What do the soundtracks to Kiss Me Deadly, The Longest Yard, The Dirty Dozen, Pillow Talk and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, the theme songs to the TV shows My Three Sons, The Brady Bunch and Family Affair, and the arrangement to Nat King Cole s Nature Boy have in common? They were all composed and/or arranged by Frank DeVol, one of the most prolific and successful behind-the-scenes maestros in the history of the music industry. Save for the occasional acting gig (most notably as fictional bandleader Happy Kyne on Fernwood 2-Night), rarely did DeVol step out from the studio to take his rightful place in the spotlight. In fact, the only charting album released under his own name is this one, The Old Sweet Songs of Christmas, which came out in 1960 and quickly became a favorite of Christmas music lovers everywhere as one of the truly great holiday-themed orchestral records ever made. It s unique in its simplicity there are no brass or woodwinds here, just string punctuated by occasional percussion or piano, and the fact that every song is a medley allows DeVol and his orchestra to cover a remarkable amount of Christmas repertoire. Gorgeously remastered by Maria Triana at Battery Studios in New York, and featuring liner notes by Chip Arcuri, webmaster at The Yule Log.com, the reissue of The Old Sweet Songs of Christmas courtesy of the Christmas elves at Real Gone Music is a long-awaited gift for holiday music lovers everywhere.