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The Fat Albert Christmas Special (1977)

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It may not be considered by some to be a classic, but I believe The Fat Albert Christmas Special deserves to be put up with the rest.

First airing on December 18, 1977, the show features Fat Albert and the gang as they try to keep a stingy old land owner from tearing down their clubhouse and help a stranded family who is about to have a baby and whose youngest son, Marshall, has run away believing he is unloved.

This is a pretty good special and has a lot of Christmas cheer.

Enjoy!


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Eddie Fisher, dead at 82

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Pop singer Eddie Fisher, whose clear voice brought him a devoted following of teenage girls in the early 1950's before marriage scandals over-shadowed his fame, has died at age 82.

Click here to read more
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Dick Van Dyke for Kodak (1970's)

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Here, Dick Van Dyke does an ad for Kodak Instamatic Camera.  This was way before digital photography but was popular because of the easy loading of film.  My mom had one of these when I was a kid and it lasted forever.

Enjoy!

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The Judy Garland Christmas Show (1963)

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This was part of a series of specials Judy did for CBS television.

This particular special features Jack Jones and Mel Torme'. It also features Judy's children - Liza Minelli and Lorna and Joseph Luft. This is pretty cool business as it was I think broadcast live.

Here is the opener to that special with all of it's pomp and circumstance.




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The Little Drummer Boy, Book II (1976)

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In 1976, Rankin/Bass made a sequel to The Little Drummer Boy. They subtitled it "Book II" in a biblical style reference.

The story follows Aaron right after the birth of Christ as he helps one of the wise men, Melchior, recover silver bells that were cast to ring at the birth of the Messiah. The bells were stolen by greedy Roman soldiers.

This is a very good sequel and it features a version of the 1963 Bing Crosby Christmas song, "Do You Hear What I Hear?".

Here is a number from the show



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Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

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Rankin/Bass were never a group to shy away from the true meaning of Christmas. They tried to present it in a way to kids that would not confuse them, but show that even someone like Santa Claus had a reason beyond himself for doing what he does.

One such special is Nestor, The Long-eared Christmas donkey. Taking from the same type of story as rudolph, this is the tale of a donkey named Nestor who has a physical "deformity" - Long Ears. It's a story that teaches children that just because someone is different doesn't mean you should make fun of them or that they are not important. In the end, Nestor serves a great purpose to mankind and takes his place in The Greatest Story Ever Told.

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Billie May Richards, the voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has died at the age of 89

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Billie May Richards, the voice of Rankin Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has passed away in her sleep at the age of 89. Click here for the rest of the story.

Thanks to
Matthew for the heads up on this story. She will be missed in our world.
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Holiday Albums I recommend for this year.

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This blog is mostly about the television/movie medium at Christmas time, but I wanted to share a few musical treasures that you should look into getting this year.

First on the list:

The Many Moods of Christmas featuring The Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra. This is a great classical take on Christmas. Recorded in 1963 for RCA/Victor records.








Merry Christmas Johnny Mathis

This is a great album. Johnny's voice is incredible and romantic and the arrangements lend themselves to Christmas in a truly magical way. From his rendition of A Christmas Song to Oh Holy Night, this is a must for any Christmas Music collection.






















Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer featuring Burl Ives

Now, aside from a great cartoon special, this show features some great music featuring the great Burl Ives. All of the songs are featured in this album and there are some great instrumental pieces that were featured as well along with some
new ones. This is nostalgia at it's best.





















Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Christmas Album

This is a great album. The boys at A&M records didn't try to make a junk album. This record captures the magic of Christmas with the funky late sixties jazz stylings of Herb and his band. If you don't have this one, get to Amazon or find a thrift store now.




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