[78-L] Gene Autry Christmas records

[DAVID BURNHAM]

Every copy I had of the Gene Autry records was on the red microphone label, 
although I've seen pictures of the yellow labels.

Here is a query I sent to the list about a year ago at this time which was never 
really answered, maybe now someone knows the answer:


A couple of years ago I bought a CD which claimed to be the "Complete Columbia 
Christmas Recordings", by Gene Autry.  On this CD, "Frosty the Snowman" always 
bothered me - it just didn't sound right.  When you hear a song like this 
umpteen times every Christmas throughout your childhood every nuance - the 
rhythm of the words, the balance between the piccolo and the clarinet in the 
opening, etc. - become etched in your brain.  All of the other selections on 
this CD with which I was familiar sounded the same as I'd always heard them, 
(except I find "Here Comes Santa Claus" a bit duller than on the 78).  I just 
now listened to "Frosty" on the CD and the 78 side-by-side to see if there was 
something which described the difference.  They're obviously from the same 
recording session on June 12, 1950, the same musicians, arrangement and pickup 
but I finally found something which ensures that these are two different 
recordings: on the 78 he sings "Weren't they surprised when before their 
eyes.....", and on the CD he sings "Were they surprised, before their 
eyes.....".  Also as I mentioned, in the opening the balance between the piccolo 
and the clarinet is different but this might be accomplished just by varying the 
equalization.  In the opening line, the rhythm of the words is subtly different 
but there's no way to describe that in an e-mail. 
 
Does anyone know if this version was ever released on 78 or did something happen 
to the master of the original version or did the crew who compiled the CD just 
grab the wrong tape off the shelf?
 
db