The Ultimate Christmas Collection

5 CD Set
Released December 2003
Cat No.: RDCD4061-5 (B99123KK)
RD Code: UCC 540
Compiled by J K Hall, R Dinnadge
Produced by P Marchant
Booklet Notes by S Leigh

This was the the last of my 'Ultimate' series of releases, and what problems it had!
Throughout my entire period in the Music Department at RD, the only Christmas Collection that was played during the period was 'Merry Christmas Everybody', a set that irritated me enormously. It wasn't that it was a 'bad' collection, it's just that I found the running order irksome. I'd just be getting used to the standard Xmas pop songs when a 'jarring' Connie Francis, or Jake Thackrey song would interrupt procedings to bring any party atmosphere to an absolute standstill. So from day one, I pushed for new 'pop' Christmas collection to be created.
At first, it was considered too close to MCE to release another Christmas set. Then It was too close to other 'easy listening' christmas sets to be considered. Then a test was done in a summer round of research, which obviously failed to gain much interest. Eventually, I managed to get a Christmas concept into research that proved popular with the 'youth market' that was being targeted at the time (under 45s???). It was titled 'Christmas Presents...' and was intended to be a bargain priced, 4CD set.
Then it was suggested that I should include a CD of 'traditional hymns' so that it would appeal to the traditional RD customer (we could add lyrics to make it a 'sing-a-long' set???). Then a request to add another CD to 'make it more profitable' with the additional request that it included classical pieces to balance out the choral recordings that sat awkwardly among the pop tunes.
This was not what I had in mind originally, but acquiesced anyway. Finally, just as recordings for the set were being cleared, I left RD and the design and running order was left to someone who had only just started in the department.
So I never got to produce my ideal Christmas Collection for RD. The boring design, and strange running order only added to the poor sales of the collection, and along with the mess that was made of the printed track listing on disc 4 (due to no-one being able to work the database correctly) and the wrong recordings being used ('Christmas Wrapping' and others), it made one of my last releases for RD, arguably, the worst. I still think it's better than MCE though!

1                      Christmas With The Stars

 01 Perry Como - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

 02 Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

 03 Bing Crosby - White Christmas

 04 Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

 05 Jim Reeves - Blue Christmas

 06 Doris Day - I'll Be Home For Christmas

 07 Nat 'King' Cole - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

 08 Max Bygraves - Jingle Bell Rock

 09 Dolly Parton - Winter Wonderland

 10 Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born

 11 Kenny Rogers - What A Wonderful Beginning

 12 Andy Williams - Do You Hear What I Hear_

 13 Petula Clark - The Little Drummer Boy

 14 Roger Whittaker - The Twelve Days Of Christmas

 15 Dickie Valentine - Christmas Alphabet

 16 Connie Francis - Baby's First Christmas

 17 Louis Armstrong - Christmas In New Orleans

 18 Lynn Anderson - Silver Bells

 19 Tony Bennett - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2                      Carols At Christmas

 01 Beecham Choral Society - Hark The Herald Angels Sing

 02 Ambrosian Singers - Once In Royal David's City

 03 Canterbury Cathedral Choir - Ding Dong! Merrily On High

 04 Choir Of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle - Away In A Manger

 05 Norwich Cathedral Choir - Deck The Halls

 06 Norwich Cathedral Choir - O Come All Ye Faithful

 07 Choir Of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle - God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

 08 John Mccarthy Chorus - I Saw Three Ships

 09 John Mccarthy Chorus - The Holly And The Ivy

 10 Choir Of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle - In Dulci Jubilo

 11 Choir Of York Minster - Good King Wenceslas

 12 Norwich Cathedral Choir - O Little Town Of Bethlehem

 13 Norwich Cathedral Choir - The First Noel

 14 Tewkesbury Abbey Choir - While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night

 15 Huddersfield Choral Society - We Three Kings Of Orient Are

 16 Ambrosian Singers - O Christmas Tree

 17 Choir Of Canterbury Cathedral - The Seven Joys Of Mary

 18 Ursula Connors With The John Mccarthy Chorus - Silent Night

 19 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - De Virgin Had A Baby Boy

 20 Choir Of Westminster Abbey - The Coventry Carol

 21 Ambrosian Singers - We Wish You A Merry Christmas

 22 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus - It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

3                      Party Time

01 Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody

 02 Showaddywaddy - Hey, Mr Christmas

 03 T Rex - Christmas Bop

 04 Elton John - Step Into Christmas

 05 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas

 06 Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

 07 Jona Lewis - Stop The Cavalry

 08 Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas

 09 Mud - Lonely This Christmas

 10 Dana - It's Gonna Be A Cold, Cold Christmas

 11 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Chtistmas Everyone

 12 Nsync - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

 13 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

 14 Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

 15 S Club 7 - Perfect Christmas

 16 David Essex - A Winter's Tale

 17 Saint Etienne - I Was Born On Christmas Day

 18 Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again

 4                     A Classical Christmas

01 National Philharmonic Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Joy To The World (Handel)

 02 Orchestre De La Societe Des Concerts Symphoniques De Paris - March Of The Little Lead Soldiers (Pierne)

 03 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Cond. Wally Stott - Pas De Deux From 'The Nutcracker' (Tchaikovsky)

 04 Boston Pops Orchestra Cond. Arthur Fiedler - Sleigh Ride (Mozart)

 05 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Cond, Sir Malcolm Sargent - Pastoral Symphony From _Messiah_ (Handel)

 06 Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra Cond. James Walker - March Of The Toys (Herbert)

 07 New Symphony Orchestra Of London Cond. Rene Leibowitz - The Skaters Waltz (Waldteufel)

 08 London Promenade Orchestra Cond. Eric Hammerstein - Troika (Prokofiev)

 09 Mayfair Chamber Orchestra - Pastoral From Christmas Concerto (Corelli)

 10 Philharmonic Pops Orchestra Cond. Robert Bentley - Greeting The Winter (Glazunov)

 11 National Philharmonic Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Christmas Tree Scene From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 12 Bach - Sinfonia From Christmas Oratorio (Bach)

 13 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Miniature Overture From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 14 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - March From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 15 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 16 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Russian Dance From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 17 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Arabian Dance From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 18 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Chinese Dance From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 19 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Dance Of The Flutes From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

 20 London Symphony Orchestra Cond. Charles Gerhardt - Waltz Of The Flowers From The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)

5                      Christmas For The Young At Heart

 01 Aled Jones - Walking In The Air

 02 Mr Blobby - Christmas In Blobbyland

 03 Jackson Five - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

 04 Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas

 05 The Goons - I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas

 06 The Beach Boys - Frosty The Snowman

 07 David Seville - The Chipmunk Song

 08 Spike Jones And His City Slickers - All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)

 09 Petula Clark - Where Did My Snowman Go_

 10 Billy Cotton - When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney

 11 Nat 'king' Cole - Mrs Santa Claus

 12 Willie Nelson - Here Comes Santa Claus

 13 Burl Ives - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

 14 Supremes - Children's Christmas Song

 15 Adam Faith - Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)

 16 The Bouncing Czecks - I'm A Little Christmas Cracker

 17 The Goodies - Make A Daft Noise For Christmas

 18 The Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas

 19 Bobby 'boris' Pickett And The Crypt Kickers-Monster's Holiday

 20 The Snowmen - Hokey Cokey

 21 Stan Freberg - Green Chri$tma$

Original intended track list....

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS…

DISC1

1 - Thank God It's Christmas - Queen

2 - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard

3 - Step Into Christmas - Elton John

4 - Christmas Bop - T Rex

5 - All Together Now - Farm

6 - Hokey Cokey - Black Lace

7 - Make A Daft Noise For Christmas - Goodies

8 - I'm A Little Christmas Cracker - Bouncing Czecks

9 - Christmas Wrapping - Waitresses

10 - Christmas Fantasy - Bad Boys Inc.

11 - Christmas Song - Gilbert O'Sullivan

12 - Grandma's Party - Paul Nicholas

13 - Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - Neil Diamond

14 - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M

15 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Pointer Sisters

16 - Brand New Christmas - Hot Chocolate

17 - Dear Santa, Bring Me A Man This Christmas - Weather Girls

18 - Perfect Year - Dina Carroll

19 - Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade

DISC2

1 - Lonely This Christmas - Mud

2 - A Winter's Tale - David Essex

3 - Last Christmas - Wham!

4 - Mistletoe And Wine - Cliff Richard

5 - December Will Be Magic - Kate Bush

6 - I'll Be Home This Christmas - Shakin'Stevens

7 - So Near To Christmas - Alvin Stardust

8 - Christmas Without You - Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

9 - Silent Night - Sinead O'Connor

10 - It's Christmas All Over The World - Sheena Easton

11 - Do You Hear What I Hear? - Gladys Knight And The Pips

12 - Miracle Of Love - Eurythmics

13 - Christmas Song - Natalie Cole

14 - A Kiss For Christmas - Luther Vandross

15 - Merry Christmas Baby - Lou Rawls

16 - Christmas Lullaby - Smokey Robinson And The Miracles

17 - Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas - Vanessa Williams

18 - Christmas Through Your Eyes - Gloria Estefan

DISC3

1 - Do they Know It's Christmas - Band Aid

2 - Gift Of Christmas - Childliners

3 - Everyone's A Kid At Christmas Time - Stevie Wonder

4 - Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me - Goodies

5 - Christmas With Dicken - Mr. Big

6 - Stop The Cavalry - Jona Lewie

7 - Christmas Day - Squeeze

8 - Gabriel's Message - Sting

9 - San Damiano - Sal Solo

10 - Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Annie Lennox and Al Green

11 - Christmas Time Is Here - Ray Parker Jr.

12 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Kenny G

13 - Christmas In Rio - Shakatak

14 - Blues for Christmas - John Lee Hooker

15 - Feels Like Christmas - Cyndi Lauper

16 - O Holy Night - Sounds Of Blackness

17 - Christmas Won't Be The Same Without You - Jackson 5

18 - Christmas In The City - Marvin Gaye

19 - Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics

20 - Stay Another Day - East 17

DISC4

1 - Another Rock 'n' Roll Christmas - Gary Glitter

2 - Best Christmas Of Them All - Shakin'Stevens

3 - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Mel Smith and Kim Wilde

4 - Blue Christmas - Bobby Vee

5 - Merry Christmas (Baby) - Chuck Berry

6 - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Cougar Mellencamp

7 - A Merry Jingle - Greedies

8 - Rock And Roll Christmas - George Thorogood And The Destroyers

9 - All Join Hands - Slade

10 - Sing Out The Old... Bring In The New - Roy Wood

11 - Rockin' This Christmas - Tractors

12 - Christmas With The Devil - Spinal Tap

13 - Father Christmas - Kinks

14 - Christmas Mourning - Julian Cope

15 - Please Come Home For Christmas - Pat Benatar

16 - Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin'Stevens

17 - I Believe In Father Christmas - Greg Lake

18 - White Christmas - Michael Bolton