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RichLI
  • Rank:Bronze
  • Posts:28
  • From:USA
  • Register:12/16/2013 02:42:52

Date Posted:11/11/2017 02:16:38Copy HTML

 Does anyone remember the easy listening station WPAT in Patterson NJ? Every Christmas Eve WPAT would start their "Spirit of Christmas" music marathon which was 36 hours of commercial free continuous Christmas music. Other radio stations hosted similar broadcasting, but WPAT was the clear favorite. My family would always have this playing on Christmas Eve, switching only for the Yule Log later in the evening. One Christmas Eve, I recorded the first 6 hours (12 PM - 6 PM Christmas Eve 1987) of the WPAT broadcast to cassette tapes. My parents found these tapes last year and converted the recordings to CD. 
 For anyone interested, I am listing the WPAT playlist for the first 6 hours of the "Spirit of Christmas" below. As you can see, there are many Yule Log artists included: lots of Percy Faith, David Rose and Mantovani. With the help of apps like Shazam and Sound Hound, I was able to identify almost all of the songs:

WPAT - Spirit of Christmas
Christmas Festival - Boston Pops/Arthur Fiedler
Christmas Everyday - Kenny Rogers
Hallelujah Chorus- Percy Faith
Ring Christmas Bells - Ray Conniff
Christmas Bells - Mantovani
Count Your Blessings - Ronnie Aldrich
Guten Abend Gute Nacht - Roger Whittaker
O Tannenbaum - Percy Faith
The Christmas Tree - David Rose
We Need A Little Christmas - Percy Faith
Silver Bells- Ferrante & Teicher
Mary?s Boy Child - Living Strings
Winter Wonderland - Ronnie Aldrich
Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells - the Carpenters
White Christmas- Waldo de los Rios
The Christmas Song - David Rose
I Know my Redeemer Livith/Silent Night - Rita Ford
Santa?s got a Brand New Bag - Hollyridge Strings
Toyland - Ronnie Aldrich
What Can I Give You this Christmas- the Lettermen
The Infant Jesus - William Davies
Yuletide Garland- Lions Boyd
What Child is This - Johnny Mathis
**********************
Marie - Gheorghe Zamfir
When the First Snow Falls - Hagood Hardy
Deck the Halls - Vic Damone
Little Drummer Boy - Living Strings
Do You Hear What I Hear - ?
Twelve Days of Christmas- David Rose
Let It Snow - Ferrante & Teicher
German Dance Sleigh Ride - Boston Pops
Carol of the Bells - Percy Faith
Medley:It?s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas- Living Strings
Blue Christmas- Jerry Vale
White Christmas- Percy Faith
Let it Snow - Ronnie Aldrich
? - ?
Carol for Another Christmas- Henry Mancini
Sleigh Ride - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
We Need a Little Christmas - Percy Faith
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- Tommy Garrett
Pine Cones & Holly Berries - Frank Chacksfield
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas- Burl Ives
It?s Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas- Christmas Strings
Do You Hear What I Hear - Percy Faith
Silent Night - Barbra Streisand
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Percy Faith
Count Your Blessings - Ronnie Aldrich
Little Drummer Boy - Living Strings
Jingo Jango - Bert Kaempfert
The Christmas Tree - David Rose
Christmas Is - Percy Faith
Toyland - David Rose
Jingle Jingle Jingle - Burl Ives
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas - Chet Atkins
Medley: Morgen Kinder Wirds - James Last
***************************
Soleado - Franck Pourcel
When a Child is Born - Johnny Mathis
When a Child - Hagood Hardy
Jingle Bells - Mantovani
Frosty the Snowman - Ray Conniff
Toyland - Ronnie Aldrich
It?s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas- Andre Kostelantz
O Tannenbaum - Estudios Talkback
O Christmas Tree - the Ambrosian Singers
Medley: Moonlight Serenade - Rita Ford
Joy to the World - Percy Faith
Hallelujah It?s Christmas- Roger Whittaker
Silent Night - Roger Williams
Hallelujah Chorus- Percy Faith
Ding Dong Merrily on High - Mantovani
Buon Natale - Al Caiola & Ruiz Ortolani
March of the Toys - Lehman Engel Orchestra
Toyland - Perry Como
O Little Town of Bethlehem - Mantovani
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Waldo de los Rios
Little Drummer Boy - Living Strings
The Christmas Song - Ronnie Aldrich
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
Silver Bells - Percy Faith
Mary?s Boy Child - Living Strings
The First Noel - Jose Feliciano
***********************
That Holiday Feeling - Eddie Gorme & Steve Lawrence
Jumpin Jiminy Christmas- Bert Kaempfert
Jingle Bell Rock - Floyd Cramer
Patapan/Jingle Bells - ? (I wish I knew who!!) 
We Wish You a Merry Christmas- Christmas Strings
Jingle Bells - Waldo de los Rios
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Andy Williams
What Child Is This - Percy Faith
Count Your Blessings - Ronnie Aldrich
O Tannenbaum - Waldo de los Rios
Joy to the World - Percy Faith
O Holy Night - Kenny Rogers
O Holy Night - Percy Faith
Silent Night - Roger Williams
Deck the Halls - Merry Music Makers
Christmas is a Comin - the Brothers Four
Twelve Days of Christmas- David Rose
Holly & the Ivy/ Here we go a Caroling - Percy Faith
The Christmas Waltz - Ronnie Aldrich
Skaters Waltz -?
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers- Richard Benson & Orchestra
Jingle Jingle Jingle - Burl Ives
Pine Cones & Holly Berries - Frank Chacksfield
CHRISTMAS - Eddy Arnold
Toy Waltz - Mantovani
Holiday for Bells - Bert Kaempfert
Jingle Bell Rock - Hollyridge Strings
Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra
Santa Claus is Comin to Town - Roger Williams
Here Comes Santa Claus - Frank Devol & the Rainbow Strings
March of the Toys - Lehman Engel Orchestra
Medley: Auld Lang Syne - Rita Ford
rsteven Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #1
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  • From:USA
  • Register:07/05/2015 11:19:16

Re:WPAT - The Spirit of Christmas marathon

Date Posted:11/11/2017 05:08:24Copy HTML



Hello Rich, 

Though I'm not familiar with that radio station, I admire the great choice of songs on their playlist of course many ones in common with the classic YuleLog repertoire. What struck me is a couple more "modern" hidden gems from the early 1980's from Kenny Rogers great multi-platinum selling Christmas album from 1981 produced by Kenny himself with the great arranger Gene Page conducting the awesome orchestra. He was known for his great work with the Righteous Brothers and Barbra Streisand among many others. He was famous for his beautiful string and intricate horn arrangements.

Kenny has several great albums, but this one featuring Christmas Everyday, which is one of the most gorgeous original Christmas songs in the last 30 or forty years, is a real treat. Yes, he has that gravel voice, but he was also originally a jazz singer with a nearly three octave range that aided him greatly in his stellar version of O Holy Night from that same great Christmas album.

Best regards,

Steve
Christmas Music Guru Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #2
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  • Register:09/07/2005 11:04:22

Re:WPAT - The Spirit of Christmas marathon

Date Posted:11/12/2017 07:32:28Copy HTML


Oh my, I so desperately miss the great WPAT, Easy 93. At one time I worked very close to their studios located on Broad Street in Clifton. In fact, I visited there several times. And, of course, no surprise, I especially miss their Christmas programming and, specifically, the spectacular 36-hour "Spirit Of Christmas" marathon. Those truly were the days. And sadly, it will never be repeated.

Posted below is a fantastic 1-hour air-check from early December 1980 with a sampling of WPAT's great easy-listening play list, and a sprinkling of great classic Christmas favorites that, naturally, includes the King of Christmas Music, Maestro Percy Faith.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gYYkOIxRsiI?rel=0" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
Christmas Always Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #3
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  • Register:08/28/2006 07:41:07

Re:WPAT - The Spirit of Christmas marathon

Date Posted:11/12/2017 03:48:59Copy HTML

Rich,
I remember an Easy Listening station in the Burlington Vermont area that had a 32 hour Christmas Music marathon, it was sponsored by Chittenden  Bank, and though I don't remember the play list, I believe it was exactly the same for several years.  Being I don't currently live in Vermont, I can't say they still do this, but would venture to guess that if they do, it wouldn't be the great classics from the 1950's though about 1972.  I may still have a few audio recordings from one of these broadcasts on cassette tapes,  Unfortunately a lot of the tapes have deteriorated, and right now any of the cassette decks I have access to, all need belts in order to work.  So I can't check them out.
I believe a lot of the songs in the list are the same as your list.  I think they played this into the middle 1980's then they added more current artists.
Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
log_fan Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #4
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  • From:USA
  • Register:12/26/2006 08:26:49

Re:WPAT - The Spirit of Christmas marathon

Date Posted:12/01/2017 09:45:05Copy HTML

No New York area radio station did Christmas like WPAT-FM!  There was 93.1 FM and there was everyone else.  I recall many a Christmas Eve dinner with relatives with the background music provided by WPAT-FM.  Still recall the promo (probably Ken Lamb), "It just wouldn't be Christmas without The Spirit of Christmas".

Christmas Eve dinner and 93.1 FM.  My relatives are gone now as well as the radio station, but the memories and the music will live forever!

snow miser Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #5
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  • Register:01/05/2007 12:52:02

Re:WPAT - The Spirit of Christmas marathon

Date Posted:02/24/2018 11:04:36Copy HTML

Hi Rich,
Thanks for this.  I tried contacting you offline but I don't think you got my message.  I wanted to know if the 6 hours you recorded from WPATs Spirit of Christmas included the once in a while voice heard saying " Our Holiday gift to you, 36 hours of the Spirit of Christmas, from WPAT, Easy 93".  There were variations to the message and sometimes he would read the sponsors that made this possible.  I would love to hear those again.  If you could let me know and if yes, I would like a copy of your recording.  Let me know, thanks.

Graig
www.TheYuleLog.com
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