It is with mixed feelings that we hear that vinyl phonograph records are returning. It is good news because the sound is so much better than the overly compressed music they have been producing for the past couple of decades, but on the other hand so many of us have hauled those wonderful old cabinet stereos off to the dump.
Most homes had the combination turntable, AM/FM radio receiver and maybe even an 8-track player, all installed in a mahogany cabinet that took up a large portion of the living room or den. We could stack four or five LP records on the turntable and have hours of uninterrupted, commercial-free music.
In our house at Christmas time, we would dig to the bottom of the pile of records and bring out all the Christmas classics. We would sing along with Mitch Miller and the Gang’s Christmas Favourites as we decorated the tree. Everyone had a copy of the all-time best-selling White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
We would frown when Mom would put on Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs or Arthur Godfrey strumming his ukulele, but we could always counter with Elvis’ Christmas album as long as Dad wasn’t home.
My aunt and uncle had the sound track to White Christmas and Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sounded like they were right there in the room, booming out of those big cabinet speakers.
Music was and is a big part of the Christmas season for many and often one song might bring back a flood of memories about a loved one, a special moment or a special place. It is good to hear that the pure sounds to go along with memories are returning.
There are lots of Christmas specials airing now, starring new singers, and sometimes I have to listen to the song for a minute before I recognize it. They seem to want to change the tempo, add or subtract lyrics or make a big production out of a simple carol.
There were Christmas specials that we all had to watch. Andy Williams would bring on his brothers and the Maguire sisters or the Osmonds and an hour of pure harmony would declare that it was The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
For Canadian content we never missed the Christmas specials of our own icons. Tommy Hunter, Canada’s Country Gentleman, would sing along with the Rhythm Pals, Anita Shear and many great Canadian performers.
We surely had to be quiet when Don Messer’s Jubilee presented their Christmas Special. Don Messer and His Islanders would lead off the show with Goin to the Barn Dance Tonight, then share the stage with newcomers like Stompin Tom or that young Anne Murray girl from back home in Nova Scotia.
Charlie Chamberlain would belt out Christmas in Killarney and then team up with Marg Osburne on Go Tell it on the Mountain.
There were many artists who would produce a Christmas show. Liberace, Garry Moore, Rita MacNeil, and Anne Murray would all have a special show and we circled those dates in our TV Guides.
I think it’s great that vinyl is on the comeback, now we just have to resurrect some of the old singers to record again, because they know how to put the feeling into the music. There should be a law that only Gene Autry can sing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. At least that’s what McGregor says.
