made song a pop hit. It hit number one on the US Pop charts in 1963 and actually won a Grammy for Best Rock and roll record. Aside from Nino Tempo and April, Donny and Marie Osmond recorded the song in 1976 and it hit the charts again.

Other interesting facts:

Deep Purple was supposedly Babe Ruth's favorite song.

The Band Deep Purple got their name from the song because of constant requests for the song from the guitarist's grandmother.

The Beach boys covered the song - Brian Wilson may have been seriously inebriated. It is laughable

Dick Contino: An Accordion in Paris

Accordion music from the 60s. French flair. This record has it all. Sweeping strings. The song choices are great and make a fantastic smooth sounding record that just screams for lovers to kiss. I like it.

Two Loves Have I (J'Ai Deux Amours)  2:15  
Mam'Selle  2:59  
The Petite Waltz  2:15  
Comme Ci Comme Ca  2:40  
My Man  2:12  
The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)  2:45  
Beyond The Sea (La Mer)  2:55  
Under The Bridges Of Paris  2:23  
Symphony  2:46  
Domino  2:43

Here is some interesting Dick Contino trivia. He was drafted during the Korean War. He ended up fleeing his post at Fort Ord and got labled as a draft dodger. He was jailed but ended up serving in the Air Force and finally getting honorably discharged.
He was born in January 1930 and as far as I know is still living in Las Vegas.

Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra: Today's Golden Hits

Originally released 1966. Another fantastic symphonic arranged pop record. This record features Michelle (Beatles) Yesterday (Beatles) Help (Beatles) Unchained Melody (Nat King Cole) A taste of Honey (Herb Alpert) and more.
The weirdest rendition is Unchained Melody. The beat is strange and it features odd instrument choices like marching toms and a balalaika.
Overall this is a great little snap shot of hit songs arranged with 60s orchestras.

Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra: I Wish You Love

Pop strings. Cake. Champagne Music. Whatever you want to call it this stuff is sugary goodness. Andre Kostelanetz was a Russian orchestral conductor / arranger with the gift of converting pop hits of the day into orchestral pieces. I Wish You Love came out in 1964 and features many hits like Blue Velvet (originally Bobby Vinton), I will Follow Him ( Little Peggy March) I Wish You Love (Nat King Cole) Fools Rush In (Elvis).

Chances are you won't find this on iTunes or Rhapsody because they are symphonic covers to popular 60s songs. Licensing for the originals are hard enough in this digital age, so a cover is just going to get lost in the mix. That is what makes this record so fantastic.