Sometime around the late 1970's I began a bit of quest to find 'different' Christmas Music.
This is my memory of the times. Maybe it's accurate and maybe not. In the 60's when I was a child on Christmas Day on the radio there were only traditional Christmas music in either a religious theme/carols - or what we called 'pop' music then. Artists like Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and the like. There might be some lighthearted things for children like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.
I remember few 'rock and roll' Christmas songs on the radio growing up. Basically Brenda Lee Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock. The one added in the 60's was The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy Christmas.
Even into the 70's there weren't a lot of new Christmas releases. The Eagles did cover Please Come Home for Christmas. Being huge Beatles fans we knew about John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over) but no radio station actually played it. Elvis had just died so there was Blue Christmas. Record outlets and general Department Stores would get in their shipment of Christmas records around mid November. It often seemed like they were the same boxes of stuff they'd had in previous years. But if you checked some of the outlets you might find something vaguely interesting.
Even the things we think of as overplayed now just weren't played much then. The Phil Specter Christmas Album was not readily available. Even the Beach Boys Christmas Album was not anywhere to be found.
My ISU roommate told me about an Elton John Christmas single I'd never heard of Step Into Christmas/Ho Ho Ho Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas. I'd never heard of it but we found it in the big book of available singles at a record store so he special ordered it. That kind of got us off and running - Hmmm, I wonder who else made a Christmas record we didn't know about? For want of a better way to refer to this stuff, I began calling it Semi-nontraditional Christmas Music.
So over time by going to record collector shows I accumulated a lot of things based solely on the title. You never knew what you were getting. Mostly not good. I would put together mix tapes for friends and co-workers so eventually my favorites got established. The Drifters' wonderful Doo-Wop version of White Christmas was one that no one was familiar with - That all changed when 'Home Alone' was released in 1990, featuring the track, then suddenly it was EVERYWHERE.
So what better way to fill a week of music writing this time of year than with some different Christmas Music? Probably several better ways, but you're stuck with me.
In 1984 Rhino released two Christmas Collections - "Rockin' Christmas the '50's" and "Rockin' Christmas the '60's." Those 2 albums were all new old stuff. No recycled same old same old. So lets start with some of those:
THREE ACES & A JOKER sleigh bell rock
www.youtube.com
The Moods - Rockin' Santa Claus
www.youtube.com
The Moods - Rockin' Santa Claus.Merry christmas
NATHANIEL MAYER - MR. SANTA CLAUS (Bring Me My Baby) [Fortune 550] 1962
www.youtube.com
NIGHT BEAT RECORDS
The Sonics- Don't Believe In Christmas
www.youtube.com
Great "Too Much Monkey Business" rip!!
I will try to add to this posting in the next week or so as I get time and inspiration. Please feel free to do the same!!
This is my memory of the times. Maybe it's accurate and maybe not. In the 60's when I was a child on Christmas Day on the radio there were only traditional Christmas music in either a religious theme/carols - or what we called 'pop' music then. Artists like Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and the like. There might be some lighthearted things for children like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.
I remember few 'rock and roll' Christmas songs on the radio growing up. Basically Brenda Lee Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock. The one added in the 60's was The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy Christmas.
Even into the 70's there weren't a lot of new Christmas releases. The Eagles did cover Please Come Home for Christmas. Being huge Beatles fans we knew about John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over) but no radio station actually played it. Elvis had just died so there was Blue Christmas. Record outlets and general Department Stores would get in their shipment of Christmas records around mid November. It often seemed like they were the same boxes of stuff they'd had in previous years. But if you checked some of the outlets you might find something vaguely interesting.
Even the things we think of as overplayed now just weren't played much then. The Phil Specter Christmas Album was not readily available. Even the Beach Boys Christmas Album was not anywhere to be found.
My ISU roommate told me about an Elton John Christmas single I'd never heard of Step Into Christmas/Ho Ho Ho Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas. I'd never heard of it but we found it in the big book of available singles at a record store so he special ordered it. That kind of got us off and running - Hmmm, I wonder who else made a Christmas record we didn't know about? For want of a better way to refer to this stuff, I began calling it Semi-nontraditional Christmas Music.
So over time by going to record collector shows I accumulated a lot of things based solely on the title. You never knew what you were getting. Mostly not good. I would put together mix tapes for friends and co-workers so eventually my favorites got established. The Drifters' wonderful Doo-Wop version of White Christmas was one that no one was familiar with - That all changed when 'Home Alone' was released in 1990, featuring the track, then suddenly it was EVERYWHERE.
So what better way to fill a week of music writing this time of year than with some different Christmas Music? Probably several better ways, but you're stuck with me.
In 1984 Rhino released two Christmas Collections - "Rockin' Christmas the '50's" and "Rockin' Christmas the '60's." Those 2 albums were all new old stuff. No recycled same old same old. So lets start with some of those:
THREE ACES & A JOKER sleigh bell rock
www.youtube.com
The Moods - Rockin' Santa Claus
www.youtube.com
The Moods - Rockin' Santa Claus.Merry christmas
NATHANIEL MAYER - MR. SANTA CLAUS (Bring Me My Baby) [Fortune 550] 1962
www.youtube.com
NIGHT BEAT RECORDS
The Sonics- Don't Believe In Christmas
www.youtube.com
Great "Too Much Monkey Business" rip!!
I will try to add to this posting in the next week or so as I get time and inspiration. Please feel free to do the same!!
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