David,

If you're looking to include everything in your collection; then sure, coming to mind right off the top of my head is Fiedler's original 1949 mono recording of "Sleigh Ride," which was released as a single (on 45, as well as 78 rpm formats). When I get the chance, I'll check my journals for more and let you know. 

Thanks Chip,

Mono vs Stereo isn't necessarily to specific for me, assuming there is something unique about the mono version (The Beatles mono mixes can be meaningfully different from the stereo mixes, even though they are the same recordings, for eg.)

I'd also be interested in any artists/recordings that could be mistaken for Fiedler and the Pops, or at least nicely complement them. I have found that some of Ormandy's "The Glorious Sound of Christmas" mixes nicely with Fiedler, as an example. It has a very similar style about it.

Merry Christmas,

Tommer 

There's nothing unique about the mono version, other than it's Fiedler's original recording of "Sleigh Ride." But if you're going to add only one version to your playlist, then I'd strongly recommend the later stereo version.

As for other Christmas music that is similar to Fiedler's, there's Carmen Dragon and The Hollywood Bowl Symphony's 1957 album, The Music Of Christmas.

Morton Gould's A Musical Christmas Tree is another one with a Fiedler-like quality to my ears.

Yes, I agree. 

Thanks Chip and Mike. I'll give both a listen and see if they work into the rotation. Much appreciated.

And David, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Christmas LP is a fine album that I think will definitely work nicely into your rotation regardless The album resides in the 2nd Tier of my Top 500, coming in at #221. By the way, three of the songs from this album are part of the Yule Log's legendary soundtrack.

Hello Chip,

Oh man, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra's Music Of Christmas is such a splendid instrumental holiday album. It is also quite pricey on the secondary markets. A like new version sells for around 80 bucks on eBay right now. Carman Dragon's arrangement of O Tannenbaum is stupendous, and I hope one day that Real Gone Music will get this gorgeous album remastered on CD some day. I am sure you might make that happen in a year or two.

I am currently in Mesa, Arizona for one daughter's graduation for a medical certification program and a birthday celebration for my other daughter. I also got to see my newest granddaughter for the first time in person, so my Real Gone Music Christmas slate is waiting for me when I get home. I already managed to get the Jim Reeves 12 songs of Christmas before I left, so that has been getting some heavy rotation with my kids already. My eldest daughter's favorite songs on the Reeves' album so far are Mary's Boy Child, Jingle Bells and Scarlet Ribbons, one of the two fantastic bonus songs on the album that you so wisely chose, Chip.

I cannot wait to get back home on Sunday and start playing the rest of the Real Gone Music lineup. Oh yeah, we found a great all Christmas radio station in Mesa, and the second holiday song I heard was Percy Faith's glorious version of Deck The Halls.  Wow, Percy Faith back on the holiday radio, I am a happy man!

Best regards,

Steve

Jim Reeves' magnificent rendition of "Mary's Boy Child" is one of two songs by him that I added to the Yule Log soundtrack in 2016 via the new 5th hour that I created and produced for the 50th Anniversary of the program.

My favorite Fiedler/Boston Pops Christmas album is definitely "Pops Christmas Party", originally released in 1959 and recorded in stereo.  "A Christmas Festival" leads off both the CD and the LP.  A wonderful yuletide collection!

Thanks for the tip on "The Music of Christmas" by Carmen Dragon and The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra.  The entire album is on YT.  I'll be sure to check it out!  I know I won't be disappointed!

Just call it another "Chip's Tip."

Hi Chip...after reading this topic I gave a listen to the original Sleigh Ride from Youtube from 1949 on the RCA label...can you tell me if that's the mono version as well? I noticed some variations of the original above compared to my Christmas Festival version on CD. Not sure if Stereo recordings were made in 1949...please clarify? Also, do you know if Christmas Festival version of Sleigh Ride is stereo or perhaps a re-recorded mono mix?

Rich,

There was only one version of "Sleigh Ride" by Arthur Fiedler in 1949: the mono version. Leroy Anderson, the composer, would record his own original mono version the next year, in 1950. Stereo technology was years off, and both Fiedler's and Anderson's stereo recordings of the song would not come until 1959.

And when you're asking about the A Christmas Festival version of "Sleigh Ride," if you are referring to Fielder's 1970 LP A Christmas Festival for Polydor Records; then yes, it is true stereo (the second stereo version that Fiedler recorded after the 1959 version; he would record it a third time in stereo (fourth overall, including the mono version) in 1972, for the LP, Pops Goes Christmas).