Monday, December 4, 2006

The Sounds of Christmas

The first album I'd like to share isn't really comprised of the standard set of Christmas favorites. Instead it's a 1973 songs, sound and story album from Disneyland Records called The Sounds of Christmas, featuring Peter Renoudet (aka Renaday) singing and narrating his heart out. Renoudet sounds like a mock-sincere Will Ferrell character, and the album's twice-sung title track, "The Sounds of Christmas" is perhaps a little cheesy.

The story and sound effects are the real bonus here -- perfect for mixing into your annual Christmas compilation. If you have a sick and twisted sense of humor, you might find the part where Dad hauls in the Christmas Yule Log laced with innuendo.


Please enjoy: The Sounds of Christmas


36 comments:

  1. What a great album! I had this one for years and thought it was lost forever.

    Thanks for ripping and sharing this gem! (and I don't think the theme song is THAT cheesy....)

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  2. :::tears in her eyes::: I wanted to say thank you but that does not even cover it for me...

    I was 4 years old when this came out. My mother still has it on LP, it was a holiday tradition for us. We would make Christmas cookies and decorate while the record played. I have a 5 year old little girl now and I have been wanting to share it with her so badly, this year especially.

    I had been looking for it on CD but with no luck so we thought we might try to find a way to record my mother's LP after Christmas. I did a search on Google and after surfing a bit found your blog. I was about to give up for now. I found it and, admittedly, started crying like a little kid on Christmas morning when the zip started downloading.

    Thank you so much for helping me get back this little piece of my childhood so that I can share it with my own little girl. It means more than you could know...

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  3. Cannot say thank you enough. I'll echo everything Ana Maria just said...

    When I was a kid, we also listened to this record every year while decorating the tree. It has always been my favorite Christmas memory. Cleaning out some boxes this fall, I found the record and was overjoyed. I've been looking for a record player to play it for my boys today, until...

    I sent our middle son down to the basement to get a Christmas box, and when he pulled the box off the shelf, the record fell and shattered on the floor. I was devestated. He was devestated. I did a Google search, just in case, to see if there was an old record shop somewhere that had a copy. And this is what I found. When it started to play, I cried.

    Thanks a million. You made my Christmas.

    Bob in St. Louis

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  4. Hey Ryan,

    Thanks for the download! The album brings back so many memories! "That's the biggest log we ever had did ... Yeah and the heaviest too!!" How about "Cookies and milk, how thoughtful". Anther great snippet is when Jenny says, "Look out Johnny, you just broke one of our best ornaments". Thanks again!

    Merrry Christmas!

    TJAY

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  5. Wow, thanks for sharing your stories and I am glad you've re-discovered this music to share with a new generation. I am truly pleased to have been a small help this Christmas.

    Ryan

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  6. I loved this album as a kid! I never thought I would find it again! Thank you sooooo much!

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  7. I couldn't believe I found this album today. The amazing thing is that you also had the Living Voices Little Drummer Boy listed and I downloaded it also. How great to find these two recordings from my childhood which I listed to endlessly!! Thanks so much for your work and sharing good cheer to all!!!!

    Jeff

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  8. OMG - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! This was such a prominent album in our home when I was growing up. We played it during our Tree Trimming Party every single year when I was a little girl. I have the LP still - I found it when my mom moved to a condo 3 years ago. But we do not have a record player. I found your site. Now I can share this very special and wonderful album with my 4 kids. Like someone else wrote in '06 - I have tears in my eyes as it downloads. Thank you so much.

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  9. I have tried to find this for years! I used to listen to it in July! My family still teases me and quotes our favorite lines!!!!!

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  10. God bless you. Thank you for putting this online to share. My story is the same... every year my brother and I would sit in the hall and play this record over and over and over. It is a wonder my mother never broke it. I still have the record, but figured I would never hear it again. So thank you, thank you!

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  11. OMG! I had forgotten about this album. I can remember huddling around our not so Hi-Fi record player and listening to the yule log being dragged in. We didn't have much back then, but we had this record. I'm burning a copy for each of my brothers and my mother as a nostalgic Christmas gift this year. Thank you so much for providing this for the masses

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  12. A friend bought this for us when we were at Uni in the late 70's and we have listened to it every Christmas since until we didn't have a deck. Not sure our kids are as keen as us, but I was so pleased to find this so I can send it to our daughter who's now at Uni herself. Thanks!

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  13. is it on cd anywhere?

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  14. I thought that I must have imagined the song 'Sounds of Christmas'!! I've been looking for it for years.

    Thank you so very much!

    Pam

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  15. I have to give you an resounding thank you for this blog because I was sure I would never hear it again after losing it or something years ago.
    :)

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  16. I would like site moderator to contact me via email regarding possible trade and post to your site of some rare material.
    Would like to discuss privately before announcing on site.
    Contact Richard at rc7505@hotmail.com

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  17. I am downloading this record just because the comments made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! It's so nice to see how many people you've made so happy with your site! I look forward to listening to the 'Sounds Of Christmas"! I'm sure it's really good and besides, it's a Disney album so it can't be bad! :) Thank you for all your hard work and please, keep doing it! Cheers and Merry Christmas!

    Debbie from MI (USA)

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  18. Thank you, Thank you! I used to listen to this every night as I went to sleep around Christmastime. It was so much fun to hear it again.

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  19. I was describing this record to my partner today - it has been years since I heard it although I'm sure my parents still have the record somewhere. This came out when I was just 1 ... a favorite every Christmastime with my brothers and me! I was so delighted to not only find it, but to actually be able to download and listen again. And the quality of the sound is so excellent! I'm going to burn CDs to send to both of my brothers ... two of us have kids now and I can't wait to play this for mine, who are just about Jenny and Johnny's ages :)

    Thank you SO MUCH for doing this - what an awesome Christmas gift. It's been 20 years or more since I heard this record and I can still recite many parts by heart. Merry Christmas!

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  20. So nice to read how this album played such an important role in others' Christmas traditions!

    Ever since I was born in 1977 our Family has gathered on Christmas Eve to listen to this story just before bed, usually accompanied by some homemade treats. It is one of our most treasured family traditions. Over the years the album was transfered from LP to tape to CD and finally to Ipod, but the sentiment and enjoyment remains the same.

    Quick question... Did the man you narrated the story also do a voice over on the cartoon ThunderCats? The names don't match up, but the narrator sounds exactly like Tygra's voice on the cartoon.

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  21. I just shared this for the first time with my children. We lost the record about 10 years ago and I am grinning ear to ear. Oh to go back to those days with the dog carolers!!! thank you!!! thank You!!! thank you!!!

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  22. Can't agree more with the previous comments. I found this today and it made my day. What memories of my childhood! I plan to surprise my brothers and parents with the recording this year.

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  23. Thank you Ryan so very much! My name is Elena and I too have very fond memories of listening to this album as a child. We didn't have a tv butour imagination and a record player was all we had. I just lost my father last year and I wished I would of found this sooner so that we could of shared this with him one more time. I to will be sharing this with my family this year. It will bring so much joy to us.I had been searching the web for some time for this album but had no luck and I just decied to try again. I sit her with the biggest smile on my face I feel like a little girl again listening to this. This sure makes my christmas feel more like Christmas. Thank you for sharing.

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  24. Words cannot express how grateful I am to you for lovingly restoring my timeless childhood Christmas memories. My sisters and I have been wanting to share our favorite albums with our children but since no one has a turntable it has been disappointing. Thank you so very much! Merry Christmas!

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  25. Could you resubmit the recording again? I tried to download it, and it wasn't available. Thanks!!!

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  26. the link doesn't work!!!!!please upload it again!

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  27. Thank you so much! You just made my day!!!!!!! Merry Christmas!

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  28. "If you have a sick and twisted sense of humor, you might find the part where Dad hauls in the Christmas Yule Log laced with innuendo."
    Hahahahahahahaha! That, more than anything else, convinced me to take a listen. Thank you!

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  29. My siblings and I would listen to tape copies we made of this album while going to sleep every night during Christmas time, every year I was growing up. Last year my old and ancient tape got chewed up by my old and ancient tape player, and I was SOO SAD! I'm so happy I found this!

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  30. Thank you...tears of joy fill my heart hearing this again. Thank you.

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  31. Favorite memories with my dad, so great to hear it again. Playing for my 1 and 3 year olds...not quite the same impact!

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  32. I cannot download this. Please give me some tips on how to do this.
    Thanks!

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  33. I am having trouble downloading the music. Could you please help me! Thank you!

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  34. Thank you so much of uploading this album. I listened to this every Christmas as a child. My vinyl album disappeared and over the years I have looked for it for my own children to listen to, but have been unsuccessful. Thank you again!!

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