Just to keep the beat, let’s tip the panama to doo wop as a precursor to rock. No better way than to acknowledge The Hepsters “Rockin’ and Rollin’ with Santa Claus.” It’s a gas.
More doo wop? At your service! Barry and the Highlights twist us into rock inevitability with “Xmas Bell Rock.” My oh my.
The white version would be Jon Cobert relying on brass for his R+B in his “Rockin’ Soul Christmas.” White folks do have soul, it just costs more.
Maybe it’s just me, but i hear Kashief Lindo’s reggae and i hear R+B. Try “Rockin’ Christmas” and tell me what you think.
Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and the Clowns from 1962 deliver “Rock ‘n’ Roll Santa Claus” on time with postage due. It’s R+B! (and maybe a touch of garage disonance)–
The explosion of Christmas novelty, music availability, counterculture–rock ‘n’ roll all overlap. So, let’s take a few days to celebrate rock and xmas.
Let’s start near the beginning. The first songs to be called rock were just boogie woogie with a harder guitar line. Have you heard The Moods’s “Rockin’ Santa Claus“? Then you know.
Sandy Baron swings jive into rock with “Swingin’ Santa Claus.” It’s authentic, but not memorable.
Slowing the rock roots way down, “Rockin’ Christmas” plays retro like it’s a fun Vegas show with in-crowd references. But Valentine Green has some loungey-big band chops and makes old-timey rock seem cute.
Can you call boogie woogie rock ‘n’ roll and be done with it? Well, plenty do. The Jeff Archer Group cram some Jerry Lee licks into their “Rockin’ Christmas Boogie” but still sound like Friday night at Shari’s.
Can you call it rock when you can’t understand the words? (Well i presume you can’t.) Try The Renovators with “Rockin’ Good Christmas in Hebrew.” You may feel guilty afterward, but you may dance uncontrollably as well.
The Tractors sound boogie woogie still, but increase the insistency of the beat in this orignery stylin’ of “Rockin’ This Christmas.” Dance to the revolution of the evolution.
Jive is an over-encompassing category of jazz dancing that begins with Cab Calloway and ends with rock’n’roll sock hopping. (In ballroom it’s black dancing, all that stuff African Americans did better that we want to appropriate for competetive struttin’.)
Miss Gail and the Jumpin’ Jam Band’s “Santa’s Jingle and Jive” sounds like an instructional for the impaired; it’s clear and clearly enunciated. But it has a spark.
Let’s honor Dave Rudolf with cool and beyond
for his “Santa’s Got a Zoot Suit.” This pachuco identifier isn’t the same ethnicity of jive, but it has all the symptoms. It’s jumpin’.
Much as i love discovering nuggets on the internet in addition to my collection, some are irresponsibly posted as that song without provenance. Why, that’s like publishing a paper without scholarly citations! Yet, Kelvin Pratt’s offering of “Santa Jive” is way too cool to pass up, even without who did it when. You gotta hear this one. Straight from the fridge, dad.
But doo-wop creates a slow motion bellyrubbing sensibility that drives a man and a woman (or whatever) together for some kinetic connection. Call it dance.
Eddie Floyd has some jazzy finger-snapping playfulness in his “Doo Wop Christmas.” But could i dance to it? Oh, yeah. Just.
I don’t know if doo-wop is too street corner to credit, but some boss tunes get the disrespect of mislabeling. The Martels want you to think it’s a “Rockin’ Santa Claus.” when in fact it’s a doo woppin’ Santa Claus. Dig it. Granted we’re digging the roots of rock, but–oh, bother–what a messy gardening metaphor!
The Marshall Brothers call it boogie woogie, but you know the right steps to this early R&B clearly DOO WOP number: “Mr. Santa’s Boogie.” Jive, you turkey!
Let’s get it right: “Doo Wop Christmas” by The Van-dells has the lively scat and vocal braiding that really rocks. Time. To. Dance.
Boogie Woogie began before the turn of the century with a lot of piano banging and chord changes. It means much more now, but it’s always been a call to dance.
For a taste of the low down dirty original feeling, The Chicago Kingsnakes clang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang on “Boogie Woogie Christmas” from the superior album Holiday Boogie. Feel that repetitive carpal tunnel beat? Yeah, that’s right.
Jazzier, but still rowdy, Jimmy Maddox gets virtuosoistic all over the 88 keys with “Boogie Woogie Christmas Card.” Check out those changes: is he more than one man?!
Brain Setzer (and band) have retro-fitted tunes like “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” modernizing the licks, but still, nicely, beholding to the big band smooth-interchange of instruments. Mabel Scott beats the blues off that cat.
Deana Carter does a country version of another “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” but she vamps the siren intimacy in keeping with big band sexiness. Kind of a waste of talent.
Jimmy Rankin wails out a Canadian country electric “Boogie Woogie Christmas” by the numbers. He’s selling it, but–Canadian boogie woogie, eh?
Strangely, this wild renegade music is so old and institutionalized we have children’s versions. Paul and Teresa Jennings of Music K8 have quieted down some screaming sounds for “Blitzen’s Boogie.” There’s a cool song in there somewhere.
For some (updated) jellyroll-style boogie woogie, bet on The Tractors.”Santa Claus is Coming (in a Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train)”is the piano you have been looking for. I mean, damn.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.)
