Christmas Cavalcade 2013 (Part Two)

Here we go again: another bunch of bad Christmas records for you to enjoy.

 

The Caroleers released a bucket-load of schmaltzy, Christmassy-themed recordings from the mid-50s through until at least the late 1960s. Originally put together to produce material for kiddie label Peter Pan Records (which, charmingly, were ‘manufactured by the Synthetic Plastics Company, Newark, New Jersey’), and also credited as the Caroleer Singers and the Peter Pan Caroleers, I believe that most of their dull, white-bread versions of Christmas classics were recorded around 1956, but the company issued and re-issued them so many times over the next decade or so (first on 78, then 45s and EPs, none of which are dated) that it’s hard to work out exactly when the sessions took place. The ‘group’ (probably just a seasonal name for a collection of Synthetic Plastics vocalists) also released albums on Diplomat (another Synthetic Plastics imprint) – home to the Happy Crickets. Synthetic Plastics was also home to Batman Records. Ho Ho Ho It’s Christmas comes from their album Sleigh Ride/Jingle Bells Children’s Christmas Favourites.

 

Next up is a World’s Worst records favourite, Little Marcy and C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Taken from the doll from hell’s seasonal collection Christmas With Marcy, originally issued in 1965, I don’t think I need to add anything else.

 

Finally today we revisit another WWR favourite, Mike Thomas of the Tin Pan Alley song-poem label, and both sides of the dreadful 45 A Christmas Wish/The Nite My Savior Was Born. Both songs were written by Elvie Rowland, and come from the period after TPA moved to Florida – years after founder Jack Covais had passed away and at a time when production values were rushing headlong to their all-time low. I’m indebted to fellow blogger Bob Purse, who originally posted this gem back in 2010.

 

See you on Sunday! Enjoy!