Year-round Yuletide oddities
Not sure how long those wise men took to follow that star (from Nativity to Epiphany), but it must be tiring to fission that hydrogen. So, how about just a GLOW?
Ricky Skaggs does that blue-collar retelling of Joseph and Mary country music loves with “New Star Shining.” It’s still shining today. Powered by some pink bunny battery or sumfin’.
Simon Wolfe gives us a Motown serenade against some south of the Border brass for “Beneath the Stars.” It’s like a Santa-Jesus mix-up dream.
That Year Zero Star that begat our calendar of forgiveness, it shines. Boy Howdy, does it. And other stuff, too.
Canadian grocery chain Sobeys spins a “Star of Christmas” jingle every year. This star doesn’t merely shine up there, but within us! Sing-along propaganda.
“Fix Your Eyes Upon That Star” proselytizes Lisa Bevill. ‘Cause it shines. Everywhere. Gentle country gospel.
Empire of Sleep’s “Star” does its fair share of shining and hiding. It also JUDGES. Don’t leave us alone! Emo alt.
Shine on, you crazy star of Christmas.
“The Shepherd’s Star” usually leads or guides or caused to lie down, but those songs will roll in later. This centuries old chorale has the star shine (beaming refulgent) as it focuses on those guardians of the chosen acknowledging the Lord. That should be enough. Most recordings of this hymnal are echo-y from inside a great cathedral. I like the Early Music New York rendition, for its in-yo-face voices.
May it shine its light on you, Nicolette Larson hopes in “One Bright Star.” from 1985. Power pop galloping into gospel.
Junior Walsh twangs out the country about the “Christmas Eve Star” shining only on him. It hits him like a guitar solo, he’s the luckiest country singer on the face of the earth. Good news’ll do that if you listen.
The stars come out when the song is just right. 1954’s “The Star Carol” again makes a fuss over the baby god, and mentions the shedding its light star. Peggy Lee psychoanalyzes it. Aaron Neville fears it. Tennessee Ernie Ford solemnizes it. But Simon and Garfunkle cuddle it. Aww.
So that star of Bethlehem… what’s it doing pre-xactly? Well, that depends on the carol. Sometimes it just shines.
“Shine Like a Star in the Morning” helps us identify (God knows I’m gonna…) with that blazing point of light. If not Nativity, at least folk power ballad. The Seeger Sisters antiquify it. John Reischmann and the Jaybirds prettify it. Elizabeth Mitchell simplifies it (digging that snare).
It only shines on Christmas Eve, ’cause it’s the “Christmas Eve Star.” So say The Boy From Space. If you believe. Odd alt.
More personalization from NoNameBand with “I am a Star.” The brassy offkey marching music makes me miss Ethel Merman. But the star just brightly shines. (And the song seems to cut off, is this just a teaser?!)
So, what’s this star of JC doing at the first Christmas? Following the lyrics, we find mostly shining.
“Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” is a rite of passage for powerful country pipes. Who sings it best for Christmas?
Coming in at number 5, The Judds deliver unto us a sassy, sultry, nasal number. Kinda sexy.
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys bring old time religion to make monotone holy.
Rhonda Vincent mixes real blue grass with rebellious youth for a knee splapper.
The Oak Ridge Boys blend together preachy and pure to reach group-power.
Emmy Lou Harris takes the halo despite the rushed strings. Her voice is perfect for this (and most everything else she does.)
According to The Gospel of Matthew, the Nativity was backlit by a moving miracle. The star in the East drew the Magi, but not Herod, who was looking to murder prophecied Messiahs. And stars are a great symbol (pentagrams include all five elements, cf. Bruce Willis). And they’re pretty when you don’t have so much urban light pollution. (It’s a miracle to see any stars anymore.)
[Sidebar: “Star of Bethlehem” is such a symbol, Neil Young sings about needing help to get through a bad breakup in 1974. So, not so much Jesus.]
[Besidebar: German experimental band Can pinballed the weird folkrock “Little Star of Bethlehem,” but heavens if i can tell you what it’s about. Drugtrip for Froggie and Toadie?]
The “Star of Bethlehem” will show the way, according to the popified country from Danielle Rose. Yeah, it’s gonna be pretty Christian this month.
The Children’s Chorus sings “Star of Bethlehem” in the ‘Home Alone’ movie. Yeah, that’s John Williams’s churchy music. Lots of good stuff from this star: filling with hope, viewing with love, bettering our hearts, making us wiser. Star power activate.
Bells might ring all through the holidays. They certainly do the week after Christmas for the new year.
Dave Para and friends gets in the folk community spirit with “Ring in the New Year.” Unplugged revelry.
Garage celebration from Motion City Soundtrack. “Together We’ll Ring in the New Year” is churlish and sarcastic. But, that’s good for the genre.
Let him die, intone the a cappella Crofts Family with a dirge for the old. Not sure i’d sing this “Ring Out Wild Bells” on Dec. 31. Folk sorrow from the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem ‘In Memoriam.’
Vintage crooner Johnny Cole chimes in on “Ring Out Wild Bells.” The new is coo’, daddio.
Did I say cool? Billy Ward & His Dominoes is gonna take us on a trip to Mars “Ringing in a Brand New Year.” Doo wop done right.
Cashiers ring, are you listenin’? To the charge, that is blisterin’? …bells remind some of us of debt.
The Progress bemoan the lack of change while they’re “Jingle Bell Broke.” (Caution: no actual bells were harmed during these lyrics.) Just solid folk/rock protest against the riches.
“Make It Jingle” equates the timpani with the dolla. Big Freedia queens up this dance number with all the right ringing: car keys, bracelets, you know–it’s not all bells.
The example from Christmas is not just to be good to God, but to each other. It’s peace on earth, goodwill on the porch. For all. Get it?
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (a peace offering for Civil War firebrands) gets musical traction starting in the ’50s with Bing (preachy, I’d say The Carpenters did it better–more soulful). But you want something different in your novelty library, so check out Counting Crowns (a Christian chart-topper). Hey, that’s a different tune! Then check out Pedro the Lion who has all the time in the world to drag the song out for about a month of music. Except i can’t tell if that’s music back there. Even the bells are on 1/1 time.
The Ding Dong song “Caroling Caroling (Christmas Bells are Ringing)” was some cool cadences brought to you by mac daddy Nat King Cole, also in the ’50s. It’s so full of joy, you have to get some spirit–or else. So give it up for Tennessee Ernie Ford for blending his big booming intimidating baritone with the whole choir. Nice. For an oddity, try the syncopation of Reindeer Tribe. And finally, the electronica of House of Wires. Robo-glee.
I have a soft spot for the song that uses ten words or less, over and over and over. “Christmas Bells” by Sarah Winter is folk/pop church yippee-ness, but with its limited vocabulary doesn’t quite mention any carpenters.
Mary Chapin Carpenter reminds us when the “Bells are Ringing” that, no matter what you don’t have, peace is possible. It’s that kind of soft country that can move a body. Thank you.
When Heaven rings bells, it must be some kinder big deal. Thus, “Ding Dong Merrily on High.” This was an early 20th Century carol from one of those carol books the kids were always reading under the desks at school. Set to a really old dance tune, it has that ‘O’ part that goes up and down and up and down for people who like lots of notes but not so many words.
The music is nice filler for the background of some holiday party, but i couldn’t tell you who has a hit record of it–it’s that sacred. Roger Whittaker does his best to fool around with it, but it’s bells to God. And okay, there are lots of Celtic goes at it, a couple with bagpipes… which really makes a churchgoer sit and check his watch.
Let’s leave it to grunge masters I Don’t Know Margo to honor this hymn in their own garage way. Get me outta here.
At this point we gotta admit, sometimes the bells are TOO MUCH. “Christmas Bells” from the cast of ‘Rent’ documents the overexposure of marginalia instead of goodness and spirit during the season. Bells aren’t the topic, but the gateway into a mishmash of jazz atonal showpiece musical parts. Enjoy.
