Feel like crying?

Are you sad because Santa didn't bring you what you wanted? Or because you don't have someone to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve?

Well, at least you don't have it as bad as these poor folks seem to think. This is a compilation of 24 "sad" songs from our friends at K-Tel, the Winnipeg-based company that churned out all kinds of compilations in the 60s, 70s, and beyond (along with various non-music items like "The Micro-Roast", designed to help you prepare "perfectly browned, crispy, juicy meats in your microwave!").

The "cornball factor" is through the roof on a lot of these songs, so you may be less likely to cry, and more inclined to laugh in some cases. The lead-off track, "Tell Laura I Love Her", the woeful tale of a young man who enters himself in a car race, in order to win money to buy a wedding ring for the love of his life (sniff!), has always been notable for me as a prime example of this kind of "teenage tragedy song". "Two Faces Have I" (ah-I ... yi-yi-yi-yi-ya-ha-hi!!) actually made me chuckle out loud when I first heard it.

Another crying shame is the fact that this album had a few irreparable skips on it. Normally in a case like this I'd leave the track out, but for the sake of "completeness", I've added non-skipping versions of each track anyway (to the hard-core vinyl purists, I apologize).

Finally, is it me, or does the motorcycle guy on the cover look like he's trying to help take the tears away by putting his hand down his pants? :D

Thanks to the fans of this blog for a great 2009! Happy New Year, and see you all in 2010!!

I'm dreaming of a ...

White Christmas is comprised of selections from the soundtrack to the highest-grossing movie of 1954, a Christmas-themed movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. The film is a story about two entertainers, formerly army buddies, who put on a Christmas show to help their former commanding officer out of a jam.

Most of the songs are not even Christmas songs, except for the title track, so if you're sick of Yuletide tunes already, not to worry.

There might be a wee skip here and there but nothing major. Enjoy, and may all your Christmases be white!

A Christmas Together

A Christmas Together is the soundtrack of a 1979 television Christmas special starring the late, great John Denver along with the cast of The Muppets, the brainchild of the late, great Jim Henson.

There are lots of fun little songs on this album, from holiday classics performed by the whole cast ("The Twelve Days of Christmas", "Deck The Halls"), to original songs written specifically for this TV special ("When The River Meets The Sea"). The in-house band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, do their take on "Little Saint Nick", a Christmas song originally performed by The Beach Boys.

Getting the original video can be difficult, since it has never been "officially" issued on DVD or even VHS, however it appears some people who had the foresight to record this (and actually HAD a VCR in 1979, relatively few did) are now offering "bootleg" DVD copies for sale. I wouldn't wanna rat anyone out, but they're around.