“We Wish You A Merry Christmas” This vintage television-related LP was released in 1959 and features 15 great Christmas favourites sung by Warner Brothers Stars. Stars included are Poncie Ponce, Bob Conrad, Eddie Cole, Roger Moore, Ty Hardin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Peter Brown, Ray Danton, Dorothy Provine, Ed Byrnes and Connie Stevens and Roger LaVerne Smith.
This curious collection features Roger Moore of The Saint delivering “Once In Royal David’s City” and Poncie Ponce of Hawaiian Eye singing “Mele Kalikimaka.” Moore’s track is a must for anyone who wants to imagine James Bond reading them Christmas stories, though Ponce’s tropical tune is a joy, too.
Back in the late 1940s, MGM – the movie studio with the roaring lion – created their own record label. For a time, they were the only movie studio with its own record label. By the mid-1950s, television had so badly eroded the box office that other movie studios needed new streams of revenue.
In 1957, Paramount began its record label and Warner Bros. were undecided as to start its own label. That changed when Dot Records signed then Warner Bros. star Tab Hunter to its label. Even though Hunter had an iron-clad exclusive movie contract with the studio, without a record label, Tab was free to sign with Dot. Sure enough, plans for Warner Bros. Records went into high gear and in March, 1958 – the first record on the new label came out. WB had reclaimed Tab hunter and his new single “Jealous Heart” (ironic, huh?) was released – the only charting record for the entire year! Another mistake from the get go was ignoring rock n’ roll. WB decided to go with pop, jazz, classical, spoken word, folk and gospel see Clint Walker below.
