Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Title: Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??
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Date Posted：12/29/2013 06:51:09Copy HTML

I love the build up to Christmas but I hate the sudden 'drop off' as soon as the day passes. I like to slide out of the holiday the same way that I slid into it. I still play the music, watch some movies...but I let it fade out into the New Year.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：12/29/2013 07:00:14Copy HTML

I detest it! Thank God for DVD's, DVR's, IPOD's, MP3's etc! I start letting down easy after New Year's Day and don't start taking the decorations down until after Epiffany. I must confess that I listen to Christmas music off and on ALL year! Hope your holidays are/were happy!

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：12/29/2013 09:23:40Copy HTML

Christmas was great, thank you. I just don't want it to end so quickly.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/01/2014 02:46:40Copy HTML

We tried something different this year,  so today is New Years Eve,  we went to Bronners Christmas Store in Frankenmuth Michigan.   (been commented about in another topic on this site)  it has to be one of the largest all year round Christmas stores anywhere.

Thought it might be neat going after Christmas,  we have only been there in the past in Summer and Fall and it is usually packed.

But this year going when we did it was like going grocery shopping right after Thanksgiving Dinner.   

While it was still spectacular to look at ,   there was nothing that said,  you must have me.   Another after Christmas let down.

Steve aka OGO =Oh Great One

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/01/2014 04:05:32Copy HTML

There's a name for this.  It's called post-Christmas crash.  It happens every year.  Bowl games and NFL playoffs have always helped me slide out of Christmas and into the New Year.

I love the Christmas season and the music, but it's just not the same after Dec 25.  Just my feeling, nothing more.  I don't listen to Christmas music once the holiday season has passed.  I choose to embrace it once again the following November like a long lost friend.

Music Choice is still playing traditional Christmas music on its "Sounds of the Season" channel.  Not sure when it will end, but I think probably this weekend.  MC started playing Christmas music Nov 2.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/02/2014 12:23:19Copy HTML

I hate it too.  I try to keep some Christmas items out all year round and try to keep The Spirit of Christmas alive 365 days a year.  I really hate that on Midnight December 26th. that our local radio station stop playing Christmas music and often right in the middle of a Christmas song they go back to their regular genre.

I also listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies throughout the year and though I do listen and watch other genre too.

I also start counting down to next years Christmas at Midnight December 26th.  So you know you are addicted to Christmas when you do things like this.

I do feel sad that the radio stations don't continue playing Christmas music until The Epiphany

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/02/2014 03:28:52Copy HTML

Well one way to look at it .     Today is Nine Ladies Dancing   

Oh well doesnt work for me either

Steve aka OGO =Oh Great One

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/03/2014 10:05:35Copy HTML

FWIW, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will remain lit until this Tuesday, January 7.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:46:17Copy HTML

I don't do sports these days, so that doesn't help me ease off at all. Normally I feel relatively OK with packing everything up in January, but I get the feeling it's going to be abnormally depressing this year.

For me, New Years Eve has always been like a second holiday because it brings with it more festive gatherings. We're more of the "go to someone's house and have old-fashiond fun" than the "go downtown to a bar and get completely plastered" types. And in some cases, because my family has dwindled in numbers in recent years, and it's more normal to spend NYE with close friends instead of family, New Years often feels MORE like classic Christmas than Christmas does for me now, at least when it comes to gatherings.

From a more TECHNICAL perspective, it makes little sense to tear things 
down so quickly after the the 31st (and in some cases the 25th). 'Old Christmas Day' AKA Epiphony (the Feast of the Three Kings) is January 6. If you count to that from Solstice (Dec 21) you've got... DING DING DING, Twelve Days of Christmas!

It's probably driven more by commercialism than anything. I wasn't around in the first half of last century, but I figure stores weren't so quick to get rid of holiday stuff after Dec 25th. But that's probably also because they weren't so quick to put up holiday stuff on Nov 1.

I shop for Christmas gifts all year, and my brain is already wired to keep my eyes open for anything that someone might want. The lights are still on, as is the music. And we just had an epic snow storm which just put me in more of a mood.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 07:08:37Copy HTML

I don't hate it, I prefer to keep Christmas at its time -- a 2-4 weeks leading up to the 25th, then a week or so after is cool by me too. But I loathe seeing Valentine's stuff at the stores already.

I'm catching up on my Xmas movies, shows, etc., now though, as I really didn't have much time leading up to Christmas to watch much - nor listen to much. The best time this season has been since 12/31 until this Sunday - time off from work still and done with holiday traveling and get-togethers. I'll probably still be tossing on some stuff for a couple more weeks, time permitting, but it gets harder. My partner is the type that, once the 25th has finished, he's done with Christmas. He's loosened up a little over the years, but I don't make him "suffer" thru my mini film fests and whatnot.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:02:13Copy HTML

I mean to add, that on Christmas Eve Day, another thing that is a huge let down for me, is the stores are already clearing the shelves of the "Big Ticket Items"  Such as the expensive Blow-up outdoor decorations, the music machines, and the very expensive artificial Christmas trees, so they don't "Lose" money.  They start putting all the "Low Cost" items on shelves all close together, at reduced prices.

So the "After Christmas Sales" where you hope to get some of the more expensive decorations ans things, for half price or less, they don't leave them out.  This has only been happening for about the last 10 years.  It used to be they wanted to get rid of everything possible, so that they wouldn't have to restock them in the warehouses, and now they do.  So you can't get the really expensive things at half price.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:53:52Copy HTML

Very interesting topic.  "post-Christmas crash", "post-Christmas blues" or whatever you want to call it, I definitely suffer from it.  And it seems to be getting worse with each passing year.  The Christmas season (for me, day after Thanksgiving to Three Kings) is by far my favorite time of the year.  This has been true ever since I was a kid.  I've always looked at it as a small "break" from reality.  For the last several years with a combination of company days off and personal vacation days I usually take the last two weeks of the year off, which is really nice.  This year I had a 16 day vacation and I'm actually looking forward to going back to work on Monday... ha!
I have always looked at Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve/Day as one big holiday.  I always expect to see some kind of Christmas decorations wherever I find myself on New Year's.  Unless there is some family tragedy, I will NEVER take my Christmas decorations down before Three Kings Day (actually taking big tree down tomorrow 1/5 due to convenience, but I will leave small tree and other decorations up for another week or so).  Actually, a few years ago the end of the Christmas season felt a bit more sad than usual so I came up with a concept that helped.  I removed all of the ornaments and other decorations from my small Christmas tree and just called it a "Winter Tree".  This way I still had the nice soft glow of the white lights throughout my living room.  One year I left it up until March! 

I will continue to play Christmas music for another several weeks.  After Christmas I find that I enjoy mostly instrumental and choir music.  It seems to put me in a more relaxed mood.  I purchased a double CD compilation from Amazon a few years ago called "Christmas Adagios" which I love.  (The CD covers are really nice too.)  I also listen to "Christmas Carols"  from The King's College Choir of Cambridge.  There are a few more nice titles in my playlist as well including music from Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Anyway... it helps to talk about it with other people who feel the same.  Genoman, thanks for bringing it up!  I used to think I was going a little nutty... haha.  It's nice to know there are other people out there with a deep love for Christmas.

Happy New Year!

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 05:07:23Copy HTML

Well as of Noon, January 4, Music Choice is still going strong with Christmas music although it remains to be seen how long that will last.
Hey....there is no law saying that one can't play Christmas music throughout the year....or watch Christmas themed films. 

I certainly agree with those who like to put it aside finally and welcome it's return in November. But to suddenly drop it after December 25 is like asking a friend to visit and then shoving them out of the front door after coffee.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/04/2014 06:39:15Copy HTML

@Susan: What you say about the expensive stuff being pulled off the shelves immediately is interesting. I wonder if that has something to do with what kind of long-term storage certain stores have access to? Around here, Home Depot and Lowes had their holiday shelves completely bare on the 26th. But the local Walmart still has their Christmas section up at an unbelievable discount. I just bought "Light Show" Christmas lights for the first time. Normally I just pass it by because they're way too expensive, but when they're being sold at 75% off? Yeah, it's a good day to stockpile Christmas decorations.

@YuleLog&EggNog: "Winter" decorations are a thing around here too. Once the Christmas decorations are done, winter decorations come out. Lots of white, blue and silver. Blue lights, icicles, etc. We normally have a winter tree that stays up until the March thaw, but never got to do it this year. And we're the same on the music selection. I have a bunch of "New Age" instrumental Christmas CD's that have classic songs, but deviate far enough from the original that they don't completely feel like Christmas. The Narada Christmas albums, for example. And Crystal Winter 1 & 2 by the long-since defunct 'World Disc Music' company that was once trying to topple 'Solitudes' as the king of ambient music. Ever since my teen years in the 90's, I played the Crystal Winter soundtracks all season long. Absolutely loved taking drives in snowstorms with that music playing. So relaxing. But then... Winter itself has always felt like a really long holiday to me. Not only was it always my favorite season anyhow (hey, it's got Christmas and New Years and if I'm lucky, Thanksgiving too) but it also brought with it all those lovely unexpected one-day vacations.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/05/2014 07:02:01Copy HTML

Genoman,

Sirius/XM appears to have gotten rid of their Christmas Music Channels, but Dish Network still has 3 Christmas Music Channels:  Viva La 
Navidad  and Traditional Holidays (AUD20) and Holiday Pop (MUZK2)

Warlock,

I haven't been to Lowes or Home Depot or other stores, but while I was at Rite-Aid on December 24th, they were already putting away the more expensive Christmas items, and the same thing at our Walmart.  I was at Walmart again today, and all that they have out for Christmas, is ornaments, lights, small trees, wrapping paper, cards, and odds and ends, but all the large or expensive things are not out and again, they too were already putting those items on pallets so you know they weren't going to be out for December 26th, After Christmas Sales.

It is a shame because they really aren't losing money to begin with.  Even on Black Friday, they actually have the regular price marked up much higher, so the sale price on Black Friday, is basically the price you would pay even it if it wasn't Black Friday.

I used to work for a company and I saw how much things actually cost and how much of a Mark Up they do for the retail price.  But the stores here do put the larger/more expensive Christmas items away on Christmas Eve Day.

Walmart already had some Lawn and Garden stuff out in the "Seasonal" area of the store where part of the section is outdoors.  I saw bags of Peat Moss and even Lawn Mowers  in the inside section today.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/06/2014 01:28:09Copy HTML

Just checked. Music Choice still playing Christmas music. But I always have wi-fi radio for when they stop. Plenty of Christmas music stations year 'round.
I got rid of my XM radio but always enjoyed their holiday music. The traditional stuff.


Still catching the occasional holiday themed movie on tv.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/06/2014 02:02:00Copy HTML

@Genoman

One thing I do between Christmas Night and New Year's Eve is to give a few favorite CDs one more listen before I put Christmas away for another year.  The last Christmas CD I play each year is that evergreen classic, "Music of Christmas" by Percy Faith.  It's also the one I play when I light up my tree for the first time each year.  Nothing says 'Christmas' more than that album does.  Whether on The Yule Log broadcast, the old WPAT-FM or on the stereo from the next room, "Music of Christmas" has been part of the holiday for me since childhood.

Holiday observances and traditions can vary in different parts of the country.  My late cousin (RIP John) lived in the Atlanta area for a few years in the early 90s.  He told me that in the South, Christmas and New Year's are not thought of as linked together as they are in much of the rest of the country.  Christmas decorations start to disappear from malls and government buildings on Dec 26.  By New Year's Eve, not a single decoration can be found.  Only in the Atlanta suburbs where many transplants from the Northeast and Midwest live will you find Christmas lights and decorations in full bloom through New Year's.  I couldn't imagine no decorations on Dec 26!  How depressing!  I usually keep mine up through New Year's Day.

Lastly, one thing about being a sports fan is that you're always looking forward to the next season.  The NFL Playoffs will ease my way through January.  And yes, there's one more unofficial holiday, Super Bowl Sunday.  Soon after, pitchers and catchers report to MLB camps in Florida and Arizona.

Christmas, I'll see ya next November!

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/06/2014 05:43:49Copy HTML

I can't remember if I mentioned this before or not a few years ago when a similar topic came up or if it was on another Christmas message board I belong to.
I remember that around the second week of December, the radio stations would gradually start playing Christmas music, but maybe 1 or 2 songs an hour and slowly start adding more songs as Christmas got closer.  Then on Christmas Day, it was all Christmas music, usually sponsored by a bank or other agency, and then *poof* at Midnight, December 26th., they would go back to their regular genre as I previously mentioned above.
There was another topic a few years back about when radio stations started playing Christmas music after Thanksgiving and then even earlier, but I don't remember how far back that topic is. One of our local radio stations starts playing All Christmas music when Delilah does being she is syndicated on their station.  But the other local stations will start later, and of about 20 stations I know of, only 4 play Christmas music.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/07/2014 03:11:51Copy HTML

@log fan....ah yes! The old WPAT. I remember it well. Sigh. That was where I used to get my Hollyridge Strings fix. 
I have the Percy Faith 'Christmas Melodies' cd that I bought in the 80's. Always a favorite. Love the cover. I also have the 'Christmas Is..' cd. I need The Music of Christmas album but I want it in mono.

I'm thinking of giving the 1965 Nutcracker hosted by Eddie Albert another look. Brings me right back to the 60's and childhood Christmas. Thank God that Warner Archive put that out.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/09/2014 12:34:57Copy HTML

@Genoman

Not sure if you're aware of it but "Music of Christmas" is available in mono on a CD set that was released in 2012.  It's a Percy Faith two-CD set, "The Complete Music of Christmas".  It contains the original 1954 "Music of Christmas" album in mono and Mr. Faith's 1958 album, "Hallelujah!" in stereo.  The original artwork for both albums appears as well.  "Hallelujah" was reissued in 1965 as "Music of Christmas, Vol 2".

I have both the 1954 mono and 1959 stereo versions of "Music of Christmas" and I'm not sure which one I like better.  I do prefer the artwork on the 1954 release.  

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/09/2014 04:50:25Copy HTML

That CD happened in 2012 as a result of my suggestion to Gordon Anderson (Co-Founder/President of Real Gone Music) to release Hallelujah on CD (click here). However, it was not my suggestion to Gordon to release the 1954 Mono version of Music Of Christmas with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set. Gordon only did that because the rights to the original 1954 Mono recording of Music Of Christmas was available for lease from the Sony vault. However, as I pointed out in the fourth paragraph of my opening post on my announcement thread, I was grievously disappointed.

Besides myself, the other two leading experts on Percy Faith in the world, Alan Bunting and Bill Halverson, were disappointed as well. In fact, so much so that Alan (a former producer with the BBC) painfully declined my offer to him to write the CD's liner notes. But I couldn't blame him, because I couldn't do it as well (click here and see the last paragraph on my second post of 11/14/12).

As I have said many times on this message board before, including in that aforementioned fourth paragraph on my announcement thread, the original 1954 Mono recording -- while brilliant in its own right -- was nevertheless not only technologically  inferior to the 1959 re-recording (because of the lack of Stereo) but most importantly, also artistically inferior to the later masterful and definitive 1959 Stereo re-recording.

What I ideally wanted (as did Alan and Bill) was to get the rights to the 1959 Stereo re-recording of Music Of Christmas and give it a proper remastering and then release it with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set. However, as I have also said many times before, Sony will never relinquish the printing rights to the 1959 Stereo re-recording of Music Of Christmas to another record company as they are very protective of Mr. Faith's Christmas material -- especially the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which, by the way, has never been out-of-print since its release 55 years ago in 1959. Sony will probably never stop printing the 1959 album themselves, as it is just too much of a money-maker for them given its legendary status.

The one silver lining with the 2012 CD was that Gordon's company, Real Gone Music, was the very first company to release the original 1954 recording with the original 1954 artwork. And it is a very famous one indeed. In fact, on my list of the greatest Christmas album covers of all-time, it ranks Number 2, second only to the classic cover for Fred Waring's 1955 Decca Christmas album 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, which sported a rendering by the great American artist Norman Rockwell called "Caught Napping" (a drawing of Santa and his elves discovering two small children sleeping in a chair Christmas Eve night). However, the 1954 Music Of Christmas artwork is very poignant as well: A drawing of a father playing Santa with his daughter sleeping in his arms.

By the way, one thing that I have never mentioned about the CD before is that on the back cover where Gordon thanks me, it gives the impression that I work with Sony Music, because in the same sentence he also mentions the folks at Sony. But that is not the case, as I work alone and independently, as a separate entity.

>>Gene, for the life of me, I am not sure why you said in your post of January 6th that you want Music Of Christmas in Mono; but notwithstanding, I would suggest very strongly to forget it and go for the Gold:  the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which is the recording that has now become so classic and legendary.

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/10/2014 09:37:36Copy HTML

I'm with you, Chip!  The 1959 stereo re-recording of Music of Christmas is definitely the Gold standard.  As I mentioned in another post, my mother bought the 1954 45 EP edition, which was where I became familiar with the poignant artwork that album is known for.  I used to think it was the real Santa!  We never had either the 1954 mono or 1959 stereo editions.  Today I own both of them on CD.  Having both editions is like reclaiming lost treasures of childhood.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：01/14/2014 12:10:09Copy HTML

Dear Folks-

(Sorry to take a while to check in; my holidays were 
complicated by the Midwest white-out and family illness.)

I consider 
myself richly blessed to have grown up loving both Christmases - Jesus's, and 
Santa's. I think they dovetail beautifully, and feel sorry for fundamentalists 
who try to lock out St. Nick, and secularists who do the same to Jesus. But even one of 
the people most responsible for raising me this way, my Mom, used to get 
depressed on Christmas evening because, "it's all over for another 
year..."

Not so!

As an intelligent Pastor taught me later in life, 
even the official church Christmas lasts until the Wise Men's arrival, January 
6th - Epiphany. And Mr. Dickens has shown me, by way of meeting and playing his 
character Ebenezer Scrooge, that we are best served when we, "honour Christmas 
in (our) heart, and try to keep it all the year... (living) in the Past, the 
Present, and the Future, the Spirits of all Three ... (striving) within 
us."

So, as that same Mom of mine has now done for a long time, visit the Yuletide a 
bit whenever you feel the need throughout the rolling year -whenever you "need a little Christmas, right this very minute!"

Blessed New 
Year to all, and to all a good night,
-Craig

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/03/2014 10:29:12Copy HTML

Hi Chip!!
I have no problem with the stereo re-record of The Music of Christmas, some of which I have on my 1985 Christmas Memories cd.

I enjoy mono recordings in most cases. It's the way that most people heard the album originally when decorating their trees and enjoying the holiday back in the mid-50's. Remember, at the time that the album was re-recorded that stereo sets in home were not common. It was a big deal for classical people and techno freaks. So much so that mono records in America weren't phased out until the late 60's. 

It's not so much a matter of one version being superior over another as much as it would be to hear it the way folks heard it historically. It's a totally different feel.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/04/2014 02:35:46Copy HTML

I would strongly disagree that the original 1954 recording had a "totally different feel." And so would my fellow colleague experts on Percy Faith, Alan Bunting and Bill Halverson.

 Percy Faith was such a master that the two recordings (which were actually 5 years apart) were almost identical. However, Mr. Faith did tweak the 1959 re-recording by making some slight and subtle changes to the tempo and to some of the arrangements which vastly improved the album.

 As for the original 1954 recording, if someone would like to hear it purely for historical purposes, that's perfectly fine and I would encourage it; but certainly not at the expense of never hearing and getting to know the superior 1959 re-recording (which has continuously been in print for 55 years now). And that's exactly why I was against (as was Alan and Bill) releasing it with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set.

 As for Monophonic records in general, while it is true that they weren't phased out until the late 1960s, by that time most of them were only Mono versions of new Stereo recordings. And that was also the case with Percy Faith's Music Of Christmas. In 1959, after Percy re-recorded the album in Stereo, Columbia Records took the original 1954 Mono recording completely out of circulation and released a Mono LP version of the new Stereo recording for the folks who didn't yet have Stereophonic equipment.

So like many albums of that era, there were two versions available to consumers: the Stereo version, and the Mono version of the Stereo recording. And for those out there that are too young to recall this, the price difference between the two LPs was usually about a dollar.

So in the end, the original 1954 Mono recording was only in print for a scant 5 years, versus the 55 years (and counting) for the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which is why the overwhelming majority of people today are only familiar with the later definitive recording.

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/11/2014 12:07:44Copy HTML

Don't forget that the TV sets playing the Yule Log were mono. Stereo tvs didn't come along until years later. So while they may have been hearing the mono 'fold' of the stereo, they were still hearing it in mono. Dedicated mono mixes were done as far as 1968 in the case of people like Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Paul McCartney did a promo mono mix of his album Ram in 1971.I think it's a matter of preference too. Jackie Gleason's 'Merry Christmas' is wonderful in mono. It's the only way to get it as far as I know. There is a 'feel' to it that lies in not only the music but in the fact that it's mono. Want to start a MAJOR discussion??? Ask any Beatles fan if they prefer the mono mixes over the stereo. :-) In fact they preferred  the mono themselves, so much so that they were in the studio for the mono mixes and left the stereo to George Martin and crew.

I'm definitely going to get the mono version along with Hallelujah. Given the weather that we have been having here in New Jersey in the past week, I would guess that it would fit right in. I think it's wonderful that they not only released the mono version but did so with the original cover.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/11/2014 01:03:38Copy HTML

I remember in the 1970's that the music was indeed in Stereo being simulcast on WPIX FM and I could be wrong, but the music track for the video tape may have been in Stereo, but they didn't have the capability of re-transmitting the audio via Stereo to TV's.  We turned off the TV sound and listened to the music in Stereo and I believe we had a Console TV/Stereo, so there was a speaker on both sides of the TV, and for TV Broadcast, the sound came out of both speakers but was in MONO, but when on Turntable or Receiver, the sound coming out of the speakers was in Stereo.

Chip would know better if the Stereo album was used for The Yule Log even in 1966.  Obviously, "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World" by "The Singing Angels" wasn't on the 1966 broadcast being the song wasn't released until 1971 or 1972.  I can't think straight right now because of something going on that has me preoccupied.   I am leaning more to 1972 though.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/11/2014 05:00:21Copy HTML

Gene:

I
 don't have to try to remember what went on back then, because I, like 
you, grew up during the 1960s. And anyone who is at all familiar with 
this message board knows categorically that I am a fierce critic of 
electronically-enhanced/re-channeled (simulated) stereo reproductions of
 original Mono recordings. This is exactly why with regard to Fred 
Waring, for example, I have strongly encouraged folks to purchase the original Mono LP versions of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and Christmas Time, as opposed to the later re-channeled simulated (fake) stereo LPs.

As for Jackie Gleason's 1956 Merry Christmas LP, it was never re-recorded by Jackie after the advent of Stereo technology. And I checked my archives, and Capitol Records did indeed later offer an electronically re-channeled simulated stereo LP version of
 the Mono recording. But again, as with all albums of this type, I 
would not recommend it and strongly suggest to folks to purchase the original Mono recording.

As for the Beatles, only the mixes were different, not
 the recordings. And as a Beatles fan, I quite agree that the Mono mixes
 of their recordings were indeed better and I prefer them.

But all this is far, far different than that of Percy Faith and his masterpiece Music Of Christmas, as the album was totally re-recorded with a decidedly improved performance artistically.





Susan:

Yes, that is absolutely correct: the version of Percy Faith's Music Of Christmas that was used on the Yule Log telecast was indeed the classic
 1959 Stereo re-recording. And yes, the simulcast of the Yule Log that 
aired on WPIX's sister radio station, WPIX 102 FM, was in full Stereo.

So
 for the folks at home (like my family and your family) who watched the 
Yule Log on TV augmented with the radio simulcast, they were indeed 
hearing the program in true Stereo notwithstanding the fact that there were no Stereo TVs at the time.

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/12/2014 10:41:53Copy HTML

Chip,
I see no reason why I can't have BOTH mono and stereo, do you????? :-)

I had forgotten about the simulcast on the radio.

On a side note, speaking of stereo tv, do you or anyone else remember an experiment with two stations in NYC where you had to put two tvs side by side and you had one guy on one channel talking to a guy on the other channel. If you weren't tuned to the other channel you only got one half of the conversation. I think they were in the same studio but each guy was broadcast on a different channel. It was stereo television but with the video. I think it was something like channel 11 & 13 or 9 & 11.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/13/2014 12:45:25Copy HTML

Absolutely not, Gene, and I have already said as such in the 3rd paragraph of my post of February 3rd on this thread. However, I will repeat it here yet again so that there is no misunderstanding: if someone would like to hear the original 1954 Mono recording purely for historical purposes, that's perfectly fine and I would encourage it; but certainly not
 at the expense of never hearing and getting to know the artistically (as well as technologically) superior 1959 Stereo
re-recording, which has continuously been in print for 55 years now.

With you in particular, Gene, you had indicated in your posts of January 6th and February 3rd that you had neither version of the album (1954 or 1959), and that the only songs from the 1959 version you had were on your Christmas Melodies compilation CD. So if it was a choice between the two, that is the reason I was trying to encourage you to purchase the definitive, classic -- and yes, legendary, 1959 Stereo re-recording.

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

Date Posted：02/13/2014 04:06:46Copy HTML

Gene,
I don't remember anything about that type of experiment with Stereo TV, but I do remember that they tried something similar with Stereo AM, and you needed 2 radios, and they were basically on the same frequency, just one degree off or something and you could hear the broadcast in Stereo.  I think for awhile they did actually come up with Stereo AM, but it didn't go off very well  I believe is was called C-quam AM Stereo Broadcasts, but I believe that is more along the lines of "Digital" transmission.  I know a lot of satellite receivers have an antenna input for picking up your local Digital TV Stations, and if you subscribed to Basic Cable, they have a Quam Tuner in them, and can pick up any signals broadcast by the Cable Company that you might not receive if you just had Basic Cable.

I am not an expert in this field, but was raised around electricity and electronics and learned a lot, but that was when I was much younger, and things have changed so much in recent years and not necessarily for the better when it comes to Digital TV, but I've talked about this in other threads, so I won't rehash it here.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

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Chip,
Side question.....

Did they put the mono lp out of print before they released the stereo or was there a point in time where they may have briefly existed in the bin together like Beatles mono/ stereo??

Susan.....I seem to recall the AM radio thing that you are talking about.

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

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Gene,

The original 1954 Mono LP version of Music Of Christmas (catalog #CL-588) was last printed in 1958. It was deleted from the Columbia Records catalog the next year when the newly recorded 1959 Stereo LP (catalog #CS-8176) was released. Also in 1959, Columbia released a Mono version of the new Stereo recording for the folks that did not yet have Stereophonic equipment (catalog #CL-1381).

By the way, in 1958 Columbia released a double-LP set called The Columbia Album Of Christmas Music (catalog #C2L-15). It included both Music Of Christmas and Hallelujah; and since it was released in 1958, the version of Music Of Christmas that it included was the Mono version. When the new Stereo version of Music Of Christmas was released the next year in 1959, Columbia never swapped out the Mono version for the Stereo for this double-LP package. Therefore, as a result, the original 1954 Mono version of Music Of Christmas was available for a few more years via this limited edition, special release double-LP package.

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Chip,
Thank you. Very interesting. 

I know that some late period (roughly 1968) albums with a dedicated mono mix were briefly available here in the U.S.with their stereo counterparts before the plug was pulled on mono here. 

It seems to be a very interesting period in the 10 years or so during the switch from mono to stereo with recordings made in mono, recordings MIXED in mono and mono recordings processed for stereo....and of course, as you have outlined here, recordings done specifically for stereo as well as recordings mixed in stereo.

Interesting that the special Columbia double-lp release foreshadows the recent cd release.

For an interesting mono/stereo comparison, check out Jackie Gleason's 'Velvet Brass' lp. Recorded at the same time, it had different miking techniques, different control rooms and different engineers for mono and stereo. The stereo has a 'closer' feel to it while the mono seems more 'dreamy'. Same session, different feel. Very cool.

Sorry to have taken this thread too far afield from my original topic, Chip! :-)

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

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Not at all, Gene; topics on threads often take various twists and turns in different directions.

By the way, no matter which way it's heard, Velvet Brass (one of Jackie's nineteen Billboard Top 20 LPs) is one of his best. 

Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com

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Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas??

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Once again, you speak wisely! :-)

Genoman
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Date Posted：12/29/2013 06:51:09Copy HTML I love the build up to Christmas but I hate the sudden 'drop off' as soon as the day passes. I like to slide out of the holiday the same way that I slid into it. I still play the music, watch some movies...but I let it fade out into the New Year.
RayClaus	Share to: #1
Rank：Silver Posts：58 From：USA Register：01/08/2010 02:42:43	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：12/29/2013 07:00:14Copy HTML I detest it! Thank God for DVD's, DVR's, IPOD's, MP3's etc! I start letting down easy after New Year's Day and don't start taking the decorations down until after Epiffany. I must confess that I listen to Christmas music off and on ALL year! Hope your holidays are/were happy!
Genoman	Share to: #2
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：12/29/2013 09:23:40Copy HTML Christmas was great, thank you. I just don't want it to end so quickly.
Steve_OGO	Share to: #3
Rank：Silver Posts：82 From：USA Register：12/25/2011 06:57:23	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/01/2014 02:46:40Copy HTML We tried something different this year, so today is New Years Eve, we went to Bronners Christmas Store in Frankenmuth Michigan. (been commented about in another topic on this site) it has to be one of the largest all year round Christmas stores anywhere. Thought it might be neat going after Christmas, we have only been there in the past in Summer and Fall and it is usually packed. But this year going when we did it was like going grocery shopping right after Thanksgiving Dinner. While it was still spectacular to look at , there was nothing that said, you must have me. Another after Christmas let down. Steve aka OGO =Oh Great One
log_fan	Share to: #4
Rank：Platinum Posts：274 From：USA Register：12/26/2006 08:26:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/01/2014 04:05:32Copy HTML There's a name for this. It's called post-Christmas crash. It happens every year. Bowl games and NFL playoffs have always helped me slide out of Christmas and into the New Year. I love the Christmas season and the music, but it's just not the same after Dec 25. Just my feeling, nothing more. I don't listen to Christmas music once the holiday season has passed. I choose to embrace it once again the following November like a long lost friend. Music Choice is still playing traditional Christmas music on its "Sounds of the Season" channel. Not sure when it will end, but I think probably this weekend. MC started playing Christmas music Nov 2.
Christmas Always	Share to: #5
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/02/2014 12:23:19Copy HTML I hate it too. I try to keep some Christmas items out all year round and try to keep The Spirit of Christmas alive 365 days a year. I really hate that on Midnight December 26th. that our local radio station stop playing Christmas music and often right in the middle of a Christmas song they go back to their regular genre. I also listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies throughout the year and though I do listen and watch other genre too. I also start counting down to next years Christmas at Midnight December 26th. So you know you are addicted to Christmas when you do things like this. I do feel sad that the radio stations don't continue playing Christmas music until The Epiphany Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
Steve_OGO	Share to: #6
Rank：Silver Posts：82 From：USA Register：12/25/2011 06:57:23	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/02/2014 03:28:52Copy HTML Well one way to look at it . Today is Nine Ladies Dancing Oh well doesnt work for me either Steve aka OGO =Oh Great One
log_fan	Share to: #7
Rank：Platinum Posts：274 From：USA Register：12/26/2006 08:26:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/03/2014 10:05:35Copy HTML FWIW, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will remain lit until this Tuesday, January 7.
Winter_Warlock	Share to: #8
Rank：Silver Posts：50 From：USA Register：05/30/2013 06:51:59	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:46:17Copy HTML I don't do sports these days, so that doesn't help me ease off at all. Normally I feel relatively OK with packing everything up in January, but I get the feeling it's going to be abnormally depressing this year. For me, New Years Eve has always been like a second holiday because it brings with it more festive gatherings. We're more of the "go to someone's house and have old-fashiond fun" than the "go downtown to a bar and get completely plastered" types. And in some cases, because my family has dwindled in numbers in recent years, and it's more normal to spend NYE with close friends instead of family, New Years often feels MORE like classic Christmas than Christmas does for me now, at least when it comes to gatherings. From a more TECHNICAL perspective, it makes little sense to tear things down so quickly after the the 31st (and in some cases the 25th). 'Old Christmas Day' AKA Epiphony (the Feast of the Three Kings) is January 6. If you count to that from Solstice (Dec 21) you've got... DING DING DING, Twelve Days of Christmas! It's probably driven more by commercialism than anything. I wasn't around in the first half of last century, but I figure stores weren't so quick to get rid of holiday stuff after Dec 25th. But that's probably also because they weren't so quick to put up holiday stuff on Nov 1. I shop for Christmas gifts all year, and my brain is already wired to keep my eyes open for anything that someone might want. The lights are still on, as is the music. And we just had an epic snow storm which just put me in more of a mood.
bgart	Share to: #9
Rank：Silver Posts：87 From：Unknown Register：12/19/2007 12:12:59	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 07:08:37Copy HTML I don't hate it, I prefer to keep Christmas at its time -- a 2-4 weeks leading up to the 25th, then a week or so after is cool by me too. But I loathe seeing Valentine's stuff at the stores already. I'm catching up on my Xmas movies, shows, etc., now though, as I really didn't have much time leading up to Christmas to watch much - nor listen to much. The best time this season has been since 12/31 until this Sunday - time off from work still and done with holiday traveling and get-togethers. I'll probably still be tossing on some stuff for a couple more weeks, time permitting, but it gets harder. My partner is the type that, once the 25th has finished, he's done with Christmas. He's loosened up a little over the years, but I don't make him "suffer" thru my mini film fests and whatnot.
Christmas Always	Share to: #10
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:02:13Copy HTML I mean to add, that on Christmas Eve Day, another thing that is a huge let down for me, is the stores are already clearing the shelves of the "Big Ticket Items" Such as the expensive Blow-up outdoor decorations, the music machines, and the very expensive artificial Christmas trees, so they don't "Lose" money. They start putting all the "Low Cost" items on shelves all close together, at reduced prices. So the "After Christmas Sales" where you hope to get some of the more expensive decorations ans things, for half price or less, they don't leave them out. This has only been happening for about the last 10 years. It used to be they wanted to get rid of everything possible, so that they wouldn't have to restock them in the warehouses, and now they do. So you can't get the really expensive things at half price. Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
YuleLogAndEggNog	Share to: #11
Rank：Bronze Posts：22 From：USA Register：11/18/2011 04:16:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 04:53:52Copy HTML Very interesting topic. "post-Christmas crash", "post-Christmas blues" or whatever you want to call it, I definitely suffer from it. And it seems to be getting worse with each passing year. The Christmas season (for me, day after Thanksgiving to Three Kings) is by far my favorite time of the year. This has been true ever since I was a kid. I've always looked at it as a small "break" from reality. For the last several years with a combination of company days off and personal vacation days I usually take the last two weeks of the year off, which is really nice. This year I had a 16 day vacation and I'm actually looking forward to going back to work on Monday... ha! I have always looked at Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve/Day as one big holiday. I always expect to see some kind of Christmas decorations wherever I find myself on New Year's. Unless there is some family tragedy, I will NEVER take my Christmas decorations down before Three Kings Day (actually taking big tree down tomorrow 1/5 due to convenience, but I will leave small tree and other decorations up for another week or so). Actually, a few years ago the end of the Christmas season felt a bit more sad than usual so I came up with a concept that helped. I removed all of the ornaments and other decorations from my small Christmas tree and just called it a "Winter Tree". This way I still had the nice soft glow of the white lights throughout my living room. One year I left it up until March! I will continue to play Christmas music for another several weeks. After Christmas I find that I enjoy mostly instrumental and choir music. It seems to put me in a more relaxed mood. I purchased a double CD compilation from Amazon a few years ago called "Christmas Adagios" which I love. (The CD covers are really nice too.) I also listen to "Christmas Carols" from The King's College Choir of Cambridge. There are a few more nice titles in my playlist as well including music from Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Anyway... it helps to talk about it with other people who feel the same. Genoman, thanks for bringing it up! I used to think I was going a little nutty... haha. It's nice to know there are other people out there with a deep love for Christmas. Happy New Year!
Genoman	Share to: #12
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 05:07:23Copy HTML Well as of Noon, January 4, Music Choice is still going strong with Christmas music although it remains to be seen how long that will last. Hey....there is no law saying that one can't play Christmas music throughout the year....or watch Christmas themed films. I certainly agree with those who like to put it aside finally and welcome it's return in November. But to suddenly drop it after December 25 is like asking a friend to visit and then shoving them out of the front door after coffee.
Winter_Warlock	Share to: #13
Rank：Silver Posts：50 From：USA Register：05/30/2013 06:51:59	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/04/2014 06:39:15Copy HTML @Susan: What you say about the expensive stuff being pulled off the shelves immediately is interesting. I wonder if that has something to do with what kind of long-term storage certain stores have access to? Around here, Home Depot and Lowes had their holiday shelves completely bare on the 26th. But the local Walmart still has their Christmas section up at an unbelievable discount. I just bought "Light Show" Christmas lights for the first time. Normally I just pass it by because they're way too expensive, but when they're being sold at 75% off? Yeah, it's a good day to stockpile Christmas decorations. @YuleLog&EggNog: "Winter" decorations are a thing around here too. Once the Christmas decorations are done, winter decorations come out. Lots of white, blue and silver. Blue lights, icicles, etc. We normally have a winter tree that stays up until the March thaw, but never got to do it this year. And we're the same on the music selection. I have a bunch of "New Age" instrumental Christmas CD's that have classic songs, but deviate far enough from the original that they don't completely feel like Christmas. The Narada Christmas albums, for example. And Crystal Winter 1 & 2 by the long-since defunct 'World Disc Music' company that was once trying to topple 'Solitudes' as the king of ambient music. Ever since my teen years in the 90's, I played the Crystal Winter soundtracks all season long. Absolutely loved taking drives in snowstorms with that music playing. So relaxing. But then... Winter itself has always felt like a really long holiday to me. Not only was it always my favorite season anyhow (hey, it's got Christmas and New Years and if I'm lucky, Thanksgiving too) but it also brought with it all those lovely unexpected one-day vacations.
Christmas Always	Share to: #14
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/05/2014 07:02:01Copy HTML Genoman, Sirius/XM appears to have gotten rid of their Christmas Music Channels, but Dish Network still has 3 Christmas Music Channels: Viva La Navidad and Traditional Holidays (AUD20) and Holiday Pop (MUZK2) Warlock, I haven't been to Lowes or Home Depot or other stores, but while I was at Rite-Aid on December 24th, they were already putting away the more expensive Christmas items, and the same thing at our Walmart. I was at Walmart again today, and all that they have out for Christmas, is ornaments, lights, small trees, wrapping paper, cards, and odds and ends, but all the large or expensive things are not out and again, they too were already putting those items on pallets so you know they weren't going to be out for December 26th, After Christmas Sales. It is a shame because they really aren't losing money to begin with. Even on Black Friday, they actually have the regular price marked up much higher, so the sale price on Black Friday, is basically the price you would pay even it if it wasn't Black Friday. I used to work for a company and I saw how much things actually cost and how much of a Mark Up they do for the retail price. But the stores here do put the larger/more expensive Christmas items away on Christmas Eve Day. Walmart already had some Lawn and Garden stuff out in the "Seasonal" area of the store where part of the section is outdoors. I saw bags of Peat Moss and even Lawn Mowers in the inside section today. Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
Genoman	Share to: #15
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/06/2014 01:28:09Copy HTML Just checked. Music Choice still playing Christmas music. But I always have wi-fi radio for when they stop. Plenty of Christmas music stations year 'round. I got rid of my XM radio but always enjoyed their holiday music. The traditional stuff. Still catching the occasional holiday themed movie on tv.
log_fan	Share to: #16
Rank：Platinum Posts：274 From：USA Register：12/26/2006 08:26:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/06/2014 02:02:00Copy HTML @Genoman One thing I do between Christmas Night and New Year's Eve is to give a few favorite CDs one more listen before I put Christmas away for another year. The last Christmas CD I play each year is that evergreen classic, "Music of Christmas" by Percy Faith. It's also the one I play when I light up my tree for the first time each year. Nothing says 'Christmas' more than that album does. Whether on The Yule Log broadcast, the old WPAT-FM or on the stereo from the next room, "Music of Christmas" has been part of the holiday for me since childhood. Holiday observances and traditions can vary in different parts of the country. My late cousin (RIP John) lived in the Atlanta area for a few years in the early 90s. He told me that in the South, Christmas and New Year's are not thought of as linked together as they are in much of the rest of the country. Christmas decorations start to disappear from malls and government buildings on Dec 26. By New Year's Eve, not a single decoration can be found. Only in the Atlanta suburbs where many transplants from the Northeast and Midwest live will you find Christmas lights and decorations in full bloom through New Year's. I couldn't imagine no decorations on Dec 26! How depressing! I usually keep mine up through New Year's Day. Lastly, one thing about being a sports fan is that you're always looking forward to the next season. The NFL Playoffs will ease my way through January. And yes, there's one more unofficial holiday, Super Bowl Sunday. Soon after, pitchers and catchers report to MLB camps in Florida and Arizona. Christmas, I'll see ya next November!
Christmas Always	Share to: #17
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/06/2014 05:43:49Copy HTML I can't remember if I mentioned this before or not a few years ago when a similar topic came up or if it was on another Christmas message board I belong to. I remember that around the second week of December, the radio stations would gradually start playing Christmas music, but maybe 1 or 2 songs an hour and slowly start adding more songs as Christmas got closer. Then on Christmas Day, it was all Christmas music, usually sponsored by a bank or other agency, and then poof at Midnight, December 26th., they would go back to their regular genre as I previously mentioned above. There was another topic a few years back about when radio stations started playing Christmas music after Thanksgiving and then even earlier, but I don't remember how far back that topic is. One of our local radio stations starts playing All Christmas music when Delilah does being she is syndicated on their station. But the other local stations will start later, and of about 20 stations I know of, only 4 play Christmas music. Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
Genoman	Share to: #18
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/07/2014 03:11:51Copy HTML @log fan....ah yes! The old WPAT. I remember it well. Sigh. That was where I used to get my Hollyridge Strings fix. I have the Percy Faith 'Christmas Melodies' cd that I bought in the 80's. Always a favorite. Love the cover. I also have the 'Christmas Is..' cd. I need The Music of Christmas album but I want it in mono. I'm thinking of giving the 1965 Nutcracker hosted by Eddie Albert another look. Brings me right back to the 60's and childhood Christmas. Thank God that Warner Archive put that out.
log_fan	Share to: #19
Rank：Platinum Posts：274 From：USA Register：12/26/2006 08:26:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/09/2014 12:34:57Copy HTML @Genoman Not sure if you're aware of it but "Music of Christmas" is available in mono on a CD set that was released in 2012. It's a Percy Faith two-CD set, "The Complete Music of Christmas". It contains the original 1954 "Music of Christmas" album in mono and Mr. Faith's 1958 album, "Hallelujah!" in stereo. The original artwork for both albums appears as well. "Hallelujah" was reissued in 1965 as "Music of Christmas, Vol 2". I have both the 1954 mono and 1959 stereo versions of "Music of Christmas" and I'm not sure which one I like better. I do prefer the artwork on the 1954 release.
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #20
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/09/2014 04:50:25Copy HTML That CD happened in 2012 as a result of my suggestion to Gordon Anderson (Co-Founder/President of Real Gone Music) to release Hallelujah on CD (click here). However, it was not my suggestion to Gordon to release the 1954 Mono version of Music Of Christmas with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set. Gordon only did that because the rights to the original 1954 Mono recording of Music Of Christmas was available for lease from the Sony vault. However, as I pointed out in the fourth paragraph of my opening post on my announcement thread, I was grievously disappointed. Besides myself, the other two leading experts on Percy Faith in the world, Alan Bunting and Bill Halverson, were disappointed as well. In fact, so much so that Alan (a former producer with the BBC) painfully declined my offer to him to write the CD's liner notes. But I couldn't blame him, because I couldn't do it as well (click here and see the last paragraph on my second post of 11/14/12). As I have said many times on this message board before, including in that aforementioned fourth paragraph on my announcement thread, the original 1954 Mono recording -- while brilliant in its own right -- was nevertheless not only technologically inferior to the 1959 re-recording (because of the lack of Stereo) but most importantly, also artistically inferior to the later masterful and definitive 1959 Stereo re-recording. What I ideally wanted (as did Alan and Bill) was to get the rights to the 1959 Stereo re-recording of Music Of Christmas and give it a proper remastering and then release it with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set. However, as I have also said many times before, Sony will never relinquish the printing rights to the 1959 Stereo re-recording of Music Of Christmas to another record company as they are very protective of Mr. Faith's Christmas material -- especially the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which, by the way, has never been out-of-print since its release 55 years ago in 1959. Sony will probably never stop printing the 1959 album themselves, as it is just too much of a money-maker for them given its legendary status. The one silver lining with the 2012 CD was that Gordon's company, Real Gone Music, was the very first company to release the original 1954 recording with the original 1954 artwork. And it is a very famous one indeed. In fact, on my list of the greatest Christmas album covers of all-time, it ranks Number 2, second only to the classic cover for Fred Waring's 1955 Decca Christmas album 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, which sported a rendering by the great American artist Norman Rockwell called "Caught Napping" (a drawing of Santa and his elves discovering two small children sleeping in a chair Christmas Eve night). However, the 1954 Music Of Christmas artwork is very poignant as well: A drawing of a father playing Santa with his daughter sleeping in his arms. By the way, one thing that I have never mentioned about the CD before is that on the back cover where Gordon thanks me, it gives the impression that I work with Sony Music, because in the same sentence he also mentions the folks at Sony. But that is not the case, as I work alone and independently, as a separate entity. >>Gene, for the life of me, I am not sure why you said in your post of January 6th that you want Music Of Christmas in Mono; but notwithstanding, I would suggest very strongly to forget it and go for the Gold: the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which is the recording that has now become so classic and legendary. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
log_fan	Share to: #21
Rank：Platinum Posts：274 From：USA Register：12/26/2006 08:26:49	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/10/2014 09:37:36Copy HTML I'm with you, Chip! The 1959 stereo re-recording of Music of Christmas is definitely the Gold standard. As I mentioned in another post, my mother bought the 1954 45 EP edition, which was where I became familiar with the poignant artwork that album is known for. I used to think it was the real Santa! We never had either the 1954 mono or 1959 stereo editions. Today I own both of them on CD. Having both editions is like reclaiming lost treasures of childhood.
Ex_Member	Share to: #22
Rank： Posts：0 From：Unknown Register：09/21/2018 12:36:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：01/14/2014 12:10:09Copy HTML Dear Folks- (Sorry to take a while to check in; my holidays were complicated by the Midwest white-out and family illness.) I consider myself richly blessed to have grown up loving both Christmases - Jesus's, and Santa's. I think they dovetail beautifully, and feel sorry for fundamentalists who try to lock out St. Nick, and secularists who do the same to Jesus. But even one of the people most responsible for raising me this way, my Mom, used to get depressed on Christmas evening because, "it's all over for another year..." Not so! As an intelligent Pastor taught me later in life, even the official church Christmas lasts until the Wise Men's arrival, January 6th - Epiphany. And Mr. Dickens has shown me, by way of meeting and playing his character Ebenezer Scrooge, that we are best served when we, "honour Christmas in (our) heart, and try to keep it all the year... (living) in the Past, the Present, and the Future, the Spirits of all Three ... (striving) within us." So, as that same Mom of mine has now done for a long time, visit the Yuletide a bit whenever you feel the need throughout the rolling year -whenever you "need a little Christmas, right this very minute!" Blessed New Year to all, and to all a good night, -Craig
Genoman	Share to: #23
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/03/2014 10:29:12Copy HTML Hi Chip!! I have no problem with the stereo re-record of The Music of Christmas, some of which I have on my 1985 Christmas Memories cd. I enjoy mono recordings in most cases. It's the way that most people heard the album originally when decorating their trees and enjoying the holiday back in the mid-50's. Remember, at the time that the album was re-recorded that stereo sets in home were not common. It was a big deal for classical people and techno freaks. So much so that mono records in America weren't phased out until the late 60's. It's not so much a matter of one version being superior over another as much as it would be to hear it the way folks heard it historically. It's a totally different feel.
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #24
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/04/2014 02:35:46Copy HTML I would strongly disagree that the original 1954 recording had a "totally different feel." And so would my fellow colleague experts on Percy Faith, Alan Bunting and Bill Halverson. Percy Faith was such a master that the two recordings (which were actually 5 years apart) were almost identical. However, Mr. Faith did tweak the 1959 re-recording by making some slight and subtle changes to the tempo and to some of the arrangements which vastly improved the album. As for the original 1954 recording, if someone would like to hear it purely for historical purposes, that's perfectly fine and I would encourage it; but certainly not at the expense of never hearing and getting to know the superior 1959 re-recording (which has continuously been in print for 55 years now). And that's exactly why I was against (as was Alan and Bill) releasing it with Hallelujah as a 2-CD set. As for Monophonic records in general, while it is true that they weren't phased out until the late 1960s, by that time most of them were only Mono versions of new Stereo recordings. And that was also the case with Percy Faith's Music Of Christmas. In 1959, after Percy re-recorded the album in Stereo, Columbia Records took the original 1954 Mono recording completely out of circulation and released a Mono LP version of the new Stereo recording for the folks who didn't yet have Stereophonic equipment. So like many albums of that era, there were two versions available to consumers: the Stereo version, and the Mono version of the Stereo recording. And for those out there that are too young to recall this, the price difference between the two LPs was usually about a dollar. So in the end, the original 1954 Mono recording was only in print for a scant 5 years, versus the 55 years (and counting) for the 1959 Stereo re-recording, which is why the overwhelming majority of people today are only familiar with the later definitive recording. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
Genoman	Share to: #25
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/11/2014 12:07:44Copy HTML Don't forget that the TV sets playing the Yule Log were mono. Stereo tvs didn't come along until years later. So while they may have been hearing the mono 'fold' of the stereo, they were still hearing it in mono. Dedicated mono mixes were done as far as 1968 in the case of people like Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Paul McCartney did a promo mono mix of his album Ram in 1971. I think it's a matter of preference too. Jackie Gleason's 'Merry Christmas' is wonderful in mono. It's the only way to get it as far as I know. There is a 'feel' to it that lies in not only the music but in the fact that it's mono. Want to start a MAJOR discussion??? Ask any Beatles fan if they prefer the mono mixes over the stereo. :-) In fact they preferred the mono themselves, so much so that they were in the studio for the mono mixes and left the stereo to George Martin and crew. I'm definitely going to get the mono version along with Hallelujah. Given the weather that we have been having here in New Jersey in the past week, I would guess that it would fit right in. I think it's wonderful that they not only released the mono version but did so with the original cover.
Christmas Always	Share to: #26
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/11/2014 01:03:38Copy HTML I remember in the 1970's that the music was indeed in Stereo being simulcast on WPIX FM and I could be wrong, but the music track for the video tape may have been in Stereo, but they didn't have the capability of re-transmitting the audio via Stereo to TV's. We turned off the TV sound and listened to the music in Stereo and I believe we had a Console TV/Stereo, so there was a speaker on both sides of the TV, and for TV Broadcast, the sound came out of both speakers but was in MONO, but when on Turntable or Receiver, the sound coming out of the speakers was in Stereo. Chip would know better if the Stereo album was used for The Yule Log even in 1966. Obviously, "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World" by "The Singing Angels" wasn't on the 1966 broadcast being the song wasn't released until 1971 or 1972. I can't think straight right now because of something going on that has me preoccupied. I am leaning more to 1972 though. Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #27
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/11/2014 05:00:21Copy HTML Gene: I don't have to try to remember what went on back then, because I, like you, grew up during the 1960s. And anyone who is at all familiar with this message board knows categorically that I am a fierce critic of electronically-enhanced/re-channeled (simulated) stereo reproductions of original Mono recordings. This is exactly why with regard to Fred Waring, for example, I have strongly encouraged folks to purchase the original Mono LP versions of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and Christmas Time, as opposed to the later re-channeled simulated (fake) stereo LPs. As for Jackie Gleason's 1956 Merry Christmas LP, it was never re-recorded by Jackie after the advent of Stereo technology. And I checked my archives, and Capitol Records did indeed later offer an electronically re-channeled simulated stereo LP version of the Mono recording. But again, as with all albums of this type, I would not recommend it and strongly suggest to folks to purchase the original Mono recording. As for the Beatles, only the mixes were different, not the recordings. And as a Beatles fan, I quite agree that the Mono mixes of their recordings were indeed better and I prefer them. But all this is far, far different than that of Percy Faith and his masterpiece Music Of Christmas, as the album was totally re-recorded with a decidedly improved performance artistically. Susan: Yes, that is absolutely correct: the version of Percy Faith's Music Of Christmas that was used on the Yule Log telecast was indeed the classic 1959 Stereo re-recording. And yes, the simulcast of the Yule Log that aired on WPIX's sister radio station, WPIX 102 FM, was in full Stereo. So for the folks at home (like my family and your family) who watched the Yule Log on TV augmented with the radio simulcast, they were indeed hearing the program in true Stereo notwithstanding the fact that there were no Stereo TVs at the time. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
Genoman	Share to: #28
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/12/2014 10:41:53Copy HTML Chip, I see no reason why I can't have BOTH mono and stereo, do you????? :-) I had forgotten about the simulcast on the radio. On a side note, speaking of stereo tv, do you or anyone else remember an experiment with two stations in NYC where you had to put two tvs side by side and you had one guy on one channel talking to a guy on the other channel. If you weren't tuned to the other channel you only got one half of the conversation. I think they were in the same studio but each guy was broadcast on a different channel. It was stereo television but with the video. I think it was something like channel 11 & 13 or 9 & 11.
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #29
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/13/2014 12:45:25Copy HTML Absolutely not, Gene, and I have already said as such in the 3rd paragraph of my post of February 3rd on this thread. However, I will repeat it here yet again so that there is no misunderstanding: if someone would like to hear the original 1954 Mono recording purely for historical purposes, that's perfectly fine and I would encourage it; but certainly not at the expense of never hearing and getting to know the artistically (as well as technologically) superior 1959 Stereo re-recording, which has continuously been in print for 55 years now. With you in particular, Gene, you had indicated in your posts of January 6th and February 3rd that you had neither version of the album (1954 or 1959), and that the only songs from the 1959 version you had were on your Christmas Melodies compilation CD. So if it was a choice between the two, that is the reason I was trying to encourage you to purchase the definitive, classic -- and yes, legendary, 1959 Stereo re-recording. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
Christmas Always	Share to: #30
Rank：Diamond Posts：1230 From：USA Register：08/28/2006 07:41:07	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/13/2014 04:06:46Copy HTML Gene, I don't remember anything about that type of experiment with Stereo TV, but I do remember that they tried something similar with Stereo AM, and you needed 2 radios, and they were basically on the same frequency, just one degree off or something and you could hear the broadcast in Stereo. I think for awhile they did actually come up with Stereo AM, but it didn't go off very well I believe is was called C-quam AM Stereo Broadcasts, but I believe that is more along the lines of "Digital" transmission. I know a lot of satellite receivers have an antenna input for picking up your local Digital TV Stations, and if you subscribed to Basic Cable, they have a Quam Tuner in them, and can pick up any signals broadcast by the Cable Company that you might not receive if you just had Basic Cable. I am not an expert in this field, but was raised around electricity and electronics and learned a lot, but that was when I was much younger, and things have changed so much in recent years and not necessarily for the better when it comes to Digital TV, but I've talked about this in other threads, so I won't rehash it here. Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
Genoman	Share to: #31
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/15/2014 02:33:52Copy HTML Chip, Side question..... Did they put the mono lp out of print before they released the stereo or was there a point in time where they may have briefly existed in the bin together like Beatles mono/ stereo?? Susan.....I seem to recall the AM radio thing that you are talking about.
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #32
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/15/2014 04:35:20Copy HTML Gene, The original 1954 Mono LP version of Music Of Christmas (catalog #CL-588) was last printed in 1958. It was deleted from the Columbia Records catalog the next year when the newly recorded 1959 Stereo LP (catalog #CS-8176) was released. Also in 1959, Columbia released a Mono version of the new Stereo recording for the folks that did not yet have Stereophonic equipment (catalog #CL-1381). By the way, in 1958 Columbia released a double-LP set called The Columbia Album Of Christmas Music (catalog #C2L-15). It included both Music Of Christmas and Hallelujah; and since it was released in 1958, the version of Music Of Christmas that it included was the Mono version. When the new Stereo version of Music Of Christmas was released the next year in 1959, Columbia never swapped out the Mono version for the Stereo for this double-LP package. Therefore, as a result, the original 1954 Mono version of Music Of Christmas was available for a few more years via this limited edition, special release double-LP package. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
Genoman	Share to: #33
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/15/2014 02:09:45Copy HTML Chip, Thank you. Very interesting. I know that some late period (roughly 1968) albums with a dedicated mono mix were briefly available here in the U.S.with their stereo counterparts before the plug was pulled on mono here. It seems to be a very interesting period in the 10 years or so during the switch from mono to stereo with recordings made in mono, recordings MIXED in mono and mono recordings processed for stereo....and of course, as you have outlined here, recordings done specifically for stereo as well as recordings mixed in stereo. Interesting that the special Columbia double-lp release foreshadows the recent cd release. For an interesting mono/stereo comparison, check out Jackie Gleason's 'Velvet Brass' lp. Recorded at the same time, it had different miking techniques, different control rooms and different engineers for mono and stereo. The stereo has a 'closer' feel to it while the mono seems more 'dreamy'. Same session, different feel. Very cool. Sorry to have taken this thread too far afield from my original topic, Chip! :-)
Christmas Music Guru	Share to: #34
Rank：Honorary Member Posts：3893 From：USA Register：09/07/2005 11:04:22	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/17/2014 06:40:12Copy HTML Not at all, Gene; topics on threads often take various twists and turns in different directions. By the way, no matter which way it's heard, Velvet Brass (one of Jackie's nineteen Billboard Top 20 LPs) is one of his best. Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster \| The Yule Log.com
Genoman	Share to: #35
Rank：Silver Posts：71 From：USA Register：10/26/2008 10:19:24	Re：Anyone else hate the sudden drop off after Christmas?? Date Posted：02/18/2014 04:20:44Copy HTML Once again, you speak wisely! :-)