JINGLE BELL ROCKS!

PLAYLISTS
• Jingle Bell Rocks on YouTube (9 tracks) and Spotify (7 tracks)
• On Vimeo – hear 11 individual tracks and read brief and informative blurbs

Intro

Kurated started in 2018 as an occasional email and its first contributing writer was filmmaker and Christmas music aficianado Mitchell Kezin. We met more than 20 years ago through his wife and my longtime coworker, Elaine Littman.

I soon learned that Mitchell had an encyclopedic knowledge of Christmas music and deep resonance with the season. His award-winning film Jingle Bell Rocks released in 2014 is a sparkling testimony to the insight he brought to his ongoing passion. In the post below you’ll get a sense of that.

Mitchell died unexpectedly in January. He was 60. Tragically, we lost a respected, loving man and a vibrant, creative spirit.

The post was emailed on December 8, 2018 and this is its first appearance on the Kurated site. As you’ll see below, Mitchell presented all of his songs on Vimeo (or MP3’s). That’s for the simple reason that much of the rare and wonderfully obscure Christmas music he unearthed in record stores across North America isn’t available on streaming services.

Mitchell’s 12 picks for the post are listed below along with brief and informative blurbs. I’ve also created playlists on YouTube and Spotify both of which are missing a few songs.

The artist at work

JINGLE BELL ROCKS!

A Mitchell Kezin Christmas from folksy to strange and everywhere in between

Guest curator Mitchell Kezin knows a lot – a whole lot– about Christmas music. The more original and obscure the better. A friend, colleague, music aficionado and filmmaker, Mitchell is the director and producer of the superb, award-winning film – Jingle Bell Rocks! – a hilarious and insightful search for the soul of Christmas music. It’s a deeply personal look at the phenomenon that takes over radio stations and shopping malls across North America –and beyond– at this time of year.

I was thrilled to catch the film’s Vancouver premiere at the Rio Theatre in 2013 after years of following the ups and downs of its development. And I’m lucky to be on Mitchell’s mailing list for his coveted annual audio Xmas card – mitchell’s merrymix.

Mitchell’s passion uncovers the genre’s gems ranging from the gorgeous and rare to the bizarre and rockin’. It’s a 30-year trek that has taken him across the continent to scores of record stores, live radio station holiday broadcasts, interviews with songwriters, performers and music executives plus a tonne of concerts.

In this edition of Kurated Mitchell shares a dozen of his favourite yuletide songs complete with blurbs and links to interesting images and sites. You can also download 11 of these tunes. The selections jam nostalgia and warm Christmas fuzzies with a cool trip through a unique vein of music history.

As you’re reading, Mitchell is setting out on a whirlwind, six-city USA tour for screenings of the film and a slew of radio and podcast interviews. Yes! Living the life of a devoted, independent filmmaker.

Jingle Bell Rocks film

The film stars hip hop maestro Reverend Joseph Simmons of Run DMC, cult film auteur John Waters, fearless freak Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips), soul legend Clarence Carter, calypso king The Mighty Sparrow and Schoolhouse Rock! creator Bob Dorough, plus many more irreverent musicians, cultural icons, obsessed collectors and critics.

It was 38 years ago today

On December 8, 1980 John Lennon died at age 40. The Beatles did a number of zany Christmas recordings for their fan club, but this is Lennon’s enduring Christmas standard performed with Yoko Ono – Happy Christmas (War is Over)

PLAYLISTS

As mentioned above, Mitchell’s 12 song picks on Vimeo are listed below along with brief and informative blurbs. I’ve also created playlists on YouTube and Spotify both of which are missing a few songs.

Mitchell Kezin’s Xmas playlist

These are the songs that even Santa Claus forgot!
(And you can download them all from Mitchell’s Vimeo account –except for #12. 😉

SONG #1  Down On Christmas ~ Stompin Tom Connors

Folk/country singer Stompin’ Tom is a Canadian legend. His 1970 Christmas album Merry Christmas Everybody on Boot Records is a treasure, and worth every dollar you may have to spend…if you can find it.

SONG #2  I Don’t Intend To Spend Christmas Without You ~ Margo Guryan

Recorded as a demo only for the late, legendary A&M Records Executive Producer Tommy LiPuma in 1960…Tommy was searching for a Christmas tune that Claudine Longet could sing. LiPuma released the song in the fall of 1968 with composer Randy Newman’s “Snow” on the flip. He told me he’d so wished Margo had wanted to be a touring musician, since her version was so much better!

SONG #3  Party This Christmas ~ Rockin’ Sidney!

Sidney Simien aka Count Rockin’ Sidney, was a legendary, Louisiana-based zydeco musician who played almost every style of music, from Caribbean beats to The Blues. His biggest song, “My Toot Toot”, became a worldwide hit in 1984. But, it’s his rare A Holiday Celebration With Rockin’ Sidney  released in 1983 on ZBC Records that is his most sought after.

Song #4  Little Drum Machine Boy by BECK

Wanted to dedicate one to all our Jewish friends. This is some serious Hanukkah Funk being laid down! This glorious track was Beck’s contribution to the STILL awesome ALT Christmas comp, Just Say Noël released waaaay back in 1996 by Geffen Records. It was the brainchild of then owner, and Xmas Music Luvin’ Jew, David Geffen. The compilation is chock-full of fabulous original Christmas Songs by The Roots, Aimee Mann, Sonic Youth, The Posies, Southern Culture On The Skids, Remy Zero, Wild Colonials, Ted Hawkins, The Musical Cast of Toys feat. Wendy and Lisa and Elastica (remember them ?! ; )

SONG #5   (I Want A) Rock and Roll Guitar by Johnny Preston

Issued in 1960 by Rockabilly Hall of Famer Johnny Preston who’s best known for his No.1 hit “Running Bear” and his association with Roy Orbison.

I’ve always LUVD this song, ever since I first heard it on on of the exceptional 1988 Rhino Records Christmas compilation LP Cool Yule VOL 2

SONG #6  Chinchy Old Scrooge by Phil Moore & The Phil Moore Four

In 1953, Phil Moore & The Phil Moore Four recorded “Blink Before Christmas”  and “Chinchy Old Scrooge” as a single on RCA Victor Records. Both tunes were banned from commercial radio for provocative lyrical content and “adult-oriented beatnik jive” and could only be heard on a handful of Black radio stations.

SONG #7  Do You Hear Rainbows by Apollo Zero Reconstruct

A very trippy remix by New Orleans-based DJ collective, Apollo Zero Reconstruct…Off of the fabulous Bootie Xmas / DJ BC – Christmas Remix 2007 / Compiled by DJ BC Santastic III in 3-D !

SONG #8  Xmas In Waikiki ~ MORGAN

This song was one of 21 killer tracks culled from the 2000 charity album It’s A Cool, Cool Christmas compiled by the festive folks over at XFM Radio (UK) and Jeepster Records, with all proceeds going to The Big Issue Foundation. It fetches upwards of $150 on eBay (if you can find it ; )

SONG #9  A Christmas Drink ~ Top Grant

A very rare Caribbean Christmas recording from 1962 featuring Calypso legend Top Grant. On Island Records

SONG #10   Christmas Hate Song by Eyeball Hurt and The Medicine

One of my rarest, strangest & scariest Xmas albums…I was introduced to this whimsical, uber-talented Winnipeg, Manitoba-based “band” by the one and only David Wisdom –a legend in Canadian radio. Made by artists Drue Langlois and Michael Dumontier who were founding members of Winnipeg’s art school collective the Royal Art Lodge.

SONG #11  Mary X-Mas ~ Nina Hagen

This single first appeared on the compilation CD Santa’s Got A GTO! – Rodney On The ROQ’s Fav X-Mas Songs from Dionysus Records. ‎He’s been a fan and friend of Nina Hagen’s for decades and apparently commissioned this song from her for his Christmas compilation CD. Grab YOUR FREE download NOW from Dionysus Records !!!

Rodney is arguably, North America’s most famous and infamous disc jockey who dominated the rock airwaves for 40 years on Los Angeles KROQ. Rodney is responsible for having first introduced some of the leading musicians to his North American listeners, including Blondie, The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran, The Cure, Joan Jett, Hole, Symbol Six, No Doubt, Blur, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, The Bangles, X, Germs and many more !

SONG #12   There Is No Sanity Clause II by Jerry & The Humbug

I desperately wanted to include this tune and an interview in Jingle Bell Rocks with legendary Chicago collector Andy Cirzan, where he discusses the strange underground sub-genre called “Song Poems”. These are hastily-produced one off recordings done by studio bands in the dead, dark of night back in the 70s & 80s.

Most of these “Xmas Song Poems” are horrendous. But every now and then the Music Gawds intervene and they BLESS a tune or two, which results in the most incredible, unique and astonishing Christmas song you can imagine !

I personally own about a dozen of the most coveted and extremely hard to find MSR label Christmas Compilations (on vinyl). That’s why –after over 30 years of collecting–I only own a dozen or so of them.

HoHoHappy Listening Everybody

…and a huge Thank Yule to Kris for allowing me to partner on the Kurated music missives.

Kurated is a music sharing project.

08 December 2018 / 21 December 2024