Welcome to episode 97 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about the 1968 album, “Christmas Song / New Year’s Song.”

This was a much more enjoyable album than I thought it would be. I love it when a record exceeds my expectations, and this one really blew them away. This tends to be my busiest, most hectic time of the year, and my podcast is one of those things that I’m often tempted to put to the side. When I really like an album, though, it encourages me to keep going. I picked five really great ones this month, so I’ve actually been able to stay ahead of schedule.

Be sure to join me back here next week for an album I spent over two years tracking down, Kayo Ishu’s “Scat Christmas,” from 1969. It occupied the #1 spot on my wishlist for so long, I didn’t think I’d ever get a copy. Then listen in on Christmas Day for one of the most amazing albums you’ll ever hear. It’s one of the most sought-after Japanese Christmas albums, and an absolute Christmas masterpiece. And be sure to listen in on New Year’s Eve for my special 100th episode where I’ll be covering another exceedingly rare album that will really blow you away.

As always, any feedback on this episode would be appreciated. If have any suggestions, or if you’d like to recommend a song or album for a future episode, drop me a line and let me know.

Remember, I’ve added a button to my Ko-fi page. If you’d like to support me one cup of coffee at a time, a donation is only $3. I’ve also opened a Redbubble store. I only have a couple designs up, but keep an eye on it as I’ll be trying to add more. Half of any proceeds or donations received will be donated to support the people of Ukraine, while the rest will be used to purchase new Japanese Christmas music to review for future episodes. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And if you get a chance, leave me a review on iTunes. Thanks!