Easy Listening

Percy Faith And His Orchestra delivered a landmark Christmas album in 1954.  In 1959, he went back into the studio and re-recorded the same album in stereo.  Upon starting this review, I discovered I have the CD reissue of the stereo reissue from 1959 and not the original mono release from 1954.  It is mostly an instrumental album with a few songs that feature a light chorus.  This is a re-recording of Percy Faith’s first Christmas album, and he would go on to release two others.

Percy Faith was a Canadian American born in Toronto in 1908.  As a youngster he learned piano and violin.  He burned his hands badly in an accident and could no longer play those instruments, so he learned how to conduct.  During the Big Band era, Percy Faith conducted orchestras broadcast over Canadian national radio stations.  He quickly became known for his elaborate and lush arrangements.

After moving to New York, he first recorded for Decca Records, but it wasn’t until he started working at Columbia Records that his successes began.  At Columbia, and with Mitch Miller producing, he worked with all the great artists on the label; Johnny Mathis, Doris Day and Tony Bennett to name a few.

During the 1960s, Percy Faith started releasing Easy Listening albums of modern Rock songs in an effort to appeal to the younger generation.  His albums from the 1960s and 1970s sold very well.  He released over 100 albums of Easy Listening music during his career.

Percy Faith was perhaps best known for his lush, heavily produced and arranged Christmas albums.  In the 1950s, Percy Faith recorded albums of mostly Instrumental music.  It wasn’t until the 1960s and the success Ray Conniff was having with his chorus that Percy Faith started using a chorus on most of his releases.

Percy Faith’s Christmas album presented here is a re-recording of his Christmas album from 1954.  This was done so the original could be presented in stereo.  I do not have a copy of the original mono album from 1954 and will need to listen to all my Percy Faith I have cataloged from 1954 to see if that is still accurate.

This CD release of the stereo album is produced by Columbia Records/CBS and uses the cover from the 1959 stereo album.  The album cover is reproduced accurately, but a smaller version appears on the CD cover.  Instead of taking up the whole space, the original album cover only takes up about 3/4 of the CD cover.  Why not use all the space?  I don’t know.

At the top of the front cover, in each corner, is a stamp that says, “Collector’s Choice”.  I believe this to be a marketing sign for Columbia Records and not a logo for Collectors’ Choice Music, the reissue label.

The back of the CD does not resemble the back of the 1959 album whatsoever.  The artwork on the back of the CD features a numerical track list with the CD title and artist below and all is set in a white box against a yellow background.  Columbia/CBS copywrite notices are at the bottom.

The CD cover comes out and opens along a single fold-out.  Inside, there is no information at all.  Both sides, left and right, are completely blank.  I was very disappointed to see this, especially for a Percy Faith CD and Columbia/CBS Records.  That’s a lot of unused space that could have been used for a reproduction from the back of the original album, or liner notes detailing the stereo re-recording.

The back of the CD insert is an exact reproduction of the back of the CD.  Bummer.  Here again, wasted space.  We already have it on the back of the CD, why not put something different in its place?  So, nowhere are composer credits given or any other information except for the song titles.

The 1959 stereo version of this album has the same songs as the 1954 mono version and in the same order.  All the songs from the original 1959 album are here and in their original order.  All the songs presented here are older, traditional Christmas carols and hymns.  There are no Christmas standards from the 20^th century.

The CD begins with Joy To The World, a powerful arrangement of trumpets and brass instruments accented by a lush string orchestra to get the CD off to a festive start.

The 2^nd song, Silent Night, is one of the few here that does rely on a chorus.  Soft instrumentation of organ and bells provides the rhythm while a chorus oohs and aahs the melody.  Eventually, the string orchestra moves in and takes over, and the chorus remains.

Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly begins with a brass ensemble and shakers that provide a subtle festive sound.  The string orchestra is heard throughout, but it is mostly a brass and reed arrangement.

The 4^th song, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, is a lush arrangement that relies on the strings for effect.  A light chorus comes in briefly during the middle part then disappears while the strings provide the finish.

Track number 5, Good King Wenceslas, begins with snare drum and tympani before the reed instruments take over.  The arrangement builds, adding each orchestra section slowly before the light chorus joins in for a grandiose finish.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing opens with strictly brass instrumentation, then the reed instruments join in while bells take over most of the melody.  This has a big sound as the string section moves in for accompaniment, but the brass instruments carry the song all the way to the end.

The First Noel has the softest beginning of any of the beautiful Christmas carols here.  Flutes and other reed instruments quietly come in and then the cellos accompany them.  By the end of the song, all orchestra members are present for the big finish.

The 8^th song is one of two medleys presented here.  Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming begins as mainly a string arrangement.  The chorus comes in towards the end to provide a soft ending until the second part of the medley begins.  O Little Town Of Bethlehem begins with only bells, then the harp moves in while the pipe organ provides the rhythm.  But the bells and clarion carry the song to the end.  Again, the chorus is at the end to provide softer touches.  Honestly, I’m not sure if they are bells struck with a mallet or if the sound is coming from the celeste.  I don’t know enough about the celeste to be able to decipher the difference.

The 9th song, O Holy Night, features the chorus from near the beginning.  It is mainly a string arrangement while the chorus provides the rhythm accented with percussion.  Bell chimes end the song in a festive mood.

The 10^th song is the other medley presented here.  The Holly And The Ivy has a typical orchestral arrangement of lush strings and brass instruments.  The tempo changes as the song does.  Here We Go A-Caroling opens with pizzicato strings while flutes and violins move in.  Chimes and bells are heard, and the lush arrangements make this song barely recognizable.

The 11^th song, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, opens with cellos and oboes.  Brass and reed instruments share the melody and rhythm with violins and cellos, but the song finishes with mostly brass and percussion.

The CD closes just as it opens.  The last song, O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) opens with the full orchestra building in a crescendo when the horns come in to provide the melody.  Reeds and organ take the middle part, then after a minute, the song quietens down.  The strings remain to provide the lush arrangement until the brass section returns.  This formula is repeated a few times until the big finish.

As I stated earlier, most songs are instrumentals.  A couple feature a chorus up front of the arrangement, and a few have choral accents.  All songs feature big arrangements.  Percy Faith was not shy about using the full orchestra to his benefit.  He was one of the great studio orchestra leaders early on and set the standards for Easy Listening music.

This is technically one of three Christmas albums Percy Faith & his Orchestra And / Or Chorus recorded.  This, Music Of Christmas, 1954 (1959, stereo), Hallelujah!, 1958 (Music Of Christmas Volume 2, 1965) and Christmas Is…, 1966.

Percy Faith & his Orchestra And Chorus were known for their Christmas records as much if not more than their albums of Pop and Easy Listening standards.  If you don’t already have a Percy Faith album or CD in your Christmas music collection, you are probably still familiar with the music, because I bet your parents had one.

To many people, it’s not truly Christmas if you don’t have some Percy Faith Christmas music to put on.  Between Percy Faith and Ray Conniff, they released some of the best and most familiar Easy Listening Christmas records there was.

The arrangements are big.  The songs are familiar Christmas carols and hymns.  The mood is very festive.  If you are looking for Classic Instrumental Christmas releases from the Classic Christmas Music Era, you must have some Percy Faith.  I can highly recommend this one, it’s technically the first one, but all Percy Faith Christmas albums are similar.  If you purchase a CD of this, it most likely will be the stereo version from 1959, especially if the same cover as this one is used.

I give this CD :

****1/2*