Okay Seasonally Festive Music Buddies!
- This Winter's Night Kat and Ben 4:42
- Snow In Seattle Levi Fuller 4:01
- (I Wanna Be) Your Christmas Tree Levi Fuller 3:59
- Little Drummer Boy Rich Hinklin 4:25
- The Jesus Song Sigourney Reverb 5:21
- What Child Did This? Stafford and the Bentz Brothers 2:15
- Hot Dog! It's Christmas! The GMR Holiday Swing Sextet 4:11
- It’s Snowing In Seattle The Green Monkey Christmas Chorale 4:43
- Because It’s Christmas Tom Dyer 4:02
- It’s A White Mule Christmas! White Mule Family 2:50
- It’s Only Christmas Glamourpuss 2:07
- I Wish That It Was Christmas Green Pajamas 3:15
- What Child Is This? Green Pajamas 3:25
- Wonderful Christmas Time Gumshen 2:59
- Away In A Manger Joe Ross & The Bird Watchers 3:12
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(Note: The album at right is a combo of the 2009/2010 songs.)
It is eggnog time again and once again we are giving you a slab o’ Christmas magic: Hot Dog! It’s Another Green Monkey Christmas! There may be a few things that get added after we post as it is kind of a slacker operation, but we’ll keep you posted if that happens. I am particularly thrilled to have access to some of Etiquette Records fine stuff this year (thanks, Buck!). We have lots of brand new numbers for you as well as a couple reruns from last year (hey! you haven’t heard them that much now have ya?)
Now sit back, relax, and get your holiday mojo on. Enjoy!
Tom Dyer, December 2010
PS. As we wrap up 2010, I’d just like to say thanks to all who participated, both in this project and over the last year and a half!
1. Kat and Ben – This Winter’s Night (Kelly) © St. Brigid Publishing, BMI
Last year I said this PJs’ song should be on every Christmas album always and ever, but hell, we just used it last year. What to do? Simple – create this new and beautiful rendition featuring the sibling singers Kat and Ben Dyer. Additionally, Ben plays the acoustic guitar throughout while Kat contributes both shakers and bells. Recorded over Thanksgiving, 2010 at TDS.
2. Green Pajamas – I Wish That It Was Christmas (Kelly) © ½ the World Publishing, BMI
Produced by Tom Dyer, Engineered by Jack Endino
Jeff Kelly – Vocal, Bass; Steven Lawrence – Guitar; Bruce Haedt – Keyboard; Karl Wilhelm – Drums
Originally released on the PJs’ live-in-the-studio album November in 1984, it has rarely been heard since. As Mr. Kelly states here, “It is a Yuletide song.” Damn skippy. I may get around to releasing November in the coming year. PJs: http://www.thegreenpajamas.net/
3. The Green Pajamas – What Child Is This?
Laura Vanderpool: lead vocal, harmony vocal and 12 string guitar; Joe Ross: drum; Jeff Kelly: pump organ, backing vocals, percussion.
Recorded live with 3 mics on a Tuesday night just for this album. Laura and Jeff worked out an arrangement. Then they recorded with Joe on drum and Laura, 12 string guitar and Jeff, pump organ. Then overdubbed vocals and Jeff added backing vox and percussion in the morning. Nice.
4. White Mule Family – It’s A White Mule Christmas! (White Mule Family) © White Mule Family Products
WMF was a somewhat obscure hillbilly band from the backwoods of Tennessee, USA. This field recording, made in 1937 by noted musicologist Johan Lomax, is demonstrative of the true meaning of American roots music in the most authentical sense. As well as being a holiday classic, it cracked the door of time by peering deeply into the future. The words are provided at the bottom of this page so you can all sing, sing, sing along!
White Mule Family was: Homer, singin’ and Stella guitar; Gomer, bass fiddle and singin’; Goober, drummin’ and some singin’; Doober – RIP
5. The Sonics – Don’t Believe in Christmas (Rosalie) © 1965 Valet Pub. BMI
Jerry Roslie – Vocals; Rob Lind – Sax; Andy Parypa – Bass; Larry Parypa – Guitar; Bob Bennet – Drums
Buck Ormsby was kind enough to honor us with a couple tracks from the Etiquette Record’s 1965 Merry Christmas – The Sonics – The Wailers – The Galaxies. I went and saw The Sonics at the Paramount on Halloween 2009 and it was a religious experience for me. I had never seen them – I was a kid in their heyday and I don’t know that they ever even played Olympia. I sure as hell knew The Witch from KJR. I am listening as I write this to their hard rockin’ new soon-to be released EP, recorded by Grunge Buddy Jack Endino – check it out at www.TheSonicsBoom.com. Buck also said they will be playing the Capitol Theater in Olympia on New Year’s Eve (I used to go to Junior Programs like Pinocchio there when I was in 3rd grade). Where else would you want to be?
6. The Wailers – Christmas Spirit??? (Gardner, Morrill) © 1965 Valet Pub. BMI
Kent Morrill – Keyboards; Ron Gardner – Sax; Buck Ormsby – Bass and Vocals (me thinks); Dave Roland – Drums; Neil Anderson – Guitar
Of interest to Christmasologists, is the fact that neither of these Etiquette songs is exactly filled with Christmas cheer. The Sonics don’t believe in Christmas, and unless I’m missing the point, Christmas Spirit??? is basically a protest Christmas song, probably done with tongue planted firmly in cheek. I will say, The Wailers may have thought Christmas overtly commercial in 1965, but at least it did not start in July back then!
7. Levi Fuller – Snow in Seattle (Fuller) © Levi Fuller
Mr. Fuller is best known as a raconteur responsible for Ball of Wax, a quarterly audio magazine that features a fairly diverse core of artists and which I think is a grand thing. It also has one of his songs every time. Levi has a stash of Christmas songs and I picked a couple to include this year. This is another song referring to the great Seattle snowstorm of ’08 that helped get us our current bicycle-loving mayor. You can find all about Levi’s Ball of Wax stuff at: http://www.denimclature.com/ballofwax/
8. Stafford and the Bentz Brothers – What Child Did This?
Stafford Warner – Drums, Phil Bentz – Fender Bass VI, Mark Bentz – Standup Bass and Horns
Recorded and Mixed by Bill Patterson at 48th Avenue Records November 2010
This is a fine entry from the former front man for Slam Suzzane Phil Bentz, who along with his colleagues, is dedicated to the preservation of top notch surf-rock. Besides being the owner the very rare world’s largest Magnatone amp, he is also the genius designer of a two guitar rack with a built in beer holder. Pure genius, as is their masterful reinvention of this holiday classic. Facebook: Stafford Bentz-Bros,MySpace.com/staffordthebentzbrothers;
Stafford.bentzbros@gmail.com
9. The GMR Holiday Swing Sextet – Hot Dog! It’s Christmas! (T. Dyer) © ½ the World Publishing, BMI
Produced by Tom Dyer at TDS Productions, November 2010
Originally written two Christmases ago, it was time for its beauty to become realized. To make that happen I chose up-and-coming singer Katherine “Kat” Dyer along with a liberal dose of her hornster colleagues from Orkestar Zirkonium, Eric Paget (coronet) and Dr. Ivan Molton (tenor sax), deliciously layered on top of Broadway pro Michael Harris (piano), drummer Johnny Strike and Pajama bass man Joe Ross. Add one part sass, one part sweet, shake don’t stir and it is ready to go – Hot Dog!
10. Joe Ross & The Bird Watchers – Away in a Manger (Traditional – ok, not so much)
Recorded by Joe in his bathroom on Christmas day and recently finished up at the palatial TDS Productions studios, with Joe on singing, guitar, harmonica, bass and drums, Ronnie Pierce and Bert Bertram on clarinet and trombone respectively. Find ‘em on the web: http://www.myspace.com/mrwestseattle
11. Sigourney Reverb – The Jesus Song (Music by Sigourney Reverb, Words by Eric Padget)
Bass – Shawn Line, Drums – Donny Craggs, Guitar and Vocals – Lori Elizabeth Volce Baron, Guitar and Vocals – Eric Padget
Recorded and Mixed by Karl Benitez at Steve’s Surf Shop, Shoreline, WA
This song was created just for this release! Eric is also a member of the GMR Holiday Swing Sextet as well as several hundred other bands. I saw these guys play on Eric’s birthday at The Josephine. They had a piñata! You know the piñata is always a guarantee of good times! http://www.myspace.com/sigourneyreverb
12. Kaksi – Jingle Bell Rock (Joe Beal and Jim Boothe) © 1957 Chappell & Co.
For those of you who saw Tymber pounding the skin with great vigor at recent Slam Suzzane shows, you may be surprised by her charming contribution to our holiday festivities, a unique reinvention of the holiday classic originally made famous by Bobby Helms. If you suddenly feel a compulsion to waltz at various points of the tune, you are doing the right thing!
JBR is arranged and performed by: The World Famous Melne – vox, guitar, bass,Tymber – drums, percussion and cheer! Recorded at TekStix Productions, Mountain View, CA
13. Reptilicus Maximus – The Christmas Wrapper © ½ the World Publishing, BMI
Conceived of a couple years back while driving to a liquor store in Cranston, Rhode Island on Christmas Eve. I believe the music was “sampled” from some famous Adidas wearers, while the “rappage” is completely 100% original. Don’t even think about “sampling” those lyrics. Each word is “carefully” copyrighted in a way guaranteed to spread holiday cheer to people everywhere. Enjoy!
14. Levi Fuller – (I Wanna Be) Your Christmas Tree (Fuller) © Levi Fuller
A hopelessly romantic number from Mr. Fuller, who plays all the instruments and does all the singing on both his compositions. Levi also plays in several bands and has 2-3 solo albums – most recently the vinyl Colossalhttp://www.denimclature.com/.
15. Gumshen – “Wonderful Christmas Time” (McCartney – Arraigned by Gumshen) © 1979 MPL Communications Ltd.
Recorded at D’Mac’s Shack Nov 30-Dec 2, 2010
Dennis McCoy – Drums, Percussion, Vocals; Rich Hinklin – Bass, Vocals; Ron Hippe – Keyboards, Vocals; Jan Ciganik – Guitars
Mixed by Rich Hinklin http://www.gumshen.com/ These fellas have 2-3 CDs out that you can check out on their website in addition to their fabulous take on the Mac.
16. The Green Monkey Christmas Chorale – It’s Snowing in Seattle (Dyer) © ½ the World Publishing, BMI
Produced by Tom Dyer at TDS Productions, December 2009
Jimm McIver, Jeff Kelly – Vocals; Ben Dyer – Guitars; Glen Slater– Organ; Daniel Casado – Bass, Jeff Mosier – Percussion, Backing vocals – Kate Dyer.
This is an encore presentation from last year’s Xmas AotM. Wrote this at Christmas 2008 as the snow fell. Ben recorded the guitar tracks two years ago and then it sat, as Christmas was over and who does Christmas songs in January? Last year, with all the GMR folks I had seen since putting out the Anthology, it seemed like fun for me to abandon the artist seat on this and just play producer. All the folks on this except Daniel and Ben appear on The Anthology. For those needing a scorecard, Jimm was the singer for The Life, Jeff K. is Green Pajama #1, Glen was half of Melting Fish and is a current (sorta) Walkabout, Jeff M. was the drummer for Arms Akimbo and is the drummer for the Dudley Manlove Quartet. Daniel, though not on The Anthology, is an old pal who provided valuable technical advice back when and a fine neighbor. There ye go!
This whole mess was assembled, mastered, whatever by Tom Dyer at TDS Productions November 2010.
GMX2010
Re-assembled & executed for the website by Howie Wahlen (at the very last minute).
Snowman & photo by Michelle Wahlen
Lyrics: White Mule Family – It’s A White Mule Christmas!
I can still remember it was 1933
When I met Brother Doober in Backwash, Tennessee
He was playin’ purty, purty as can be
And that was the beginning of the White Mule Family
Well it’s a White Mule Christmas
There’s moonshine ‘neath our tree
Well it’s a White Mule Christmas
A dip for you and me
Yes it’s a White Mule Christmas
Let’s do that dosie doe
It’s a White Mule Christmas
I’m singing mighty low
We went to fight the Nazis in 1945
I can still remember when Doober was alive
We was in the Arden, we was takin’ zero crap
When Doober took that mortar shell directly in his lap.
Suddenly we’re floating free
Homer, Gomer, Goober – three
Doober’s just a memory…
But it’s a White Mule Christmas
And we love that mistletoe
Well it’s a White Mule Christmas
But we’re feelin’ kinda low
Yeah it’s a White Mule Christmas
We ain’t the Brothers Four
It’s a White Mule Christmas
The devil’s at the door
45 years later we was shoppin’ at the mall
Buying Christmas presents for Granny, Ma and Pa
Went to sit on Santa’s lap, he nodded in a stupor
A kid pulled on his whiskers, oh my god, it’s brother Doober
And it’s a White Mule Christmas
We’re a happy family
Well it’s a White Mule Christmas
And there’s moonshine ‘neath our tree
Yes it’s a White Mule Christmas
We’re feelin’ mighty fine
It’s a White Mule Christmas
On the Mason Dixon line