Month: November 2016

Xmas Dance Party: polka dotty

Polka is so overbearing a musical style, it seems at times to mock itself. Or the misdirected will do that for you.

I suppose if polka is done for the wrong reasons, it seems ridickio. The Wiggles try to juvenile “The Christmas Polka” reducing the beat to a nauseating see-saw of wavering around the floor.

Having way too much fun with that tuba (isn’t that the musical symbolism of the fat man waddling?) The Mellomen featuring Thurl Ravenscroft repeat their “Jingle Polka” from last May. What fun.

Polka cowboy style is a fine mash-up. Jimmy Wakely borrows the term “Christmas Polka,” but delivers a yodeling guitar campfire tribute that smells more Hawaiian.

Wait, you prefer mariachi? Let Wally Gonzales, ‘The Christmas Bandito,’ melodize the Chicken Dance into his “Christmas Polka.” Is it racist?

Now stand back… here comes Jerry Darlak. With his buddies ol’ Jer has several albums of Christmas polka original songs discussing “Shopping,”  “What’s in the Box?” and “Santa.” All i can say is “Thank You Christmas Polka.” It’s listy but keeps the time.

In the same vein pumps Dennis Policy who is included in several compilations of holiday polka tunes. Not as jolly, but “Richie’s Christmas Accordion” is one of those tales of heroism we all need this time of the year.

For off the rails polka the bear fun, please do not go further than the wizard of weird Chuck Pickelsimer’s “Christmas Polka Cha Cha.” Thanx for the reminder, Chuck, that this is a dance–TWO THREE FOUR!

Xmas Dance Party: polka your eye out

When it comes to Christmas polka music you’re going to need a bigger blog: it’s a monster sub genre that goes on for days. Even when i eliminate all instrumental only pieces (which i do), we may skim the foamy surface only.

Let Jim Reeves lead the way with his “Merry Christmas Polka” because this one’s got chart, despite the prevalence of guitar over accordian. Skip to the loo, you’re full of brew.

Then we get into the big band foolishness of The Andrews Sisters with another “The Merry Christmas Polka.” This dollied up jump jive has whizzed all over the Germanic culture. (Bandleader Freddy Martin’ also takes on “Merry Christmas Polka,” but breezes through the biergarten with a dash of Spike Jones liveliness. It’s over-orchestrated, but still fun.)

Sing along with Frankie Yankovic’s “Old Fashioned Christmas Polka” which is what your immigrant grandparents remember they heard back in the old country–but, it really isn’t. (Slightly better are Riders in the Sky leaning on more talent than enthusiasm for their version.)

Tex Ritter seems to be reading a foreign language while reciting the words to “Merry Christmas Polka.” It’s mercifully small box, but a bit horsey.

If you really wanna dance, i’ll recommend Sonny Cash’s “Merry Christmas Polka” and not just because it invites you to have a beer or two, but because of the tuba and working Christ into the lyrics. Dance!

If you’re still not sure what to do then GET YOURSELF A GIRL! So exhort the Bresenski Twins in their “Merry Christmas Polka.” Girls, girls, there’s enough to go around.

It may be time to settle for today: Brave Combo does some mean fusion of cowboy, folk, country, and funk. But here comes “Santa’s Polka” and you’ve got a song to listen to as well as fun word play as well as a dance call to stomp out. Can’t keep your polka face, baby.

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Xmas Dance Party: ballroom

Not all party-goers are cowboys, but are those other Christmas mixers more fun? You be the judge!

For instance, the celebratory song may not be danceable. In yet another musical of A Christmas Carol, the ghost of past out delights Scrooge with his memories of “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball.” It’s declamatory and baritone-deaf.

Modernistically, Ringo Starr makes new sound old with his folksy “The Christmas Dance.” I happen to like this unpresupposing little number about getting up the nerve. But i can’t see anyone getting to their feet here. (Listen for the outro symphonic play out, but watch out for that last note…!)

Coy and playful, Iam Whitcomb has brought us a 1920s sweetmeat: “The Candyland Christmas Ball.” The accordion makes it too sinister for me to party.

Considerably worse is a throw-away cartoon kiddies’ crapshow i found in the 1$ bin at Target: “Cinderella’s Christmas Ball.” It’s got a boogie-woogie pianer banging out the better half of the song. Will the Prince search to see who fits the discarded Christmas stocking…?

Considerably gross is Ren and Stimpy crooking an ankle for the Muddy Mudskipper’s Ball with their “Happy Holiday Hop.” It’s gross to the mass.

Now that i’m bummed, let’s follow Bessie Smith from her party at the Darktown Strutters’ Ball to arrive fashionably “At the Christmas Ball.” It’s slow and low feeling, but i can close dance to it. Real good, i can. Leon Redbone updates this to the “Christmas Ball Blues.” But i like that 1920s’ authenticity.

Xmas Dance Party: barn dance

Dance parties are a tradition around the holidays, if you can dig out the barn from the piled high drifts and drifters. Them country fellas know how to celebrate.

Why lookie here, it’s Michael Martin Murphy plunking and plodding left foot first to the “Cowboy Christmas Ball.” Catchy (and i think the Riders in the Sky are backing him up, right?)

Yeah, The Riders in the Sky lighten the mood (to a very strangely playful tune) with “The Prairie Dog Christmas Ball” which seems to be going on right under the feet of the other ball we’re a-having. Yikes! Move your feet higher!

Cledus T Judd adds his own version of comedy to the idea that a ball is just a party and there’s not much dancing (well, i’m not sure who’d ask him). “Cledus’ Christmas Ball” is that old fashioned cartoon that pokes fun at all the celebrities in the room. Wry as toast.

An update on frontier comedy comes from, naturally. Garrison Keillor with “The Sons of Knute Christmas Dance and Dinner.” It matters who saw ya, doncha know?

It’s better when The Killers get percussive and electric with their “The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball.” That back beat won’t let ya wallflower–not tonight. (But, don’t call the ladies heifers again.)

Xmas Dance Party: mambo

Mambo is one of those great dances named for the music, like disco. It may have been hatched down south in the ’30s, but no one cared until the big band concerts, movies, and radio shows of the ’40s made us Cuba-crazy.

Sadly most Merry mambo tunes simply torture old standards with a salsa beat. But this is such primal music it has generated a few original songs.

Billy May with the Orchestra capitalize on the fun with “Rudolph Mambo.” While not technically a song, the few interjections: ‘What the heck is the ma-ambo!’ jazz up this swinging ballroom routine.

“We Wanna See Santa Do the Mambo” by Big John Greer picks up its feet and moves surprisingly gracefully across the turntable. This is doo wop done mambo.

Jimmy Boyd followed up his voyeuristic success with ‘Kissing’ with “I Saw Mama Do the Mambo (with You Know Who).” Kid’s getting creepy.

“Mambo Santa Mambo” has become an important December dance tune, The Enchanters deliver a perfectly passable paso doble version. The Bobs whoop and groan through every maneuver, but keep it light hearted and lively.

For full club flavor sample Cabaret Diosa keeping a bongo beat with “Merry Mambo Christmas.” Ay Santa!

El Timbo may tug at your heart strings, however, with his poor childhood Christmasses warmed only by the mambo. “Mambo Christmas” tells a story with funny voices, two languages, and an odd pop-electronic beat. Beat that.

Xmas Dance Party: swing

Swing dance is what you do when you hear hot jazz and can’t help yourself. Symptoms include the Lindy Hop and the Charleston.

Louis Prima infects ya with “What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’)” from the Depression era. It’s bit measured and careful and, let’s just say it, white. That’s so you paying folks won’t hurt yourselves first time out.

Swing has evolved to become boogie woogie, jitterbug, and rock. But jazz and blues N’awlins-up “Santa Swing Me a Christmas Tune” by Banu Gibson and The New Orleans Hot Jazz. Just a dash too much Dixieland, dawlin.

Leaning more heavily into the jazz, Duchess Di and Dave Keyes make “Swing into Christmas” sultry and slow-dancing, and gee–not so swing. But saxy!

Also, not quite there–but not to be missed–the Mother Ukers ukulele band wit up “Santa’s Xmas Ukulele Swing” giving us a soundtrack to clap to if not sashay. (Sorry for the fragmentary sample… just had to hear it.)

Some cool chick Sylvia Aimerito decided she could sing as cool as any other jazz chanteuse, so we got “Swingin’ Santa.” Not complaining, but with a little money this could be a cool cool song.

Scatting out “Swing into Christmas” some music by committee group (Smashtrax Music LLC) has latched onto the messiness of jazz with brass, electric guitar, and velvety vocals. It’s tunes for the business class, but i am susceptible to its charms.

Xmas Dance Party: two step

Some dances are so simple we just count out the steps. The two-step is a ballroom maneuver even morons who move to country-western music can manage. So slow-slow, quick-quick let’s get to it.

John Brack and Jeff Turner chortle out with electric (nee disco) country the “Christmas Two Step.” (Psst–it’s code for sex!) When country music tries to be subtle and clever we steer clear.

Suzy Bogguss gets down home and fiddling’ with  “Two-Step ’round the Christmas Tree.” And, though this is a well-covered constant of country Christmas albums, i do enjoy the showmanship of Michael Martin Murphy even cooped up in a sadly decorated studio as seen here. You can tell he REALLY wants you to scoot your boots to his “Two-Step ’round the Christmas Tree.”

Xmas Dance Party: can-can

That French one-step, the cancan, is antique but iconic. And not just for the ladies to perform, but, yeah, a spectator sport.

To the Offenbach, Straight No Chaser’s a cappella “Christmas Can-Can” made them famous and gave them a record deal while in college. It’s worth hearing every year. (Sorry if it’s becoming mainstream.)

Xmas Dance Party: waltz, two, three.

The waltz is a Bavarian couples dance wherein those frisky outdoor folk whirl around so closely their faces almost touch (to three-quarter time).

The standard selection is “The Christmas Waltz” by Frank and Andy and Karen and plenty of others. This is a song your parents’ parents are embarrassed about.

!949 wasn’t embarrassed though. Tenor crooners with angelic girl backups trilling up and down the scales made us want to get all that foreplay in that we could in the way of ballroom slow-dancing (i’ve heard). Enter Buddy Clark (with The Girl Friends), singing “The Merry Christmas Waltz.” Gordon McRae has a more sensual version for getting to second base.

Marie Vernon and the Mellomen find the beat with more big band bounciness in their “Christmas Tree Waltz,” but all i hear (despite a nice jazz trumpet comin’ out of nowhere) is prison exercise music.

The Old West was somewhere near the 16th Century (at least in mouthfeel), so Gene Autry has a “Merry Christmas Waltz” for you. It’s like big band with a hip hop back beat.

Andy gets one more in there with his “Waltz ’round the Christmas Tree.” It starts out pretty, but gets TV over-orchestrated and ends up with shouting.

Who says the oldest dances have to be ancient? Red Foley and Judy Martin make it seem like 1954 with their “Our Christmas Waltz.” It’s a slow somber dance because it’s country style and they’re going to divorce anyways.

Now what we need is an ’80s power ballad. Dobie Gray delivers with “The Christmas Waltz,” a pop step down memory lane for lovers who want to be children again.

I also want sump’m purdy–like rock ‘n’ roll with a French influence and plenty o’ saxophone: The Olympics raise the roof with “Dancing Holiday“–ma cherie ma bell.

The waltz must remain a bit stiff and formal, though. I want to stay reverential, okay maybe even depress you a bit. So, Li’l Wally revs up his oom-pah ensemble for “Sleigh Bells Waltz,” resulting in a mad mess of melancholic minuet-ing. Have fun.

Xmas Dance Party: Santa dance

Happy Hallowmas! Are your wreaths for the dead ready?

This time of year is non-stop  party, party, paw-tay! So you need a soundtrack. Well, Christmastime has many danceable selections.

You know Santa cuts a mean rug, right?

Woodcreek Faction do a killer political satire video, in addition to their 8-bit redux-es, not to mention their flat out party-licious parodies. I’m not sure if they are completely above the bar or below the radar, so don’t tell Men Without Hats… but, here is their genius “Santa Dance” (sadly without their more-than-genius shot-by-shot tribute music video). Enjoy.

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