Holiday Greetings from Capitol and Margaret Whiting

We've explored RCA Victor's holiday offerings for 1949, now let's listen to the season's greetings message that the Capitol folks sent out that same year, featuring the great singer Margaret Whiting.

This particular disc was aimed at the jukebox operators of the nation. It seems as though that group was planning a convention in Chicago, and this record was supposed to tie in to that gathering.

It's more than a little contrived, but carefully produced none the less. The scenario was that Margaret Whiting had missed the Super Chief (that was a train) for Chicago, so she flagged down Santa Claus for a lift. The bearded one just happened to be headed that way himself, loaded down with Capitol records.

It turns out that those discs were the ones that Capitol was promoting at the time, and this special record had one or the other of them on the flip side.

Apparently there were a number of different versions of the disc, all with a different side B. This particular item has a song by Johnny Smith and the Jubalaires called "Home, Home, Home," well suited to the season.

The Jubalaires were a pop/gospel group in the vein of the Mills Brothers, Ink Spots and Delta Rhythm Boys. They had been on radio for years, first with Arthur Godfrey, more recently on the Amos & Andy show. The group went through many changes, so I'm not entirely sure who is on this record, but you can read more about them here. (You'll have to scroll down.)

The uncertainty about this record also relates to the identity of "Johnny Smith." In its review, Billboard seems to think it's Jack Smith, then a Capitol crooner. This would not be unusual; both Sinatra and Crosby recorded with such groups as the Delta Rhythm Boys and the Charioteers. But it doesn't sound like Smith on this record, and why would Capitol rename him for this outing? It's a little peculiar.

Both sides of the record are fun, though, and just the type of thing I love. Hope you might enjoy it as well.

Margaret Whiting