It's Christmas Time Again, Part 7

Christmas may indeed be over but we're only about half-way through the tracklist of my latest CD, "It's Christmas Time Again." Here are some observations on a few more tracks.

Track 23
Spending Christmas with the Blues, by Floyd Miles and Gregg Allman (1996)

Gregg Allman's life was rarely easy. Born in Nashville to a family of modest means, his father was shot and killed by a hitchhiker when Gregg was only two years old. His mother eventually put Gregg and his older brother, Duane, in a military academy in order to attend college and become a CPA. Gregg interpreted his mother's decision as a sign that she didn't love him, and he found the school to be incredibly difficult and unpleasant. Fortunately, Duane watched out for him and the two forged a tight bond that eventually expanded into a shared love of music. They founded the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, but just two years later, as they first began to experience real success, Duane was killed in a motorcycle accident. Raised in these circumstances, it's easy to imagine how Gregg developed an affinity for the blues.

Music is my life's blood. I love music, I love to play good music, and I love to play music for people who appreciate it. And when it's all said and done, I'll go to my grave and my brother will greet me, saying, "Nice work, little brother—you did all right." I must have said this a million times, but if I died today, I have had me a blast.

Track 22
What Lucy Really Wants for Christmas, by the Cast of Peanuts (1965)
If you grew up in the '60s, chances are you spent at least several nights in front of your TV each year during the lead-up to Christmas watching a litany of hard-to-forget holiday cartoon specials -- broadcasts that were as much a part of the Christmas holiday season as your Christmas stocking and the family advent calendar. You know the ones I'm talking about here -- they were on every year, you never missed a one of them, and they each featured a song or two that you can still sing today as easily as "Silent Night" or "Joy to the World." There was "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964), "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (1966),  "The Little Drummer Boy" (1968), "Frosty the Snowman" (1969), and perhaps the most beloved of them all, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965). That's the broadcast this very short clip was taken from, and it remains a great favorite of mine to this day.

If you don't already own your own copy of this holiday classic, I recommend that you buy the 50th Anniversary Deluxe edition from amazon.com today, It's now available for less than ten bucks and it includes a feature titled "A Christmas Miracle: The Making of a Charlie Brown Christmas," which I found to be entertaining and chock full of interesting details.

Buy the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition from amazon.com

See TIME Magazine's list of the 10 Greatest Christmas TV Specials from Your Childhood 

Track 21
I've Got Some Presents for Santa, by Sarah Taylor and Bill Mumy (1994)

Bill Mumy (fifth from left) and the cast of Lost in Space (1966).

You know, I think it's true when they say that once you start to lower your standards it becomes easier and easier to continue in that same downward direction. Once I decided to let some adult content sneak through the back door in the form of the Drive-By Truckers' "Mrs. Claus's Kimono" it didn't seem like such a big deal to look the other way when this sexy little number climbed in through a basement window. At first listen, it's a pretty little tune about a young woman's hospitality as she offers a brief respite to Santa during his big package delivery runs every December. But upon closer inspection of the lyrics, the truth emerges. The plain truth is that while the tune may be pleasing, the lyrics are downright nasty! The only package this woman cares about is the one Santa carries back with him to the North Pole each year -- you know, the one most of us thought only Mrs. Claus was familiar with.

I couldn't resist including this song in the mix -- not so much because of the naughty element, although that was surely a factor -- but rather because the song was written and performed by Sarah Taylor and Bill Mumy. If Mumy's name sounds familiar to you I'm not surprised. He was the star of one of my favorite TV shows growing up -- the '60s classic "Lost in Space," on which he played the pre-teen astronaut Will Robinson. He also played young Anthony Fremont in "It's a Good Life," one of the most memorable episodes of another cult classic, "The Twilight Zone." But in recent years, Mumy's been more of a musician than an actor, and once the kids are in bed, this isn't such a bad little song to stick on the Victrola. Give it a listen HERE.

Watch Bill Mumy discuss the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life"

Listen to Bill Mumy Discuss His "Lost in Space" Castmates


Track 20
Hasmonean (A Hamilton Hanukkah), by The Maccabeats (2016)

The Maccabeats have done it again! Several years ago, this Orthodox Jewish a cappella group hit it big with the Hanukkah-themed "Candlelight," which was a take-off on the the Taio Cruz smash hit "Dynamite." This year, they've turned the score of the biggest Broadway show in years into yet another catchy celebration of December's most popular eight-night holiday. As with "Candlelight," "Hasmonean" is more than merely entertaining. There's a solid history lesson here, too – along with a heavy dose of the kind of special energy that's made Lynn Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" such a runaway success.



We'll be back with additional commentary sometime soon.

Pentatonix Goes Viral with Beautiful A Cappella Version of "Little Drummer Boy"

I've never been a big fan of a cappella music myself – largely, I think, because of its perceived association with the uberprivileged undergraduates of certain elitist colleges and prep schools. That's nonsense, of course. Sure, the Yale Whiffenpoofs typically include a trust fund kid or two, but today's a cappella community includes people of many different backgrounds and cultures, and they're playing to increasingly large and diverse audiences around the world. One of the leading groups in this new wave of instrument-free music is the Los Angeles-based quintet Pentatonix. The group is comprised of lead vocalists Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, and Mitch Grassi, who attended high school together in Arlington, Texas; vocal bass Avi Kaplan, and beatboxer Kevin “K.O.” Olusola. The group was formed to compete in NBC's The Sing-Off, and after winning the third season of that program they've gone on to a very successful recording and performing career. Their latest video, an a cappella version of "The Little Drummer Boy," was released yesterday and is now going viral, with nearly 2 million YouTube views in its first day of release. This has always been one of my favorite holiday songs, and while I'm still more jazzed by today's release of the new Bruce Springsteen single, this a cappella stuff is beginning to grow on me:

New Christmas Releases for 2013, Part Two

Yesterday's post offered information about some of the most popular new holiday albums released so far in 2013. Here's the rest of the list:

Christmas Songs, Bad Religion
There aren’t many active bands left out there from the early days of punk, which is one of the reasons Bad Religion deserves mention. Founded in 1979, this Los Angeles band frequently includes holiday songs in their sets, and they recently released their first holiday album, Christmas Songs. Those are two more reasons. The band’s lead singer, Gregg Graffin, has had a thing for Christmas music since he first joined his church choir, and he and the rest of his band do a solid job on this short (less than 20 minutes, total) collection of holiday classics. Bad Religion’s always been on the more mainstream side of punk, and this album doesn't try to change any of that. But if you like your holiday fare delivered with a slightly jagged edge, give this album a spin on the streaming player below. (Incidentally, if you're a fan of punk rock and holiday music, be sure to check out Rotten Christmas, a terrific Punk Rock Christmas Blog by Nice Guy Eddie. I've added it to my list of links on the right-hand side of this page.)



Christmas with Judy Collins, Judy Collins
Originally trained as a classical pianist, Judy Collins changed her musical direction in the early 1960s after being introduced to the music of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and, through them, the growing folk music scene. Known for her interpretations of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns," she's written, recorded and performed music of many different styles, including four Christmas albums. This is the fifth. Released on October 22, Christmas with Judy Collins is essentially a repackaging of her 2000 CD All on a Wintry Night, with the addition of the song "Angels In The Snow" and a different version of "Amazing Grace."  Send in the Claus.

Snow Globe, Erasure
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, the two principals of the British synthpop duo Erasure, have apparently been wanting to do a Christmas album for years, but, according to Clarke, they resisted the temptation until they could be sure they were able to offer something new and unique. "Everything about Christmas has been written already," Clarke explained. Their first holiday album Snow Globe was released this week, and it doesn't take long to figure out the unusual angle the pair came up with: horror, loneliness and despair. "We thought it would be more interesting to look into the darker side of the season," says Clarke. "For a lot of people, Christmas is not a happy time." Neither, for that matter, is an album with tracks titled "Bleak Midwinter," "Blood on the Snow," and "There'll Be No Tomorrow" – or one promoted with a sinister looking video that takes place in what appears to be a cross between a delapidated monastary and Dracula's castle. Check out the video for "Gaudete," the album's  first single:



When asked about their inspiration for Snow Globe, Clarke told The Hollywood Reporter it was "[t]his idea of someone singing it in the subway [who is] homeless, old and sad."

And a Ho! Ho! Ho! to you guys, too!

Of course, first impressions can be deceiving. Indeed, on further listen, there is considerable beauty on Snow Globe – and a measured amount of holiday cheer as well. If Clarke and Bell wanted to make something different, I'd say they've rung that bell.

Fans of the band will want to check the Erasure Information Service website starting December 1, to access Erasure's holiday advent calendar, which will offer downloads and other specials each day through December 25. More information about the new album is also available in Billboard magazine.

Winter Loversland, Tamar Braxton
Another artist releasing her first holiday record this year is singer and reality television personality Tamar Braxton, the youngest sister of R&B icon Toni Braxton. Although less than 30 minutes long, Winter Loversland features ten tracks, including Braxton's take on such classics as "Silent Night," "Santa Baby," and "Merry Christmas, Darling." It also includes "She Can Have You," an original tune co-written by Braxton that several reviewers say sounds more like a standard break-up song than a genuine Christmas tune. But Braxton disagrees, noting that the song "is about being alone on Christmas and this is a personal experience for me." Singersroom quotes Braxton as saying: "I was the girl who was alone and upset on Christmas because I'm by myself. Every person goes through (it) one time or another in their life. It just seemed like I kept meeting the same man with a different face ... seriously. I'm not male bashing. That's just my experience." Quick! Somebody get this woman a new sprig of mistletoe!


Under the Influence:  Holiday Edition, Straight No Chaser
If you're a fan of a cappella music, you've no doubt heard of Straight No Chaser, the professional a cappella group that got its start in the mid-1990s on the campus of Indiana University. They've previously released two holiday albums, Holiday Spirits (2008) and Christmas Cheers (2009). In 2010, they released a box set called All I Want for Christmas, which included those two albums plus a DVD of a recent concert performance. This year, however, things got slightly confusing. In May, the group released an album of non-Christmas material called Under the Influence, This was followed in late October by Under the Influence: Holiday Edition, an EP that contains eight holiday tunes and appears to have nothing in cxommon with the May release. There's also Under the Influence:  Fan Edition, which includes the contents of the May album plus eight non-Christmas bonus tracks; and Under the Influence: Ultimate Edition, which includes everything on the Fan Edition plus the eight holiday tunes from the Holiday Edition. (I miss the good old days when records were an impulse purchase and didn't require detailed instructions!) Still, the Holiday Edition, while short in duration, is long on spirit. CeeLo Green lends his voice to "White Christmas"; Otis Redding returns to lend his voice on "Merry Christmas, Baby"; and Sir Paul McCartney guests on a new version of "Wonderful Christmastime" that's actually slightly less abominable than the original. (WARNING:  There's at least one version out there that's worse than the original. Naturally, I've included it on my 2013 holiday mix, which will be posted on my website next Thursday.)


Musical Gifts, Joshua Bell and Friends
With his latest album Musical Gifts, renowned violinist Joshua Bell returns to a concept he introduced on his 2009 album At Home with Friends – and it works even better here. Bell imagines himself at home for the holidays and opening his hearth to a succession of talented friends, each of whom adds a unique musical gift to the mix. The result is a collection of bold new takes on a vibrant mix of holiday favorites, featuring a guest list that includes Gloria Estefan, Alison Krauss, Kristin Chenoweth, trumpeter Chris Botti, jazz greats Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis, opera stars Plácido Domingo and Renée Fleming, Michael Feinstein and the aforementioned a cappella group Straight No Chaser. Here's a clip of the track "O Holy Night," featuring Kristin Chenoweth:




I'm reasonably sure this list of new releases is incomplete, but hopefully it provides some small sense of the diverse mix of holiday music being recorded and released in 2013. If I've missed anything you think should be added, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Four Tunes for the Last Night of Hanukkah

Tonight marks the final evening of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean Revolt in the Second Century BC. In honor of the holiday and all who observe it, this post features several Hanukkah-related songs for your listening (and viewing) pleasure. The first is "Miracle," the latest holiday song from Yeshiva University's all-male a cappella group, the Maccabeats. Their song "Candlelight," which was featured as Track 17 on my latest holiday CD, tells the story of the Maccabees, who were instrumental in the events that Hanukkah celebrates. I posted a little background on that issue on December 12 (see HERE). From the feedback I've received to date, "Candlelight" appears to be the most popular song on this year's CD! I think "Miracle" is equally terrific:



The next song is by Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart from last year's Grammy-winning A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!

Next, here's a clip of Adam Sandler singing his popular "Hanukkah Song":

And finally, while one doesn't necessarily identify comedian Sandra Bernhard with movingly beautiful religious-based pleas for peace, she wrote and performed one such song, "Miracle of Lights," which I featured on my 2008 CD, Home for the Holidays.  You can hear that song HERE. 

Best wishes to all who celebrate the Festival of Lights, and to all who value, pray and work for peace.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 5

I've been sharing some background and thoughts over the past several days about the individual tracks on my latest holiday CD, Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), which is available now for download from my principal website. Time now for some thoughts on Tracks 17 through 20:

Rev. Horton Heat

Track 20

What Child Is This? by the Rev. Horton Heat (2005)

This is the first appearance of this song on any of my holiday CDs, which is a little surprising to me as it’s always been one of my very favorite holiday tunes. I guess I’ve always been partial to songs that are written in minor keys. There are some interesting stories behind both the music and lyrics of this song, and still more to report about Reverend Heat and his unique interpretation. Of course, I can only scratch the surface here. The carol is credited to the English writer William Chatterton Dix. At the age of 29, Dix suffered a near-fatal illness that left him confined to bed for many months. This brought on a severe depression, which condition apparently spurred Dix to write several notable compositions, including this one. There are numerous different versions of the lyrics, and even two different versions of the title (“What Child Is This?” vs. “Whose Child ...?”) According to the Lutheran Service Book's version, the lyrics not only celebrate the birth of Christ but ultimately go on to preview the manner of his death in rather explicit language:

What child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary’s lap is sleeping,

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The babe, the son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christian, fear: for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce him through,

The Cross be borne for me, for you;

Hail, hail the Word Made Flesh,The babe, the son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;

Come, peasant, king, to own Him!

The King of Kings salvation brings;

Let loving hearts enthrone Him!

Raise, raise the song on high!

The virgin sings her lullaby

Joy! joy! for Christ is born,

The babe, the son of Mary!

I was taken aback upon reading these lyrics for the first time several months ago. My church used a different set of lyrics that replaced the second half of the second and third verses with the second half of the first. The result sounds slightly repetitive, I suppose, but I like it better myself. Of course, we all know what fate had in store for Jesus, but I'm not so sure we need to make such a full disclosure while celebrating the day of his birth. 

The Ranger (Robert Bray) and Lassie

The lyrics are sung to the tune of a traditional English folk ballad titled “Greensleeves.” It’s a hauntingly beautiful piece of music. I remember it best as the theme for the television program, Lassie. I adored that show as a child, and even named our first cat "Timmy" after the young farm boy who owned Lassie on TV. At one point in the show, Lassie left the farm Timmy’s family owned to travel the West with an itinerant forest ranger. The intention, I’m sure, was to provide new plot ideas, but it took me awhile to get used to the change. Once I did, naturally, the producers killed off the ranger in a massive forest fire too big for even Lassie to control. I’m pretty sure that the haunting melody of Greensleeves was playing in the background as the flames consumed the forest. I was pretty upset after watching that episode, and I can still remember my parents trying to explain to me that death was simply another part of life, and that what had happened was only a story, in any case. I didn’t like their explanation then, and I don’t care much for it now.

You want to know more about Rev. Horton Heat? You're welcome to check out his website HERE. His version of this song is less melancholy and maybe a bit darker than most, which is kind of refreshing during certain moments of this festive season.  I'm neither a fine diner nor a wine drinker, but I guess it's like a spoonful of sorbet between courses to cleanse the palate.

Track 19

Alka Seltzer for the Holidays, TV Commercial (1979)

For the makers of Alka Seltzer, the coming of each new holiday season provides cause for celebration. This is, after all, an exceptionally busy time of year, and one in which eating and drinking -- even to excess -- is considered more acceptable than usual, even something to be expected. While the occasional night of holiday overindulgence is rarely cause for alarm, this time of year can be particularly difficult for those who suffer from alcoholism, chemical dependency or certain types of mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and illness more than doubles during the holidays, not to mention the anguish of the millions of people each year whose holiday plans, marriages and relationships are ruined due to excessive drinking and drug use. If you or someone you love is affected by alcohol- or drug-related problems this year, help is available. Contact your local Public Health Department or Alcoholics Anonymous. For further tips on healthier living during the holidays, visit the special web page created by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). They've even created their own holiday song for the occasion, which is available HERE.  Incidentally, the part of Santa Claus in the Alka Seltzer commercial is played by none other than Sammy Davis, Jr.!

Track 18

Dean Martin's Christmas in California, NBC-TV Promo (1977)

During my interminable adolescence -- indeed, for some years afterward -- the annual Dean Martin holiday television special was as much a part of Christmas as the three wise men and Rudolph (although from what I recall, Dino was supposed to have had more in common with the latter). The premise of the shows might change from year to year, but whether it was Dean Martin’s Christmas Special, Dean Martin’s California Christmas or Dean Martin’s Christmas at Sea World, they all came with lots of print ads, radio spots and television promos. The clip featured on this year's CD promotes Dean Martin's Christmas in California, an NBC-TV "BIG EVENT" that was filmed "[a]gainst a lovely Hidden Valley setting" and aired in 1977. Growing up in New England, of course, I was fascinated by the notion of Christmas in California. I could barely imagine what it would be like to spend the holidays riding horses in one's shirtsleeves. It was 21 years later before I spent my own first Christmas in California, and I was thrilled to be able to call home to report that I had spent a good part of the afternoon playing miniature golf! Anyway, Dino's guests, while better known than my golfing partners, were no better than B- or C-list celebrities. I was never too keen on Jonathan Winters or Crystal Gayle myself, but Linda Lavin was OK, I guess. I’d never heard of Mireille Mathieu before stumbling on this promo, but I understand she was touted by the French press for awhile as the successor to Edith Piaf, who was, of course, formidable. (A little Christmas trivia: Dean Martin died on Christmas morning of 1995 at the age of 78. Although his public image suggested he was a heavy drinker and probably alcoholic, that was apparently only a comedic affectation. In reality, Martin was reportedly a moderate social drinker.)

Track 17

Candlelight, by the Maccabeats (2010)

The Maccabeats

Founded in 2007, the Maccabeats are an all-male a cappella group from New York’s Yeshiva University. Their song “Candlelight,” which I include on my 2011 mix, was a big hit on the internet during the 2010 holiday season. (That’s me, a dollar short and a year behind!) It’s apparently based on Mike Tompkins' a cappella version of the Taio Cruz smash "Dynamite," which was named Billboard magazine’s top Hot 100 Pop Song of 2011. The Maccabeats’ version tells the story of the Maccabees, a Jewish rebel army whose successful struggle against the oppressive Hellenic regime that ruled Judea approximately 150 years BC led to the founding of the Hasmonean dynasty. This was an important event for the Jewish faith, as it effectively reversed the trend toward assimilation that had begun under Hellenic rule and allowed the faithful to resume the open practice of Jewish rituals and tradition. “Candlelight,” like the song on which it was based, has the kind of infectious beat that sticks in your head after a single listen. If all of history could be taught this way, we’d sure have a few more historians walking around.

That’s it for now.  Stay tuned for another set of comments, hopefully tomorrow.