If he was still alive, Mao Zedong would have been 120-years old today. If the 45-million people who died during Mao's failed Great Leap Forward were still alive today, they'd be -- well -- they'd be alive. To commemorate Mao's birthday, here's a demo recording from my musical China - The Whole Enchilada, written with my friend Paul Mirkovich. In the show, the song is sung by Joseph Stalin. To read more about the muted celebrations China, [...]
Steven Dennis, director of the DeSales University production of The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, recently sent me a few pictures of the production. I have to say the production looks like it was awesome. Thanks to one and all who worked on this production. Jacob Marley all mad about something. The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come complaining about the thickness of his shroud and The Translator.
Song #25 of 25 Days of Christmas Songs is not only a fantastic song but a cherished tradition on The David Letterman Show. In 1986 the incomparable Darlene Love performed Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and has performed the song every year since then. A ton of people have covered the song since it first debuted in 1963 on the Phil Spector produced album A Christmas Gift To You From Phil Spector. But no one sings it like [...]
There are so many fantastic Christmas songs that I have to add another one. Song #24 1/2 of my 25 Days of Christmas Songs is The Kinks' Father Christmas. Father Christmas was released in 1977, a magical year for me. Despite the seemingly anti-Christmas appearance - a gang of kids beating up a department store Father Christmas and telling him to give them money instead of gifts - at its heart is the spirit of Christmas: the spirit [...]
Song #24 of my 25 Days of Christmas Songs list is the very aptly named Merry Christmas To You by the Salem Travelers. A fantastic gospel group, the Salem Travelers formed in the early 1960s in Chicago. I'm not sure what year Merry Christmas To You was first released. In fact, I don't know what happened to The Salem Travelers. But I do know I love this song. I was going to make my own video of the [...]
What could be better than Mel Torme, The Velvet Fog, singing The Christmas Song? How about Mel Torme singing The Christmas Song but remixed? My #23 song of 25 Days of Christmas is The Christmas Song (Michael Kessler Open Fire Mix). I have no idea how this remix came to be but I like it. The Christmas Song was written in 1944 by Mel Torme and Bob Wells in a blistering 40-minutes. Best 40-minutes of their lives. This [...]
Damn, just when I caught up on my 25 Days of Christmas Songs, I fell behind. Okay, I have to make up a day today. Song #22 of my 25 Days of Christmas Songs is not, I repeat, not a family song. It's Christmas in Hollywood by Los Angeles-based rap band Hollywood Undead. I can't explain why I like this song. It's laced with foul language but I like the hook of the song. So if you're leaning [...]
Song #21 of my 25 Days of Christmas Songs is for everyone who's bitter at this time of year. The song is It's Christmas and You're Boring Me by the English duo group Slow Club. It's a fantastic break up song. I mean come on, lots of people pick this time of year to break up and it sucks. Well, it sucks any time but it especially sucks at Christmas. Your mother's heart is bursting for me As we [...]
Christmas. It's all holly and jolly until melancholia sets in. Today's song - Whatever Happened to Christmas - matches my mood. It's Day 20 of 25 Days of Christmas Songs. Whatever Happened to Christmas was written by Jimmy Webb. I was just talking about him today. Jimmy Webb wrote a gazillion songs, among them Wichita Lineman and MacArthur Park. Whatever Happened to Christmas was first recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1968 for the album The Sinatra Family Wish You a [...]
Christmas Is, sung by Lou Rawls, is the song for Day 19 of 25 Days of Christmas Songs. This song makes me sway and swoon. It's from Lou's album Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho, which I believe was released on Jan 1, 1967. Missed the Christmas album buying window by that much. Christmas Is has been a mainstay on my holiday play list for years. The opening sax is as smooth as a hot chocolate martini. Hmm. That's [...]
