Member of: The Yule Log.com Message Board

Posted on 05/10/2013 12:53

Thanks for the great list Chip!   And thanks for making me a happy man by adding "The Little Drummer Boy" (The Living Voices) to the list!   This record in my opinion SAYS Christmas the minute the first note is heard and I think their rendtition of "Do You Hear What I Hear" is the most touching version of the song!


Keeping my fingers crossed it happens!  I would order it immediately of announced!


Merry Christmas to all!  (a bit early but we need a little Christmas now!)

Bob 

Posted on 09/27/2012 07:54

Bravo Chip and a big thanks to Gordon!!!


I will pre-order this immediately this morning!
Now I hope you can help get a release of 1965's Living Voices "The Little Drummer Boy" which is one of the best Christmas records ever!  I love their rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear," and the entire record makes any day feel like Christmas.   "Be a Santa" and "The Little Christmas Tree Waltz" are other great tracks!


Best and warmest regards to you and the members of the board!
Bob

Posted on 12/31/2011 18:24

Thanks Chip!

Look foward to hearing from you and wish him a happy b'day and I will keep my fingers crossed that I will talk with him!

Have a Happy and Safe New Year! 

And let the countdown to the Yule Log 2012 begin!

B

Posted on 12/31/2011 08:54

You know what Chip I should have mention HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, when of my prized items that I have in my collection is the laserdisc version of that film and the cool thing is I had met Roddy at a event and he was a major collector of film and I brought the disc with me, he was thrilled that it was released as it was long delayed, so after discussing Planet of the Apes make-up we focused on HOW GREEN and he pointed to Ms O'HARA and himself on the cover and he said he had just spoken with her that morning.  He signed the disc jacket and talked a bit more.   About 6 years ago when Ms O'Hara appeared at Macy's again I was able to give the same disc to a Macy's contact and she gave her the disc later at a private meeting in the exec offeces.  A few days later I got the call to go back to the store and pick up my disc and a copy of Ms O'Hara's book and she signed the other corner on the disc jacket!   So I have two of the cast signatures on the disc!    

Posted on 12/30/2011 23:05

I think that the person that played Thomas Mara Jr is still alive, check out the special edition dvd of the film he appears in the old episode for AMC's Backstory I think from the 1990's.

Hope Mr G is doing okay!    Send me your e-mail again I will send you share with you some intersting images from the film that you will love seeing!   Would love to speak with Mr G hope you can arrange it. Actually had to exchange e-mails with the Academy and I was able to relay that Ms O'Hara should get Lifetime Oscar - long overdue and she deserves it on the strengths of these three films alone THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, MIRACLE ON 34 STREET, and THE QUIET MAN.  And that is not counting the other great films she made.  I got to meet her twice and she is one classy lady.  Her brother was great too, the late Charles Fitzsimons.  He appeared in THE QUIET MAN as the IRA man and later he went on to be a producer on tv's classic BATMAN!!

He told me many great stories about the Duke, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly etc!

Thanks for all the great work you do in keeping the Yule Log burning brightly!
   

Posted on 12/30/2011 09:09

Merry Christmas Chip!

Sorry for the non-posts - will get back to you on Miracle ? about the Dutch Girl who in reality was not dutch but a great little actress!


I was in the living room when the bad jump happened on Deck the Halls by Percy Faith.   We all do thank PIX for heading the calls to return the Yule Logm but they need to get it right!   Maybe the techs there had too much Egg Nog?  


PIX you should rerun the show New Years Day and get it right!

And the bunk that it cannot be shown on Christmas Eve is jut that BUNK!   How many networks pre-empt regular shows for specials?   Every network does!    Simply start it at 7:30 and run it to 11:30 then show the classic Honeymooners episode!   Then Midnight Mass!  And to make it a real classic Christmas Eve show The Bishop's Wife at 5:00pm as they used to!

Announce in the spirit if Christmas they are giving their news staff the night off!   And let the show begin and watch the ratings soar!
   

Posted on 01/27/2011 23:15

Thanks Chip!

Totally understand they might not want to knock themselves out if it is a dead end but I will try an e-mail anyhow - I did indeed e-mail TIME LIFE and also READER'S DIGEST.

I want to stress to all the great people here that e-mails do matter -- as I said they use a formula example for every letter rec'vd there numbers crunchers might think it would relate to 1,000 units sold so get lets all tell these the great firms that due such great compilations that we are interested in the Yule Log Soundtrack!


I wonder how many copies Time Life have sold of their TREASURY OF CHRISTMAS which was always advertised on TV starting in OCT when LP's still existed then re-issued on CD!

Posted on 01/25/2011 23:14

Will do Chip!  

What might help too is to contact WPIX and maybe someone there could run with this idea to both TIME LIFE  and READERS DIGEST === is there anybody there members can e-mail or call????

Posted on 01/25/2011 11:47

Hi Chip

Thanks as always for the reply - here is what we all need to do -- go to TIMELIFE.com and go to the bottom of the screen to "contact us" and suggest the soundtrack for the WPIX YULE LOG as a CD release.  I have been told that they do consider suggestions and they do reply to e-mails!

So if they rec'vd enough requests maybe they might look into it!    


Best
Bob

Posted on 01/23/2011 23:31

Thanks to you too my friend for the very kind words on my two books!

It is a shame how much history is going bye bye every day, thank you again for keeping the good fight going on the Yule Log.   My Mom and I really enjoyed the 2010 broadcast on PIX!   We had it on while we opened our gifts and then put it through the speakers and loved every bit of the soundtrack.

I know we have gone over this but the PIX log's soundtrack needs a release, I know how hard rights issues are - I deal with the movie studios and film and tv contacts and that is a prime example of music being replaced because of rights holders not wanting to make deals on costs.   That is why the dvd release of WKRP will never continue.   Amazing how petty things can get --- on the classic ADDAMS FAMILY tv show there is an episode where Morticia sings "It's so nice to have a thing around the house" to Thing and it is based on the line from the song "It's so nice to have a man around the house" so because Fox would not pay the fee to the song the scene was cut from the dvd set!   I won't buy the series on dvd because of that!    In the 1933 classic film THE INVISIBLE MAN there is a scene where a radio is playing and Universal needed to put new music over that because of the cost to clear the song that originally was heard!  And this is from a 1933 film!

Back to the Yule Log --- so if Time Life can do a music compilation from all different record firms I think they could clear the Yule Log soundtrack!

Maybe I will contact Time Life this week!

Best regards,
Bob


Gotta tell you a story that will make your jaw drop on some history about the parade I found and a famous firm won't preserve the history!   I will e-mail you the story!

Posted on 01/23/2011 11:32

Hi Chip

I am more than sure the other great posters here on your wonderful site won't mind me speaking for them when I say you should be given the official title "Keeper of the Flame known as the Yule Log"  you are indeed an American hero for helping to preserve a very important part of our holiday traditions that was in danger of being lost.

We here in the U.S. do not seem to want to preserve our history and that needs to change - I for one would have never knocked down Yankee Stadium - they should have kept it up made it a historical landmark and museum to pay for its upkeep - they could have charged little leagues a fee to play games there etc anything to keep it up --- in 30 years people will be bemoaning the loss of the "House that Ruth Built,"  like they bemoan the loss of Penn Station!

As an historian I truly commend you on the work you do here and in your great work with the YULE LOG
And your fourth hour had the feeling that it belonged there since day one and anyone that gets "Be A Santa" airplay is truly da man!

And Bravo to WPIX for listening to your input and bringing back the beloved Yule Log! 
I am very sure they are very happy with the broadcasts ratings over the last few years! 


Best regards,
   

Posted on 01/03/2011 23:19

Hi Chip

You are welcome!   You deserve props indeed!  

I was able to locate a customer input e-mail form on Sony's website Monday 1/3/11 and I did e-mail that I would hope they would remaster the long MIA Percy Faith Christmas album Hallelujah

I hope more people can do the same!    Another album that needs to be remastered is the Harry Simeone classic album that features "Christmas Tree,"  "The Little Drummer Boy," "Christmas is a Birthday" etc I have the original album I never get the name right because the cover mentions all the songs and has a modern picture of a mother holding a baby.  

I do have the CD of the album but it omits a song.   

Posted on 01/02/2011 23:46

Hi Chip!


I will call Sony and add my vote that they do reissiue "Hallelujah."

To all the posters on this GREAT site I encourage you all to be active in contacting these record labels, your comments do count!  The bean counters at these places use a formula - example every 1,000 comments might relate to 75,000 CD units sold etc!

Chip has done a remarkable job with this site and always putting the time in so we the fans of the beloved Yule Log and the great music of Christmas can see and hear the warmth of the holiday season again and again, let's all add our voices too!  

Posted on 01/02/2011 00:25

Hi Chip!

Thanks for the Happy New Year's Wishes too!

Nothing like making Christmas record want list for Santa real early and hopefully you can get it to Gordon Anderson to release them on CD for 2011! 


Here is two of my hoped for CD releases!
 
The long hoped for release of Percy Faith Christmas album that has the best version of
BRING A TORCH JEANETTE ISABELLA ever recorded!

and

THE THE LIVING VOICES -- "THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY" 

Posted on 12/31/2010 20:20

Hi Chip!

Thanks on the Hogan's Heroes album, that is the most info I have had on that album - you are truly a fantabulous storehouse of musical memories!

Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Bob  

Posted on 12/31/2010 08:54

Hi Chip

Thanks for sharing this very powerful clip that shows the love that Ben had for his sons and played perfectly by the entire cast.  They do not make shows like this any more, classy all the way and all done without 'realistic" filthy talk or such.   

One of my fondest memories is watching Lorne Greene and Betty WHite host the Macy's Parade for many years during the early 60's to early 70's they remail the best broadcast team for the parade in it's 84 plus year history!

I might start collecting the box sets of BONANZA with season 2 vol one as they have great supplements including pictures of parade's featuring Lorne Greene.  My book about the Macy's parade has a great shot of the entire cast on horse back up at Central Park West for the 1959 parade
I actually have on of his contracts for the parade telecast and I recently got to talk with the rep that works for his son in law the director of the 3 Spiderman films!    How cool is it that I had to return the call and was greet by Sam Raimi's answering machine!   Mr Raimi is married to Lorne Greene's daughters and we were trying to see if she had any memorabilia of her father's telecasting the parade.


On other cast albums I remember the Crazy Eddie ads that always showed an album featuring the cast of "Hogan's Heroes" and sadly I never grabbed it - I wonder if it was a Christmas record?
    

Posted on 12/30/2010 23:17

Hi Chip

Have you or anyone else here ever heard "Christmas on the Ponderosa?" featuring the cast of "Bonanza" I received the CD on 12/23/10 and really enjoyed it, Pernell Roberts has one song that really is a rousing number and reveals he had a great voice!

Do you know any history behind the recording of the album?


Best and warmest regards,

  

Posted on 11/04/2010 08:20

Why doesn't he just reach out to any of the many businesses in the Chicago area that might be community minded that might be able to underwrite the cost of the timeslot - I find it hard to believe that not one firm would want to give the viewing public a Christmas gift of The Yule Log to the US!   Dunkin Donuts, Macy's, McDonald's BK, Kohl's, JC Penney, Toy's R Us, etc or Met Life, Sears etc    -  C'mon Sean Compton work the phones!!!!   All they need to do is say at the start of the program "The Yule Log is brought to you by Etc etc commercial free and as a Christmas gift"

Posted on 07/04/2010 13:45

Right you are Chip, we can include Babes in Toyland on that list too!!!!  I just have seen "Christmas in CT" the last two years as it was in the dvd set I bought and have thoroughly enjoyed it - although it misses being a "classic" holiday film for some reason!

Posted on 07/03/2010 08:29

Hi Chip!  Here are my faves!


Christmas Movies

1   Babes in Toyland (1934)
2   Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
3   Scrooge  (1951)
4   The Bishop's WIfe (1947)
5   Holiday Affair (1949)
6   White Christmas (1954)
7   Going My Way (1944)
8   Bells of St Mary's  (1945)
9   Holiday Inn (1942)
10 Scrooge (1970)  Sadly we just lost legendary Dir Ronald Neame

Honorable mention

11 A Christmas Carol (1938)
12 Die Hard (1988)  I know both strange picks for fave Christmas movies but both take place on Christmas Eve!!!
13 Die Hard 2 (1990)
14 It's a Wonderful Life (1947) Would be higher if it did not take so long to get to the ending where the Christmas stuff takes place, it is a wonder that George Bailey didn't try to end it all after the 4th or 5th reel he is a tortured soul for soooooooo long!     

Favorite Non Holiday Films


1  The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2  The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3  The Farmer's Daughter (1947)
4  Spooks RUn WIld (1941)
5  Northwest Passage (1940)
6  The House On 92nd Street (1945)
7  Mary Poppins (1964)
8  The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
9  The Ghost Breakers (1940)
10 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
11 Easter Parade (1948)
12 King of Kings (1961)
13 The Robe and Demetrius and The Galdiators 2 for 1 as they were filmed back to back.