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Welcome to episode 52 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing Naozumi Yamamoto’s 1973 album, “Xmas Home Party.”

Over the past two years, I’ve bought a few albums that didn’t live up to my expectations. Most of them were still thoroughly enjoyable albums. In each case, though, an overzealous, ill-informed, or even dishonest review or blog post led to me expecting something other than what I received. In the case of the blogger who sung Yamamoto’s praises and gave the impression that everything he did sounded like “Branded to Kill,” I suspect he didn’t listen to anything other than that score. The scores I listened to sounded wildly different from one another, ranging from the sort of Jazz you find in “Branded to Kill,” to Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western-esque soundtracks, traditional Japanese music, and more standard orchestral scores, similar to what you’d hear in Hollywood dramas and melodramas of the same era. He was a remarkably talented composer and conductor, so at the end of the day, I’m just happy he produced a Christmas album so that I was able to enjoy it and learn more about him.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Naozumi Yamamoto and his music as much as I do, all expectations aside. I also hope at least a few of you make an effort to check out some of Seijun Suzuki’s movies, particularly “Branded to Kill.” It’s a wild, challenging film. It might not be for everyone, but if it sounds like the sort of thing you enjoy, you’ll

Join me back here on the 25th for Naomi Sagara’s 1975 album, “White Christmas.” Contrary to Naozumi Yamamoto, it’s one that really exceeded my expectations. You don’t want to miss 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!

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Author: Holly Jolly X’masu
Title: Episode 52 – Naozumi Yamamoto’s “Xmas Home Party”
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Welcome to episode 51 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing Goro “Smiley” Asahina’s 1967 album, “Dancing Through Blue Christmas.”

Just speaking as a collector, this is the sort of album I live for. Not only is it virtually unknown, both here and in Japan, but it contains an original song that can only be found here. Finding songs and albums like this are a huge thrill. As a result, the episodes where I cover music that can truly only be heard here are even more enjoyable.

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to “Dancing Through Blue Christmas,” and learning at least a little about Goro “Smiley” Asahina. He’s a unique figure, at least among the musicians I’ve researched, in that he was so closely tied not just to the US military, but to one base in particular.

Be sure to join me back here in June as I kick off the summer months with a pair of truly enjoyable albums. Up first is “Xmas Home Party” by Naozumi Yamamoto. He’s joined by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and famed pianist Norio Maeda. Then join me on the 25th for Naomi Sagara’s 1975 album, “White Christmas.” She was an extremely popular singer throughout the 1970s with an outstanding voice. They’re both great albums, and you’re sure to 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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Episode 51 – Goro “Smiley” Asahina’s “Dancing Through Blue Christmas”

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Welcome to episode 50 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing the 1977 compilation, “Merry Christmas (Bouquet of Hearts Present Series),” from King Records.

When I started buying records a couple years ago, I had one very short-term goal: To buy the half dozen albums I’d heard about while trying to find Akira Ishikawa’s “Drum Christmas Drum.” Off the top of my head, those were “Drum Christmas Drum,” Jun Fukamachi’s “Now Sound Christmas,” Jimmy Takeuchi’s “White X’mas Drum Drum,” Chiemi Eri’s “Chiemi Sings Christmas Carols,” Jackey Yoshikawa’s “Christmas With Blue Comets,” and Takeshi Terauchi’s “Bunnies’ Christmas Party.” I hadn’t heard any of the albums all the way through, and you couldn’t even find clips online for two of them. I knew next to nothing about the albums and the artists behind them, and didn’t have much of an idea of how to find out more about them.

After I got “Merry Christmas (Bouquet of Hearts Present Series),” the associations I made and the work we did on it helped me gain the skills I needed to find the records I was looking for, and discover far more than I had ever hoped for. It also gave me the confidence I needed, maybe not to start my podcast, but in myself and my ability to do the research I’d need to do to keep it going.

When I started my podcast, I had doubts about ever getting through the first year, whether I’d ever have enough albums for a dozen full episodes, and whether I’d be able to keep up the grueling pace of one episode per month. Now I’m releasing my 50th episode and I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’ve mentioned several times that every album I cover is from my personal collection. I have a literal wealth of records left to cover, including many of the most noteworthy and influential albums and singles that have shaped Japanese Christmas music over the past 70 years. I likely would have never found a lot of those if not for the things I learned from acquiring this album.

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to “Merry Christmas (Bouquet of Hearts Present Series),” and learning about some of the songs and musicians featured on it. Join me back here later this month as I talk about another virtually unknown album I unearthed, Goro “Smiley” Asahina’s “Dancing Through Blue Christmas.” It’s a fantastic record 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!

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Episode 50 – King Records’ “Merry Christmas (Bouquet of Hearts Present Series)”

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Welcome to episode 49 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be wrapping up my discussion about Eiji Kitamura and his Christmas music, with his fantastic 2001 album, “Santa Clarinet.”

While Akira Ishikawa’s “Drum Christmas Drum” kicked off my interest in Japanese Christmas music, the Jazz, Group Sounds and Mood Kayo albums of the 1960s really cemented my obsession, while the City Pop Christmas music from the 1980s broadened my collecting horizons and led to me finding an even wider variety of music.

One of the things I love about Eiji Kitamura is that he serves as a bridge from the earliest days of Japanese Pop music to today. He got his start around the same time Hibari Misora’s “Hitoribocchi no Christmas” gave birth to Japanese Christmas Pop, so he has been an eyewitness to the genre as it’s evolved. That’s part of why I’d love to see him do an album where he covers all the big Japanese Christmas songs, from Kai Band’s “Anna,” to Yumi Matsutoya’s “Koibito ga Santa Claus,” Keisuke Kuwata’s “Merry X’mas In Summer” and “White Lovers,” and, of course, Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Christmas Eve.” I have a couple Jazz albums with covers of a lot of those songs, but having one from Eiji Kitamura would be something special, considering his long history in the industry.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Eiji Kitamura. Join me back here next month for my special 50th episode, where I’ll be talking about the 1977 compilation, “Merry Christmas (Bouquet of Hearts Present Series),” from King Records. It’s a great album in its own right with an interesting history, but it’s also an instrumental album for me personally, not just in the way it helped me improve my research and collecting strategy, but in the long-standing connection it’s given me with a like-minded collector in Japan. It’s a double LP and will take a lot of work to prepare, so at this point I’m not sure what else I’ll cover next month, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

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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Episode 49 – Eiji Kitamura’s “Santa Clarinet”

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Welcome to episode 48 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this first of two episodes about legendary clarinetist Eiji Kitamura, I’ll be discussing his 1965 EP, “Dancing Christmas,” and his 1988 album, “Golden Christmas Songs.”

As I mentioned in this episode, Eiji Kitamura’s music is some of the earliest Japanese Christmas music I came across. While my attempts to get all three of his albums were frustrating at times, I was thrilled to finally own them all. It was just as enjoyable learning about him and finding that, at 93 years old, he’s still performing and recording.

One of the most delightful surprises I’ve had while collecting was finding that he played on Tatsuo Otsuka’s “Christmas Serenade.” I first saw the cover for the album in early 2020, and it took well over a year to finally get a copy. As with Eiji Kitamura’s albums, it was worth the wait.

I have to apologize for how late I am releasing this episode. The past month has been a string of hassles and crises. While I didn’t have as much time to work on my podcast as I’d have liked, I was able to make some headway on the huge backlog of music I’ve been needing to digitize and prepare for future episodes. Until a few days ago, I was nearly done, but a new bundle of records put me a little further behind. I can’t complain, though, as several of the records I’ve gotten recently are real holy grails. I’ve managed to remove several of the biggest items from my wishlist of albums, and I can’t wait to cover them at some point.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to Eiji Kitamura. Join me back here later this month as I finish discussing his career and his Christmas 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!

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Episode 48: Eiji Kitamura’s “Dancing Christmas” and “Golden Christmas Songs”

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Welcome to episode 47 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing the 1992 album “Non-Stop Silent Night,” by Pochettes & Reindeers.

Seldom does one ever come across an album of this caliber, capable of eliciting a truly visceral reaction from audiences, even upon repeated listening. The quality and craftmanship are unparalleled. It truly stands out from the other albums in my collection. I can honestly say that when compared to Akira Ishikawa, Jun Fukamachi, Jimmy Takeuchi, Nobuo Hara and Shoji Suzuki, it’s in a league of its own.

I hope Pochettes really made your day. Despite my full schedule, listening to this CD again inspired me to rush this episode out and help you start the month off right. Join me back here later this month for a pair of episodes about Eiji Kitamura. He’s one of the most noteworthy Japanese clarinetists of the 20th century, and you’re sure to enjoy his 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!

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Episode 47 – Pochettes’ “Non-Stop Silent Night”

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Welcome to episode 46 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ll continue my coverage of Iruka’s music by discussing her 1990 album “Noel – Fantastic Winter Story.”

As much as I liked Iruka’s albums when I first got them, I’ve grown to appreciate them even more as I’ve researched her life and listened to them repeatedly over the last few weeks. I think both albums are great, and each appeals to me in a different way. “Noel” has a more polished and mature sound to it, while “From the Bohemian Forest” is representative of several of the 1970s styles of music I enjoy. They’re both albums I’ll be including in my regular Christmas music listening in the future.

I was quite impressed with Iruka as a person. She’s lived an interesting life and her commitment to her charity work is extraordinary.

On a personal note, I’m nearly back on track schedule-wise, at least with my podcast. I’m hoping to stay on track for the next few months. I have a large backlog of records to record and digitize, so I’ll be jumping into that once I have a little work done on next month’s episodes.

Join me back here next month as I talk about legendary clarinetist Eiji Kitamura. In my first episode next month, I’ll be covering his 1967 EP “Dancing Christmas,” and his 1988 album, “Golden Christmas Songs.” Then, on the 25th, I’ll be covering his 2001 album, “Santa Clarinet.” If you’ve enjoyed my Jazz or Mood Kayo episodes, you’ll love his albums.

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 46 – Iruka’s “Noel – Fantastic Winter Story”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 45 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ll be discussing Iruka’s 1977 album “From the Bohemian Forest.”

As you’ve likely noticed, I’m still way behind schedule. I was hoping to have this episode out on the 18th. I’m doing my best to get caught up and will hopefully be back on track next month.

Over the course of my collecting, I’ve found that some albums are a real crapshoot. Their covers don’t always give an indication of what you’re going to get, and since a lot of them can’t be found online, I’ll sometimes buy a record and have no clue how it’s going to sound until I finally drop the needle. “From the Bohemian Forest” was one of those cases.

As you can see above, this looks like a standard children’s album. However, the music was much better than I’d imagined. After I listened to it the first time, I told a friend that it was similar to “John Denver & the Muppets – A Christmas Together.” Not that I was making a direct comparison, but it features a mix of familiar and unfamiliar songs, as well a story involving a tree that segues into a song, packaged in a way that’s geared toward children but belies a more mature and enjoyable style of music. All in all, it was a great addition to my collection.

In the episode, I mentioned Iruka’s song “Nagori Yuki,” and the animated special for “Jeremy Tree.” Here are links to each of them:

Nagori Yuki

Jeremy Tree

Join me back here on the 25th (or thereabouts), when I cover Iruka’s 1990 album, “Noel – Fantastic Winter Story.” It’s another great album and one I’m sure you’ll 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!

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Episode 45 – Iruka’s “From the Bohemian Forest”

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Welcome to episode 44 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, in honor of Black History Month, I’ll be discussing Chris Hart’s 2015 album “Christmas Hearts – Winter Gift.”

As I mentioned in the episode, Chris Hart’s journey from his early life in California to his success in Japan is a wonderful and inspiring story. I really enjoyed learning more about him, and I hope you found him as interesting as I did.

I’ve been behind schedule all month for a variety of reasons. As I was writing and recording this episode, the Ukrainian invasion was starting. After I had started editing, I decided that, until the war ends, I’ll be donating 50% of any Ko-fi donations or Redbubble sales I receive to help support the people of Ukraine. I’ll mention it in my next episode and in social media.

Join me back here next month for a pair of albums by Iruka. She got her start as a folk singer and is also known for her children’s books. On the 11th, I’ll be covering her 1977 album, “From the Bohemian Forest.” Then on the 25th, I’ll be discussing her 1990 album, “Noel – Fantastic Winter Story.” She’s a wonderful singer 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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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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Episode 44 – Chris Hart’s “Christmas Hearts – Winter Gift”

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Welcome to episode 43 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing the 2016 album, “Christmas Songs” by the R&B Pop artist, May J.

When I first started collecting Japanese Christmas music, I didn’t buy much contemporary music. My main focus was the 1960s through 1980s. As I got more, though, and started doing my podcast, I started checking out more recent music. I’ve found some great albums, so I’m glad I expanded my horizons a bit. I’ve mentioned before that, for a while, I relied on some sharing sites to find new music. Part of what intrigued me about May J.’s album was the fact that, not only was it not on any of those sites, but as soon as one site would upload it, it would either be taken down immediately, or the site itself would actually be taken down. I’m guessing the Mouse was the main reason for that, which is why I only include a brief sample of the one song in this episode.

You may have noticed that this episode came out later than I planned, and that I’ve been absent from social media for the most part. Some of that is due to the post-Christmas malaise that normally sets in, but my personal life has also been extremely hectic. I’m hoping to be back on track shortly.

I hope you enjoyed May J.’s album. Join me back here on the 25th as I discuss Chris Hart’s 2015 album, “Christmas Hearts – Winter Gift,” for Black History Month.

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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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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Episode 43: May J.’s “Christmas Songs”

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Welcome to episode 42 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about Chewing Gum’s wonderful 1974 album, “Christmas Best Hits.”

I’ve been lucky enough to get some fantastic records over the past two years, and this really is one of the best. There’s not a song on the album I don’t enjoy. I also listened to their greatest hits CD while preparing this episode and was impressed by everything I heard. Their earliest music is not only enjoyable, but is all the more impressive when you consider how young Rika and Mami Matsuda were when they started writing and performing.

At first, I didn’t realize that their later singles as Bar Balloon, Lucky Lips and MORE were on the CD. After listening to them, I was surprised they weren’t bigger hits. The sisters showed they could produce City Pop just as fine as the Folk Pop they’d been performing for the previous decade. I tried to find a couple of their later singles on vinyl, but they appear to be fairly scarce.

I hope you were as delighted by Chewing Gum as I was. I’ve been looking forward to covering this album for quite a while. Next month I’m planning on just two new episodes. Join me on the 11th for the 2016 album, “Christmas Songs,” by May J. Then listen in on the 25th as I discuss Chris Hart’s 2015 album, “Christmas Hearts – Winter Gift,” for African-American History Month.

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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 42 – Chewing Gum’s “Christmas Best Hits”

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Welcome to episode 41 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode I’ll be talking about Christmas songs by Japanese Folk singers. I’ve pulled these songs from half a dozen different records from the late 60s and early 70s. Some are familiar standards, but the real standouts here are the original songs.

I’ve been wanting to do this episode for quite a while now. When I initially started collecting these albums, the bulk of what I bought were full albums. I had a fairly short list of records I wanted to get and only a couple of those were singles. I figured I’d only end up with enough albums for two or three dozen episodes at most, and I planned on tacking on those singles to whichever album seemed most appropriate. As I found more music that I liked, though, I realized I’d have to start buying more singles in order to get the music I wanted.

Initially it was just 7” 45s. I started picking up the occasional 12” single, and then eventually a bunch of mini-CD singles. I then started finding songs that only appeared as deeper cuts on full-length albums, so I started collecting some of those as well. Before I knew it, I had hundreds of these songs.

I realized that I was going to have to start planning episodes that didn’t focus on a single album. I figured themed episodes would be the best approach, and I’ve already done that a couple times with my Christmas in July episodes. As I got closer to this month with my planned Folk albums, I decided to do one dedicated to these other Folk tracks I’d accumulated.

Thankfully, the Folk songs I’ve collected are all pretty great, so putting together this episode was fairly easy. I’d already listened to a lot of the songs here dozens of times, and listening to them a few more times was certainly no chore. Research for this episode was a little frustrating due to the lack of information for several of the bands, but it’s often hit-or-miss with some of these artists.

I did find a page dedicated to Japanese Folk bands, so I’ll be going back to that and trying to find additional Christmas Folk. I was surprised by just how many Japanese Folk bands there were. As thorough as that site seems to be, it actually left out a couple of the artists I have in this episode.

As for Maki Asakawa, I really wish she’d done more Christmas music, as she was just spectacular. I’d love to do a full episode about her. At some point, I might pick another album and then cover it as a bonus episode.

I hope you enjoyed this sampling of Folk music. As much as I enjoy the albums I find, I don’t always have the time to go back and listen to them repeatedly. The songs from this episode are some of those that I have a made a point to revisit quite a few times. Join me next episode for one of those albums I can listen to year round—“Christmas Best Hits,” by Chewing Gum. It’s one of the best Japanese Christmas albums you’re likely to hear, and one of my personal favorites.

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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 41 – Japanese Christmas Folk Music
Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 40 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about the Shadracks’ 1970 album, “Merry X’mas With The Shadracks.” It’s a fun album full of Christmas standards by the Japanese Folk band.

I’m sometimes surprised by the records I come across while searching for Japanese Christmas albums. One unexpected gem was an EP I stumbled across about a year ago called “Christmas on Campus.” It was listed as a folk album, but I couldn’t get much more from the description. When it finally arrived about a month later, I found it to be a delightful but all-too-brief four-song collection of Japanese Folk singers from 1969. That sent me on a quest to find more of the same.

I’d seen the cover for the Shadracks’ album on a few different sites, but had never given it much attention, so I was surprised to see it turn up in my first searches for Japanese Christmas Folk music. Naturally, when I went back to the shops that had it, those copies had sold. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for another copy to show up, and I was glad once I finally added it to my collection.

I hope the Shadracks have whetted your appetite for Japanese Christmas Folk. While I haven’t found too many full albums, I have found some great singles and stray tracks on other records. I’ll share some of those with you next time. It’s an interesting collection of songs from a diverse group of artists and I’m sure you’ll 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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 40 – Merry X’mas With The Shadracks

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 39 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this year-end bonus episode, I talk about Singaporean Christmas music.

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed over the years is finding just how much “undiscovered” Christmas music is really out there. Forgotten old nuggets from the US are becoming increasingly rare due to how many people have been searching them out and sharing them over the past few decades, but there’s tons of new Christmas music being created each year, and some of it is quite good.

Outside of the US, there’s a wealth of music to be found. I primarily focus on Japanese music, but during my searches, I find records from all over the world that I’ve seen listed anywhere else. I’ve seen records from all over Europe, Korea, Trinidad, Indonesia, Africa and elsewhere. If I had unlimited funds, I’d pick up a few of them.

Other than a few domestic releases each year, I seldom buy Christmas music anymore outside of my Japanese purchases. These Singaporean albums really struck a chord with me, though, and I wanted to get copies I could listen to without skips, scratches, pops and hiss. There are a few other Singaporean and Indonesian records I’ve heard with some great music on them, but the ones I discussed in this episode really are the cream of the crop, as far as I’m concerned.

I’d have liked to have found a decent amount of biographical information about each of the bands. The lack of information about the Silverstones and the Spiders was disappointing, but I was glad I was able to find as much as I did about the others, and I was happy to see that Ernie Djohan is still going strong.

I hope you enjoyed this foray into Singapore, and that it helped enliven your New Year’s celebration. Join me back here next month as I kick off 2022 with a pair of fantastic folk albums. First up is “Merry X’mas with the Shandracks” from 1970. Then, on the 25th, I’ll be covering one of my absolute favorite albums, “Christmas Best Hits,” from Chewing Gum. It’s an absolutely wonderful album and you don’t want to miss it.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoyed Ohashi Trio as much as I did. Be sure to listen in next week to my special Halloween episode where I discuss the 1978 sci-fi thriller, “Blue Christmas – Blood Type: Blue,” and its soundtrack.

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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 39 – Singaporean Christmas
Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 38 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about the 1978 album, “Snow Flakes,” by the Paradise Garage. It’s a groovy collection of Yuletide Disco!

One of the best parts of this hobby is that feeling I get when I finally get an album I’ve spent months trying to acquire. The excitement I felt over “Snow Flakes” wasn’t quite on the same level as Jun Fukamachi’s “Now Sound Christmas,” but it was close. I had a couple near misses along the way. One was due to the fact that I stopped checking one site entirely due to the sticker shock I had from shipping on one order. After two weeks of not checking, I looked again and found that I’d missed a copy by less than a day. When it finally turned up again, I was intent on getting it. Thankfully, the person I was bidding against wasn’t as relentless.

I’ve had a couple albums that, while good, didn’t live up to my expectations. I’ve been lucky enough that most of the albums I’ve gotten turned out better than I hoped. “Snow Flakes” is one of those rare albums that turned out exactly as I expected. I had high hopes, so that’s not a bad thing. It’s a solid collection of Disco tunes that avoids the cheesy, fabricated sound of so many similar collections, and it took me back to the days of KC, Alicia Bridges and the Village People streaming out of my Snoopy transistor radio.

Thanks for listening, and I hope the Paradise Garage helped you boogie through your Christmas. Be sure to join me on New Year’s Eve for my special bonus episode where I discuss a handful of Singaporean Christmas records. Until then, remember to keep on truckin’.

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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 38 – The Paradise Garage’s “Snow Flakes”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 37 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about the 1982 album, “Non Stop! Christmas,” by Pochettes.

As I mentioned in the episode, I didn’t know what to expect when I got this. Having worked with an airbrush for several years in high school and college, I liked the cover. I was hoping for a bit more Disco, but I wasn’t entirely displeased overall. I’m sure not everything on the album will appeal to everyone, but I’m hoping each of you listeners enjoys at least some of what’s on it.

While most of the songs in the medley are standards, here’s the full list in case you missed any:

  1. Jingle Bells (0:23) 2. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (0:33) 3. Joy To The World (0:06) 4. The Twelve Days Of Christmas (0:26) 5. Sleigh Ride (0:15) 6. Jingle Bell Rock (0:29) 7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (0:29) 8. Winter Wonderland (0:30) 9. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (0:45) 10. Frosty The Snowman (0:44) 11. Here Comes Santa Claus (0:23) 12. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (0:58) 13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (0:57) 14. Little Christmas Tree (0:58) 15. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (0:58) 16. Little Drummer Boy (0:50) 17. Deck The Halls (0:30) 18. White Christmas (1:00) 19. The Christmas Song (0:46) 20. Oh Come All Ye Faithful (0:37) 21. You’re All I Want For Christmas (0:58) 22. Silver Bells (0:22) 23. The First Noel (0:47) 24. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (0:29)

I talked quite a bit about Stars On 45, and I mentioned Holly & the Ivy’s “Christmas on 45.” Here are links to videos for them. If you were alive in the early 80s, these should bring back some hopefully fond memories.

Stars On 45 – “Stars On 45” (Original Single Version)

Stars On 45 – “Stars On 45” (Original 12-Inch Version)

Holly & The Ivy’s – “Christmas On 45”

Thanks for listening, and I hope you had some fun with this episode. Join me back here on Christmas Day for some top quality, genuine Disco from the height of the Disco Era, as I talk about the absolutely groovy 1978 album, “Snow Flakes,” by The Paradise Garage. I guarantee, you’ll dig 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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 37 – Pochettes’ “Non Stop! Christmas”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to episode 36 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I talk about Koichi Oki’s 1975 album, “The Man from YUKIGUNI.”

This album was something of a gateway drug for me. It not only solidified my interest in Japanese Christmas music overall, but it led me to discovering the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra’s music, and it introduced me to the Electone. Electone and other electronic organ albums were quite popular in Japan from the mid-60s until the early 80s. As I mention in the episode, Michishiro was the Electone pioneer. He put out multiple albums, well into the 1980s, including four solo Christmas albums, and a collaboration with Keitaro Miho. The Keitaro Miho album was one of my earliest purchases, and I’ve gotten two of Michishiro’s solo album.

In addition to those, though, I also have albums by Mori Midori, Hideko Kojima, Keiko Ohta, Kodama Mari and Hidemi Saito. Mori Midori’s album is one of my favorites, while Hidemi Saito’s is the earliest Japanese electronic organ Christmas album I’ve found. I’ll get to them eventually.

Reading about Koichi Oki, I also found out about his son Yuichi and the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. They’ve only released a few Christmas songs, but the rest of their music is worth searching out. Their energetic and sometimes over-the-top performances are a blast to watch, and if you enjoy Ska, you’ll love their music. And as mentioned in the episode, Yuichi Oki remastered “The Man From YUKIGUNI” last year and released it digitally. Here’s a link to where you can find it:

The Man From YUKIGUNI

Thanks for listening, and I hope “The Man From YUKIGUNI” has helped add to your yuletide season. Tune in next week when I cover the 1982 album, “Non Stop! Christmas” by Pochettes. Then join me on Christmas Day for “Snow Flakes” by The Paradise Garage. It’s one of my favorite albums and one 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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 36 – Koichi Oki’s “The Man From YUKIGUNI”

Holly Jolly Xmasu

Welcome to the remastered edition of Episode 4 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I discuss the granddaddy of all Japanese Christmas compilation albums: King Records’ “Merry, Merry X’mas,” from 1963. This revered classic really established the gold standard for Christmas compilations in Japan.

I considered redoing the whole episode, but due to time constraints, that wasn’t plausible. Instead, I redid my introduction and included the full songs from my recently-obtained vinyl copy of the album. You can’t imagine how thrilled I was to finally get this. I’d bid on it several times before but dropped out when bidding got over $50. I paid far less than that for the copy I finally won. The cover isn’t in great shape, there’s no obi, and the record is extremely warped, but it plays beautifully, which is the most important thing.

I’ve also managed to get two of the singles that were included on the album. I have “Silent Night” by Yasuo Tanabe and Michiyo Azusa, and the Peanuts’ “Jingle Bells.” I also managed to get the “Merry X’mas” flexi-disc journal featuring the Peanuts and Hajime Hara & Crazy Cats. It’s one of the more sought-after flexi-disc journals, so I was lucky to get a copy. I don’t have Yukari Ito’s Christmas EP yet, but it goes for almost as much as the album. As far as I can tell, the other songs were never released as singles, although a couple show up on other later compilations.

It was interesting redoing this episode. I’ve made a lot of changes to how I write and edit an episode, so it was a bit of a challenge readjusting. One big change I made was to take out the clip of “March on the River Kwai,” since I don’t own a physical copy. I did find a couple copies for auction, and based on the starting bids, I don’t think I ever will own a copy. I do have “Mothra’s Song” on a CD, though, so I kept it in.

I also got a kick out of looking back on how far I’ve come since this episode came out. A couple days before it was released, I had just ordered a copy of one of my first true Holy Grails, Jun Fukamachi’s “Now Sound Christmas,” which brought my Japanese Christmas collection up to 40 whole items. Since then, I’ve managed to track down a lot of my most-wanted albums, and I’m to…well, a fair deal more than 40 LP’s, CD’s and singles. I’m also closing in on my 40th episode. Considering how much I struggled to get out one episode per month at first, I’m pretty pleased with how things are currently going.

I hop you’ve enjoyed this refreshed and expanded episode. Join me here every Saturday this month for all new episodes, as well as a special bonus episode on New Year’s Eve. I have a lot of great music lined up to help you enjoy your Christmas, most of which you can’t hear 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. Any proceeds or donations received will be put towards purchasing 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 4 – Remastered – King Records’ “Merry, Merry X’mas”

Holly Jolly Xmasu