These are a Few of My Favorite Things…

Since we’re coming up on Christmas, I thought I’d take a few moments to run down a makeshift list of my personal favorite Christmas recordings. At first, I thought I might try to list the ones I consider to be the greatest Christmas recordings of our genre, but decided against it and just list my top 8 favorites (in no certain order). So, here ‘tis…

1 – Hoppers-“Glad Tidings” (aka-“Great Joy”)
I will admit that this one ranks at the top of my favorite Christmas CDs. It has all the sounds and songs of a great Christmas recording. The orchestrations are absolutely heavenly. My only gripe is the couple of songs that they used what I call “fake orchestrations”. It really cheapens the whole recording when compared to the colossal orchestral arrangements by Wayne Haun. That one minor detail certainly doesn’t detract me from enjoying this recording to the fullest extent. Just the first 4 songs alone are worth the price of the CD.

2 – Denver & The Mile High Orchestra-“Timeless Christmas”
This one ranks at the top as well. This one and the Hoppers are the only Christmas recordings that I listen to outside of the Christmas season. I have never made it a habit since I’ve been writing for SoGospelNews to write reviews for Christmas recordings, as I find them very hard to do. When I heard this one, I just HAD to tackle it. If you own only ONE Christmas recording, be sure it’s this one.

3 – Talleys-“A Family Christmas”
Very few groups have been able to touch the music of the original Talleys, and this ranks as probably one of, if not their very finest work. Released way back in 1988, this has the feel of a superb Christmas recording, and includes some great traditional Christmas songs, as well as a few new ones, but all done with the finesse and class that is unmistakably “Talleys”.

4 – Amy Lambert-“Home for Christmas”
Released back in 1996, I love the feel of this recording; it’s very simple, yet very elegant. It has a Smoky Mountain feel to it, and is one you can just sit back and enjoy over and over again. You can almost smell the smoke from the fireplace when you sit and listen to it.

5-John Berry-“O Holy Night”
Much like Amy Lambert’s “Home for Christmas” recording, this too has that simple, yet elegant feel. Lots of acoustical instrumentation makes this so easy to listen to. I will admit, I’ve not followed Berry’s Country Music career, but if his music is like this recording, I think I could be a real fan.

5 – Canaan Records-“Country Christmas”
This was a variety album released on Canaan Records back in 1981. Artists that were on Canaan at the time (Happy Goodmans, Cathedrals, Florida Boys, Lewis Family, Inspirations, etc.) went in the studio and recording one song each. Also, I love the cover picture on the record. If there was ever a great wintry, Christmas cover, this is the one! I bought this record sometime in the mid 1980s and it is this album that introduced me to what has become my all-time favorite Christmas song, “O Holy Night”, and Johnny Cook and the Goodmans perform it magnificently.

6 – Wayne Watson-“One Christmas Eve”
It’s not a Southern Gospel recording, but when this was released about 12 years ago, I bought it on a whim and loved it from beginning to end. It’s Contemporary, but it’s great. It also includes some tunes that you don’t normally find on the average Christmas recording such as “I Wonder as I Wander” and “Sweet Little Jesus Boy”.

7 – Gaither Vocal Band-“Still the Greatest Story Ever Told”
While I wouldn’t exactly call this a great “Christmas Sounding” Christmas recording, I still love it. It also contains some great songs like “Reaching”, “New Star Shining” and of course the now classic, “Mary Did You Know?”

8 – Cathedrals-“Cathedral Christmas”
This recording, released back in 1985, features the epitome of great quartet accapella singing. I’ve never been one who likes accapella recordings, because I find them boring. But I think it’s because this recording has spoiled me. While it doesn’t contain actual music, it has a definite Christmas feel and ranks in my top 8.