TOMMY NEWMAN'S CHILDRENS GROUP - "FROSTY THE SNOWMAN AND OTHER CHILDREN'S FAVORITES" - 1988 Golden Circle Cassette

Hello, Sanctum Dwellers! My deepest apologies for not being able to share anything over the past few weeks as originally intended; several hardships befell my family and friends, including a death in my family. Hopefully this upload can make up for it.

First off, I hope everyone who celebrates had a very Merry Christmas weekend!

What I'm sharing today is a cassette rip (Thank You, as always, Under Design) of a children's choir singing numerous Holiday staples. The music is credited to "Tommy Newman's Childrens Group", of which I can barely find any information outside of a second album dedicated to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

I can't find any information on Tommy himself. There's an award-winning composer and a theatre writer both with the same name, but I don't think this Tommy is either of them.

While this album seems sweet and innocent enough, there's a tiny bit of controversy that lies within the tracklisting. You may notice that it states "Gene Autry" in parentheses next to the "Frosty" track beginning Side B. Well, that's because that track is quite literally nothing more than a muffled recording of the actual "Frosty The Snowman" performed by Mr. Autry himself!

You see, this compilation was produced and distributed by Golden Circle, who were well-known in the 1980's and 1990's to put out bargain-priced counterfeit copies of already-released albums from other record labels. Remember coming across cheap cassettes at the gas station or low-tier grocery store with super-generic covers? Yep, those are the types of albums I'm talking about.

Because of this, I am purposefully omitting Track 6 from this archived upload, since that song can be legally purchased via the copyright holder(s) of Gene Autry's catalog at a variety of places online (and in much better quality, too!).

Hopefully this small stain on the album doesn't take away from the otherwise humble and straightforward recordings of an average children's choir merrily singing their way through Christmas classics.

Enjoy, and once again Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Internet Archive

192kbps CBR

"ANNABELLE'S WISH" - 1997 Soundtrack CD

It's December, and that means just like the past two years I'll be sharing something Holiday Season - related every Friday this month!

I'm kicking things off with the soundtrack to the long-forgotten TV movie "Annabelle's Wish".

Bits and pieces of this album are online, but not in its entirety, and definitely not for sale or streaming anywhere. That's a shame, because there are some great Country tunes here from Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Randy Travis, and more!

The entire movie is on YouTube if you'd like to watch it; it's your typical cutesy wholesome Holiday Fluff. And don't forget to grab the soundtrack afterwards! Enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

"ANNIE'S CHRISTMAS" - 1982, 1992 CBS / Sony Storybook CD

Even though Christmas is over, I did still promise a Holiday upload every Friday this December, so let's have one more rare story before 2022 begins!

"Annie's Christmas" is a 30-minute story featuring everyone's favorite redheaded orphan, and was originally released by CBS Records in 1982. What we have here is the cleaned-up 1992 re-release on CD by Sony Music Special products.

While I'm personally not a big fan of "Annie", I am a sucker for anything narrated by William Woodson!

Please note that this story is not the same as the later-released animated TV special.

This is the last upload of 2021; I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you've enjoyed all of the oddities and obscurities shared here throughout the year! Happy New Year, everyone!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

256kbps VBR

"A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS" - 1977 Buena Vista Read-Along Record

It just isn't Christmas without this story... and here's a version that's rarely heard.

Everyone knows the classic TV special by now, but there have been numerous adaptations over the years. This version, released in 1977 via Disney and Buena Vista (under the specialized "Charlie Brown Records" line), has never been fully digitized until now.

Oddly enough, MouseVinyl seems to have all of the other releases in the "Charlie Brown Records" series, except this one. Well, I guess it's up to me to fill in that gap; and it wasn't easy...

My copy was in rough shape, as I repeatedly listened to it during Christmastime as a kid. And before that, my mother would listen to it. I set out looking for a pristine copy to digitize... and the only sealed copy I came across was in Italy. It took almost 2 MONTHS to finally arrive at my doorstep.

I sent it away to the great folks at Under Design and they came back with this crisp, beautiful copy shared here.

To me, this is a perfect story to enjoy on Christmas Eve. I know I've enjoyed it for close to 40 years, and I hope you will, too. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

 

"NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMASTIDE" - North Star Records 1986, 1987 Instrumental CD

Here's a treat for everyone craving some lovely, classic-sounding instrumentals to play during their Holiday parties!

In February I shared the North Star Records album "The Wind In The Rigging" , a collection of Americana / Maritime / Folk standards played by a crew of extremely talented instrumentalists. Shortly afterwards, a Sanctum Dweller reached out to me with a rip of a follow-up from North Star called "New England Christmastide".

While I thanked this generous follower for sending me the music, the quality was on the lower side. However I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and set about trying to obtain a physical copy. I finally did late last month, and now I present the album to all of you in glorious 320k!

While it certainly isn't available for purchase anywhere digitally, it only seems to live on via YouTube videos and 30-second snippets on Internet Archive. I aim to remedy this issue with the copy I'm sharing.

Like its predecessor, this is a fantastic collection of songs if you enjoy this style of music. Please download and enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

"SID EFFECTS CHRISTMAS" - COMMODORE 64 HOLIDAY ALBUM

This isn't a rare album, per se, but it is one that I'd love to share so more people can discover it.

C64Audio.com, the site who produced a bunch of albums celebrating the music of the Commodore 64 system (including one I've already shared), released a Christmas album using the C64 SID chip setup.

It's 100% FREE via their website, and if you're a fan of Chiptune music, you may want to snag a copy.

You can download it HERE. Enjoy!

"THE CHRISTMAS TALE OF ALFIE THE ELF" - 1980 Pennywhistle Read-Along Record

If you want to hear a truly obscure, long-forgotten Christmas album, look no further than this humble little tale, "Alfie the Elf".

This story about an extremely tall Elf (which predates the Will Ferrell classic by several decades) whom finds and rescues Santa is... well, it's odd. But that's not to say it's bad, and it definitely has some interesting roots!

The words and music from "Alfie" were written by Dallas McKennon, a legendary voice actor who worked for over 5 decades, voicing everyone from Gumby, to Archie, to loads of Disney characters. In fact, if you look at the artwork within "Alfie"'s pages, you'll see that they used Dallas' likeness; from the long, hooked nose to the huge white beard!

If you're wondering who exactly "Pennywhistle Productions" is, I don't have a clue. I can't find any detailed information on them, and according to Discogs, "Alfie" is the only album they ever released.

"Alfie" is a very hard record to obtain, let alone in decent shape. I had a heck of a time cleaning this up, even after Under Design's stellar digitizing work. I apologize for the hefty amount of static; perhaps in the future I can find a copy in better condition.

Regardless, the end result is a now forever-archived copy of the story of one of Christmas' lesser-known heroes. Enjoy the Christmas Jamboree!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHIPMUNKS IN: SANTA HARRY" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

 

Hello everyone! I know I've been gone for quite some time, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about the blog... and it definitely doesn't mean I've run out of rare media to share!

Just like last year, I'm going to devote every Friday in December to sharing an obscure Holiday-themed album with all of you! And to kick things off, I have a super-clean copy of Kid Stuff Records' 1984 Read-Along "The Chimpunks in: Santa Harry"!

For those not old enough to remember, "Harry" was a recurring villain in the 1980's "Chipmunks" TV show. He'd use costumes and aliases to attempt to trick Alvin and the others - or basically anyone in general - into getting their money. He was your basic sleazy con artist, and one of his most memorable appearances was in the episode "Santa Harry", which aired in 1983.

This Kid Stuff Read-Along is basically a point-by-point re-telling of that episode, albeit without the well-known "Chipmunks" opening theme (unlike other Read-Alongs of that era, such as "The Chipmunks' Cruise").

This one's a real treat for any "Chipmunks" fan; enjoy and let's get the Holiday Season started!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Sanctum Dwellers! I hope we all have a much more joyous and prosperous year than 2020. Lots of OOP stories, music, and games to share in the coming weeks... so STAY TUNED!

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL" - 1977 Peter Pan Records Read-Along

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! To celebrate this joyous day of the year, here's the 24,376th adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol"!

Produced in 1977 by Peter Pan Records, this is about as straightforward an adaptation as you can get. If you thought "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was incredible with how they crammed the entire story into a half-hour, you'll be blown away by how this record squeezes the tale into a whopping eleven minutes... and that includes Peter Pan Records' trademark looooong pauses between pages!

Once again the initial digitization was provided by the awesome folks over and Under Design.

Happy Holidays, and ENJOY!

YouTube

Internet Archive

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192kbps CBR

"RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY CHRISTMAS FUN BOOK" 1981 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Depending on how you feel about Raggedy Ann & Andy, you could either find this record endearing or annoying.

The 1981 Read-Along set has a wonderful premise: Ann & Andy give the listener ideas for Christmas gifts that don't cost much (or any) money to show your loved ones that you care about them; things such as offering to do someone's chores for a week, or instructions on making homemade trinkets using items already around your house.

The execution, however, has a lot to be desired. The production on this record was so poor. Clipping can't be avoided, and the choices for Ann & Andy's voice-over artists are abysmal. The music is just a handful of notes pounded out on a piano for the duration of the record. The entire album feels like it was recorded in a single take (which, who knows, could be the truth).

If you or your little ones can power though these 7 minutes and get some cute Holiday gift ideas out of them, my hat is off to you!

YouTube

Internet Archive

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192kbps CBR

"THE STORY OF JINGLE BELLS" - 1987 Disneyland Records Read-Along Cassette

How does nobody have this available anywhere by now? It's absolutely adorable!

"The Story of Jingle Bells" was released by Disneyland Records & Tapes in 1987, and is the story of a horse named - you guessed it - Jingle Bells. The story exists as a vehicle to incorporate the classic Holiday tune, and includes the full song at the end (the exact same version Disney would also release on their "Sing-Along" VHS and DVD series).

It's a warm and fuzzy tale, with soothing narration and no major action outside of a horse race in the final third of the book. Absolutely perfect to sip some hot chocolate to while hanging out in the the living room with the kids on Christmas Eve. Give it a listen!

YouTube

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192kbps CBR

"FRIENDLY THE SNOWMAN" 1977 /1981 Peter Pan Read-Along Record

In honor of this festive season, every Friday this month I'll be sharing something related to Christmas! I'm starting off with one of my favorite Holiday records, 1977's "Friendly The Snowman", released by Peter Pan Records (and re-released in 1981).

My childhood copy was in absolutely horrible condition, and over the years it seems nobody anywhere has been able to digitize a copy that didn't sound like it was horribly scratched or covered in Vaseline. So I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a factory-sealed copy to digitize... and what resulted from this endeavor is the cleanest rip of this story ever to hit the Internet!

This charming little story is about a little boy named Michael who can't quite get the hang of ice skating, feels embarrassed to be around his brothers, and decides to build a snowman... and, yep, you guessed it, he comes to life and helps Michael overcome his fears of failure. It's simple, but it's sweet, and it's a very enjoyable tale.

The only gripe I had with this record growing up was something that ended up being a staple of Peter Pan Read-Alongs around this time period: extremely long pauses between pages. I mean exceptionally long. It almost felt like you could go to the bathroom after hearing the "turn the page" tone. So to help those who may have shared my pain, I'm including a "shortened" version of this record alongside the traditional rip, where I cut down the pauses between pages. It actually removed a solid 30+ seconds from the final MP3!

So without further ado, to kick off the Christmas season, here's "Friendly The Snowman"! Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

Soundcloud

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320kbps CBR