A CHEESY GIVEAWAY XMAS LP IPOD PLAYLIST (Compliments of your local Desdinova blogger)

It is one of those retro pop culture artifacts that is pretty much worthless, except for extreme collectors. Not that there aren't those who collect them, but they are not a high value item. They are complimentary, premium or free giveaway Christmas music compilation LPs.

Sometime in the early 60s, a record company marketing consultant thought up the idea of having a "sampler" of his companies Christmas LPs given away by a major retail chain. The only one interested was Goodyear Tire dealers. If you got your tires rotated or bought a new set of tires, you got a free Christmas LP. Even if you did buy tires, you could buy the LP at a modest price (usually a dollar). It was an immediate success. Naturally, Goodyear's competitor, Firestone, decided they had to do the same thing. By the end of the decade, the complimentary, premium or giveaway Christmas LP was everywhere, from banks, insurance companies, restaurants, pharmacies, supermarkets, department and hardware stores.

However, the premium Christmas LP died out by the mid 70s. Christmas LPs fell out of vogue and premium LPs were hurt by the rising price of records in general. The Christmas premium compilations came back in the form of CDs and as recording artist began recording Christmas albums again. Granted, unlike the original LP of the 60s, the CDs were rarely free but were cheaper than most new CDs (usually $4).

Looking at the performers featured on these LPs, it becomes clear that they were aimed an older audience. These LPs are a who's who of MOR/easy listening radio artist of the 60s and early 70s. Always included was about two or three classical/opera artist or large choirs doing a sacred Christmas carols. Although the LPs of the 70s interspersed the MOR performers with country music stars and a few bubble-gum teen idols, they were mainly MOR artist on these LPs.

Another thing that bugged me as a child, was how these LPs never featured that version of the song that you heard on the radio or TV. Part of this was due to the fact that one record label was contracted to produce these LPs. In those days, the record labels were all different companies, not owned by one or two big conglomerates. The kids who have grown up with the NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS CDs will never know the frustration of your parents owning a Christmas LP with Hank Locklin or Sandler & Young singing "Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer" instead of Gene Autry or Burl Ives.

Even stranger was when an artist known for a particular Christmas song was one the LP, but not singing THAT song they were famous for. A perfect example of this is Bing Crosby. He would appear on these LPs, but NOT singing "White Christmas." Maybe Tony Bennett or Andy Williams would sing that, but not Bing. Speaking of Andy Williams, he won't be singing "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" on these, but Robert Goulet or Jim Nabors might. Sometimes the liner notes (if there were any) would try to smooth things over with a comment like "Millions have fallen in love with "The Christmas Shoes" by NewSong. On this LP, we have included a version by Ted Nugent."

Some artist were staples of these LPs: The Three Suns, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, The Ray Conniff Singers, the Robert Shaw Corale, the Hollyridge Strings, Robert Goulet, Jerry Vale, Kate Smith, Mitch Miller, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, John Gary, Norman Luboff Choir, Andre Kostelanetz and Tennessee Ernie Ford. 

According to friends who are record collectors, these LPs are not worth anything except for sentimental value on the record collecting market. The reason is they were inexpensive and abundant and only played one time a year. Also most of the songs have been reissued on CD. According to some websites there is a cult of collectors and fans of these Christmas LPs.

So, I have decided to give you an Ipod playlist in the style of the old premium/giveaway Christmas LPs. This is compliments of your local Desdinova blogger. Merry Christmas from all of us and thank you for your patronage. 

 
We Wish You A Merry Christmas-André Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
Silver Bells-Andy Williams
Winter Wonderland-Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra
Frosty The Snowman-Billy Idol
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree-Brenda Lee
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer-Dean Martin
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas-Doris Day
Sleigh Ride-Ferrante & Teicher
White Christmas-Frank Sinatra With The Bobby Tucker Singers
The Little Drummer Boy-Harry Simeone Chorale
Jingle Bells-The Hollyridge Strings
Blue Christmas-Jerry Vale
Joy to the World-Jim Nabors
Get Lost Jack Frost-The John Barry Seven
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas-Johnny Mathis
Do You Hear What I Hear-Kate Smith
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing-The Lennon Sisters
The Christmas Song-Linda Ronstadt
O Come All Ye Faithful-Luther Vandross
O Holy Night-Mahalia Jackson
Here Comes Santa Claus-The Mills Brothers
Hooray For Santa Claus-Milton Delugg Orchestra
Deck The Halls-Mitch Miller & The Gang
What Child Is This-The Moody Blues
The Christmas Waltz-Nancy Wilson
All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)-Nat King Cole
The Twelve Days Of Christmas-The Norman Luboff Choir
Happy Holiday-Peggy Lee
We Need a Little Christmas-Percy Faith
The First Noel-Plácido Domingo & Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Christmas Trumpets-Ray Anthony
Here We Come A-Caroling-Ray Conniff Singers
Medley - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow / Count Your Blessings / We Wish You A Merry Christmas-Ray Conniff Singers
Christmas Day-Robert Goulet
Away In A Manger-The Starlight Orchestra & Singers
Carol Of The Bells-The Starlight Orchestra & Singers
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town-Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme
Silent Night-The Temptations
O' Tannenbaum (Christmas Tree)-The Three Suns
My Favorite Things-Tony Bennett
I'll Be Home For Christmas-Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band
Jingle Bell Rock-Wayne Newton
      

WHY IS IT NO LONGER OK TO BE OK?

I don't like to do the whole "why-can't-things-be-like-they-used-to-be" shtick, because when dig deep most of the stuff people are longing for is still with us or a collective fantasy memory spread by talk radio show host, televangelist or bad Facebook memes. However, when I speak of something that has changed for the worst, I tend to pick something that really needs to be addressed that nobody else is even talking about. When did we turn being "OK" or "okay" into a bad thing?

When I was growing up "OK" or "okay" meant good or great. Chevrolet dealers used the term OK for its used lots (the sign is pictured above) and a popular self-help book was entitled "I'm OK, You're OK." This old laxative commercial from the 60s used "OK" as something positive.

At some point, within the past few years, "OK/okay" has become a dirty word with the service industry. Servers in restaurants, tellers in banks and salespeople in grocery and department stores seem to be offended if  when they ask "How are you doing?" you answer "OK/okay." They want to force you to upgrade your mood or condition. This seems to happen more with large national chains. The worst offender is Chilis. I love the food and the service - except when they scold you for saying the food or my life at the moment is "Just okay?!?!"  I'm sorry, when I say "OK/okay," it means "great," "terrific" or "wonderful." It is not an insult. Target is also bad about doing this.

The stupidity of this was driven home to me a few nights ago. I went to Hy-Vee to buy my groceries. As I was walking in, a Hy-Vee employee was walking out to the parking lot.

"How are you tonight, sir?" he said.

"OK," I answered, because I was feeling good and content with life at that moment.

"JUST OK?!?!" he snapped.

What did this little dweeb want me to say? "OMG! I AM MARVELOUS! I AM IN ECSTASY! I AM ABOUT TO PEE MY PANTS IN EXCITEMENT BECAUSE I'M GOING IN TO HY-VEE TO BUY STUFF TO EAT!!!" or would he want me to say, "To tell you the truth, my life is Hell. My wife left me, I have terminal cancer and I was just fired from my job. Thanks for wanting me to fake joy." Since this is a pet peeve of mine, I snapped back, "Yes, just okay!"

Later, I'm in the check-out line when this employee walks up with a grey-haired lady and two cucumbers (or two zucchini, not really sure) and says to the guy checking me out, "We are going to have to give these to that lady for the lower price because blah, blah, blah. Now I have to go back out to clean up that mess in the parking lot because blah, blah, blah."

I pay and take my grocery bags to my car. The guy walks past me on his way back into the store and he says to me, "I hope your life improves before you come back to our store." WTF?!?! Apparently, my typical easy-going nonchalant attitude upset Grumpy Gus, who was about to have a meltdown over a messy parking lot and the price of produce, so he was going to punish me for not being happier than he was. If he was in such a fowl mood, would he want me to come in to Hy-Vee dancing and singing like the guy in the pink suit at the end of Groove Tube?

In the 70s, the trend in customer service was to say "Have a nice day." It became so associated with that decade that Rhino records in the 90s released a compilation of kitschy singles from the 70s entitled "Have a Nice Day." As time wore on, a common complaint became that when a supermarket checker, fast-food worker or bank teller said to a customer, "Have a nice day" they may not know the circumstances of the customer's life at that moment: such as saying the phrase to a person who just lost a spouse. That could defiantly be said for saying "Just OK?!?!" to a customer. It is kind of like the employee is secretly saying, "I don't care if your child has leukemia or you had to file for bankruptcy, the corporate office demands that I force you to be overly happy! So help me, Pharrell Williams!" At least, "have a nice day" sounded pleasant. Asking "just OK?!?!" has a rude arrogance to it.

Think of it this way, you are happy when a doctor or EMT says you or a loved one is "OK/okay," so why should a business expect a customer to be more than "OK/okay."

Of course, my opinions are why I am considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 

INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ADS FROM 1959

I featured these in 2008 on the old blog. The two liquor ads come from a 1959 Lebanon Daily Record. The ads for Cranks Drug Store and Woolworths are from 1959 Springfield News Leader. As with anything I did at that time, it upset some people here in Springfield. Lebanon has always had a better sense of humor about this stuff.
Here are somethings I find funny about this:

• Mr. Magoo pitching beer.
• Woolworths is having a "gay Xmas."
• Cranks is also celebrating "Xmas."
• Cranks and other retail stores in the 50s seem to always have a sale on Milk of Magnesia and women's underpants (3-for-1) the same week. Is there a correlation? 

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