Stars (of Bethlehem) on 45!

WARNING! This post is Just Plain Weird! And a bit Profane! And downright Sacrilegious!

I'll admit… My own personal collection of Christmas records is pretty extensive and, as such, includes some pretty bizarre items. These 45 rpm records, though, are from the collection of a friend who specializes in this sort of thing. Ranging from 1953 to 2002, I chose these records because I needed to rip copies for myself and then decided I'd share them with the rest of you.

The set includes the following:

Christmas Dragnet (Parts 1 & 2) by Stan Freberg - released in 1953 (and again in 1954 as "Yulenet"), this comedic piece was composed & performed by Stan Freberg and Daws Butler. The music is by Walter Schumann and the Orchestra is conducted by Nathan Scott. It was included, as one track, on Dr. Demento's "Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time" in 1989.

Rock and Roll Christmas b/w New Year's Eve Party by George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Side A is a really rockin' blast of Holiday Merriment. The little heard Side B is one lame blues tune, boy howdy.

Bizarre Christmas Incident b/w Lonely Christmas Eve by Ben Folds - This single was pieced together using two previously released songs in 2003.

The Little Drummer Boy b/w Blue Christmas by Miracle Legion - Side A was featured on Rhino's "New Wave Christmas - Just Can't Get Enough" in 1996. Side B is nice, but includes a rather long verbal Holiday Greeting and introduction of the band, which is probably why it hasn't been released since this single came out in 1985. That's all I know about this band. You can read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Legion if you want to.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree b/w Blue Christmas by Dora Hall - Dora was, perhaps, the Ultimate Vanity Artist. Her husband, Leo Hulseman, was the founder of the Solo Cup Company and had so much money that he, apparently, didn't know what to do with it and, so, paid to produce as many records as Dora felt the need and/or desire to record (at least 17 lps and a list of 45 rpm singles about a mile long). None of these records was ever sold. They were distributed freely to anyone unlucky enough to buy a pack of plastic cups when there was a stack of them nearby. Anyone who ever responded by using the "Enroll Me As A Member of the Dora Hall Fan Club" coupon that often appeared on her single's picture sleeves were automatically sent future releases by mail.

White Christmas by '63 Mönröe - A Glam Punk band from London Ontario. Side B is a Monophonic version of the same song (for airplay on Monophonic AM Radio stations) so I didn't bother including it here.

Fuck Christmas b/w (Beep) Christmas by Fear - The Ultimate Punk Rock Christmas Tune! The "Unclean" version on Side A is backed by a "Clean" version for Radio Airplay that has not been re-released to my knowledge.

White Christmas b/w Blue Christmas by Atomic 61 - Noise Punk band from Portland. This Screams!

Various Artists: Christmas Stars on 45 (Various 45rpm Singles)

1. Stan Freberg w/ Daws Butler & Orchestra - Christmas Dragnet Part 1
2. Stan Freberg w/ Daws Butler & Orchestra - Christmas Dragnet Part 2
3. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Rock and Roll Christmas
4. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - New Year's Eve Party
5. Ben Folds - Bizarre Christmas Incident
6. Ben Folds - Lonely Christmas Eve
7. Miracle Legion - The Little Drummer Boy
8. Miracle Legion - Blue Christmas
9. Dora Hall - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
10. Dora Hall - Blue Christmas
11. '63 Mönröe - White Christmas
12. Fear - Fuck Christmas
13. Fear - (Beep) Christmas
14. Atomic 61 - White Christmas
15. Atomic 61 - Blue Christmas

Make sure your MP3 Player is set to play at 45rpm for best results!