I remember finding a cassette tape release of "A Christmas Sing with Bing" in a supermarket bargain bin when I was young. (Decca had put the original 1955 program out as an LP the year after it aired.) I was enchanted by the whole thing - the festiveness, Bing's patter with Ken Carpenter, the correspondents from around the world, and of course the music. It was like a time capsule in a way.

It wasn't until years later that I learned Bing had made seven more versions of the special through 1962, and I'd always wanted to hear them. Now I've discovered they are all available in one place. The Internet Archive has a page where seven of the eight programs are right at the top, playable or downloadable (as MP3s). And if you scroll down to the comments, you can find a link to the one edition missing at the top (the 1959 program).

Many of you may have already heard all these, but for those of us who hadn't, it's a treat. Hope this link serves as an early Christmas present for some of you!

https://archive.org/details/ChristmasSingWithBingBroadcasts

Last edited by tedn (23/12/2022 1:44 am)