"The Ballad of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol" (1961)
Golden Records
Performer: Bob Keeshan
Staying in 1961 but veering far from Herblock's editorial cartoons, we stop in to see Captain Kangaroo, the popular kids' TV character played by Bob Keeshan.
Always a label to stay on top of what kids liked, Golden Records issued some records featuring the good captain. And since kids and Christmas go well together, there was a Captain Kangaroo Christmas album released in 1961!
At least I think it was 1961, these things are hard to tell, as Golden Records repackaged and reissued things a lot.
In any event, the album featured various Christmas songs and stories and one of the cuts bears the impressive title of "The Ballad of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol" (sometimes shown as "Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol"). Sounds cool, but what is it?
Well, it just happens to be a remake of the Howdy Doody version of "A Christmas Carol" from five years earlier!
As I mentioned, Golden Records kept up with the kiddie trends and the Howdy Doody show had ended a couple of years before and now Captain Kangaroo ruled the airwaves. So, seems like a good idea to Kanagoroo-ize that song!
Without further ado, here's Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) telling Mr. Green Jeans (Lumpy Brannum) all he needs to know about old Scrooge:
Next: who wins this battle of the ballads?
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