From: edc@evolution.bchs.uh.edu (edward s. chen)
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Subject: Re: X-Mass lp          some questions from
Date: 16 Nov 1992 01:02:39 GMT
Organization: Little to none, or maybe not......
NNTP-Posting-Host: evolution.bchs.uh.edu

In article <1992Nov15.155349.1@hamp.hampshire.edu> nzander@hamp.hampshire.edu writes:
>
>I just bought a re-issue of the "Michaelmas" lp (ATLAS rec.), and now
>   I have a few questions.
>
>1) For what Chirstmas year was is made.
>2) Was only one made (I thought I'd heard a different version of it on the
>    radio)
>3) Which beatle contributed to what.
>
>
>Merry Chirstmas,

"The Beatles Christmas Album" has never officially been released.  The 
"Michaelmas" LP is a bootleg of dubious origin, which manages to present
only half of the Beatles annual Christmas messages, and rather bizarrely
edited in some places, and artificially extended in others.   There was
another LP in that set, featuring the remaining messages.

A bit of background:

By Christmas 1963, the Beatles record sales in Britain were well over two
million, and their official fan club had swelled over 20,000 members.   In
appreciation of their fans, the boys recorded a Christmas single.   The single
was sent through the mail as a flexi-disc, with a specially prepared cover.
In 1970, the Beatles were dissolved in everything except name, so an LP was
produced, and sent to the fans.   Although the covers are different, the
contents were identical in both America and England.

1963: The Beatles Christmas Record (5:00)
      -- LYN492
      -- Recorded October 17,1963
      -- Features "Good King Wenceslas", and a little ditty about
         "Rudolph the Red Nosed Ringo"
 
1964: Another Beatles Christmas Record (3:58)
      -- LYN757
      -- Recorded October 26-28, 1964
      -- Features the boys doing "Jingle Bells"

1965: The Beatles Third Christmas Record (6:22)
      -- LYN948
      -- Recorded October 19,1965
      -- For the first time, the Boys parody one of their own
         compositions on a Xmas disc, here a butchered "Yesterday"

1966: The Beatles Fourth Christmas Record - Pantomime: Everywhere it's
      Christmas (6:38)
     -- LYN1145
     -- Recorded November 25,1966
     -- The boys parody anything and everything, the most memorable
        being a segment about "Podgy the Bear and Jasper", in search
        of matches, candles, and buns.

1967: The Beates Fifth Christmas Record - Christmastime (is here again) (6:38)
     -- LYN1360
     -- Recorded November 28,1967
     -- The last message recorded with all four boys in the studio together
     -- Another pantomime type record, but this time they include a special
        song recorded just for the proceedings (Christmastime is here again)

1968: The Beatles Sixth Christmas Record - Christmas 1968 (7:50)
    -- LYN 11743/4
    -- Each of the boys recorded their parts individually throughout
       November 1968.
    -- The first Christmas record "produced" by someone other then George
       Martin.   Kenny Everett compiled the tapes into a cohesive whole.
    -- Tiny Tim appears singing a rather bizarre version of "Nowhere Man"
    -- Included is some original poetry by John Lennon, some of it being
       little more then thinly veiled complaints over the other three not
       accepting Yoko.

1969: The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record - Happy Christmas 1969 (7:40)
    -- LYN1970/1
    -- This record might as well have been called "Happy Christmas 1969,
       From John, Yoko, and three other guys".   George's contribution is
       a single short message, while Paul contributes a throwaway tune that
       probably couldn't have been released anywhere else, and Ringo plugs
       his then-current film.

1970: From Then to You - The Beatles Christmas Record 1970 
      (Apple LYN2154) -- UK

      The Beatles Christmas Album (Apple SBC100) -- US


This is probably the single best document of the Beatles history.   You can
hear the excitement of the "lads" at being famous throughout the country, and
on the cusp of world fame.  This continues, until the simple "thank you very
much for buying our records" became stale, just as touring and singing "She
Loves You" for people not listening became a bore.   Drug-inspired visions
helped the far-out, Goon-type pantomime records, and finally the break-up of
the band.

Unfortunately, the fan club records are the only place this material has
been released for anything approaching public consumption.   Originals
can be found in the $30.00 - $50.00 range, and counterfeits for considerably
less.  (There is one *very* nice one around which was pressed on swirled, 
multicolored vinyl).  A promotional disc was made in Christmas 1990, and
sent to selected radio stations containing all seven Christmas messages, along
with assorted holiday songs from the solo Beatles.  ("Ding Dong, Ding Dong",
"Happy Christmas (WAR IS OVER)", "Wonderful Christmastime", "Rudolph the Red
Nosed Reggae" and the like).   I've seen it selling in the $50.00 - $60.00
range, but it is the only copy of this material on CD.

<ESC>
-- 
..You either kiss the future or the past goodbye...
                          -- Ringo Starr (written by O'Deherty / Velez)