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Perry Como
 The Very Best of Perry Como $11.98 Great collection of Perry Como's hits and interpretations of other pop hits. Much better selection than many domestic released ones.  "Perry Como - All-Time Greatest Hits, Vol. 1" $8.99 I got this for my mother-in-law for her 72nd Birthday, she pushed "replay" 5 times.By the time we left, I knew the words to songs I hadn't heard before.A dozen roses wouldn't have made her as happy!  Perry Como Christmas $7.99 While anthology oriented compilations are well and good, all of the tracks on Perry's beloved '68 LP (with Perry's face in the wreath on the cover) were gathered from the same recording sessions, lending to its compilation a certain warmth of continuity. Unfortunately, it's still unavailable to the best of my knowledge. You'll need this and two other CD's; Perry's "Greatest Christmas Songs" and "I Wish it Could Be Christmas Forever" to replicate the '68 LP on CD (except as noted *), then program your CD changer (or record) as follows: SIDE 1: a) Christmas Eve.....................................................A Perry Como Christmas (track 7) b) Do You Hear What I Hear....................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 6) c) Christ is Born......................................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 5) d) The Little Drummer Boy *...................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 20) e) There is No Christmas Like a Home Christmas.......Greatest Christmas Songs (track 10) f) O Holy Night.......................................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 13) SIDE 2: a) Carol Medley.......................................................A Perry Como Christmas (track 1) b) Silver Bells..........................................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 7) c) Some Children See Him *................................... Greatest Christmas Songs (track 15) d) Toyland..............................................................I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever (track 2) e) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 1) f) Ave Maria...........................................................Greatest Christmas Songs (track 21) * Please note that there are only two noteworthy exceptions to the original LP: a) "Drummer Boy" now has Perry singing the first verse, whereas on the take (or mix) of the original LP the Ray Charles Singers sang the first verse w/o Perry; b) I took the liberty of including the spiritually charged "Some Children See Him", which (tho it was recorded in the same sessions) was omitted from the LP. Be sure and look up the lyrics to this (once) lost treasure on George T's Perry Como website, his extensive and loving tribute to this great singer and great human being. Oh, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how much better the '68 album sounds on CD. Merry Christmas! |
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