The
Music from A Claymation Christmas Celebration
the Atlantic Records Album Released November
1988
There were two different worlds of music in regards to the
Claymation Christmas Celebration. The first cycle is from
the actual television broadcast on CBS. As the company the
sells the video doesn't allow full length YouTube versions
of the show, the best thing available other than BUYING
your own copy, are various YouTube videos posted by fans
over the years.
I have
the original master tapes somewhere...the operative word
being "somewhere."
The
second cycle came about after the TV broadcast was a hit,
and an album on Atlantic Records was produced and released
shortly after receiving the Emmy Award for Best Animated
Program. The album was more elaborate in production, and
a great chance to showcase the talents of a number of Northwest
musicians and singers.
Side
One (remember when albums had sides?)
Rudolph
featuring the California Raisins
As
much as I hate to start with the song that in my estimation
"killed the Christmas Goose," (see details here) it is the
first track on the album, and was the "single" that was
released to radio, along with "Hark." While I love the job
that Portland acapella group The Streetcorner Singers did
on it, the fact that I was told in no uncertain terms to
copy the original Barry Gordy/Motown version (because we
had paid for the rights to use it), annoyed me from the
start. I played all of the backing instruments, including
4 tracks of sleigh bells. People on Amazon actually complain
it was a Motown Rip-Off. Uhm…duh!
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Good
King Swing
This
is one of my favorite vocal tracks on the record. I think
it still holds up, even with its synth-heavy "brass" section
and dated 80s dance track groove. Ron Tinsley (Mr. Smooth
Soul in body, voice and spirit) and I do the vocals, and
Ron kicked this out on the first take.
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We
Three Kings Bop
This is one of the cuts from the TV special
that I hear time and time again is a childhood favorite.
I suspect it has to do with the great animation as well
as the battle between the kings and the camels to see whose
version will win out. While I performed and produced all
of the music again on this one, the voices of the kings
and camels were local talent. The kings were local choir
directors Dan Sachs and Jim Steinberger, as well as their
deep-voiced friend, Pat Harryman. The camels were sung by
the incredible Ron Tinsely and myself. Great fun.
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God
Rest Ye
Gosh…can
you tell that Michael Jackson's "Bad" was on the charts
when I did this one? The MJ sound kind of dates this- but
the vocals by Portland's Calvin Walker and guitar parts
by Eugene's favorite jazz guitarist, Don Latarski help this
one get over the MJ groove.
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Carol
of the Bells
This is one of my favorites from a purely
funny, clever animation standpoint for the TV special, but
I really didn't think it belonged on the record. Without
the visual, you kind of lost the joke- so I had to do a
voice-over of a bell chastising "Dumb Bell," when he missed
his part. I would have preferred to have my daughters doing
their version of "Oh Christmas Tree"…but "Oh well!" There
were a lot of politics in regards to the Vinton franchise-
and keeping as much music from the original soundtrack was
important.
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Silent
Night, Jazzy Night
This one was added on to fill out the
album sides time-wise. As kind of "cheesy" as the synth-brass
band is in the backing tracks, the lead vocal by the AMAZING
Linda Hornbuckle, another Portland blues legend, was nothing
short of inspired.
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Side
Two (remember when albums had sides?)
Noel
With lead vocals from John Koonce from
Portland's "Johnny and the Distractions" fame (and the NW
answer to Bruce Springsteen), this track also features NW
blues legend and longtime friend, Terry Robb on guitar.
These guys were consummate pros, knocking out their parts
in one or two takes. Jeff Homan, another Portland jazz player
of renown in clubs and recording, supplied the sax solo.
This is also the first time that the equally amazing Marilyn
Keller appears on the record. Longtime vocalist for Don
Latarski, she came into the studio at the last minute on
recommendation from Don, and hammered out track after track
of backing vocals on the first take. Incredible.
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Hark!
Ron Tinsely, Marilyn Keller and Jeff
Homan come together for one of my favorite tracks on the
album. I really like the counter rhythms of the bridge/chorus
on this one, and the way Ron and Marilyn stab the opening
lines of each phrase. Just plain fun.
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Up
on the Housetop
OK. This was done originally as a joke,
but Will and his staff loved the twisted and brutal way
it tells the story of a kindergarten teacher introducing
Santa to her class, that it stuck. The teacher's part was
done by my very talented and operatic sister, Jane Evans
(now a very respectable Middle School principle and weekend
warrior jazz singer). She and I had a blast with it, just
messing around with reactions and sound effects. Her over-the
top campy character reminds me of Margaret Dumont, the stuffy
lady who is the foil of Groucho Marx in many of their films.
I play Santa as an angry victim…perhaps I was channeling
my inner rage at having to deliver an album with such a
ridiculous production budget.
The funniest Post-script to this song, is that for years
and years, I received a small royalty check for foreign
airplay from ASCAP, based on the fact that this song was
a favorite with a cluster of Scandinavian radio stations.
It was their version of "Grandma got run over by a
reindeer" I guess. Too funny.
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Joy!
As I have said on the "Video Music"
side, this is the song that really launched the whole project
forward. The album version is the full-length version that
allows the natural ending of the song to work. I created
the original tracks in the small recording studio I used
for my ad agency work, on an 8 track recorder. These tracks
were bumped later to 16 track- then 24 track for the final
mixes, but most of the original demo is actually part of
the final product. I play and sing everything except the
amazing sax solo by Warren Rand, and of course the lead
(and bass) vocal be the equally amazing Ron Tinsley. I really
enjoy the mixing of styles on this one…from African/Latin
beats to blues… it kind of captures the amazing range of
popular music.
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Waffle,
Waddle, Wallow, Wassle
This
is a studio compilation of the three versions of Waffling,
Waddling, Wallowing and finally Wassailing that appear in
the TV soundtrack- cut together to make a complete storyline.
Johnny Counterfeit and Tim Conner play Rex and Herb, the
rest of the voices are mostly me, my wife Debbie, and a
handful of staffers from Vinton and a couple of local celebrity
Geese. I think I overdubbed my voice something like 40 times
across these tracks in layers. Great fun…if you get the
joke.
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Angels
We Have Heard on High
This song ends the album with another
very "80s synth groove" with double-time chorus that makes
me smile every time I hear it. The heavy bass riffs, with
the synth steel drum solos are filler between some truly
amazing vocal layering by Marilyn Keller and Ron Tinsley
with Lea Jones from "The Tones" adding the lead vocal lines.
To watch Ron and Marilyn nail track after track of perfect,
tight harmonies, against the ever-shifting meter changes
of this song was a pleasure to produce and witness. Voices
like angels, those two…
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