Okay you jolly Christmatologists!
Welcome to another non-denominational Green Monkey Christmas! Here at GMR we welcome everyone who likes a little Christmas music, regardless of race, creed, color, gender identity, religion, preferred football team and/or voting record. For this year’s Xmas downloadable album All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII, we present you with a variety of totally independent artists expressing their personal views on the holidays, whatever they may be. This year’s topics include holiday food, wildlife, dogs, black eyes, commercialism, holiday faves and more. How jolly indeed!
This year we have eighteen selections, an all-time new high. As always, when I put the word out around the beginning of October, I have zero idea who wants to do a tune this year, so it is always fun to see what turns up. Some of the folks are what you could call regulars by now, having done this for several years, some are first-timers. We welcome them all and say thanks for their contributions.Because we record this so close to the holiday, the only place you can get this download is right here at Green Monkey or at our bandcamp site. iTunes and Amazon will have to catch up later.
As always the proceeds we bring in from this will be donated to charity, this year it will be the same as the last few years, MusiCares, a very fine charity that helps music people in need and to which we are proud to contribute.
In other news of note, we now have the new Green Pajamas album, To The End of the Sea, available on 12” blue vinyl LP. Quantities are super-limited, so act fast if you want some of this.
On Friday, Dec 2 we are going to have a big 24 hour download sale at greenmonkeyrecords.bandcamp.com. 5 OFF! Buy 1 release – buy ‘em all – 50% off! Green Pajamas! Jim of Seattle! Tom Dyer’s New Pagan Gods! The Queen Annes! I know it sounds pretty complicated, but I am confident the highly intelligent GMR aficionado will suss this right out. Let us know if you have questions!
I think that covers it for the rest of this year. Thanks for all your support of our Green Monkey Records gang! We are looking forward to 2017!
td
December 2016
All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII
Produced by Tom Dyer
1. Free Creature – Youse A Humbug (Music Fats Waller – Lyrics K. Dyer)
Cory Mahler – Bass; Kat Dyer – Vocals, Tambourine, Jingle Bells; Kefa Crow – Lead Guitar, Vocals; Mirrah Stoller – Trumpet, Vocals; Nicholas Gorfkle – Vocals, Guitar; Phil Erup – Drums. Recorded by Tom Dyer.
These guys are a pure Olympia band that I would have probably never run into without moving here. This song mutated from a test run they did for me for my new studio setup, which they kindly repurposed upon request. The original version, by Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys – You’se A Viper, is a foxtrot. I’m not sure it is a foxtrot any more, but it came out fun!
Free Creature on Facebook
2. Uncle Tiki –The Potato Song (Words Michael Morrison, Music Uncle Tiki)
Michael Morrison – Drums, Vocals; Ash Mullin – Bass; Duane Hibbard – Guitar. Recorded at Eremitic Records
Duane has been sending us Xmas songs every year for a while now, usually as the festive Toxic Sprocket. I like ‘em all, but this one is THE BEST! TATERS!
Uncle Tiki on Facebook
3. The Tom & Jim Yuletide Contraption – (All I want For Christmas Is A) Big Black Eye (T. Dyer)
© Half the World Publishing
Produced by Jim of Seattle. Tom – Vocals, Bass Guitar; Jim – Other Stuff except backing vocal by Kat Dyer. I got the idea for this song, wrote it up, and recorded a bass part and a vocal. Then I sent it to Jim and told him “have fun.” He did. And yes it is a true story. Ask my mom. Check out Jim’s new album – it is super-duper! Tom Dyer on Facebook
4. The Fresh Prince of Brain Wizard – Christmas in this Modern Age (K. Elzner and B. Wizard)
©2016 Lies & Fog Music ASCAP
I have been in communications with the Brain Wizard for the last six months or so about putting out the first ever Brain Wizard release next year. It is going to happen! As a lark, I asked Mr. Brain to whip up a jolly holiday number and he did exactly that. Super fun.
Brain Wizard on Facebook
5. The Green Pajamas – El Rorro
Jeff: This is a Mexican traditional carol, arranged by us. TD: Beautiful! And super fresh – completed November 28!
Laura Weller – Vocals; Jeff Kelly – Celeste and piano.
6. The Dyer Spawn – Wild Christmas (Kate Dyer/ Ben Dyer/Vicki Dyer)
© Half the World Publishing
Kat Dyer – Vocals, Tambourine; Ben Dyer – Guitar, Vocals; Roger Royset – melodica; Vicki Dyer – spoken vocal. Produced by Tom Dyer. As is the fashion, it was decided on Saturday, November 26 to write and record this song to be released five days later. By that night it was all recorded. Kat and Ben have previously been featured on the GMR Xmas albums as Kat and Ben. They also are members of Kap’n Kat and the SS Mediocraties and well as the infamous Pigband .
7. Three Ninjas – Black Dog Family (Brunet)
Jason: The percussion is garbage literally – the kick sound is me beating a giant garbage can, and the shaker sound is me slapping a plastic shopping bag. I’m the only musician on this song so I get ALL the credit (and all the blame).
TD: As well-informed Christmasmusicologists know, Mr. Brunet is a regular here at GMR Xmas headquarters- this is his 4th time. He had nuthin’ for this year when I gave him a shout, but dug deep into his bag of tricks and once again we are blessed. He is generally out #1 Xmas bummer guy, this year he is practically upbeat! We love him!
Three Ninjas on the web
8. The Fastbacks – Oh Come All Ye Faithful (traditional)
Kim Warnick – Vocals, Lulu Gargiulo – Guitar, Vocals; Kurt Bloch – Guitar; Drums – who knows? This recording was originally on a cassette comp put out by Bry Learned and Scott Vanderpool in 1984 while they were Evergreen students, called He Knows When You’ve Been Sleeping with a “Big Brother” front cover. Besides the Fastbacks it had the sorta Fellows, the U-men, the Young Pioneers and two songs by yours truly. Didn’t know Scott yet but certainly knew the Fastbacks as they were featured on our first ever release, GM001 Local Product in ’83. A fine interpretation remixed by Mr. Kurt Bloch just for you! You can enjoy more Fastbacks right here at GMR next month when we will feature them as AotM.
The Fastbacks on Facebook
9. Cain Morehead and The Elves Bells – All Those Christmas Songs (Morehead)
Will Ratcliff – Lead Guitar; Cain Morehead – Guitar, Vocals; Gwon Chang – Bass, Backing Vocals; Robert Gutierrez – Drums and Jingle Bells. ℗ This is Easylake (ASCAP)
When I threw out the holiday gauntlet in early October, Cain said hell yes. I figured it would be his fine band The Navins, but instead this is one half Navins and all mighty fine!
10. Zelda Starfire – I Hate Christmas (Buchner)
Sandy Buchner – Vocals, uke. Ms. Zelda returns with her uke for her second shot at GMR Xmas immortality. Nice!
Zelda Starfire on Facebook
11. Captain Christmas and the Winter Solstice Singers – Christmas Boogie Woogie
© Half the World Publishing
Discovered on a rare 78 rpm disc intended to be used on Harry Smith’s never-released Anthology of American Folk Music Volume 5: Holiday Songs. While both the Captain and the Solsticers were popular in their own right (and styles), this is the only known record of them together. It should be noted that Mr. John Hartford later used a very similar vocal styling on his Aeroplane album for the composition “Boogie.”
12. Steven Martinelli – Pretty Cute Christmas Kitty (Martinelli)
I just met Steve at this year’s September GMR spectacular. He was a big Green Pajamas fan (he has covered Jeff Kelly songs!) but had never seen them play live. Three months later – on the Christmas album – it’s a wonderful world! Steven played everything and recorded it.
Steve Martinelli on Bandcamp
13. Ed Portnow – (Peace Can Happen) On Christmas (Portnow)
Ed: I decided not to use any digital sounds. All voices/real instruments performed by me. T’was fun to make. TD: Ed is a long time Seattle dude – member of The Dehumanizers (“Kill Lou Guzzo”) and god knows what else. I even covered a Dehuma song once. Ed has a herd of goats that will come eat all your blackberries. He is just a very fine human. He has a bandcamp page where you can buy all his stuff.
InfraED at Bandcamp
14. Tom Dyer – Joy to The World (Traditional)
Tom Dyer – Vocals and Instruments; Gene Tveden – Guitar Solo; Kat Dyer – Vocals.
I just had the itch to do something simple and understated (for a change) this year. This song seemed good. Though I am not the least bit religious, I still love all these old Jesus Christmas songs I grew up on. I played in bands with Gene back in high school. Got in touch and he was kind enough to pop a little guitar on the solo for me. The girl in the tiny house across the driveway came and sang sweetly.
15. Pleasure Island – Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard/music – Richard B. Smith/lyrics)
Recorded at Membytronic Studios. Recording and Mixing by Mark Bentz; Stafford Warner – Drums, Sleighbells; Johnny Horn – Bass, Rhythm Guitar; Phil Bentz – Guitar, Bass
Pleasure Island was kind enuff to run in the studio and record us a beautiful rendition of this 1934 classic and a fine one it is. Mr. Bentz’s other band The Shaken Growlers promises to deliver a new Green Monkey album this spring! https://www.facebook.com/spysurfhotrodseattle/
16. Guns of Nevada – Liquor In My Stocking (Earle Thunders)
Earle Thunders – Vocals, Guitar; Donnie Lemmon – Guitar, Vocals; Doug Lynch – Drums, Vocals; Bruce ‘Spike’ Shattuck – Bass, Vocals. The fellas make a fine bunch of racket and you can go see ‘em at fine joints like Slim’s or Darrells. Guns of Nevada appears courtesy of PIG Records, Inc. Guns of Nevada on Facebook
17. The Write Brothers Sonic Soul Consortium featuring Stefanie Lee Knowlton – A Misspent Mercury Tear and A Cold Obsidian Heart (Mark Hutchins/Richard Davidson)
Produced by The Write Brothers. All instruments by Richard Davidson, except French horn by Renee Chmelar. This is our first contribution from this songwriting team, along with the lovely vocals of Ms. Knowlton. These fellas have a bunch songs for your listening pleasure on their web page. Plus, they win both our longest band name AND longest song name prize first time out of the GMR Xmas box – impressive!
Write Brothers Music on the web
18. Eric Padget -12 Drummers Drumming (Padget)
Eric is a kinda regular contributor who made a great album for us – Sigourney Reverb. He usually plays trumpet or guitar. I don’t know how Eric made this much noise at one time but somehow he did it. When I was in the third grade at Griffin School I got the starring role (my debut) in the school holiday show as The Partridge in The Pear Tree in “The 12 Days of Christmas”! Eric now is bringing a little closure as he presents the twelve drummers in a spectacular nearly twelve-minute drum battle! At first I thought it was just racket, but now after several listens, I think it approaches the sublime. Ho-ho-ho! (Eric appears courtesy of NoiseNoiseOuchStop Records)