Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 12

Here are a few quick thoughts on the two remaining tracks from my 2011 holiday CD:

Track 43

Christmas Must Be Tonight, by The Band (1977)

Robbie Robertson

Many years ago, my elementary school band teacher, Mr. Whittaker, gave our class some wise advice about performing for an audience. The two most important parts of any performance, he said, were the beginning and the end. Start strong and you grab the audience’s attention. Finish strong, and that’s the memory they’ll take away. I think of Mr. Whittaker when I start to assemble each of my new holiday CDs, and I pay particular attention to creating coherent sets of tracks at the beginning and end that set the appropriate tones. I tend to end each CD with a couple of quieter songs with deeper meanings, for as much fun as Christmas undoubtedly is, there are serious principles to reflect on as well. For the final song on this year’s CD, I selected “Christmas Must Be Tonight,” by the venerated group known simply as The Band. Written by the great Robbie Robertson, this song was originally recorded in 1975 for The Band’s Northern Lights, Southern Cross album; in fact, there were plans to release it that year as a holiday single. However, the track was pulled at the last minute, and was ultimately featured on the group’s final studio album, Islands, which was released in 1977, after The Band had formally dissolved. Robertson wrote the song shortly after the birth of his son, Sebastian, and one can sense his reverence for the miracle of birth and the beginning of each new life. Some of the lyrics are lifted directly from the King James version of the Bible, but Robertson recounts the story from a populist perspective, and while he pays due deference to the magnitude of this event, one gets the sense that he might paint a similar picture were he to write about the birth of your son or daughter. In this version of the song, the lead vocal is handled by Rick Danko rather than Robertson, although Robertson subsequently recorded two additional versions of the song as a solo artist, one of which appears on the soundtrack to the 1988 movie Scrooged (see HERE). I’m a huge fan of Robertson’s, but I prefer Rick Danko’s version myself – not only over Robertson’s, but also the dozen or so others who have covered the song, including Darlene Love. For me, this song is nothing less than a modern day Christmas classic, and it’s one of the few songs from the past 50 years that’s worthy to stand next to "Silent Night," "Joy to the World" and the like as legitimate carols. It tells this most miraculous story in simple yet beautiful terms, and it never fails to move me.

Track 42

The La La Christmas Song, by Sherwin Sleeves (2008)

Sean Hurley (or is it Sleeves?)

This song was written and performed by Sherwin Sleeves, an older fellow in his mid- to late 70s, I'd guess, who lives in a small cabin on top of Marked Mountain, in Lemon, New Hampshire. Sleeves writes songs for fun, and he does a great deal of walking. Due to his lack of technological sophistication, he relies on a neighbor named Sean Hurley to record his songs and serve as his public spokesman. As near as I can tell from Sean’s reports, Sleeves wrote this song in 2008 with the idea of submitting it to a radio station’s holiday songwriting contest. It's not clear whether he won or not, but from the feedback on the station’s website, it sure looks like this was the popular favorite. The song itself is filled with beautiful imagery, and there’s something very poignant in the notion of an older man respectfully observing his town’s pre-Christmas activities from afar, with love. 

Sleeve and Sean Hurley share a little community of websites, and you might begin your exploration of them HERE, should you be so inclined.

UPDATE (3.25.14): I recently stumbled on a piece featured on New Hampshire Public Radio that tells the fascinating story behind this wonderful song. Check it out!

Thus ends this lengthy exercise, and just in time to celebrate Christmas Eve tomorrow. More later. Anything is possible, if you’re good.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 11

There are 43 tracks on my latest holiday compilation, Gee Whiz … It’s Christmas (Again!) and for the past couple of weeks I’ve been posting some additional bits and pieces of information about each of them, in turn. With just four tracks left to go, it’s time to share a few thoughts on Tracks 40 and 41. Both are by Clarence “Big Man” Clemons, who, until his death this past June at the age of 69, played saxophone in Bruce Springsteen’s fabled E Street Band. He was a gifted sax player, and his stirring solos on songs such as “Jungleland,” “Badlands,” and “Born to Run” helped create the E Street Band’s signature sound. But that was just one piece of the Big Man’s multifaceted role on E Street. He was also Bruce’s comic foil, protector and running mate. His room was where the party was. He had your back. And for nearly 40 years, he was a vital piece of the aspirational tableau Bruce has sought to create from the stage and through his music. Much has been written about Clarence’s unique contributions to the Springsteen mystique, both real and symbolic. I only met him once, and then only briefly, but Clarence’s death left me with a keen sense of personal loss. I’ve been a diehard Springsteen fan from the first night I saw him and the E Street Band at Boston’s Music Hall. In the many, many years that followed, I’ve probably seen them another 30 or 35 times, and each and every show was a thrilling, unique and life-affirming experience. Bruce recently announced that he’ll be touring again with the E Street Band in 2012, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But it won’t be the same without the Big Man.

Track 41
The Christmas Song, by Clarence Clemons (1981)
Thirty years ago this Fall, Clarence entered the studio to record a couple of holiday tunes at the urging of producers Dennis Bourke and Jim Nuzzo. The first was an original tune of Bourke’s called “There’s Still Christmas,” and the second was an instrumental version of "The Christmas Song," which I selected for this year's CD. Originally intended for release as a holiday single in 1981, the two songs were not completed in time and subsequently shelved and forgotten – until this year. News of Clarence’s passing led Bourke and Nuzzo to dust off the old recordings, and they were marketed along with a slightly longer version of “The Christmas Song” as “a Clarence Clemons album.” Of course, three songs hardly constitute an album, especially when two of them are nearly identical versions of the same number. Nonetheless, I was excited by the prospect of hearing the Big Man performing something “new” for Christmas. Unfortunately, the resulting record fell short of my expectations. Clarence’s vocals on “There’s Still Christmas” are strong and emotive, but the production is flat and uninspired and the song itself strikes me as derivative and trite. Happily, the second number, Clarence’s instrumental version of “The Christmas Song,” works better.  Of course, it helps to have good material. Written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells in July 1944 as a distraction from the heat, “The Christmas Song” is the most frequently performed holiday song of all time, according to BMI. While it’s been covered by a wide range of artists, it’s most closely identified with the great Nat King Cole, who recorded four separate versions of it from 1946 to 1961. Listening to this version, the song almost seems to have been tailor-made for the Big Man, whose saxophone seems to echo the beautiful voice we’ve grown so used to hearing whenever this song begins. 

Track 40
The Big Man’s First Saxophone, by Clarence Clemons (2010)

Clarence liked to tell the story of how he happened to take up the saxophone, partly, I’m sure, because it illustrates that there’s good to be found even in disappointing events. It seems that when Clarence was nine, he asked for a train set for Christmas, and he was told that if he was good, his wish would come true. Naturally, he was good as gold (or so he reported), and on Christmas morning he raced downstairs to open the package that was addressed to him. Upon opening the box, however, he became confused and disappointed. The train set had no wheels. That’s because it wasn’t a train at all, but rather ... his first saxophone. Naturally, he came to love that gift, and the rest, as they say, is history. I'd heard this story several times over the years, and I was thrilled this Fall to discover a video in which the Big Man recounted it just last December in an appearance with his friend Narada Michael Walden. There was just one problem. In this version of the story, Clarence got his facts wrong! He spoke of running to the tree believing there was "a saxophone" in the box (when he actually thought it was a train) and wondering "why the saxophone didn't have any wheels." I admit I did some selective editing on this clip before I included it in this year's compilation as Track 40. With the descriptive title I added, I think it works. What I couldn't edit out, of course, is the sadness that comes from hearing him speak of a 70th birthday that would never arrive. Not among us, anyway. Rest in peace, Big Man.

Here's the full clip of Clarence last December:

And here's one of Bruce's thousands of introductions for "the biggest man you'll ever know," Clarence Clemons (WARNING: It doesn't happen often, but Bruce uses the "F" word in this short clip):



And, finally, a beautiful farewell video by director Nick Mead. Don't miss the ending:

 


Just two more tracks to go. Have you finished your holiday shopping?

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 10

Well, we’re now in the home stretch of our review of the 43 tracks on my latest holiday CD, Gee Whiz … It’s Christmas (Again!). As a quick reminder, this year’s CD is available for download on my holiday music website, HERE, though December 25. You can download the CD either as a single .mp3 file or as a zip folder with all 43 individual tracks. My first project on this new blog has been to share some thoughts about the various tracks in the mix, and we continue today with Tracks 38 and 39.

Track 39

I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus, by Amy Winehouse (2010)

On several of my most recent holiday CDs, I’ve tried to include a couple of numbers by famous entertainers who died during the preceding 12 months as a tribute to their work. Sadly, we’ve lost more than a few notable people in 2011, and of them, this year’s CD honors Amy Winehouse, Andy Rooney and Clarence Clemons. Winehouse was an exceptionally talented British singer with a remarkable range of styles and musical interests. Her first album, Frank, won very favorable reviews after its 2003 release, but it was her sophomore release, Back to Black, that elevated Winehouse to music’s A List. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, she took away a record five Grammy statues, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Unfortunately, Winehouse struggled with a variety of personal issues, including substance abuse, relationship troubles and mental health issues, and she was known as much for her troubled lifestyle as for her musical talent. Although she never had the chance to record a holiday album, her version of “I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus,” taken from a British television broadcast, gives us an idea of what one might have sounded like.

Track 38

Christmas Catalogs, by Andy Rooney (2008)

Writer Andy Rooney was best known for his trademark commentaries at the end of the CBS weekly show, 60 Minutes. Rooney joined the program in 1978 and retired this past September at the age of 92. He died just one month later. Rooney was something of a curmudgeon, but a lovable and popular one. I included an excerpt from a relatively recent Rooney commentary on this year’s CD. The subject is holiday catalogs, and it’s vintage Andy Rooney. The full commentary can be seen HERE. For another Rooney holiday piece, see HERE.

More tomorrow. And before we go, there's an important public service announcement waiting for you HERE.  (Thanks, Mondo Diablo).

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 9

Thanks for joining me today as I continue to offer inspired commentary on the 43 tracks from my latest holiday CD, Gee Whiz … It’s Christmas (Again!). We started this endless trek what seems like ages ago -- what? it's only been 10 days? Well, we've made a lot of progress anyway. After today, it'll be 37 down, 6 to go. With gratitude for your courage, I say let's press on!

Track 37

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 9), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments on Track 6

Track 36

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah, by The Yule Logs (2009)

I’ve always loved this song, and I especially like this version of it by “the hardest working band in snow business,” The Yule Logs, from Chico, California. This high-energy, power pop foursome features Marty Parker on vocals and percussion, Kirt Lind on bass, Jake Sprecher on drums and Maurice Spencer on guitar. These guys have been getting together to play select holiday shows for something like six or seven years, and for the past three years they've celebrated each season by releasing a new album of rockin' holiday tunes. How awesome is that? Each of the three includes a mix of classic and original songs, and, happily, Hanukkah songs are well represented, too. My Track 36 comes from their 2009 self-titled debut album, which was followed in 2010 with Walked with a Reindeer, and, finally – no, let’s not say that – ah, yes, most recently, this year’s new release, You Ruined Christmas. This is an awesome band that deserves our support, especially as they have to pack a whole year’s worth of action into the all-too-short holiday season each year. Check out their website, or consider buying their music on iTunes, CD Baby or amazon. Unfortunately, their last gig for this season is tonight at the Chico Women’s Club (see their website for details), but I trust they’ll be back next year.

Here's a clip of The Yule Logs doing Christmastime Is Here (Again!) from their self-titled debut album:

Track 35

Merry Christmas, Boston, WBCN-FM Boston (1983)

I’m not sure I fully appreciated it at the time, but we had an embarrassment of riches on the radio in Boston when I was growing up. No matter what you were into, there was always at least one great station playing lots of it. As a youngster, I’d listen to whatever station broadcast the Red Sox, which I’m pretty sure was WHDH in those days. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was listening to WEEI-AM, which was a talk radio station before talk radio became big. I loved anything that had to do with politics. (Yeah, I was a nerdy little kid.) By age 13, I’d discovered rock music, and I listened to WBZ-FM every day after school and followed their Top 40 countdowns religiously. But from the time I started college until I left Boston for L.A., my station was WBCN-FM, the “Rock of Boston.” WBCN was one of the first free-form progressive rock stations in the country, which meant that the individual DJs enjoyed relatively wide discretion in deciding what to play. They were especially well known for playing stuff from struggling new and local bands, and the station is credited with helping to launch such groups as the Police, U2, Dire Staits, the J. Giels Band, and the Cars, among others. WBCN's on-air talent included such notable figures as Charles Laquidara, Ken Shelton and Carter Allen, while the gifted Billy West and Tom Sandman created a seemingly endless supply of comedy bits and promos that served as a great complement to the music. “Merry Christmas, Boston” is a track that was played for at least seven or eight years during the holidays, and listening to it makes me a little homesick for those 10°F December days. Not homesick enough to relocate, mind you, but a little wistful anyway. Here it is:



As a special treat for any other former Bostonian BCN junkies out there, here are a few more Billy West/Tom Sandman creations to make you smile:

Christmas in Kenmore Square

WBCN “Rockin’ in Boston” Promo

Selected Kick-Off Songs for Ken Shelton’s Mighty Lunch Hour

Don’t Get a Hearing Aid, You’re in Lynn, MA

With just six tracks left and seven days ‘til Christmas, I figure I can finish my commentary at a pretty leisurely pace. Unless anyone objects, I’m planning to throw in a few other holiday treats over the next week or so. It just doesn’t feel right to slack off too much while Santa and his team are kicking into highest gear.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 8

Where are we and what are we doing here? Oh, yes … I’ve been sharing some thoughts about the tracks on my latest holiday CD, Gee Whiz … It’s Christmas (Again!), starting with Track 1 and continuing through all 43 tracks. Well, let’s press on!

Track 34

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Korean)

I’m not the world’s most organized person, and while I hardly ever lose anything, I do misplace things occasionally. Moreover, I don’t always document everything as well as I should when I’m in a hurry. This was never much of a problem when I was younger because I had a good memory for details. Nowadays, however, with my memory overflowing, I find I need to document things in real time or run the risk of forgetting certain details. For example, sometime during the past several years I downloaded an album of Christmas songs performed in Korean, one of which is the song that appears as Track 34 on my latest CD. It's one of the songs on the album that's pictured above, but, unfortunately, I don’t read Korean and I didn’t keep notes on where this album came from, so I can’t tell you anything more about it. If anyone can help shed some light on this, I'd be grateful!

Track 33

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 8), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments to Track 6.

Track 32

U.S. Savings Bond Promotion, by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (c. 1955)

Several years ago, while on vacation with my brother and his family, I played an excerpt from an old episode of I Love Lucy for my young niece, a terrific girl who had celebrated her eighth birthday a few months earlier. Like most children today, she’s used to fast-moving video games and sophisticated high-tech entertainment, but to my delight she immediately fell in love with Lucy, Ricky and their neighbors, the Mertzes. Few shows enjoy this sort of cross-generational appeal and none have survived so well as I Love Lucy. After hearing the pitch on this short promotion, I came awfully close to buying some bonds myself. ("There's no better way to 'spress the spirit of Christmas!") If only we could be sure that our federal Treasury will have the same staying power as the Ricardos!

Track 31

Santa Claus Polka, by Bob Rule and the Rays (1960)

This odd little tune isn’t what it appears to be. For one thing, it’s not really performed by Bob Rule and the Rays. There is no such group. It isn’t really a polka tune, either. It’s just sluggish little number set to music for a fee as part of an assembly line operation tended, among others, by a fellow named Sammy Marshall. You see, Santa Claus Polka is a song-poem -- a uniquely American art form that’s been described as “about half a promise shy of a swindle.” The business of recording song poems was promoted by way of small ads in the back of largely low-brow magazines with headlines reading, “Send Us Your Poems, Earn Thousands of Dollars.” In response to their submissions, budding lyricists were typically sent enthusiastic offers to set their poems to music, but for a fee. Promises to promote the resulting recordings were rarely kept, and the recordings themselves were typically thrown together by disinterested session players using stale melodies and half-baked arrangements. In recent years, however, the song poem genre has begun to attract serious attention as part of a growing appreciation for “outsider music,” material created in relative obscurity that often reflects a slice of popular culture that has been largely overlooked. I don’t know that this track merits such serious reconsideration, but it’s probably worth a quick listen around the holidays.

For more information about song poems in general, you might start with a visit to the American Song Poem Music Archive.

On a related note, I recently heard a story on the NPR series This American Life about a jazz musician named Ellery Eskelin, who never met his father, a giant in the song-poem business, but learned about him after his death primarily by listening to his work. Listen HERE.

More tomorrow, if I feel like it. If not, probably the next day.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 7

I've been sharing some thoughts about the various tracks on my most recent holiday CD Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), and we'll continue today with Tracks 26 through 30:

Track 30

Christmas Lost And Found (Part 7), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments to Track 6.

Track 29

Hardrock, Coco and Joe, by The Three Little Dwarfs (1955)

This is another tune that’s been on my consideration list for the past several CDs until, this year, it finally seemed to fit. One of these days I’ll write about how I put these compilations together, but for now I’ll simply say that the process is very fluid and unstructured and I often find myself replacing one of my favorite songs with one I don’t like as well because the second result felt better. Of course, there’s no single objective scale by which to measure the various tracks I review. They represent so many different categories. How does one compare this funny little number by the Three Dwarfs to the Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (Track No. 43 on this year’s CD) or “Christmas 1923” by Future Clouds and Radar (the penultimate track on last year’s CD, listen HERE)? “Hardrock, Coco and Joe” is the scratchy soundtrack to a dated cartoon that can inevitably brighten my mood because of how awful it is, whereas I’m incapable of listening to either of the other two without choking up completely. (Please don’t mention that to anyone, as it’s a little embarrassing.) Anyway, I’m glad the Three Little Dwarfs made it onto this year’s CD, and kudos to Santa for his inspired business decision regarding Joe. According to the song, both Hardrock and Coco have important job duties to perform each Christmas, whereas Joe's original duties are no longer relevant. “Though ol' Santa really has no use for Joe, he keeps him ‘cuz he loves him so.” Sounds like reason enough to me. (For more info on this song, see HERE. To watch the cartoon version and hear alternate versions by Gene Autry and others, see HERE.)  

Track 28

Christmas Lost And Found (Part 6), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments to Track 6.

Track 27

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Miss Gloria Parker (1980)

After a quick listen, most folks would probably say that this is a nice, upbeat version of a classic holiday song, which is correct, of course, as far as it goes. What isn’t immediately apparent, or wasn’t to me, anyway, is that it was played not with conventional musical instruments, but with a set of partially filled drinking glasses. It's available on A Toast to Christmas, an album recorded by former radio bandleader Miss Gloria Parker (the “Miss” is used at her insistence).  According to her website,

The versatile virtuoso performs on 28 glasses and fourteen well-loved carols come to life for listening, singing , dancing and giving much joy. This toast to Christmas demonstrates Miss Parker's amazing ability to produce ethereal flute like sounds on crystal glasses.

Miss Gloria Parker

Miss Parker and her “singing glasses” were featured in Woody Allen’s 1984 movie Broadway Danny Rose. She plays the glasses by rubbing their rims after arranging them with various amounts of water so that that each glass emotes a unique flute-like sound. She learned the technique from her grandfather, a Czech native, but this same sort of music has been performed in many lands and was apparently played in this country by none other than Benjamin Franklin.

Miss Parker’s repertoire is not limited to holiday entertainment. In her subtly titled album Corruption Reigns in the Courtroom, she takes on the American legal system, which she believes systematically benefits attorneys and judges at the expense of individual litigants.  As she explains on her website,

Yes, as a plaintiff, Pro Se, in several cases, seeking my rights that were stolen from me by those who had connections and who manipulate the laws, to serve their friends and compatriots. Unfortunately, the black robes that cover their sins on the bench, also gives one who wears it, Carte Blanche to play God. And yet, this is happening to many who go to court placing their trust in their lawyers, and the presiding judge, to seek a just solution to their case, and never to find it.

According to Miss Parker, she recorded this album and wrote the companion paperback to help others who have faced similar discouragement in court. 

I have been endowed with this musical talent and foresight as my vehicle, and after several of my law actions have been manipulated and also massacred at the hands of those addressed as "Your Honor", my songs and my lyrics and experiences, I hope, will help you all who have not had your day of justice, to know you are not alone.

Further information about Miss Parker, her albums and book are available on her website. In the spirit of the holidays, you can hear several more of her songs right now, if you wish, by clicking on one or more of the titles below:

Pro Se Si Si     Justice Has a Price     Toyland

Track 26

Who Is Santa Claus?, by The Santacroce Sisters (c. 1962)

This is another mysterious track about which I know practically nothing. I first heard it on Andy Cirzan’s 2006 holiday mix, and I think it’s been on my list for possible inclusion on one of my CDs for at least the past three years. I haven’t been able to find out anything about the Santacroce Sisters. There’s nothing about them on the internet, either in connection with this song or otherwise. But it's a cute little song, don’t you think?

Stay tuned for more, next time. 

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 6

I've been using the initial posts in this new blog to share a few quick thoughts about some of the tracks on my latest holiday mix CD, Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!). Let's continue ...

Track 25

Christmas at the Oasis, by Maria Muldaur (2010)

Maria Muldaur

I know Maria Muldaur for the two hit singles she had in the mid-‘70s: “I’m a Woman,” from her album Waitress in a Doughnut Shop; and “Midnight at the Oasis,” the Top 10 hit from her self-titled debut album.  Can you guess which of these serves as the inspiration for Track 25? Although Muldaur has never been able to match the commercial success of her first two solo albums, she’s been amazingly prolific these past 35 years, touring extensively and releasing more than 30 albums. This song is the title track from a wonderful album of holiday standards performed live in the unique jazz/blues style Muldaur has developed over years. I’m not sure how she fell of my radar screen, but she’s back on it now. You can find Christmas at the Oasis and dozens of Muldaur's other records at amazon.com, iTunes, or through her website.

Track 24

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 5), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments on Track 6

Track 23

Santa, by Lightnin’ Hopkins (1962)

Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins was the real deal, a genuine Texas country blues man whose musical career spanned an astonishing seven decades. His first break came early, when in 1920 at the age of 8 he met the legendary bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson at a local church picnic. Jefferson engaged Sam as his sighted guide, and soon thereafter began guiding the youngster on how the blues are played. Hopkins enjoyed a modest following during the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, but his greatest commercial success came relatively later when he was discovered by the growing folk and beat movements in the 1960s. This process began in October 1960 when Hopkins joined Joan Baez and Pete Seeger for a show at Carnegie Hall that included a rousing performance of "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep." Hopkins continued to record until shortly before his death, in 1982. "Santa" is just one of many Christmas tunes he recorded, and you can expect to hear more from him on future mixes.

Track 22

Will the Coffin Be Your Santa Claus?, by Rev. J.M. Gates (1927)

Rev. J.M. Gates

From 1914 until his death in 1945, the Rev. J. M. Gates served as pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Atlanta’s Rock Dale Park. He enjoyed a wide audience throughout most of that period, the majority of whom knew him only through his phonograph records, which number well into the hundreds. In fact, it’s been estimated that at least a quarter of all the recorded sermons released before 1941 were made by Rev. Gates. Two years ago, I featured one of Rev. Gates’s sermons on I Just Can’t Wait ‘til Christmas -- “Did You Spend Christmas Day in Jail?” This year’s selection is slightly more, ah, morbid. But the man has a point. Just to be safe, I’m not moving into any brand new bungalows on December 24!
 

Incidentally, Paul Simon samples liberally from Rev. Gates on the first single from his magnificent 2011 album So Beautiful or So What, called “Getting Ready for Christmas Day.”

Track 21

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 4), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments on Track 6

More tomorrow. Or the next day.

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.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 4

My 2011 holiday CD is titled Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), and my first posts on this new blog have featured some of my thoughts about the individual tracks that appear on it. I'm reviewing the 43 tracks from start to finish, however, the tracks will be presented in reverse order within each day's individual post. Today's post looks at Tracks 13 through 16:

Track 16

Christmas Prison, by Honky Tonk Confidential (2006)

Honky Tonk Confidential

Since its founding in 1997, the Washington, DC-based band Honky Tonk Confidential has released four albums and attracted lots of favorable media attention. Their music has been described as “retro/alternative country,” and they have at least an album's worth of holiday tunes among their original material. “Christmas Prison” can be found on the band's 2006 release, Who Gets the Fruitcake This Year? It paints a frightening picture of what bad girls and boys can expect if they don’t change their ways:

Little kids take my advice
Don’t be naughty please be nice
Else you’ll have to pay the price
Down in Christmas Prison

Locks and bars on all the doors
Cold grey stone upon the floors
All the elves wear .44s
Down in Christmas Prison

Down in Christmas Prison
Is where you’ll spend your Yule
If you think that being bad is good or hip or cool
Maximum security is the place you’re bound to be
Don’t believe me? Wait and see
Down in Christmas Prison

What your parents said is true
Everything you say and do
Warden Santa’s watching you
Down in Christmas Prison

He heard Little Betty cuss
He heard Charlotte make a fuss
Now they’re here with all of us
Down in Christmas Prison

Down in Christmas Prison
You’ll have no Christmas cheer
Bread and water stuffing
Is all you’ll get this year
And when at last they set you free
You’ll walk out and it will be
February already
Down in Christmas Prison

The band’s latest album is called Road Kill Stew and Other News and features CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer, who penned the lyrics to four tracks and sings on one, titled, appropriately enough, "TV Anchorman." This and other albums from Honky Tonk Confidential are available on their website or through amazon.com or iTunes.  

Track 15

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 3), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments on Track 6

Track 14
Christmas Is For Everyone, by The Neighborhood Kids

Christmas is for everyone
But more for some than others
Christmas is for those who love
Their fellow men as brothers
For those who hear the reindeer and whose tears flow freely when
The carolers sing peace on Earth
And goodwill among men

Using this standard, is Christmas for you?

Track 13

Christmas Arrives Early for First Family, Hearst News of the Day Newsreel (1961)

This track is an excerpt from a 1961 newsreel film produced for American theaters by the Hearst Corporation as part of its News of the Day series. I had no idea newsreels were still being made in the early 1960s, but it seems the Hearst films were actually produced until 1967.  As a longtime Kennedy partisan, I found this clip extremely poignant. Tragically, of course, the Kennedys spent only two Christmases in the White House, as President Kennedy was inaugurated in January 1961 and assassinated shortly before Thanksgiving in 1963.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 3

My 2011 holiday CD is titled Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), and my first posts on this new blog have featured some of my thoughts about the individual tracks that appear on this year's release. I'm reviewing the 43 tracks from start to finish, however, the tracks will be presented in reverse order within each day's individual post. Today's post looks at Tracks 8 through 12:

Track 12
Happy Christmas Time, by Linn, Linda & the Jordanaires (c. 1957)

This track was the "B side" of a rather sad holiday single called "Christmas Orphan" by an all-but-forgotten act who went by the name Linn and Linda. I haven't been able to find out much about them or this song. From the look of the disc label, this could have been a low-budget vanity release, except that Linn and Linda secured The Jordanaires to sing back-up for them. The Jordanaires were closely associated with Elvis Presley throughout most of his career, frequently touring with him and singing back-up on many of his biggest hits. That's a pretty high-powered back-up group for a vanity act. In any case, this is a sweet little tune that I like a lot. I'm especially keen on the lyrics about the holiday gifts received by members of the household:

Daddy got an electric razor,

That’s the fad these days,

Mommy got a hair kit,

Makes gray hair fade away.

Me I got a dolly,

My sister got the bed,

And we got some doll clothes,

And bonnets for our head . . .

And little Junior got his gun.

Christmas time is happy,

Excitement everywhere,

There’s fun for everybody,

So throw away your cares.

There’s so much to do now,

There’s so much to see,

Everybody’s playing, so merrily . . .

And Little Junior broke his gun.

Sounds like the perfect Christmas to me!

Track 11

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 2), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Track 6 comments.

Track 10

Christmas Is On Its Way, by Little Marcy Tigner (1973)

Little Marcy (left), with her creator

Gospel singer, trombonist, and fledgling ventriloquist Marcy Tigner couldn’t seem to find her niche in the entertainment world until the early 1970s, when her husband, Everett, overheard several record company executives discussing plans to recruit youngsters to record a new children’s record. After sharing this news with Marcy, Everett helped his bride cut a demo tape, which consisted of several Bible songs rendered in the style of a very little girl. Well, Marcy not only got the gig, but she also got herself an imaginary friend in the form of her new alter ego, Little Marcy. Tigner and Little Marcy were prolific during the 1970s, releasing more than 30 children’s records, nearly all of which focused on Christian themes. In fact, the act became so popular that a Little Marcy doll was mass produced and marketed along with the records and, eventually, videocassettes. This song is the title track from one of Little Marcy's 1973 albums, and, in case you're wondering, it doesn't fall under the category of Mark's Genuine Favorites. Quite the opposite. I’ve always thought that including some truly awful material on my annual CDs makes them more entertaining and memorable. My first several CDs were almost entirely made up of stuff like this. In time, I’d like to think I managed to strike a more appropriate balance between good and awful. Retaining a sizable sample of kitschy numbers not only makes you laugh, but it helps make everything else sound that much better, don’t you think? 

Track 9

Christmas Seals Promotion, by Ricardo Montalbán (1965)

For more than 100 years, the American Lung Association has depended on the annual Christmas Seals campaign for a major portion of its funding. Colorful stamps are typically sent free of charge to households across the country every Fall in order to raise awareness of lung-related diseases and solicit contributions. The late Ricardo Montalbán recorded this promotional message in 1965.

Track 8
Another Xmas Day Can Only Disappoint U, by Payroll (2006)
This track’s a mystery to me in that I can’t tell you much of anything about the band that performed it, what its lyrics mean, or the context in which it was created. I found this song several years ago on a compilation record called A Very Booty Christmas. Although the title sounds rather cynical and depressing, the tune is upbeat and pleasant, and it struck me as a good track to follow Wish List. I’ve searched the internet for more information about Payroll, but about all I found was a listing in the All Music database that they released an EP in 1999 on the Anvil Records label. Anvil seems to be almost as mysterious as Payroll, although I did discover a My Space page that suggests the label has six bands on its roster and is run by a fellow named Colin Bartram, who is based in Moltonborough, New Hampshire. I went to summer camp near Moltonborough for several years, and I can tell you it's not exactly the musical capital of the Northeast. In any case, I like this song a lot. If you know anything more about it than I do, I’d love to hear from you.

Watch for thoughts on the remaining tracks from this year's CD in the coming days. Meanwhile, I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!