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Yulesville: The Other Tinsel Town is the third of three fine holiday compilations in Shout Factory's 2003 Wonderland Series (the other two are (Cool December and Under the Mistletoe, both reviewed on this site). Like the other two, Yulesville is a nicely-done mix of something old (Louis Prima in 1951) and something new (Four Piece Suit in 1999).

Unlike the other two Wonderland Series compilations, however, Yulesville is a little off-center. The album has more of a novelty feel, especially given the inclusion of pop eccentrics like Tiny Tim, who sings "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and the baby-voiced French actress Claudine Longet, who submits a breathless "Snow." As a result, Yulesville would make a fun CD for holiday parties, but perhaps not for repeat listens on quiet winter nights.

The album does contain some fantastic classic artists (like Pearl Bailey, Julie London, Lionel Hampton, and Duke Ellington) and some exciting new voices, too (especially Holly Cole and Marlow Morris). The song selection is also superb, including the Duke's smokin' "Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy)" and Louis Prima's electric "Shake Hands With Santa Claus." The production values are outstanding throughout.

In sum, Yulesville is a hip spot to visit, but you may not want to plant yourself there for the holidays. Still, if you seek something a little sassy and unexpected, pack your bag for an exhilarating stay!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Produced and Compiled by Brad Benedict
Digitally remastered by Bob Norberg
Liner Notes by RJ Smith

Yulesville is made possible by many off-center dreamers, but we wish to thank one man in particular: Tiny Time. His very name invokes Christmas, deriving from some gusty tome, we hear, written by a Brit a long time ago. We love his ukulele playing, the way his falsetto trills "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Yulesville: that's where we go when Tiny Tim croons.

There's a statue of Tiny Tim in the town square. In Yulesville no two martinis--like no two snowflakes--are ever alike, and the snowmen never melt. It's a Santa Claus village whre Keane-eyed, itty-bitty Claudine Longet is the honorary mayor, and Hammond organist Marlowe Morris plays for free at the town rink. Every since they built the Interstate one county over, people stopped traveling through Yulesville. Now it's a secret vista, a swing sanctum. You must have gotten lost to have ended up here. Welcome home.

Piped into every room is "Baby, It's Cold Outside," by the dream team of film star Ann-Margret and trumpet player Al Hirt. It comes from the classic 1964 LP Beauty and the Beard; we don't have the cover in front of us, but we're pretty sure Al wasn't the aforementioned "beauty."

Like Tiny Tim, Leon Redbone is a great pop eccentric, a time-traveler who loves musical evocations of the 20s and 30s. His "That Old Christmas Moon" makes the holiday swooney and magnetic, ethereal as it rotates at 78 rpm.

Kandy Kane could be doing her tassel-twirling routine to one of our standout tracks, the very hip "Sugar Rum Cherry" arranged by Duke Ellington and his sidekick Billy Strayhorn in 1960. A jaunty take on Tchaikovsky's "The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy," it was part of an Ellington bank swing ballet. In a similarly jazzed-out vibe, Louis Prima, the Kris Kringle of Las Vegas, digs deep into the Ratpack's Santa sack for "Shake Hands With Santa Claus." And jazzed-out vibist Lionel Hampton offers a limpid take on "White Christmas."

From the Web site:

Yulesville Snowballs and highballs from Santa's cooler: This novel collection of sixteen hot toddies is so intoxicating that Jack Frost might take a nip (or two). Our garland of hep cats and kittens includes Pearl Bailey "Jingle Bells, Cha, Cha, Cha", Leon Redbone "That Old Christmas Moon", Booker T and the MG's "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", as well as Louis Prima, Claudine Longet, Lionel Hampton, Ann-Margret, Duke Ellington, Tiny Tim and many more. Nuttier than Grandma's fruitcake, more outrageous than the sugar plum fairy - It's enough to make your bells jingle.

Welcome to the other Tinseltown!

Various Artists

Yulesville: The Other Tinseltown

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Track List