Howdy folks! Francis here. This year, Francis Fridays falls on Christmas Day! Who’da thunk it?
First of all, let me wish everyone a merry Christmas, no matter when you’re reading this. The Christmas spirit for us Snakes and Otters guys is alive and well all year long, as we all believe peace on Earth and goodwill for all should not just be seasonal stuff!
And secondly, since this is a special Christmas edition of Francis Fridays, I get to gift you with my favorite Christmas album of all time (happily available on YouTube in its entirety) Christmas With Conniff“, released for the first time way back in 1959.
And, of course, there’s a story to go with it.
Christmas for adults, I’m kind of learning, is often very much wrapped up warmly with nostalgia. We all yearn for those Christmas Eve jitters as a small child, the anticipation of toys, candy, family and, of course, love. Christmas was a time for all that, and we all still yearn for that joy, whether we actually had it or only wished we did. Growing up may have added less-perfect memories to us all, but certain sounds will always have the power to take us to those warm and lovely places.
And for me, that was Ray Conniff.
My parents were married in June 1964, with me, their oldest, being born in September of the following year, 1965. In the following years, my sisters and I (my little brother came along a bit later) learned to love music by playing the vinyl albums that my mother had had before she got married. Most of those were late 1950’s or very early 1960’s classics, and the Christmas with Conniff album was one of them.
Ray Conniff was an American bandleader, in the vein of Mitch Miller (whom Conniff had actually worked for at one point) who made a name for himself in the Fifties and Sixties with loads of Big Band hits. By 1968, Conniff had had 28 albums in the American Top 40, and was world famous, most particularly for his “Ray Conniff Singers” which performed the vocals for much of his music. The group consisted of 12 women and 13 men and their harmony and beautiful vocals brought much joy to a generation of folks, including yours truly.
My two sisters and I played that album probably 100 times every year during the Christmas season when we were small. The original vinyl is long gone, of course, but I purchased the CD version back in the Nineties at some point and played it for my children when they came along. I can still sing all the songs (as can my sisters) and the music still manages to make regular appearances at our Christmas gatherings (now thanks to the magic of YouTube) well over fifty years after we first heard it.
Most of the songs you probably have heard a million times, but one you probably do not know is my personal favorite. Track #10 is the beautiful “Christmas Bride” which I have been known to dance to with Mrs. Francis on many a Christmas Eve after all the presents are all safely under the tree. (If you want to search for it, its at 22:40 on the YouTube page.)
On behalf of all of us here at Snakes and Otters, we wish everyone a merry Christmas and true peace in the New Year.
And of course, having promoted the joys of the album, I have to embed it below.
Enjoy!
