![\"Christmas](\"http:\/\/www.mrzeros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/565709_10151157771762157_202256492_n.jpg\")
<\/a>Christmas @
Mr. Zero’s Inc.<\/p><\/div>“Everywhere It’s Christmas”
\nMr. Zero’s Top Christmas Songs
\n“BUZZ” Newspaper Article: December 2013 (#33-xS)<\/p>\n
When I was a kid I loved Christmas & I Especially loved Christmas Music, so did my Little Sister Carrie, I remember she would listen to Christmas Music in Aug, on a little tape recorder passed down from her oldest Sister Michelle. So as I have being selling music for over 35 years, I thought I would cover my favorite Christmas songs & the formats in which they were released, as I was just reminded by a customer, that most of these great Christmas songs were not released on full length LPs, but instead usually on a 45 Single, then later as a bonus track on a CD that was closest to the time that Xmas song was recorded.<\/p>\n
“Little Drummer Boy” Harry Simone Chorale: 1958 on LP. From the Claymation film of the same name, I loved this show as a kid.<\/p>\n
“Rockin’ Santa Claus” The Martels: 1959 a 45 & then on CD “Cool Yule” 1988, a great R&B tune, I love the bass vocal in this song.<\/p>\n
“(I Want a) Rock and Roll Guitar” Johnny Preston: 1960 a 45 & then on CD “Cool Yule” 1988 the 50s dialect is priceless. “Man, I don’t want no dump-truck, I want something that swings” he also did “Leave My Kitten Alone”<\/p>\n
“Riu Chiu” The Monkees: 1967 released on “Missing Links 2” 1990 CD\/Cass, this song was used in the only Monkees Christmas episode & not released until 23 years later. Sadly this version does not have David Jones on it, but Chip Douglas in his place. It’s a 15th century Spanish balled.<\/p>\n
“A Christmas Song” Jethro Tull: 1968 a 45 Single & then on “Living In The Past” 1972 LP\/8Track. An unbelievable track from these prog-rockers, one of my all time favorites. I feel this band is grossly under rated.<\/p>\n
“Yesterday’s Christmas” Bobby Sherman: 1970 LP\/CD. This song totally captures what it was like to be a young kid in the early 70’s, once a popular teen idol, he is largely forgotten today.<\/p>\n
“Happy Xmas (war is over) John Lennon: 1971 a 45 & then on “Shaved Fish” 1975. Com’on its Lennon for crying out loud. Yoko has the B-Side “Listen the Snow Is Falling”.<\/p>\n
“Miss Christmas” Energy w\/ Tommy Bolin: 1972 “Energy” CD. Some of you may not know Tommy Bolin is from my home town Sioux City, Iowa. I have written many articles on him, & still trying to finish up a book on him.<\/p>\n
“Christmas Eve Can Kill You” Everly Brothers: 1972 “Stories We Could Tell” LP. When I was a baby my Mom took a photo of me, with an Everlys LP in the background, many years later I was able to get that same LP autographed by both Phil & Don.<\/p>\n
“Step into Christmas” Elton John: 1973 a 45 Single & then a bonus track on “Caribou” 1995 CD. I 1st heard this song on a promo only CD sampler I got in L.A. at a work function. I remember thinking back in 1993 someday kids will not understand the line “Hop aboard your turntable, step into Christmas with me”<\/p>\n
“Merry Christmas Everybody” Slade: 1973 a 45 Single. As a 45 this sold 1 million copies, & started off the UK tradition of the race for the #1 spot on the chart for Christmas in the UK. My old boss Marc H. turned me onto this song.<\/p>\n
“I Believe In Father Christmas” ELP a 45 in 1975 By: Greg Lake then re-recorded By: ELP & released in 1977 on “Works Vol. 2” LP. I really feel this song sums up the whole Christmas experience for me. I still remember sitting in my Grandma Marge\u2019s living room looking at the tree & hearing this on the radio.<\/p>\n
“Christmas Is My Time Of Year” The Monkees (Dolenz, Jones & Tork): 1976 a 45 & on the CD “Cool Yule 1988. In the mid-70’s the pseudo 1st Monkees reunion took place in the form of “Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart” in late ’76 they released this Xmas 45, which lead to me one of my best friends in the Record Biz (Ace-High Records), he was a DJ in a local club & I sought him out to get a copy from him. <\/p>\n
“Father Christmas” Kinks: 1977 a 45 then in 1986 on “Come Dancing” LP\/Cass\/CD. This song is so cool I asked the Glam Band I was in (Palace Guard) back in 1985 to do this song in our regular set.<\/p>\n
“Wonderful Christmastime” Paul McCartney 1979 a 45 & then a bonus track on the 1993 CD “Back To The Egg” as before, com’on it’s McCartney, the B-Side was a weird instrumental that McCartney is known to do from time to time. <\/p>\n
“Dead By Christmas” Hanoi Rocks: 1981 a 45 then on the 1982 “Self Destruction Blues” LP\/CD. This band really influenced our Band “PALACE GUARD”<\/p>\n
“2000 Miles” The Pretenders; 1st a 45 in 1983 then in 1984 on the LP “Learning To Crawl” I never really got into this band but this a great song.<\/p>\n
“Thank God It’s Christmas” Queen: 1984 a 12″ EP Single & a 45, then on the 1999 CD “Greatest Hits 3” My buddy Pat (the Drummer of Palace Guard) was a huge “QUEEN” fan & used to get all the rare Import Singles etc. & introduced me to this song. Another great Non-LP Track was “2 Sharp Pencils”<\/p>\n
“That Spirit of Christmas” Ray Charles: 1985 LP\/CD. I heard this LP when it came out, it didn’t grab me until this song was used in the film “Christmas Vacation” years later.<\/p>\n
“It Wasn’t His Child” Sawyer Brown: 1988 CD “Wide Open” this was the opening track to a charity CD a friend gave me because Dolenz of The MONKEES was on the same disc. It really hit home for me, as I was not my Step- Dad’s child but he loved me like a son.<\/p>\n
“Christmas Vacation” Mavis Staples: 1989 Paisley Park Promo Only 45, eventually released on “Ultimate Christmas Vol.3” CD only in 1996. The opening song to the film. I made a cassette recording from a VHS, so I could listen to this song. This was not commercially released back then because there was trouble between PRINCE & WB, in retaliation WB messed with several of the Artists PRINCE was working with, Mavis ended up being one of them.<\/p>\n
“I Heard The Bells” Suzy Boguss: 1988 Promo only CD Single. This was a CD Single released only to Radio Stations. Customers drove us crazy that year coming in droves to buy it, when it was not available. I eventually got a copy from the record label.<\/p>\n
“I Believe In You” Sinead O’Connor: 1992 “Very Special Christmas 2” CD\/Cassette. Being Irish I was interested in the artist even if she was bald … I heard this tune & thought this is great, well of course it is, Dylan wrote it.<\/p>\n
“Kidnap The Sandy Claws” 1993 “Nightmare Before Christmas” I got turned onto this song from a co-worker John Z. he played it for me & laughed my head off. “Beat him with a stick” <\/p>\n
“Christmas Is My Time Of Year” The Beatles: 1967 on the “Free As A Bird” 1995 CD Single. I 1st heard this song on a Bootleg LP in High School. This song was re-mixed for a CD Single only for The BEATLES “Anthology” series.<\/p>\n
“Rudolf Red Nosed Reindeer” Smithereens: 1995 “Attack Of The Smithereens” CD. I got this song off of some sampler CD that came in at Xmas time that year, turns out it was on this CD by the band.<\/p>\n
“River” Ann Nancy Wilson: 1995 “Road Home” CD\/Cass. This is a Joni Mitchell song that had been around for awhile, I did not discover it until years later, I was going to see HEART in concert & was playing all their CDs that I owned.<\/p>\n
“Looking for Christmas” Clint Black: 1995 “Looking For Christmas” CD\/Cass. I was working for WorstBuyz when this came out & we were doing some sort of promotion for the new CD. I really liked this 1st song.<\/p>\n
“Happy Holiday” Enuff Z’nuff: 2003 “We Wish You A Hairy Christmas” CD. I was never really into the “Hair Metal” scene or specifically this band but I heard this & really thought this one was great.<\/p>\n
“Washington Square” Chris Isaak: 2004 from the CD “Christmas” I love Chris’ music, & this song especially. He had a great TV show in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n
While there were millions of Christmas albums recorded, most were by Easy Listening, Vocal or Big Band Artists, then eventually artists aimed at a younger audience, ex. Brady Bunch Kids, Jackson Five, New Kids On The Block, etc. recorded Xmas albums as a quick cash-in on their fleeting fame, most Rock or Jazz Artists, usually, only did a song or 2. Music History Trivia: back in the late 80s & early 90s most Christmas Music was sold in Minnesota or Iowa, more so than most other states combined.<\/p>\n
So here are a few of my Favorite Christmas Albums:<\/p>\n
Dean Martin “A Winter Romance” 1959 Capitol, I always loved Dean’s voice, I know most prefer Frank, but I like Deno.<\/p>\n
Jackie Gleason: “Merry Christmas” 1962 Capitol, this promo CD came in, in 1989, I just loved it, it was the 1st commercial album to use the instrument the celeste which along with vocal choir surely inspired Danny Elfman on works such as “Edward Scissorhands” <\/p>\n
Paul Revere & Raiders: “A Christmas Present And Past” 1967. Band leaders Paul Revere & Mark Lindsay found themselves with yet another band change in 1967, so to fill the gap they recorded a Xmas album with the new band, as the Raiders considered themselves a musical comedy group there are several bits this that were meant to be humorous that ended up being a little un-enjoyable. <\/p>\n
Osmonds: “We Sing You A Merry Christmas” 1962 & “Christmas Album” 1976. In the 70s the Osmonds were huge, the 1st Xmas LP they did as barbershop quartet & the 2nd as a whole family singing group.<\/p>\n
The Beatles: “From Then To You” UK 1970 Apple LP. Turns out The BEATLES would release a Flexi- Disc to the members of their fan club in the UK, from 1963- 1969, so 7 in total, when they broke up in 1970 their final release was to the fans an album of all 7 Xmas Flexi-Discs on one LP. This was released in the USA the following year. Trivia: Tiny Tim was the only outside artist to appear on this Xmas LP, the 1968 “Sixth” record. <\/p>\n
Partridge Family “Christmas Card” 1971 Bell\/ Arista LP & 8Track. When I was a kid the MONKEES had ended & in the wake The Partridge Family was created, 60% of the Musical staff went from 1 project to the other, so it only makes sense I would have liked this kind of music too.<\/p>\n
Best of Cool Yule: 1990 Rhino CD. The record label Rhino started out as a compilation\/ re-issue label, in many cases such as this one, putting several 45 singles not on any other album, all on 1 CD. This one has many 50s songs together a great listening experience overall.<\/p>\n
Davy Jones “It’s Christmas Time Again” 1991 Cassette. The MONKEES 80s reunion ended in Sep 1989; however Jones never stopped working as an entertainer. In the late 80s into the 90s Jones had his own record label; Hercules, (manufactured by Capitol) he put out several releases on cassette only.<\/p>\n
So there you have it folks, my final installment for 2013.
\nI would like to add this article, as with all my submissions is\/are written from my perspective, experience & my own preferences. As I learned the hard way, in some way we are all very different, and in some ways we are all very much the same. So stay true to yourself & dig what you\u2019re into \u2026<\/p>\n
I would like to thank Izzy Presley & Don Anger for getting me this gig. Izzy just played a show with “ACK” & Izzy was kind enough to let me do a song with him & my other band mates Pete & Mick.<\/p>\n
“So Garry Crimble to you, Bette Davis …me too”<\/p>\n