Christmas Crackle: The Back Catalog

While we're at it, here are the first 3 mixes in the Christmas Crackle family.
Enjoy!

Christmas Crackle 1
Listen here: http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=christmas+crackle+one 
sort by album, then click play all for best results

Christmas Crackle 2
Listen here: http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=christmas+crackle+2
sort by album, then click play all for best results

Christmas Crackle 3
Listen here: http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=christmas+crackle+3
sort by album, then click play all for best results

Christmas Crackle 4

Here is this year's Christmas vinyl compilation.  The songs were compiled with 100% pure vinyl, discovered in the greater Seattle area, plus St. Louis and throughout New England on our road trip this past October.
Special thanks to my bruddah, Arlo, and his gal Cheli, who found some sweet tracks on their own thrift store forays.

Listen here on Grooveshark : http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=christmas+crackle+4
(sort by album to get the song order right)

You can listen online, or I think grooveshark has a downloader if you wanted to take it with you.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Christmas Album Cover Goodness

I have been combing through the stacks the past few years looking for Christmas records for my traditional all-vinyl holiday mix cd titled 'Christmas Crackle.'
Not every album makes the cut, but a lot of the covers are so awesome I had to share.

Here are some of my fave album covers, in no specific order.   Don't make me play favorites. I love them all.



I'm a sucker for a space-age silver cut-out dress.  The album itself was so-so, lots of strings, no Moog to be found.



Backwards spelled letters = Krazy Kute



Freddy has that hot, brooding German sailor look to him.  The look that says either "Ich Liebe" or "I'm going to smother you in your cabin while you sleep"





John Schneider, sigh...swoon.  'Nuff said.



Back cover, even swoonier.  And the sweater!  Oh, the sweater.



Santa, lying in wait, it's payback time.



Until I heard this album, I never realized the true awesomeness of Brenda Lee.  This cover displays her sparkliness, and the beauty of big hair. 



Robert Goulet. The master at his craft.  I imagine after this picture was taken, he sipped some scotch and told the kids, "Scram, daddy needs a nap."



One of the finer Salsa Disco Christmas records on the market.



Santa looks like a jerk on this cover.



Loretta with the world's smallest Christmas tree.  So sweet.



I love white christmas trees with monochromatic blue trimming...



...and wreaths trimmed with music star faces.



Soulful organ jazz, like what they used to play in Skippers seafood restaurants in the 80s.



Matching plaid outfits = adorbs.  And these cats can really swing!





"The magic fingers of Merlin" Brilliant.



Love.



So many hidden layers of meaning in this cover.  The sparkly hourglass shows all the sands of time have run out.  Is this an album about time gone by, times to be remembered?  What are the murky shapes in the background?  What is he trying to tell us?  What is going on???



Gold. Shiny.  Shiny shiny shiny.




Classic old ornaments.  Wanty.



Mario Lanza.  Bedroom Eyes.  Danggggggg.







PINE CONE.




Dead-eyed Santa.  Scared of this.


I like Mrs. Oldham's go-go boots.  Tres chic.



Can someone bring smoking jackets back?  Please?