A Little Bit Colder by Cristy Lane (1971)

Today I started what I hope to be a daily offering of Christmas holiday themed YouTube videos. I have plenty of obscure songs not found on YouTube so I will share these treasures with everyone out there. All of these tracks come from Christmas music obsessed people--Andy Cirzan, et al.-- who spend their time searching for them and then share them via playlist downloads on the web. What I will do is take the ones I like best and provide them individually on YT. Sound quality is an issue on some of these recordings but it is not my fault! I realize most of them come from old vinyl that is not in the best of condition. But it is surprising to me that they were not digitized in a higher quality fashion. Since I am a digitizer of vinyl myself, I can attest to having taken some very poor condition records and turning them into some great quality mp3 files. The mono ones come out even better sounding than their stereo counterparts. If I had access to all this Christmas vinyl that I will be uploading, I would make some really great sounding files with the software I use. Alas, we'll have to work with what he have at hand.

My first upload for the season is one from Andy Cirzan titled, "A Little Bit Colder" by Cristy Lane. After a little bit of research I learned that this is the original 1971 version released on the very obscure Extremely Brave record label. She re-recorded this song for a 1983 release and it has nowhere near the charm of this early 70's nugget.

What do The Buckinghams, Gilberto Gil & The Temptations Have In Common?

Some time ago--I mean like years ago--I discovered a piece of background noise that was used in at least 3 different songs. I call it background noise because that's what it is. Not music. Rather it's the sound of children's voices having fun.

You might ask how I can tell that such a soundbite is the very same one on 3 very different songs. After all, it's a pretty obscure clip and just used for effect in the songs. And most regular listeners wouldn't even play attention to the clip, much less realize that it's the same one. But the key for me to having recognized the recordings as being one and the same is in the voice of what seems to be an adult shouting something like, "Harry!" It could be Larry or Gary or Barry. I'm going with Harry. But whatever the actual name is it's the same one. Also there's a little bit of children's voices before and after the "Harry!" that serves to prove it's the same soundbite.

I know you're all dying to know just what this recording is and where it appears. So here we go. The first recording is the longest and clearest of the three. It is found on "Have You Noticed You're Alive (reprise)" by The Buckinghams from 1967. The "Harry!" yell is heard right around the 11 second mark:





The next this clip is found on is a totally different song. Totally different country, too. It's at the beginning of a song by Brazilian singer/songwriter Gilberto Gil called "Domingo No Parque" from 1968. The title translates to "Sunday at the Park." The "Harry!" shriek can be heard right around the 8 second mark. The beginning part of the clip is less audible and clear. But from the Harry part on you can tell it's the same as the one on The Buckinghams tune.





Finally, on a third and still very different song you can hear this background noise once again. This time it's on The Temptations song "Ain't No Justice" from 1973. On this song you can hear much of the beginning of the clip up to the point of the Harry. And then the music gets louder and the clip less audible. Oh, and the clip seems to be only on the right channel/speaker. You can hear "Harry!" right around the 3:16 mark:




There you have it! Were you able to hear it on all three songs? Are you convinced it's the same clip? Do you wonder where this soundbite was recorded and when? I sure do. And how did it ever circulate around to 3 different record labels (Columbia, Phillips, Motown, respectively)? Also I can't help but wonder if this same clip was used in any other songs.

I've been meaning to write this post for soooo long. I always had a hard time remembering which Buckinghams' tune had the clip. But there it all is.

Simon & Garfunkel Live At Kraft Hall 1968

For the last several days I have been watching live performances of Simon & Garfunkel from back in the 60's. The one I am particularly fond of is the live at Kraft Music Hall from 1968:




There are several 10-20 minute performances of theirs from around the world on YouTube but I especially like this one because there is a beautiful reverb that paints each song here. And two of my all-time favorite S&G songs are here: For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her & Patterns.

My first listening experience with "For Emily..." was the version on the 1972 best of collection. It was a live version and I was somewhat annoyed with live versions of songs on hits packages where I expected familiar studio recordings. Not really knowing this song meant it wasn't too burdensome for me to listen to it, but there were other songs on this album that I did know and was disappointed to hear live versions taking the seat of the ones I knew.

Mind you I was much younger then--in junior high, high school even--so I did not care too much for unfamiliar slow songs. But over the years "For Emily..." has grown deeply on me and has become a must-have S&G song. It is this live version from 1969, however, that is the penultimate classic for me. The original album version plays like a completely different song with more instruments and effects. This live version is Garfunkel's solo vocal with Simon's 12-string acoustic guitar and it is absolutely splendid!

A few days ago I decided to see if there was a live version video of this song on YouTube since so many wonderful things are now available on there to watch. To my surprise I came across this Kraft Hall version and I fell in love all over again. While the sonic fidelity may not be pleasing to many, I found it to be perfectly uplifting with an aforementioned large-hall reverb effect that added so much to the song. The sound source is from a mono film camera so there's plenty of noise and a flat, unequalized response. But that is good enough for me. Perfect even. I would eschew hi-fidelity, multi-track stereo any day for beautiful sounds captured by a single microphone and some wonderful, natural reverb.

To add to this wonderful live version of "For Emily...", there are some subtle strings which poke through just before the third verse. Just makes the song even more beautiful.

Watching this video also led me to learn the guitar intro to it and realize that the guitar solo in the middle is not as terribly complicated as the live '69 version had me believe all these years.

Among the other black & white videos I found of theirs was another where "For Emily..." was performed. While it was another fantastic rendition, there was absolutely no reverb and I just gotta have my fix of reverb otherwise it sounds too close and intimate. The only benefit to the no-reverb version is that you can hear every nuance of Garfunkel's effortless voice vibrato.

I only wish that this S&G Kraft Hall performance were longer. Would love to hear a few other of my favorites done there, including "Blessed", "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Scarborough Fair."

But there is one more performance I really enjoyed from this set. "Patterns" became a favorite song of mine the first time I heard it way back in my cassette days. And to hear them sing it here over the studio backing track is nothing short of what I define as the pinnacle sound of 60's pop/rock music. Once again that natural reverb sounds gorgeous and even adds an element of eeriness combined with the largely dark lyrics. Sound quality not an issue for me. Yes, it's not what I consider to be ideal but in my opinion a little de-hissing would be sufficient. In fact, it's the lo-fi-ness of the recording that makes it sonically more appealing to me. In this era of overproduction and limitless sonic technological improvements, there is much to be said about the simplicity of basic recording techniques and analog equipment.

I recommend watching the entire 19-minute performance but if the desire is to only see the ones I've written about, here they are:




Beware of other versions out there. Some YouTube users take the video, remove the original audio and superimpose audio from another source, usually a cd. I'm not a fan of this. I say leave the original audio in place no matter how bad it may sound to your ears. Some of us enjoy lo-fi!

And here is one that I uploaded myself:

Songs for the Christmas Season 25

A couple of less-familiar holiday songs today. First up is Chris de Burgh's "A Spaceman Came Travelling" which tells the story of the Christ child. Great song from 1975!





Next is one by Edd "Kookie" Byrnes from 1959. Very cool sounding and jazzy, like something you might hear during a film noir flick or perhaps some Peter Gunn. It's basically the tale of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" told in a very 'hip' style.

Songs for the Christmas Season 24

First up today is a not-so-jolly view of Christmas time. Perhaps a more realistic view but not a cheery song nonetheless. Still a good one that makes you think a bit. It's by Bobby Goldsboro and it's called "Look Around You It's Christmas."






Next is Burl Ives with "Christmas Child (Loo Loo Loo)." Perhaps not a well known holiday staple but it serves a very nice message and is a pleasant recording.

Songs for the Christmas Season 21

Today's selections feature some well-known pop/easy-listening crooners doing their own interpretations of Christmas songs. First we have Ed Ames doing what is probably my favorite version of "Some Children See Him" from 1970.





And next is Jack Jones from his 1969 Christmas album with an uptempo Gospel version of "Little Altar Boy."

Songs for the Christmas Season 18

Two today by two unrelated women of the surname Lee. First up is Peggy Lee with her rendition of "Happy Holiday" from 1965. It's a groovy, jazzy number.





That one will be followed by Brenda Lee with her rendition of "Winter Wonderland" from 1964.

Songs for the Christmas Season 17

Some of that early 1970's pop/rock sound for our selections today. First, we have The Osmond Brothers with "Sleigh Ride." No, not the familiar holiday tune but an original from them.






And next is The Partridge Family with their take on "Winter Wonderland." Just in case you didn't know, The Partridge Family did not really play anything on this song. Keith Partridge, aka David Cassidy, did sing the lead though.

Songs for the Christmas Season 1

I'm a huge fan of Christmas music. It is a dying art, though. Nowadays many pop artists put out Christmas albums, but the music feels more like someone going through the motions. Fulfilling recording contract obligations. Doing the same old tired songs. Sounding very uninspired. Rare is the new track which captures the essence and feel of Christmas Magic. I'm sure most Christmas music aficionados would agree the we are not currently living during the apex of recorded holiday music. That was years ago. Certainly there have been great new songs recorded in the last few decades and perhaps even great new versions of standard Christmas tunes. And there are some great, harder-to-find new albums that don't fit the 'pop' moniker, thus reducing their visibility and marketability. But I think we would agree the pinnacle of recorded holiday music is from the 1940s to the 1980's. Before the 1940's there was much recorded Christmas music to be found, but its sonic quality can make it very difficult to listen to. After the 1980's, well, recording technology became exceptional but musical inspiration for this genre was way past its peak.

The good news is that those five decades left us an amazing collection of Christmas jewels in so many genres of music. And today I will start sharing some of the ones I really like. For my first post I will have two country-pop songs which kind of remind me of each other.

First up is Tanya Tucker doing "Christmas to Christmas"





And next is Vince Vance & the Valiants with "All I Want for Christmas is You"





Don't you think these two songs should always be played back-to-back?

Music for the Thanksgiving Season 3

First up today we have Brenda Lee thanking someone for breaking her heart, sarcastically of course.





Next we have Vince Guaraldi's contribution to the tiny world of actual Thanksgiving Day music. This is his "Thanksgiving Theme" from The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving cartoon.

Songs for the Thanksgiving Season 2

So I sidetracked a bit and didn't get to my daily postings of 'thankful' songs. So here are a few a couple days before Thanksgiving.

First up we have John Denver thanking God he's a country boy (which I don't think he really was. Mountain man maybe. Oh well, it's all just semantics).





And next we have Neil Diamond being thankful for the night.

Some of My All-Time Favorite Christmas Albums

It's officially Christmastime and I'm going to list a few of my all-time favourite Christmas albums. Now mind you, I'm not one of these collectors of obscure holiday music nor do I have an extensive collection of Christmas albums. I have plenty of mp3's of shows I have recorded over the years on radio stations and special podcasts that people have put together. But I really don't spend time shopping around for them, especially since the best stuff is from the 50s, 60s and 70s and nothing made recently or nowadays will ever compare.

So here is a short list of some of my favourites and ones definitely worth checking out if you're not familiar with them. In no particular order:

The Anita Kerr Sings - Spend this Holiday with Me (1969)

This is a wonderful album. The music arrangements are very typical (and great) late 60's/early 70's sounding for pop music of the time. Sounds very much like The Free Design from the music to the vocals. I caught two songs off the radio many years ago from this album--the title track and Jingle Bell Rock--and was never able to find out who the artist was until a few years ago when I ordered a copy of this album on cd from Brazil! Anyway, this is a 5 star album and it stays on my iPod all year round.

Glen Campbell - That Christmas Feeling (1968)

Another hard-to-find album. And another I keep on my iPod all year long. This one is very mellow and some may even consider it a bit too melancholy for the festive season. But I love it cause Glen sounds so good on it and the arrangements are top-notch. His rendition of Roger Miller's "Old Toy Trains" is my favorite and I've never heard a better version yet. Other standout tracks include "Little Altar Boy," "Christmas is for Children" and "It Must Be Getting Close to Christmas."

The Partridge Family - A Partridge Family Christmas Card (1971)

If you like the sound of the Partridge Family--aka L.A. studio musicians known as 'The Wrecking Crew'--then you'll love this album. Ok, we all know the Partridge Family was not a real band. They were just actors with a storyline based upon a real band known as The Cowsills. But 'Keith Partridge' and 'Shirley Partridge' really did sing and they contributed their vocals to this album. The rest of the fictional family did not contribute at all to the music and albums. That being said this is a great early 70's pop/soft rock offering featuring the West Coast sound. Most of the numbers here are upbeat and you can't go wrong with any that Keith sings on.

                        

Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album (1957)

This is not only one of my favourite Christmas albums of all time, but it's one of my favourite albums period. This was the first time Christmas music met rock & roll. Oh sure, Elvis kept the traditional songs modest and low-key but he totally rocked out on the contemporary ones. The arrangements here are very simple and basic. Nothing more than piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, double bass, organ and background vocals. Just like his non-Christmas music of the same era. Standout tracks include all of them, but in particular 'Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me,' 'Santa Claus is Back in Town' and 'I'll Be Home for Christmas.' This album happens to be the best selling Christmas album of all time and for good reason.

                         

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

This is a jazz album that has transcended its exclusive genre to become a pop smash. The music is wonderful. Simple arrangements. Playful melodies. Tunes that stay in your head. Mostly instrumental but a few with children's choirs. Probably the most memorable and recognizable tune, 'Linus & Lucy,' has become a Christmas staple even though the song itself has little or nothing to do with the holiday, other than having been featured in the animated classic. Other than 'Linus & Lucy,' my faves on this excellent album include both versions of 'Christmastime is Here,' 'Skating' and Christmas is Coming.'

                            

Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas (1966)

Another jazz Christmas offering. This one definitely not as well-known as the Vince Guaraldi one but equally essential. Burrell is a master guitarist and surely my favourite player of the genre. The arrangements here include piano, bass, drums, horns and strings. He mainly plays his hollowbody electric but there are a few songs where he plays a nylon string acoustic. This album is timeless and his playing is effortless and spellbinding. It is bebop jazz at its finest during a wondrous era of recorded sound. The most remarkable tracks include 'My Favorite Things,' 'Little Drummer Boy,' 'God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen' and 'Children Go Where I Send Thee.' Gotta love that 60's album cover, too.

So there are 6 of my favourite Christmas albums of all time. I don't want to make this post super-long and it's getting late so I may do a part-two at a later time.