Winter Warnerland, various artists (Warner Bros.)

Nowadays, major record labels are known for two things: endlessly reissuing top artists' legacy recordings and taking the lion's share of contemporary artists' streaming royalties. Once upon a time, some of the top labels actually attempted to appeal directly to record buyers in hopes of creating loyalty to the brand. (Remember the back of an early Who album in which the record company highlighted its other releases, noting, "If you liked The Who you are sure to love Len Barry"?) Warner Brothers took this to legendary heights starting in the late Sixties with its fourth-wall-breaking magazine ads for such things as Van Dyke Parks' debut album Song Cycle, which did so poorly at retail the company not only mentioned the poor sales in the ads, it told listeners to send their worn-out copies back to the company and they would receive two mint copies by return post, one to be given to a friend. Over time Warners would offer limited release label compilations, two vinyl LPs at a time, for a dime via mail. Around 1988 Warners dropped the compilation named above, serial numbered as a promotional release, though Discogs notes that it was offered in colored vinyl (one red disc, one green), cassette, and CD versions. Half the 37 individual cuts were radio station bumpers recorded by artists signed to Warners, some of whom also contributed full Christmas songs to the collection. This was probably the first known release of Los Lobos' "Rudolph the Manic Reindeer," a Tex-Mex instrumental version of the popular carol that has since been compiled frequently on other collections. Other tunes include Jeff Lorber's jazz fusion "God Rest the House," Good Question's hip-hop flavored "Winter Wonderland," more of the same on "Cold Chillin' Christmas" by Cold Chillin' Juice Crew, the 80s synth-rock-pop "Maybe This Could Be the Christmas" by Gardner Cole, the jazzy vocal "Once in a Blue Moon Rising" by PM, more 80s pop by Secret Weapon on "I'm Coming Home," folky pop number "Fais Do Do" by Daniel Lanois, and Mark O'Connor's semi-pop-classical instrumental of "What Child Is This." Jim Horn's sax takes the lead on "Silver Bells," Thomas Page offers the ballad "Christmas Without You," Hugo Largo goes ambient on "Angels We Have Heard On High/Gloria," Danielle Dax does a nicely uptempo shuffle on "Blue Christmas," and Jessie Ed Davis' funky "Santa Claus Is Getting Down" is a collection highlight that I haven't encountered anywhere else but here. The band 54-40 offers "2000 Years of Love," Honeymoon Suite does a faithful rendering of "I Believe in Father Christmas," and items heard elsewhere include R.E.M.'s "Deck the Halls" and Throwing Muses' "Santa." Rounding out the musical offerings are Peter Cetera's "Silent Night" and Randy Travis' country lament "How Do I Wrap My Heart Up For Christmas." Pee Wee Herman fans will be happy to encounter three bumpers by him, including one in which he claims to be one of the Traveling Wilburys, complimenting the Wilburys bumper done by George Harrison. A fine legacy collection, and if you're willing to pay collector money you can get a copy from places like Discogs and eBay. (Warners did another one called Yulesville in 1987, but I've yet to track down a copy of that.)