Elf names that start with the letters E-L just scream alliteration which is all you need for a children’s song. I guess.
Mitt & the Merrymakers tell a tale of naughty “Elmer the Elf,” who redeems himself because they say so–okay? It’s got a lovely local western swing duo sound going on and makes me think of Gene and Dale. Not necessarily a good thing.
Frank Rossi knows a more helpful “Elmer the Elf.” This little helper will sneak down tighter flues so Santa won’t pop an O-ring trying to deliver. (Guess Santa doesn’t have magic after all.)
Our old troubadour friend, Dan Schafer, toots “Elmer the Elf“s horn. This little guy saved Santa’s bacon after he slipped and hurt his back. Santa, get thee behind me!
The Marty Gold Children’s Chorus blend harmonically in honor of Santa’s right-hand man: “Elmer Elf.” He seems dull, but can he beat that tambourine!
The elves may be a faceless bunch, unrepresented and unappreciated, but it is possible to learn their names if we try.
Now some elves are only deputized, asked personally by Mr. St. Nick to help out.
Such is the case with streetwise kids’ cartoon mascot Albert the Alley Cat from Milwaukie’s TV6 back in the ’60s. (He was so cool he got to do weather reports for the local news for a couple decades as well.) In Jack Dublin’s “Santa’s Helper” Albert gleefully plans how he’ll help Santa without cracking a one of his trademark terrible jokes.
We’ve already learned from Seth McFarland’s “Christmas Time is Killing Us” (back in 4/9/2016) that there’s too much to do for the elves. But in that version Santa is the elves’ shop steward and suffers their fate as well.
In Matt Groening’s competition, Futurama, the elves are now Neptunians who have it really tough even with new masters. “The Christmas Elves Song” is an appropriate round of everlasting refrain, but pepped up with merciless inspiration–i guess those menials deserve their lot in life. Think Sinclair’s The Jungle.
Dan Crow sings songs for children. He’s contributed to TV and movies (including the Big Show: Disney). So i’m delighted to see some artful agenda in his “I’m an Elf” song. Hey kids! It would suck to be at the receiving end of those endless wish list letters! And you better watch out! Big Brother Santa is monitoring your elf work work work work work work…. (I never considered the dry skin problem.)
Even though elves are a Victorian notion mostly adorning advertising, they have been confused with chipmunks. Chorusing with helium afflicted voices, they chime in (with odd Manchester accents) with Bob Pryde for “Santa’s Little Helpers.” Frightening, man.
September happens now. Time to harvest, register, equinox, and get to work. We celebrate the hard working men and women of ‘Merica this month with a day off.
…So I had to wonder: does the North Pole get a day off? Rumors are it’s twelve twenty-six, but that may only be for The Big Guy. What about Santa’s Little Helpers?
We shall endeavor to use this month in holiday song to explore the pluck, the plight, and the playfulness of the elves. [I mean, it might have been dwarves, as recounted by the Les Tucker Singers and Gene Autry and others. But we covered this 5/6/16.]
We’ve been feed a log of bologna for decades, declaring that the special species that effects our gifts does so out of love and joy. Some cracks in this utopian facade appear as early as 1964 with the NBC broadcast of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ in which–during the song “We Are Santa’s Elves“–the laborers are mischievous, and easily distracted during their team-building exercise. Bunch of sixth-graders, basically.
Mostly we get propaganda as with Mother Goose Club for Songs’s “Here at Santa’s Workshop.” The culturally diverse crew (including a Mexican mouse minion) fantasizes how cool it would be to be elves making toys nonstop (‘so cool!’). Quick, park the two-to-three year olds in front the imagery! (And yes, there is a song buried in there somewhere.)
Being with Santa? Helping get ready? Who doesn’t want a job?! Teresa Jennings has the big grade school musical number “I Want to be an Elf” here very nearly discernible by the Carillon Elementary kids. Are you pointing at me?
The Learning Station at least mentions the ‘joy of children everywhere.’ “Me and Santa’s Elves” may teach poor grammar, but it inspires with new age music, kinda like Enya. Menial 9 to 5 is full of fun sounds: rat a tat tat.
More caffeinatedly Golden Films (those guys that produce low budget Disney animations because the original story is in public domain) shovel out “Christmas Elves” (based–ha ha–on Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘Shoemaker’ tale), wherein we learn in the theme song that elves are more like drama camp cheerleaders with enough Ritalin in them to cause seizures. Boi-i-ing!
Most have forgotten Christmas by May in light of all those other, lesser holidays. Mothers’ Day.
But, ahh, the songs about Mommy Dearest for the holidays… that’s another libretto. And I don’t mean ‘Kissing’ or ‘Shoes’ (yeargh), i mean the love of a son of man for his Madonna. (Not actually Mary–we’ll probe those songs out later.)
Take Dave Cheatham singing about the mother he left at home while he sleeps and hopes homelessly for the one he left behind. “Happy Christmas Mother.” Folksy acoustic sentiment.
Also torn is Asha Banks. “Christmas at My Mum’s House” details the broken home problem of two Christmasses. Belting out hopeful endings doesn’t help her flashback four-year-old’s awful haircut.
Let’s go lighter in tone (and loafers). Louis Duarte dedicates his hiphop jazz in his “Another Mum Christmas Song.” His ADHD Look-at-Me! video with dress up and solo mosh pit dancing is every mother’s worry how her son might turn out.
James Higgins gets a bit more stage-show with his “Mom’s Xmas Song.” Mostly, i think he wants her to accept him just the way he is. Big ups for explaining how to celebrate in February, March, April, and June–often in his mother’s voice. It’s all for you, Mom!
Dan Crow saves the day (after my original posting) with “Christmas Day in May,” a rocking’ calendar mix-up with comical consequences for the kiddos. Surf’s (almost) up!
A rodent may be a starter pet for children, so kids gotta dig mouse noels, yes?
Unless they’re insulting. Jack Hartmann seems serious about helping very young children develop. But when you add up the Piaget and Erickson and divide by Freud you don’t always get fun, you get “Milton, the Dancing Christmas Mouse.” This is why parents build sound-proof playrooms.
The Peter Pan Pop Band and Singers crank out another formulaic dirge of doggerel on the Snoopy’s Christmas Album compilation that was making hay off the Royal Guardsmen’s holiday hit about the Red Baron. This is “Jingles the Christmas Mouse.”
Randy Vail gets more avuncular with his grandpappy singing in “Tiny the Christmas Mouse.” It’s slow and patient and repetitive in melody–because children are stupid, i guess.
Scarier is Rodd Rogers with his “Maury the Christmas Mouse.” This is from the exceptionally weird American Song-Poem Christmas collection. It’s twisted talent and may induce nightmares. Beware.
I’m more partial to crazy poet-ladies who earnestly sing Joan Baez style fantasy like they take it Wiccan serious. So, with reverence guys–i’m not kidding–harken and learn from Linda Arnold’s “Christmas Mouse.” Don’t you overeat, little ones.
Here’s another bird flew down the chimney: The Christmas Players with “The Turkey Song (I’ve Been Invited for Christmas).” It sounds like a muppet bit with a pretty aw-shucks ending.
If I say Christmas and amphibians, you thing Kermit, right? Well, the frog of Sesame St. has covered many noels, but (apart perhaps from “Red and Green Christmas“) he never revels in what it’s like to be a low level vertebrate during the holidays. I need a frog song!
Filling in that niche (barely) is Tango the Tree Frog with “Green Christmas.”
What about Gross Kids singing “Tom the Toad“? You know that old camp song sung caroldy-style? Urm, let’s move on…
To a more literary front. Jonathan London’s children’s book Froggy’s Best Christmas gets a musical treatment by Suzy Arnowitz and others at Penguin books and it makes me so happy.
The most fun you can have with a Christmas croaker is Jim Cannon’s “Frumpy the Christmas Frog.” Excellent use of antique animation from his team.
