The Eyes of Santa Claus Are Going Back to New Orleans

Just in time for Christmas, I purchased a Christmas Song-Poem. This one appears on the tiny "Cenla Records" label of Alexandria Louisiana, and the songs are copyrighted in 1961, per a little bit of internet research.

Cenla Records is barely represented within the vast reaches of the internet, mostly just references to this record, and a rockabilly record from 1959 (which has sold for over $150), which can be heard here. They do seem to at least possibly be the same "Cenla Records" - the label numbers both start with "CR", although on the other hand, why wouldn't they, given the name of the label(s)? The 1959 release does not sound like a song-poem record.

This one, however, does. The side I'm featuring first, "The Eyes of Santa Claus Are Watching", by the previously unknown Susan Young, seems like a stereotypical early offering from the Globe song-poem factory. Careful listening will demonstrate that the song only has one verse, and even with that verse sung twice, a guitar solo, and a coda, the record still only lasts 93 seconds.

Download: Susan Young - The Eyes of Santa Claus Are Watching
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On the flip side (and written by the same song-poet), is a real treat, at least in my book, and further proof that this is a song-poem record. Yes, it's the ridiculously over-the-top Roger Smith, here treating to his rendition of "I'm Going Back to New Orleans".

As with the flip side, there is only one verse, repeated twice and separated by a nice solo section, and this time, they manage to fill up a full 95 seconds. The band here is fairly wonderful, and the note(s) that Roger Smith sings at 0:59 should be in the hall of fame. Which Hall of Fame, I'm not sure, but it deserves enshrinement. '

Download: Roger Smith: I'm Going Back to New Orleans
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone - I'm so glad that I've been able to feature song poems, usually once a week (or at least three times a month) for nine full years now, and plan to start the tenth year in a week or two. Thank you so much for reading and listening.