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Christmas Music Guru
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Date Posted:12/05/2012 06:00:26Copy HTML




This In The Spotlight tribute is dedicated to another one of the great classic songs on the Yule Log broadcast. This time it's "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World" by The Singing Angels.

This wonderfully captivating Christmas song was written by Jimmy Wisner and Gladys Shelley, who along with her husband owned the old Palisades Amusement Park here in New Jersey.

This is the only song from Yule Log broadcast that was never released on an album; it was only released as a local 45-rpm single in 1973 on Princess Records in Cleveland Ohio (where the group is from and still exists).

The lead child singer on the song is named Maria and I'm sure you'll agree that her voice embodies the very innocence that the song is trying to convey. On the Yule Log broadcast, "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World" is selection #22 in the presentation and can be heard about 53 minutes into the program. (Click here to view the entire Yule Log soundtrack.)

By the way, in our 2006 audio restoration, this is one of the 18 missing songs that I added back to the Yule Log soundtrack and it's one of the 12 songs that had to be digitally re-mastered from its original vinyl. (Click here to read all about our 2006 audio restoration.)

Incidentally, because of the limited number of copies that were printed as a result of it being a local release, this 45-rpm single by The Singing Angels after over 40 years of collecting is without a doubt the most rare and hard-to-find record in my entire collection.

Here now without further ado is one of the most iconic songs on the Yule Log Broadcast, the wonderfully charming and heartwarming "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World" by the Singing Angels:

 Click Here ~ "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World"


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/05/2012 02:07:07Copy HTML

This is indeed a very rare recording as Chip and I both know all too well.  I have been searching for this record for years and I was very surprised to finally find it online and it was reasonably priced.  So I called the company because clicking on it wouldn't let me order it.

They checked, and it had been sold about 2 weeks before, maybe a little more or less.  The company said they left it on the site in the event they ever come across another copy so all they would have to do is enable the link to purchase it.  But since have removed it from their site.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Ironically, it was Chip who had purchased it.  It is the only song from vinyl in the soundtrack of The Yule Log that I do not own.  I have all the albums that the rest of the songs are taken from.  I keep searching for this beautiful song and I can find copies of the song by Jimmy Wisner who is also the same singer of this song on the flip side of this elusive 45.

I am able to find copies of Jimmy Wisner's version, but the flip side is another song by Jimmy Wisner.  I am hoping that someone will list it on eBay thinking that Jimmy Wisner is the main singer and they list it that way and that the flip side is by "The Singing Angels"  I would easily know that it is the record I am looking for because it is on Princess Records and Jimmy Wisner is on a different record label.

Thank you Chip for Spotlighting this Beautiful Song.  If people today would only listen to what "Maria" says during the song things might be a little better in the world again like it was in 1973.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/05/2012 05:49:04Copy HTML


My pleasure, Susan. This In The Spotlight tribute to this very iconic song to the Yule Log broadcast was long overdue. And yes, Maria's words are quite profound -- and even more so in this turbulent post 9/11 world.

By the way, Jimmy Wisner was not a singer. He was a musician, composer, conductor, arranger and producer. His version of the song was an instrumental version with his orchestra and it appeared on the B-side of the Singing Angels' Princess Records 45-rpm single.

The singer that you are referring to was Arthur Godfrey, who also recorded the song and released it as a 45-rpm single in 1973. Mr. Godfrey's version of the song was released on two different record labels: Pilgrim Records, and then later on Listen 2 Records. And on both releases the B-side of the single was also Jimmy Wisner's instrumental version of the song with his orchestra.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/06/2012 01:47:52Copy HTML

Thanks for the clarification Chip,

I knew about Arthur Godfrey's version too, but forgot about wasn't thinking of Jimmy Wisner being a musician and composer, etc.  I just knew from the information on Recordfinders website that the flip side was by Jimmy Wisner but have never seen the image of the flip side so I didn't realize it was an instrumental.  I would guess that it probably does state "Instrumental" on the label, but the other listings I've found on eBay don't say it is an instrumental by Jimmy Wisner and I don't remember hearing Arthur Godfrey's version.  I've only seen it listed on eBay.

Also not to confuse anyone, Sammy Davis Jr. did a song under the same title, but it is not the same song by any means.  I believe it is on one of the "Firestone Series either Favorite Christmas Carols From The Voice Of Firestone or Firestone Presents Your Favorite Christmas Music", but I don't remember which one it is on.  I think he also sang it with "The Rat Pack" and possibly as a single, but I am not the expert on this subject.

It's too bad that radio stations across the world aren't able to play the song today so people who don't know about The Yule Log can at least hear Maria's words and how profound they are, especially with all that is going on in the world today.

I'm sure that Jimmy Wisner wrote.Co-Wrote those words, but the way Maria says them, it as if she is saying them naturally as if she is the one who came up with them.  That is how believable they are, at least to me and I would hope to others.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/06/2012 03:48:33Copy HTML


Yes, the record labels on the several different 45s that were released with Jimmy Wisner's version of the song do indeed denote that it's instrumental. And the billing was "The Jimmy Wisner Orchestra."

As for that song by Sammy Davis, it is an entirely different song with an entirely different title. The song by Sammy Davis, Jr. was entitled It's Christmas Time All Over The World and it was written by Hugh Martin in 1965 especially for Goodyear's Volume 5 of The Great Songs Of Christmas. Goodyear later released it again on their 1973 LP, The Many Moods Of Christmas. The song was coupled with Jingle Bells as 2-song medley. It also appeared on other compilation LPs over the years.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/06/2012 02:42:33Copy HTML

Thanks again for clarifying which record series Sammy Davis' version was released on.  I get Goodyear and Firestone confused and I apologize if I confused anyone else.  I did mention "I think"  but I didn't have access to the records to reference and they haven't been cataloged on my computer yet.  There are just so many and to manually have to type in all the information I have about the albums, takes a lot of time.

I guess I should just mention that it was on a different record series, and left it at that.  But I didn't know who wrote it etc.  Sometimes on the record label or on the jacket, they list the writer and composer and arranger etc. but not always.

Thanks for the additional information and the correct title of the song and series Sammy's version was released on.  I don't know why I was thinking it was the same title.  But i had a bad day yesterday and I may lose my real tree before Christmas.  It's losing all it's needles and not soaking up any water and it was a freshly cut tree when I bought it on Black Friday.

Again I apologize for any confusion.  I know I started out with "Not to confuse anyone", but I guess I probably did being I listed the title as being the same by Sammy Davis Jr.

Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/09/2012 07:17:35Copy HTML

Chip,

I just wanted to say for posting this song online.  The 45 is near impossible to find, the song is nowhere to be found for sale from online sources and were it not for this posting, the only way you would be able to hear it is by watching The Yule Log broadcast.  (Certainly not a bad thing!)

Just another musical example for folks to hear in order to raise our appreciation of the music included in this wonderful program.

-=Perry
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/10/2012 03:55:29Copy HTML


You're welcome Perry, I'm glad you appreciate this rare little classic. And yes, it is virtually impossible to find a copy of the 45-rpm single. In my 40 years of collecting, the only copy I have ever seen is the one I am fortunate enough to have in my collection.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:The Singing Angels:Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World

Date Posted:12/10/2012 07:06:50Copy HTML

Sure Chip, rub it in.  j/k lol.  If I had only been a few weeks faster, I might be the one who had this very rare record in my possession.

Not counting saving my children's records, we both have been actively collecting records about the same amount of time.  But again, back when I started, I was just interested in getting an actual album and I've mentioned this before, I didn't know that some were reissues or I didn't realize that ones from the Record Clubs were licensed by the original record label to press these albums themselves and use the same artwork and catalog number, but they also had the Record Club catalog number and "Licensed by, etc." on them.

So once again, I want to thank you and let you know that I am very grateful for you in helping me to find out if I have an original release or a reissue and also directing me in the right places to find the original releases.

But thanks to you, we do have this beautiful song restored for The WPIX Yule Log.  I can't remember if in any of the 2 hour broadcasts this was still played or not.  I did watch it every year, but we didn't have VCRs in the early 1970's and then when I was able to get a VCR of my own, I video taped a few different years, but I have only found one of them.  I think the other's were in a batch of tapes that got ruined when a pipe was leaking in our basement and I lost about 200 video tapes that I had in milk crates stacked on top of each other, so the water leaked down trough the tapes.

Long before this you were able to compile a listing of all the songs that were on the original 3 hours, I don't know if this song was available at WPIX on other versions of the 2 hour broadcast, or if the songs that were omitted to get the Yule Log to fit into 2 hours were forever lost on the cutting room floor.  If it did survive, I don't know what the quality of it would be, so I think it was fate that you were able to get the 45 so it could be restored to the 3 hour broadcast.  I do realize you said "this is one of the 18 missing songs that I added back to the Yule Log soundtrack and it's one of the 12 songs that had to be digitally re-mastered from its original vinyl" So I guess in re-reading your initial post that this song was indeed lost forever on the cutting room floor.

I would guess there is a possibility that someone out there had taped this onto Reel-to-Reel and would have the song, but they could be anywhere in the world and not even know about the Message Board, so finding them would be next to impossible and then who knows what quality the recording would be?  So again, I think it was fate that you were able to find the 45.

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