'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Fred Waring (Performer), The Pennsylvanians (Performer) | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Label: Decca (1956)
• ASIN: B000VONUCK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #68 in Music > Miscellaneous > Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

LP contains 10 songs like: Rudolph - First Noel - Carol Of The Bells - Jingle Bells

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Chorales Sound Like This Anymore, December 3, 2009

By 

M. Lobdell "mmlobdell" (Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Vinyl)

This recording is a treasure. I have listened to this album since I was a child. There is nothing available that duplicates or even resembles the vocal arrangements of Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. They are fresh, fun, and lively. There are some things that cannot be improved upon; the vocals are unmistakably post WWII, and very tight. The sound is a throwback to a more innocent time. Fred Waring's arrangements are totally unique, and he used sound effects brilliantly to enhance the mood of the songs, in some cases, like in "Jingle Bells", frenetically. My personal favorites are "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Jingle Bells"; I love how perfectly the singers harmonized, and "Jingle Bells" is amazingly original with various musical styles showcasing the fabulous vocal talents of the singers. This album brings back an era that is lost forever. Because it has not been released on CD, I bought a vinyl in decent condition and took it to a lab to be transferred to CD. At the lab, they digitally removed any pops or scratches and I gave copies as gifts to my whole family.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A record that brings back Christmas memories..., December 30, 2008

By 

Film Fanatic (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Vinyl)

My father received this record as gift when he was a child in the 1950s. We listened to it every christmas, especially while we decorated our family Christmas tree, so hearing it's characteristic sound brings back piles of Christmas memories. About the record itself, the Pennsylvanians sound great, and the songs are well-sung, very fun versions of some holiday classics. My personal favorites include "Twas the night before Christmas," "Jingle Bells," and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." They all have plenty of sound effects, and are especially fun for children. A warning about "Jingle Bells"-- the choir sings this song in a number of different styles of music (latin, gypsy, etc.) which made my sister-in-law characterize it as "schizophrenic."

I would recommend the record album if you can find it, as the cracks and pops add to the nostalgia. Although the record isn't available here, there are websites that carry CDs recorded from the original tapes/records.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ...., December 9, 2010

By 

GRANNY-FRANNY - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Vinyl)

This album/cd is a real HOOT! My sisters and I blared it at Christmas time when we were 7 yrs. old. DON'T expect TRADITIONAL versions of Christmas songs. FRED's got it rocking! I bought it for my granddaughters and they are now up dancing....Frosty the Snowman... thump-a-dee, thump, thump look at Frosty Go ..... has a great heavy drum beat - ya can't SIT thru it. My younger sister and I used to do a "TANGO" to ZHEENGLE (JINGLE) BELLS because it has a heavy Latin sound, We would then collapse on the furniture laughing our butts off!! GIVE IT ONE MORE PLAY, AND YOU'LL BE HOOKED!!