***Various Kids -Kids Christmas Songs & Carols (my compilation)***

Psychelatte says: this is my personal selection of the best Kids Christmas songs, old and new that i have on cd, from various cds. i chose them for the quality of the singing and/or the originality of the song.

i don't have kids but i have always loved hearing kids singing. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do. have a Happy Christmas! xxx

(p.s the numbering is all over the place as the songs were taken from various cds.)


A-CAROLING WE GO (US KIDS)
THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
LITTLE DONKEY (UK KIDS)
MR SANTA (UK KIDS)
O COME O COME IMMANUEL (US KIDS)
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
10 LITTLE ANGELS (UK KIDS)
ITS CHRISTMAS TIME (UK KIDS)
GOOD KING WENCESLAS (US KIDS)
BABHOOSKA (UK KIDS)
O CHRISTMAS TREE (US KIDS)
ROCKING CAROL (UK KIDS)
WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
FUM FUM FUM (US KIDS)
OVER THE RIVER (UK KIDS)
WE THREE KINGS (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS LULLABY (UK KIDS)
THE FRIENDLY BEASTS (US KIDS)
GOD BLESS THE MASTER OF THIS HOUSE (UK KIDS)
STAR CAROL (UK KIDS)
A CHILD THIS DAY IS BORN (US KIDS)
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM (US KIDS)
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (US KIDS)
WHEN SANTA GOT STUCK UP THE CHIMNEY (UK KIDS)
BRING A TORCH, JEANETTE, ISABELLA (US KIDS)
DEAR FATHER CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
JOY TO THE WORLD (US KIDS)
DECK THE HALLS (US KIDS)
WHAT CHILD IS THIS (US KIDS)
I WONDER AS I WANDER (US KIDS)
MARY HAD A BABY (UK KIDS)
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS BELLS (UK KIDS)
SHEPHERDS PIPE CAROL (UK ADULT?)
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (UK KIDS)
WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED (UK KIDS)
LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
SEE AMID THE WINTERS SNOW (U
SLEIGH RIDE (UK KIDS)
CAROL OF THE BELLS (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (UK KIDS)
AULD LANG SYNE (US KIDS)


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Grandaddy -Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland

***Bosphorus & Mode Plagal - Beyond The Bosphorus- (Greece, Turkey, -bewitching fusion of folky traditional music & modern Jazz with female vocals)***

“Greek jazz ensemble Mode Plagal collaborate with Bosphorus, a group with Turkish musicians and traditional instruments who bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition. The symbolism of the Bosphorus straits as a passage from one world to the another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world.”

"'It was bound to happen, someday.'
That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I came across the news that Bosphorus and Mode Plagal were to collaborate on a record.

Bosphorus, a group of Turkish musicians from Istanbul who for almost twenty years now have been studying the musical tradition of that city through its many periods have been churning out amazing records off the mainstream. They have been exploring, among other things, the musical tradition of Greek composers of the city, as well as the interplay between what existed in the city (the Byzantine tradition of the time when the city used to be called Contantinople) and what came after (the Ottoman musical tradition both on the level of court music and popular one.)

Mode Plagal have already been covered extensively in Rootsworld, as they have been following a similar path regarding Greek music, but with an added focus on jazz experimentation.

Listen!
So, in many ways, both groups have been dealing with the same questions: What does it mean to be at the crossroads between East and West, Now and Then? What have been the results of the influences of other people on the musical tradition of the region? Are there traces of the past to be found and are there any of those worthy of retention for the future? All that and beautiful sounds!

The latter is where Beyond the Bosphorus succeeds effortlessly: this is a compelling, seductive record that doesn't sound academic at all, while it combines music from three different musical traditions; the learned Eastern musical system (the ancient one), the folk tradition of the Alevi communities, and the western-influenced one, as is noted in the beautiful and very informative trilingual liner notes (Greek, English and French.) There were times that this record sounded pop. At others, it reminded me strongly of Morphine (the band from Boston) or an ethnomusicologist's pet research project. On "Oceania," the last song, the U2 of the late 1980s comes to mind. All that and it never sounds forced, grotesque or garish.

As in the previous collaborative work of Mode Plagal (the Yorgos Margaritis CD recently reviewed), this record sounds like Bosphorus, possessed by Mode Plagal. The way in which they go in and out of the picture, blending in or coming to the forefront, depending on the musical needs or whim of the moment, is fascinating.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul. - Nondas Kitsos

The press info:
The symbolism of Bosphorus straights as a passage from one world to another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world, has marked through myths the spiritual memory and heritage of migrating tribes as well as that of sea-faring people in the greater basin of the Easter Mediterranean.

Those tribes coming from the South, following the south to north migration of the cranes, believed in the a hyperborean haven and heaven whirling beyond the North Star (Polaris), whereas those arriving from the Ease longed for a Western Paradise somewhere along the shores of the Atlantic. On the crossroads, at the exact point of intersection of the axis, there at the divide between Europe and Asia, a City was founded which it was hoped would reflect the heavenly peace (Irini) and Wisdom (Sophia)- the Byzantine Constantinople, Konstantiniye of the Ottomans- the present dat Istanbul.

The space of all around seems to resound - Aghia Sophia, the Bosphorus, the mosques, the domes, the golden horn, everything seems to whirl around a mysterious and inaudible sound which is perceptible only to those who have managed to emerge free from the murky and channeled waters of urban material existence. Beyond, rises yet another deafening but silent sound, the dirge of a Metropolis which has lost the dream to embrace within her womb all the religions and people suffering tribulations and by this way, becoming admired by all the nations as an example of ecumenicity.

We have tried to capture with our music the echo of this indescribable sound. To achieve this -which is also a game with different musical systems and tunings- two different groups collaborated: Bosphorus with turkish musicians and ancient traditional instruments which bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition and Mode Plagal, a greek avant-garde group which is experimenting a contemporary approach to greek traditional Folk music. The compositions, besides the traditional songs and tunes, are by the musicians of both groups and are put to the lyrics and poetry of G. Seferis, T. Syrelis and V. Papageorgiou around the theme of "Beyond Bosphorus".

They are interpreted by Vasiliki Papageorgiou, with a traditional Alevi prayer to the 12 Imams by Engin Arslan. The musical direction is by Nikiforos Metaxas. Bosphorus and Mode Plagal have been collaborating for some time now, Mode Plagla have been visiting Turkey quite often and both groups have given joint concerts the last couple of years in Greece, Turkey -in Istanbul and Smyrni for the 100 years of G. Seferis- in Belgium, Holland etc.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul." - Nondas Kitsos, RootsWorld

“Beyond The Bosphorus is a collaboration between Greek band Mode Plagal and the most recent incarnation of the Turkish group Bosphorus, which now includes such leading performers of Turkish art music as Hasan Esen (kemençe) and Murat Aydemir (tanbur). On vocals is Vasiliki Papayeoryiou, who has worked with Bosphorus in the past. In short, this is an impressive line-up. - Chris Williams”
Track Listing
-------------
01. Improvisation: Rebab-Cello
02. Konstantiniye
03. The Tumult Of Torrents
04. Ey Zahit
05. Shuttle Boats
06. Beyond The Bosphorus
07. Until Such Time
08. Itinerary
09. Twelve Imams
10. Tatavla
11. For Sappho
12. Erotikos Logos
13. Lullaby
14. Faraway Lady
15. This Night
16. Oceania


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***Various Artists (2009/2010) -Anatolia Rocks: A Musical Trip Through Turkey Vol. 1 & 2***

Anatolian rock (Turkish: Anadolu Rock) is a fusion of Turkish folk and rock music. It emerged during the mid-1960s, soon after rock groups such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Status Quo, and Omega became popular in Turkey. Examples of this style include Turkish musicians such as Cem Karaca, Barış Manço, Erkin Koray, Fikret Kızılok, Murat Ses alongside bands such as Moğollar, Kurtalan Ekspres, Mavi Işıklar, Apaşlar and Kardaşlar. Today, Anatolian Rock is a general term used to describe music derived from both traditional Turkish folk music and Rock.

Tracklist:
Volume 1
01 Ümit Tokcan - Uryan Geldim
02 Erkin Koray - Estarabim
03 Esin Afşar - Zühtü
04 Edip Akbayram & Dostlar - Zalım Zalım
05 3 Hürel - Döner Dünya
o6 KIm Bunlar - Oyuna Çağrı
o7 Selda Bağcan - Ince Ince Bir Kar Yağar
o8 Erkin Koray - Şaşkın
o9 Barış Manço* - Estergon Kalesi
10 Fikret Kızılok - Sevda Çiçeği
11 Nurcan Opel - Beğenmez Beğenmez
12 Cem Karaca & Apaşlar - Gılgamış
13 Grup Bunalım - Bunalım
14 Mustafa Özkent - Zeytinyağlı
15 Barış Manço* - Ben Bilirim
16 Mavi Işıklar - Gül Dah
17 Galatasaray Lisesi - Zazie
18 Erkin Koray - Türkü

Volume 2
1. Alpay ~ Ben armudu dislerim *
2. Metin H. Alatli ~ Mevlana Böyle Dedi [Edit]
3. Timur Selçuk Orkestrasy ~ Panayir Gunu *
4. Serpil Barlas ~ Yandin askinla ben *
5. Erkin Koray ~ Silinmeyen Hatiralar
6. Zerrin Zerren ~ Yazik Sana *
7. Ersen ~ Dostlar beni hartirlasin
8. Ferdi Özbegen ~ köprüden gecti gelin
9. Baris Manço ~ Sari Cizmeli Mehmet Aga
10. Gulden Karabocek ~ Artik Sorma beni *
11. Grup Cigrisim ~ Salak
12. Mavi Isiklar ~ Ask Cicegi
13. Aziz Azmet ve Bunalimlar ~ Hele Hele Gel *
14. Ajda Pekkan ~ Viens dans ma vie *
15. Gomidas Ensemble ~ Helvaji [traditional] *
16. Edip Akbayram ~ Arabam Kaldi Yolda

***Timur Selcuk Orkestrasi -S/T Turkish Anatolian music- great stuff!! ***

Timur Selçuk (born 2 July 1946, Istanbul) is a renowned Turkish singer, pianist, conductor and composer.

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****He 6 -A Go Go! - Go Go Sound '71: Vol. 1 & 2,2LP boxset,1971/2004, Psychedelia,Korea****

"Recorded in, yay, 1971, pressed in a ridiculously limited (promotion only) quantity of 300 copies each, and subsequently all but forgotten, these two records by Korean psychedelic groovesters the HE 6 are some gems indeed! With the exception of the closing side-long seventeen minute cover of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (which faithfully does indeed include the obligatory drum solo as per the original version, along with what sounds like a police siren and also an added *flute* solo!) all the tracks on the two albums Go Go Sound '71 vol. 1 and Go Go Sound '71 vol. 2 included here are instrumental jams -- numbered themes with titles like "Theme 2. 4/4 for Guitar" and "Theme 3. Running Human". And even "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is mostly instrumental of course.Listening to the other tracks on this disc it makes sense that they would choose Iron Butterfly's opus as the sole tune to cover. Like that tune, all of their originals are extended jams led by fuzzed-out electric guitar and Hammond organ. In addition, the aforementioned flute gets a workout too. (Yet another victory for the flute, so often mistakenly perceived as diminutive instrument! But the flute can certainly hold its own in this heavy, groovy, acid-rock band.) And it's crucial to mention that HE 6's rhythm section is darn tight! Indeed, this stuff's funky enough that we're sure they were probably just as much influenced by James Brown's band The JB's as they were by the likes of the Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly. If not so obscure, we're sure this would have been plundered by DJs looking for the swank breaks... who knows, maybe hip hop producers in Korea have done so? So, very much recommended to all you folks into these sorta swinging '60s/'70s sounds -- especially if you dig the Cambodian Rocks and Thai Beat comps!
Excellent weird LPs to blow your mind and set your psychedelic "love in"(!)) party to fire!"

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****Picchio Dal Pozzo - Picchio Dal Pozzo (fantastic Italian Prog fusion freakout!!1976)****

"A wonderful release that has always kept me on my toes and been quite an inspiration, Picchio dal Pozzo's self-titled release is a hidden gem in the Canterbury scene, filled with inspiring lines and one of the most wonderful psych tracks these ears have come across. Although perhaps not as essential as Gong's most famous of works, this is wonderful material.Essentially, I am drawn to this album from the psychedelic Seppia, which has a groove for about 4 minutes that I quite simply call the coolest groove ever. Man, is it fun. Think of it as a musical high, with cosmic influences and effervescent vocals and a pounding distorted line that you can't help but move along with. This differs quite much from other famous Italian works and so it should be noted as soon, as this shares much more connection to bands like Gong and the like than it does to Le Orme, Museo Rosenbach, and etc.The variety of instruments, stunning effects, and sense of style are more than enough to make this record something to hold onto. I can almost guarantee that those with a love of Canterbury and an ear for experimentation will be enthralled with this release. Give it a try, I'm sure you'll be impressed. " - (OpethGuitarist - ProgArchives)

- Andrea Beccari / bass, horn, percussion, voice
- Aldo De Scalzi / keyboards, percussion, voice
- Paolo Griguolo / guitar, percussion, voice
- Giorgio Karaghiosoff / percussion, voice

- Guests:
- Fabio Canini / drums on 5,6, percussion on 3,5,7
- Vittorio De Scalzi / flute on 3,8
- Leonardo Lagorio (CELESTE) / contralto sax on 5,7
- Gerry Manarolo / guitar on 7
- Carlo Pascucci / drums on 5,7
- Ciro Perrino (CELESTE) / xylophone on 3

1. Merta (3:18)
2. Cocomelastico (4:23)
3. Seppia (10:16)
a)Sottotitolo
b)Frescofresco
c)Rusf
4. Bofonchia (0:51)
5. Napier (7:23)
6. La Floricultura Di Tschincinnata (4:22)
7. La Bolla (4:29)
8. Off (4:4

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****Shin Jung Hyun & The Men- It's a Lie -blistering Korea psych 1972- made to be played LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!!****

thetruevinerecordshop.com:
"Shin Jung-Hyeon is the Godfather of Korean pop/rock. He started his musical career in 1955. In those days, immediately after the Korean War, there were few musicians. At 1957 he could play at the US army in Korea. His psychedelic play fascinated US soldiers, and some record company asked him to make an LP. His 1st band Add 4 constructed in 1962. Add 4 is the first rock band in Korea. After the time SJH started to make hit songs. Kim Jeong Mi, Park In Su, Pearl Sisters, Kim Chu Ja, Im A Yeong, Jang Hyeon and other singers debuted with the support of Shin Jung Hyeon. They debuted with his hit songs and he became the biggest power in Ga Yo scene."

Tracks:

1. Beautiful Country 9:56
2. It's A Lie 22:15
3. A Woman In The Mist 11:32

**

***Jungle- same (1969) (Heavy Prog Psych) (USA)***

01 - House Of Rooms
02 - Somewhere Sweet Memories
03 - Gray Picnic
04 - Changes I'm Going Through
05 - Early Morning Rising
06 - Slave Ship
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***Tony, Caro & John- (1972 uk Folk-Psych)***

All On The First Day by Tony, Caro and John was first issued in 1972, by those three hippy folk musicians. John and Tony had met in their hometown, Derby at the age of 11 and played together in various rock bands (called beat groups at the time) from their early teens. They graduated in the mid-60s to the folk club circuit in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire where, like everywhere else on the folk scene, experimentation was competing for attention with the traditional stuff.

They headed off to university in 1967, John to Sheffield and Tony to London. In London Tony met Caro, just arrived from Bristol, and they began playing the university folk clubs together. On graduation in 1970 John came to London, joined the others and a flat-cum-commune was born.
So, here is the excellent and rare album of British melodious folk trio.

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***Forever Amber- rare Uk Psychedelia 1969***

"FOREVER AMBER" are originally an act called "The Country Cousins", gigging at Cambridge Shire air bases for homesick Americans.

By 1967 they were driving to gigs in a "Psychedelically" painted ambulance – the new moniker was an abbreviation of "Forever Ambulance".
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old accountancy student "John Hudson" was spending his lunchtimes writing songs for the group's sole album in a rehearsal room above a shop in Cambridge.
"John Hudson" had ambition.
"FOREVER AMBER"'s eponymous album, "The Love Cycle" (Advance M ADV 00101), like "Beach Boys""' "Pet Sounds", cover a relationship sequentially from first meeting to grim denouement.He found a studio to fit his £ 200 budget below a musical instrument shop in Hitchin. "FOREVER AMBER"'s "The Love Cycle" was recorded in a marathon 19-hour session on a Sunday in September 1968, and the band made great use of the profusion of riches upstairs; glockenspiel, penny whistle, a wah-wah pedal, and plenty of harpsichord.

This 1969 LP is a honeyed, melodic album, as intimate and irresistible as anything "The Left Banke" or "The Zombies" ever made, laced with perfectly-timed, dramatic Fuzz-guitar violence.
Created by six teenagers in Northern England, this sixteen song concept album follows the rise and fall of a summertime relationship.
From the celebratory, deeply harmonized opener, "Me Oh My" which first notices the "new girl on our street" to the pensive, haunted closing track, "My Friend", which pleads and quivers with sorrow.
The eight chapters retell the entire romance through a compelling combination of jangling guitars, graceful organ, and the singular earnestness of heartachey teenagers.

Only 99 copies were pressed and flogged off at gigs to the lucky few.
There's a tangible aura about "lost albums", something that draws you into their parallel universe.

Enjoy it!!!

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***Zerfas s/t 1973 US Prog-psych***

This is the only and self-titled album by US prog/psych rock band "Zerfas" from 1973.
a vanity release from a bunch of unsigned but clearly precociously talented teenagers. It was lovingly cut over six months in 1973 at the tiny 700 West Studio in New Palestine, Indiana, using a four-track 3M recorder, plenty of overdubs, a lot of homemade wine and a hell of a lot of creative ingenuity.

Interestingly, the band members chose to add colour to their 1969-British-prog-rock style songs with the techniques of 1967 psychedelia, and the album stands as a fine psych/prog artefact despite being several years behind the timeline. The fun starts with “You Never Win”, which opens with a fade-in backwards version of the closing fade-out – a simple but brilliant idea. “I Don’t Understand” launches with an eerie half-speed recording of small children’s voices, whilst the meandering instrumental heart of “Hope” is washed by shoreline effects. Much use is made elsewhere of backwards voices, backwards instruments, fade-outs, fade-ins, wild stereo panning, ring modulators, tape loops and leftfield echo effects, and even a blast from an elkhorn. However, the underlying compositions don’t rely solely on these touches for interest; the eight songs, all originals, offer an engaging variety of styles from the “Born To Be Wild” knockoff of “You Never Win” through the cosmic boogie of “Stoney Wellitz” to the lush progressive soundscapes of “Hope”, culminating in “The Piper” which appropriately recalls Pink Floyd’s earliest stoner offerings. The playing and singing are excellent throughout, especially considering the tender ages of the musicians; Herman Zerfas’s keyboards in particular are exceptional.

Maybe there’s some Floyd influence, some Grape, some Dead, some Steppenwolf, some Allmans, maybe even some Steve Miller, but really such comparisons are unnecessary. This is a fine album by a fine band in its own right, and should be respected as such.

01. You Never Win (5:14)
02. The Sweetest Part (3:36)
03. I Dont't Understand (5:20)
04. I Need It Higher (4:49)
05. Stoney Wellitz (6:31)
06. Hope (7:45)
07. Fool's Parade (4:23)
08. The Piper (4:17)

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***Erkin Koray - 3 of his best albums -Turkish Psych legend ***

S/T 1973

Elektronik Turkuler 1974

Erkin Koray II 1976



Erkin Koray has been in the Turkish rock music scene since the early 1960s. By the late 1960s, he was already a major figure in Turkish psychedelic music (also called as Anatolian Rock)

***3 Hur-El - Hurel Arsivi (1974 Brilliant anatolian Turkish folk psych rock)***

A masterpiece of Turkish ethno-psychedelic delight, recorded between 1970 and 1975 by the three very talented Hur El brothers, and released in small quantities on Diskotur (originals sell for $1000 and up nowadays); their second album has the heavy hashish sound - fuzz guitar, impassioned vocals and Eastern percussion - that makes Turkish psych so savory to the rest of the world; very possibly as good as anything recorded by countryman Erkin Koray.

This release by the Korean label “World Psychedelia”, a bootleg label as far as I know, is a straight re-issue of 3 Hur-El’s (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) second album from 1976.

This means that it’s basically a needledrop from clean vinyl, without any sort of modern brickwall mastering or EQ'ing - it sounds nicer than most remasterbated albums coming out these days. (from soundsoftheuniverse).


Track List :
01.Kol Basti
02.Hoptirinom
03.Mutluluk Bizim Olsun
04.Canim Kurban
05.Gonul Sabreyle Sabreyle
06.Kucuk Yaramaz
07.Aglarsa Anam Aglar
08.Omur Biter Yol Bitmez
09.Sevenler Aglarmis
10.Yara
11.Doner Dunya
12.Agit

The Band :
*Feridun Hurel - guitar, sax, vocals
*Onur Hurel - bass,
*Haldun Hurel - drums, percussion

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***Som Imaginario- Som imaginario (Brazil 1971)***

Som Imaginario is considered a Jazz band, but others say that Som Imaginario is a progressive band. ..so let's say that Som Imaginario is Rock with Jazz and Progressive influences. They released three LPs; this is the second one with Wagner Tiso (piano), Luiz Alves (bass), Robertinho Silva (drums), Frederiko (guitar) and Tavito (guitar), all renowned musicians with successful careers after dismissing the band. Thanks Mr. G. for another fine release. Tracks include:

01 - Cenouras (Frederiko)
02 - Você Tem Que Saber (Chico Lessa / Márcio Borges)
03 - Gogó (O Alívio Rococó) (Wagner Tiso / Frederiko)
04 - Ascenso (Frederiko / Fernando Brant)
05 - Salvação Pela Macrobiótica (Frederiko)
06 - Uê (Chico Lessa / Márcio Borges)
07 - Xmas Blues (Frederiko)
08 - A Nova Estrela (Wagner Tiso / Frederiko)

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