Glad Tidings from Sun Records is out now on Reindeer red vinyl and compiles some of the Christmas songs recorded for the label in the 50's and 60's, this is a classy collection that may be similar to A Very Vintage Christmas that Sun Records released in 1981.
The album opens with Merry Christmas Baby by The Poets a lush orchestral pop take on this classic, this is classy and brassy full of super sweet harmonies for the season.
Yuleville U.S.A. by The Rockin' Stockings is an organ led instrumental of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with some blasting sax for everyone to sing along to, hopefully using the correct words rather than any of the dirtier versions.
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer is sung by Leroy Van Dyke as a country sleigh ride, with lots of slide steel guitar and clippety clop percussion with shaken bells.
Holidays is full of Patti Pages baleful vocals, bringing the sadness of those friends and family members who are not around this year, cushioned by the strings this may well jerk a tear or two, this should be played either before or after A Good Year For The Roses. Of course she wants to spend one more Holiday season with you, even though you've moved on.
Christmas Jingle by Little Joseph is a short jangle of bells, upbeat guitar and fairground organ.
Carl Mann shares his Christmas Memories with us of days gone by, with slow sleigh like drums, his plaintive vocals hint at how wondrous things were when he was younger playing in the snow.
The Christmas Song by Billy Jo Styles is full of finger snapping and chiming bells, along with sweet harmonies to allow you all to sway and snap along with them.
Santa's On His Way by The Ad-Libs feels like a cross between the Shangri La's and The Cadets, I love the main vocal, this is a lush, sweet evocation of the magic of Santa and his sleigh.
The Story Of Christmas is told by Little Joseph who tells a far more innocent story to the one Cousin Joseph sang, Joseph begs to be able to buy his mum the present she truly deserves, this would have been far more appropriate for a young Michael Jackson to cover than the Cousin Joe classic I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
Larry Shell sings the title song Glad Tidings in a very mid to late 60's almost Manfred Mann style, the chorus of Ooh Sha La La La's were inevitable, as he sends us his message from New York.
Please Come Home For Christmas is by Orion who sounds like Sun Records very own Elvis impersonator, he ladles on the brandy butter just as nicely as you'd want him too.
The album closes with Rockin' Lang-Syne by The Rockin' Stockings delivering what it claims, a cool, rocking instrumental of Auld Lang Syne to finish your party with. Unlike Slade's much later hit version this doesn't get as fast on the repetition of the verses, so should be less chaotic for all your drunk aunts and uncles to let go too.
Find out more at https://orgmusic.com/collections/vinyl-lp/products/glad-tidings-from-sun-records
