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Welcome to episode 82 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the 1959 album, “Blue Christmas – Trumpet Mood Collection,” by Keiichiro Ebihara And The Lobsters.

I’ve had a lot of “most wanted” albums since I started collecting. This one spent nearly a year in my top three. Thankfully, it proved to be as good as it was elusive. Cleaning it up proved to be a struggle and you can still hear a lot of noise in my files. It took me about as long to digitize it as it did to finally get a copy. I’d work on it, not be happy with the results, then put it aside for several weeks and try it again, each time taking a different approach. I finally let it sit for a few months then came back and gave it one last shot. The results weren’t perfect, but I can live with them.

That said, I hope you enjoyed Keiichiro Ebihara and the Lobsters. I would have liked to have given more background on him, but the side I found when I first got the album is one of several I’ve used for research over the past few years that have disappeared when I went back to check them again. I believe I did a decent job stitching together a somewhat accurate picture of his life based on the liner notes and the few other sources I found.

Join me back here next month as I cover a pair of fun albums from the 1960s. Up first is the sonojournal Electric Guitar Christmas 10, featuring the music of Yoshiyas Ueda and Swing West. Then join me later in the month for “Golden Christmas Part,” which is a compilation from 1964 featuring music by the Blue Coats Orchestra, Yoji Yamashita and the Five Sons, and the Doshiro Quintet. From what I can tell, none of the music on either album has ever been rereleased, so you won’t find it anywhere else.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Scott Leopold
Title:

Episode 82: “Keiichiro Ebihara’s Blue Christmas – Trumpet Mood Collection”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 81 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Hiro Tsunoda’s 1991 album, “Ballad X’mas.”

This was a fun episode to work on. I love Tsunoda’s voice, and the non-Christmas songs on his album gave me something a little different to talk about. It also let me discover Zapp’s version of “Ooo Baby Baby.” As a native Daytonian, I was surprised to learn a few months ago that Zapp was pretty big in Japan. I was lucky enough to cross paths with Roger Troutman once back in my teens. We were driving past when he was walking out of Troutman Studios. I hollered, “Roger, I want to be your man!” (The song was huge at the time.) He laughed and waved. The fact that he reacted at all was a big thrill for me.

As I mentioned in the episode, I would have loved some Christmas music from a 1970s-era Hiro Tsunoda. “Ballad X’mas” is great, but I think an album from 15-20 years earlier would have turned into a Christmas funk classic. Also, as promised, here are a few videos, including Zapp’s “Ooo Baby Baby” and Randy Crawford’s “Almaz.”

Hiro Tsunoda and the Space Band – Mary Jane (1972)

Hiro Tsunoda – I Love You (B-side to “Mary Jane”)

Hiro Tsunoda and the Space Band from the 1974 One Step Festival

Randy Crawford – Almaz

Zapp – Ooo Baby Baby (1989)

I hope you enjoyed learning about and listening to Hiro Tsunoda. He has a lot of other great music, so you might find yourself going down a rabbit hole on YouTube after checking out the videos. Thanks again to Rocket Brown for introducing me to him. If you get a chance, check out Come Along Radio, where Rocket plays and talks about some of the best music City Pop has to offer.

Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t quite back on track with my release dates. This was supposed to be my May 11th episode, but instead was pushed back to the 25th. I’m shooting for a Memorial Day release for my next episode, where I talk about Keiichiro Ebihara and the Lobsters’ “Blue Christmas – Trumpet Mood Collection” from 1959. It’s a fantastic album and a smooth way to start your summer.

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 81: Hiro Tsunoda’s “Ballad X’mas”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 80 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Lisa Ono’s 2004 album, “Boas Festas 2 – Feliz Natal.”

This is coming out a lot sooner than normal after my last episode. Despite all the setbacks I’ve been facing over the past few months, I wanted to make sure I got both episodes out this month. I’m hoping things calm down and I’m able to get back to a more regular release schedule.

As I said last time, I really hope you enjoyed Lisa Ono’s music as much as I have. Every once in a while when I’m preparing for an episode, after hitting play on an album for the 15th time, I’ll be ready to move on to something else. As much as I’ve listened to both of these CD’s this month, I never grew tired of them.

Be sure to join me next month for a pair of great albums. Up first is Hiro Tsunoda’s “Ballad X’mas” from 1991, along with a couple Christmas singles. Then join me on the 25th for one of the oldest Japanese LP’s I have, “Blue Christmas – Trumpet Mood Collection,” by Keiichiro Ebihara and His Lobsters from 1959. They’re both a lot of fun and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

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!

 

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Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 80: Lisa Ono’s “Boas Festas 2 – Feliz Natal”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 79 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Lisa Ono’s album, “Boas Festas,” from 2000.

Over the past three years, I’ve pointed out multiple times that I don’t speak Japanese and have, therefore, apologized for some of my pronunciations. This time, I have to point out that I don’t speak Portuguese, so if my friend Ernesto is listening, I’m sorry for mangling some of the names. That said, I can’t overstate how thrilled I was to discover Lisa Ono’s music. Her Christmas CD’s have become two of my favorites and are now permanent parts of my regular Christmas music playlist.

I hope you enjoyed this first episode about Lisa Ono. It’s been hectic the past few months and I’m way behind schedule, but I’ll be getting the next one out as soon as I can. Be sure to tune back in as I wrap up my discussion about Lisa Ono’s life and career, and give a brief history about Bossa Nova music in general..

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 79: Lisa Ono’s “Boas Festas”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 78 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the Korean funk classic, “Woodpecker Merry Christmas,” from 1985.

As I said in the episode, this certainly didn’t align with my expectations. I have a couple others that did, though, so when I mention “Korean Christmas” in the future, you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.

My main disappointment here was all the skips. This is one of two albums I’ve gotten where the skips were this bad. The other is an LP by a Japanese pop group from the 80s. With that one, I was able to get the song I was looking for on a single, so it wasn’t too big a deal. Still, playing a record and having a three-minute song only run 55 seconds because it’s nothing but skips can be frustrating.

Join me back here later this month when I cover Lisa Ono’s Christmas albums. She grew up in Brazil and developed an affinity for Bossa Nova music. Her albums are fantastic and feature some Brazilian Christmas songs I wasn’t familiar with previously. She has a wonderful voice and a great, loungey sound and I’m sure you’ll love her music.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title: Episode 78: Woodpecker Merry Christmas
Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 77 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Mieko Hirota’s Christmas music.

One of the most fascinating things about collecting Japanese records has been discovering these phenomenal singers and musicians I’d had no knowledge of before. Mieko Hirota was an amazingly talented performer, and while she’d had some exposure in the US, I’d never heard her name until three years ago.

As much as I’ve enjoyed the Christmas aspect of my collection, I’ve gotten just as much pleasure exploring other aspects of these artists’ careers. If not my podcast, I likely wouldn’t have been exposed to a lot of the City Pop, Jazz and other great Japanese music I’ve found myself listening to over the past few years.

Mieko Hirota has been one of the real highlights. She recorded some of the best vocal Japanese Christmas music of the 1960s, and the rest of the songs I’ve heard from her were equally as good.

I hope you enjoyed Mieko Hirota as much as I have. She left an indelible mark on the Japanese music industry, and now that I have a little more experiencing collecting, I can see why her Christmas releases demand the prices they do. I’ve mentioned that I’ve fallen behind over the past month or so. I’m hoping to get back on track in April, starting with my next episode which will go live on the 1st. It’s one that needs to be heard to be believed.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 77: Mieko Hirota’s Christmas Music

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 76 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Hideko Kojima’s 1970 album, “Christmas On Hammond – Jingle Bells.”

This month has been a bit tumultuous, to say the least. I’ve had a lot of issues that have kept me from working on my podcast, and just about anything else. I wanted to make sure I got these two episodes out, so I’ll be cutting my blog posts short. I will point out that Hideko Kojima’s album was one of the most pleasant surprises of my collection. I didn’t expect much of it, but it ended up being an exceptional album. I just hope I can get a skip-free copy at some point.

I hope you enjoyed Hideko Kojima’s music and what little background I was able to provide. Over the past few months, I’ve reached out to several people who may or may not have been the artist I was covering at the time. For the most part, I haven’t heard back from any of them. At some point, I’d love to get some feedback from one of them. That said, I hope you’ll join me later this month for the second of my Women’s History Month episodes. Next time around, I’ll be covering Mieko Hirota’s 1960s Christmas music. She was an exceptional singer and you’re sure to love her records.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 76: Hideko Kojima’s “Christmas On Hammond – Jingle Bells”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 75 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about Chris Hart’s 2022 album, “Christmas Hearts 2.”

I hope you enjoyed this second look at Chris Hart’s music. Like I said last year, I really admire the way he followed his dream and turned it into a successful career in Japan.

Be sure to join me in March as I cover a pair of fantastic female artists for Women’s History Month. Up first is Hideko Kojima’s “Christmas On Hammond – Jingle Bells” from 1970. It’s a fun, funky album that really exceeded my expectations. Then join me on the 25th as I talk about the Christmas music of Mieko Hirota. She was one of the biggest female pop stars of the 60s and influenced some of the biggest artists in the Japanese music industry.

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 75: Chris Hart’s “Christmas Hearts 2”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 74 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the Christmas flexi-discs released by the confectionary company, Juchheim.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to spin on my record player was “It’s A Super Spectacular Day” from the 1980 Mad Magazine Super Special. A few years later, it was superseded by “I’m A Boinger” from the Bloom County collection, “Billy And The Boingers Bootleg.” Thanks to those and a few other I had, I’ve always had an affinity for flexi-discs.

When I started collecting Japanese flexis, I bought up all the affordable ones I could find. I soon got the point where most of the ones I’d see show up for auction that I didn’t already have were the really scarce ones. I’ve managed to get quite a few of them, and some of the music on them is outstanding.

The Chieko Sogawa and Motoyuki Suzuki flexis are some of my favorites. They feature top-notch jazz from extremely obscure artists that you literally can’t hear unless you buy the original disc. It’s the sort of thing that got me into collecting.

I hope you enjoyed this episode and my glimpse into the world of Japanese Christmas flexi-discs. Some the music that can only be found on flexi-disc really rivals the best of my vinyl albums, and I look forward to sharing them eventually. Join me back here on the 25th for what will likely be my last Black History Month episode, at least until Chris Hart releases another Christmas album. I’ll be talking about Chris Hart’s “Christmas Hearts 2,” which features another mix of popular Japanese and Western Christmas tunes, as well as an original or two. If you liked his first album, you’re sure to enjoy this one as well.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title: Episode 74: Sweet German Jazz
Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 73 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the Riichi Maki’s 1971 album, “New Sounds Of Christmas.”

I have several albums that were extremely difficult to acquire, but none of them really compare to this one. Thankfully, the effort was worth it, as this is a great album. I would have liked to have learned a little more about Riichi Maki, although I’m glad I was able to find at least a little information about him. Several of the artists I’ve looked up recently have far less information online.

Similar to Riichi Maki, there’s not much information available about the original picture disc, either. From what I’ve been able to translate, the back cover just talks about Christmas music and celebrations around the world without revealing much about how the record came about. My friends in Japan couldn’t reveal much more about it. It looks fantastic, though, and my daughters were awfully impressed when I got it.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about Riichi Maki and his exceptional music. Be sure to listen in next month for a pair of fun episodes. Up first is a Valentine’s Day-themed episode where I talk about the Christmas flexi-discs released by the chocolate and confectionary company, Juchheim. Then join me on the 25th when, for Black History Month, I’ll be talking about Chris Hart’s latest Christmas album. Both episodes should be a lot of fun, and you won’t want to miss them.

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 73: Riichi Maki’s “New Sounds Of Christmas”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 72 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the Royal Hawaiian Boys’ album, “Hawaiian Time Vol. 3: Christmas In Hawaii.”

I’m in a rush to get this out so I won’t have much to say here. My 2022 was awful. I gave a friend this analogy: Years ago, we saw Lebron James play in the high school championships, right before he joined the NBA. It was literally like watching a top NBA star playing against high school kids. In terms of awfulness, that’s how 2022 was in comparison to 2020 and ’21 for me. This year’s keeping the trend going, so I’m a little behind schedule.

That said, I hope you enjoyed learning about the Royal Hawaiian Boys and Poss Miyazaki. There’s plenty of Hawiian-style Japanese Christmas music out there, so you’ll be hearing more like it eventually. Join me back here next week for Riichi Maki’s “New Sounds Of Christmas.” I had to overcome all sorts of obstacles to finally get a copy, but the end result was worth it, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing it.

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 72: The Royal Hawaiian Boys’ “Christmas In Hawaii”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 71 of Holly Jolly X’masu! For my special New Year’s Eve episode, I’ll be talking about the 1960 album, “The Blue Diamonds’ Christmas.”

Growing up, when we weren’t listening to Christmas music, my mom almost always had the Oldies station playing. I was always partial to the Everly Brothers and their wonderful harmonizing. When I first heard the Blue Diamonds, the Everlys were the first thing I thought of. It was no surprise that Ruud and Riem got their start emulating Don and Phil. The more I listened to it, the more I started thinking of it as the Christmas album the Everlys should have recorded. Yeah, they have a Christmas album, but it doesn’t compare to the de Wolff brothers’ album. I’d rank “The Blue Diamonds’ Christmas” right up there with Bobby Vee’s “Merry Christmas.”

Thanks for listening in over the past year. I hope you’ll join me in 2023 as I continue to cover the best in Japanese Christmas music. I have some great episodes lined up, featuring fantastic albums you literally can’t hear anywhere else. Join me in January as I cover a pair of great instrumental albums. Up first is “Christmas In Hawaii” by the Royal Hawaiian Boys. Then tune in on the 25th as I talk about Riichi Maki’s “Now Sound Christmas.” Both albums are loaded with wonderful music you’re sure to enjoy!

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 71: The Blue Diamonds’ Christmas

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 70 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the virtually unknown 1988 City Pop compilation, “Christmas Lovers” from BBM Records.

This is one of those albums that gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it. I’d spent hours listening to City Pop Christmas songs and playlists on YouTube, and I was familiar with all the really popular songs and most of the more obscure ones as well. Everything here was entirely new to me, and each of the songs was fantastic. How it’s flown under the radar for so long escapes me. It was the same feeling I had the first time I listened to ZE Records’ “A Christmas Record” in the late 90s.

While the artists here are all extremely obscure and don’t seem to have done anything beyond this one album, I hope I help to shed a little light on their work. This has become one of my favorite Japanese Christmas albums, and I feel it holds its own against the other better-known 1980s compilations.

Be sure to join me back here next week for my special New Year’s Eve episode. This time, I’ll be covering the Blue Diamonds, who were known as the Indonesian Everly Brothers. It’s a short, wonderful album on par with the Christmas music from their American contemporaries. If you like early American Rock, you’re sure to enjoy it.

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title: Episode 70: Christmas Lovers
Holly Jolly Xmasu

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 69 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the phenomenal 1987 compilation, “Mint Sound’s X’mas Album.”

When it comes to Japanese Christmas compilations from the 1980s, Yen Records’ “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” seems to get most of the attention. It’s a great, groundbreaking album, but I don’t think it holds a candle to Mint Sound’s. I actually prefer “Winter Lounge” to “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” but I think this one outshines them both. It has a great mix of songs and you never forget that you’re listening to a Christmas album. A few of the songs from Yen Records are a bit on the esoteric side.

One thing I think about when listening to my Japanese albums is how much return value they have. In other words, is this something I’d listen to repeatedly, or only when I’m dusting it off for the podcast? On the original vinyl, there’s not a single song I’d skip over. I’ve listened to the entire album dozens and dozens of times, and it holds up well to repeated listens. This is one of a dozen or so albums that I’d recommend to anyone wanting to start a collection of Japanese Christmas music.

That said, be sure to listen in on Christmas Day for an even bigger treat. As I started collecting Japanese Christmas music, I developed an appreciation for City Pop. I kept hoping to find a previously unknown City Pop Christmas collection. One of the guys in Japan uncovered just that about a year ago, and I finally managed to get a copy. It’s a spectacular collection you can’t hear anywhere else, and you’re sure to enjoy it!

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!

 

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 69: Mint Sound’s X’mas Album

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 68 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the King Orchestra’s 1978 album, “Jingle Bell – Christmas Karaoke Collection.”

Despite some disappointment, I was glad to finally add this album to my collection. When I first started buying these records, I built a fairly substantial wishlist, and any time I finally get one of the albums that’s been on it from the beginning, I get a feeling of satisfaction. That might change when I listen to it, but at least I can enjoy the achievement for a little while.

As I mentioned in the episode, these first two of the month were done while battling COVID. It wore me out more than I thought it would. I didn’t realize how much it impacted my recording until I was editing this episode and had to cut out tons of lengthy pauses and deep breaths. I’m hoping to be fully back on track in the next week or so.

I hope you enjoyed some of the music here, and the background about King Records. Join me next week for one of my absolute favorite Japanese albums, “Mint Sound’s X’mas Album.” It’s a spectacular compilation from 1987, loaded with a fantastic array of mostly original songs. It’s one of the first albums I bought, and one that really got me hooked on collecting Japanese Christmas music. This is one episode you don’t want to miss!

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 68 –King Orchestra’s “Jingle Bell – Christmas Karaoke Collection”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 67 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the Hibari Children’s Chorus’s 1965 album, “Good Child’s Christmas Party.”

How can you not love that album cover?

Although not what I planned, this episode will go down in infamy as my (hopefully only) COVID episode. I tested positive last week and it really kicked my butt. You might be able to hear it in my voice a bit throughout the episode. I’m still on the mend, but I’m hoping to be back to at least 90% in the next day or two, and that I won’t have any delays throughout the month.

This episode and the next might be a little light on biographical content, although that’s partially by design. My next two will be more involved and with everything going on in my life, I needed to pick a couple easier albums for my first two episodes this month. I definitely didn’t need COVID getting in the way.

I hope you enjoyed this episode, COVID notwithstanding. Be sure to listen in next week as I cover the King Orchestra’s “Jingle Bell – Christmas Karaoke Collection.” Then join me later in the month as I cover a pair of phenomenal 1980s compilations. Up first is “Mint Sound’s X’mas Album,” which for my money is the best major label Japanese Christmas compilation of the decade. Then join me on Christmas Day for a virtually unknown minor label compilation. It’s loaded with City Pop and has a fantastic 80s sound that you’re sure to love!

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 67 –The Hibari Children’s Chorus’s “Good Child’s Christmas Party”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 66 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be wrapping up my “Big In Japan” month with a selection of records from a variety of artists who found their biggest or initial success in Japan.

This is easily one of the episodes I’ve been most excited to record. While the nostalgia invoked by Bob McGrath, and the relative notoriety of Jennifer Connelly’s record were big deals, those paled in comparison to everything I was able to uncover about Paul Anka’s “Christmas In Japan.” I’ve mentioned before that I’m not in the best position to uncover facts about Japanese Christmas music that my friends in Japan don’t already know, so when I do, it’s a huge accomplishment for me. I’ve always liked Paul Anka, so the fact that his record was involved made it even more meaningful.

As promised in the episode, here are the English lyrics to “Vive Le Vent”:

Long live the wind, long live the wind Long live the winter wind Which goes whistling, blowing Through the tall green Christmas trees, oh!

Long live the weather, long live the weather, Long live the winter weather Snowballs and new year’s day and happy new year Grandma!

Along the long road All white from the white snow Walks an old man With his cane in his hand And all above the wind Which whistles in the branches Blows on him the romantic tune That he sang as a young child, oh!

Merry, Merry Christmas To the thousand candles Which delight toward heaven The night’s bells. Long live the wind, long live the wind Long live the winter wind Which brings to old kids Their memories of yesterday, oh!

And the old man Goes down toward the village It’s the time when everyone is good And the shadow dances near the fire But in each house There floats a festive air Everywhere the table is set And you hear the same song, oh!

I ran a little long in spots this episode, so I had to edit out a few bits. One thing I regretted cutting was the fact that “Christmas In Japan” was released on both 45 and 78. I’ve seen one copy of the 78 for sale. Unfortunately, I didn’t bid on it. I’ll keep looking, though.

Jimmy Osmond’s record was a fun one to pick up. It was also surprisingly hard to find. I had a copy sitting in my wish list on one of the record sites for a couple months, but when I went to buy it, their copy had sold. It took over a year for another copy to show up. Since then, I’ve seen dozens of them, but there was a long stretch where I’d started to worry that I’d never see another.

From a pure nostalgia standpoint, Bob McGrath’s EP was one of the biggest highlights of my collecting career. Of the human characters on “Sesame Street,” Bob was always my favorite. Hearing his “Jingle Bells” the first time took me back to my childhood. When a copy of his “White Christmas” single showed up a month or two ago, I couldn’t pass on it.

I resisted getting “Jennifer’s X’mas” for quite some time. Now that I have it, I don’t regret it, although I’m glad I didn’t pay as much as some others have.

Jennifer Connelly on “The Graham Norton Show”

I hope you’ve had as much fun listening to and learning about these artists who were “Big In Japan” as I did collecting and researching their music. Join me back here next month as I celebrate Christmas with four weekly episodes. Up first is the Hibari Children’s Chorus and their 1965 album, “Good Child’s Christmas Party.” After that, I’ll be covering the King Orchestra’s 1978 album, “Jingle Bells – Christmas Karaoke Collection.” Then join me later in the month as I talk about one of the greatest Japanese Christmas compilations to come out of the 1980s, “Mint Sound’s X’mas Album.” Finally, on Christmas Day, listen in as I cover a virtually unknown City Pop Christmas compilation. It’s one of the coolest records in my collection and one you don’t want to miss.

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title:

Episode 66: A Very “Big In Japan” Christmas

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 65 of Holly Jolly X’masu! For my second “Big In Japan” episode, I’ll be talking about the Ventures and their 1965 album, “The Ventures’ Christmas Album.”

I was on the fence about covering this album since it was originally a US release, but considering how big the Ventures have been in Japan for nearly six full decades, I wanted to make sure I included them in my “Big In Japan” month. I’ve taken some liberties with my editing this episode, but I hope you’re still able to enjoy the album, and that it encourages you to seek out more from the Ventures.

Be sure to listen in on the 25th as I wrap up my “Big In Japan” month with a selection of records from a variety of artists, including a couple of the more sought-after Japanese Christmas records. This is one episode you don’t want to miss!

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!

Listen to this episode of the Holly Jolly Xmasu Podcast
Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title: Episode 65 –Big In Japan, Pt. 2: “The Ventures’ Christmas Album”
Holly Jolly Xmasu