Leader Of The Band

1981

Dan Fogelberg

When most people who were both around in the early 80s and young enough (Either in years or in soul) to enjoy the popular music of the era think,' Dan Fogelberg Song', 'Leader Of The Band' is one of the two songs that come instantly to mind. 'Leader Of The Band was also, by far, Dan Fogelberg's most personal song. The tune was a love song to his dad, and a beautiful one...both in melody, and in thought...at that. He wrote it as a tribute to Fogelberg family patriarch Lawrence Fogelberg, who was a long time high school band leader and teacher in their home town of Peoria Ill, and who Dan credited him with molding him into the person he was.

The other song that everyone thinks of as a Dan Fogelberg hit is 'Same Old Lang Syne', and interestingly enough, the songs tied for chart position among his four biggest hits...both peaked at #9. 'Leader Of The Band' was released the day after Thanksgiving of 1981, on November 28^th, and peaked at #9 just more that three months later on March 6^th 1982

Everyone who was around back then recognizes that mellow, soothing. guitar intro, and I have a feeling most everyone can swing into '...An Only Child Alone And Wild, A Cabinet Makers Son...' right on cue. It's a beautiful song, and anyone who loved their dad can not tell me that they don't get a little misty-eyed when they hear it.

This is actually my favorite Dan Fogelberg tune, and it's way up on my list of favorite songs. I have a feeling I'm not alone in feeling that way, either. I've always though 'Leader Of The Band' should be required listening on Fathers Day...it perfectly illustrates what the relationship between a father and a son should be.

Lawrence Fogelberg got to hear his son's musical tribute to him...the song was released on November 26th, 1981, Lawrence passed away in August of '82. And Dan Fogelberg got to tell his dad how uin felt about him with a classic..

So Enjoy! Leader Of The Band, by Dan Fogelberg.

Hard To Say

1981

Dan Fogelberg

The wild thing about Dan Fogelberg's second biggest hit is the fact that it's the one I've heard the least on Oldies stations.

It's still an awesome little tune though, with an upbeat but mellow melody, and meaningful soulful lyrics...the latter definitely one of Dan Fogelberg's specialties. He wrote 'Hard To Say' while recovering form surgery, and (My take here) its a retrospective on how much a guy loves his girlfriend or wife, even though they're apart. Of course, their can be as many meanings of songs as there are fans of that song. What ever your take on it, it's very definite soulful ear candy, and makes you pause and reflect (Likely while mouthing the lyrics!)

'Hard To Say' was Dan's second biggest hit, peaking at #7 on The Hot 100 on Halloween of 1981 after being released two months earlier, on August 28^th. It hung around the charts for 19 weeks.

I..and everyone else alive and teenage to young Twenty-something in late summer and Fall of '8...heard it constantly, usually on WRVQ...'Q-94'...in Richmond, though it was also a force over on the area's easy listening station (98.1, or 'Lite98', WTVR-FM). Like all four of Dan Fogelberg's 'Big 4' . it was also a huge hit on the Adult/Contemporary charts, where it spent three weeks at #2

It always amazes me when songs this good don't show up on Oldies stations any more than they do. This is a sweet, thoughtful little tune, and it should be around forever.

So Enjoy! Hard To Say by Dan Fogelberg.

I really like the way this video gives a tip o' the hat to Dan Fogelberg's backing band...and let me tell ya, Dan had some pretty accomplished musicians backing him up on 'Hard To Say'. Tom Scott was blowin' the sax, and there are only a very few other saxophone players who approach his abilities on than most awesome of all wind instruments. He lent his talents to a slew of hits and popular TV theme songs during the 70s and 80s. Glen Frye...who was also lent his vocal skills to a little group called 'The Eagles...sang back-up vocals, and Keyboard duties were handled by Mike Utley, who for years played keyboard with Margaritaville's mayor and best know resident, the one and only Jimmy Buffet.

Same Old Lang Syne

1980

Dan Fogelberg

I'm going to finish off my Christmas Song posts with a modern classic from a certain Mr Fogelberg...a song that I've always thought of as more of a New Years song than a Christmas song, somehow, even if it is set on Christmas Eve. I've also heard it referred to as 'The Saddest Christmas Song Ever Recorded, which I have to agree with.

But I still love the song, as do a few million other Dan Fogelberg fans world-wide. That classic piano intro tells you you're getting ready to listen to something special...but many people have no idea that, when they hear that classic intro, they're getting ready to hear a musical telling of a true story. That's right...the story Dan tells in 'The Same Old Lang Syne' really happened.

Dan Fogelberg grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and was a member of Woodruff High School's class of '69, as was a girl named Jill Anderson. The two of them dated in high school, then went to different colleges after graduation, then after college Jill got married and went to Chicago, Dan when to Colorado to pursue his passion for music.

Christmas Eve several years down the road. Both of them were back in Peoria to visit their families for Christmas, both were sent on errands. Jill was sent for eggnog, Dan headed out to find whipped cream to make Irish Coffee. Remember this was back in the Seventies, when the concept of everything staying open on Christmas Eve Night (And many convenience stores staying open on Christmas Day) was all but unheard of. There was exactly one store open in Peoria that snowy Christmas Eve, and it was at Frye Ave and Abington Rd, at the top of Prospect Hill. Being Peoriaites, both of them knew this was where they'd have to go to get the required items, and to the joy of Fogelberg fans everywhere, they fell up in there at the same time. And from there, the lyrics of the song, and the story just about parallel each other. They did indeed grab a six-pack and sat in her car talking about their lives and old times for about two hours.

Jill actually gave an interview after Dan's death in 2007, and she said that there were only two inaccuracies in the song. Her eyes are actually green (Blue was probably substituted because it fit with the lyrics and melody better) and her hubby was a Phys Ed teacher and not an architect. She heard the song about five years later and probably couldn't help but smile. And she didn't reveal her identity or the fact that the song was indeed based on a true story because she didn't want to cause problems with Dan's marriage.

Interestingly enough, 'Same Old Lang Syne' wasn't actually released as a Christmas song, it was released as a mainstream single...even though it was released in mid-December of 198, and was set during Christmas The song didn't peak until three months later, when it cracked the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10 to land at #9. It'd stay on the charts for another four weeks

'Same Old Lang Syne' would show up on playlists again when Christmas '81 rolled around, and continue to do so for the following thirty-two or so Christmases. It became a Christmas Classic, but an interesting thing about this one...while you usually hear it around Christmas, when the Oldies and Easy Listening stations switch over to Christmas Music 24-7, you just might hear it in Mid-July, probably the only Christmas-themed song you can say that about.

I have a feeling that our kids and grandkids...and their kids and grandkids...will be hearing that classic piano intro, and listening to Dan Fogelberg's story of a Christmas Eve reunion with an old high school sweetheart long after we're gone. And that's a good thing!

So Enjoy...Dan Fogelberg's musical tale of running into his old girlfriend. Same Old Lang Syne.

I found two videos that I really liked///one with Lyrics on screen, and one without, and coudn't decide which i wanted to use...so I decide to include both. So as a bonus, Video the Second...this one with the lyrics on-screen.

 

 

Gotta throw a couple of interesting facts about Dan Fogelberg's Christmas classic in!
 Dan had some help making this into the classic that it became. That classic Sax solo at the end of the song? That was Smooth Jazz Mega-artist Michael Brecker. Sadly, Dan and Michael both left us too early, both loosing their battle with cancer the same year...2007. Dan was 56, Michael Brecker was 57.

A stretch of Abington Rd...the road that the convenience store where the events that inspired 'Same Old Lang Syne is located...was renamed Fogelberg Parkway in 2008. The store is still in business.

Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas

I'm going to do something a little different for this last Christmas music post...rather than separate posts about several songs, this one's going to feature several songs by one group...all of' em instrumentals, and all of 'em covers.

Figured out who the group is yet? Hint...think 'Road Construction Equipment '

And if you guessed anything other than Mannheim Steamroller..well you must not have listened to any Christmas music over the last several decades.

The group was founded in 1974 by record producer/composer Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, and the name was originally an alias for Chip Davis, and was derived from a german musical composition technique from the 18th Century, called The Mannheim Roller, or, in German, Mannheimer Walze.

Though they're best known for their Christmas music, their original work covered all seasons. No record company would touch 'em...their classical. Jazz/pop instrumental mix did not fit in with the direction music had taken in the 70s, and with profits being the driving force in all things business and the companies not seeing Mannheim Steamroller's music as a money-maker, they rejected it...

...SO Chip Davis founded his own label, and preceded to release a string of albums featuring the instrumental style that the group's become famous for, with Jackson Burkey's stellar keyboard skills front and center. The albums were Fresh Aire 1 through 8, Save The Wildlife in 1986, and Classical Gas in 1987. 

They enjoyed a moderate amount of success, did several reportedly awesome live shows...and this music would pale, popularity-wise, to what had already started. See, in 1984, they released 'A Mannheim Steamroller Christmas', featuring modern instrumental interpretations of classic Christmas carols. Two more albums...A Fresh Aire Christmas and Christmas In The Aire...were released in 1987 and 1995 respectively,. Five more were released between 1997 and 2007...all eight of them landed at either the #2 spot, or the top spot on the Billboard Christmas Album chart for their year of release. And...their Christmas music became some of the most requested Christmas music ever.

They've also created a 12 hour radio show of Christmas music and stories (Hosted by Chip Davis), cut an album with Olivia Newton John ( The Christmas Angel, A Family Story, which was a spoken word story with The Steamroller's Christmas music throughout), made two separate line-ups of the band for touring purposes (One for East Coast tours, the other for The Midwest). An they're still going strong, performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year (2013) as well as back in in 2011, playing their version of Deck The Halls both times.

I know, this is a bare-bones history of the band whose Christmas music became classic almost as soon as it was released. But I have a sneakin' suspicion you guys don't want to read...ya want to listen to Christmas Music From a group that became a Christmas Classic from the second they went in the studio to record their first Christmas album. Mannheim Steamroller's music will be around a couple of centuries from now...it's just Classic Christmas Listenin' at it's best.

So, without further ado...let's listen to some Steamroller!

Deck The Halls

First up, probably the most heard, most played Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tune, from their first Christmas album (Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, in 1984), Deck The Halls, played over scenes of Christmas decorating, modern and classic! Enjoy!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Next, 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', also from their first Christmas album, played over a pretty awesome laser light show

Silent Night

Next up, the official video for Mannheim Steamrollers hauntingly beautiful rendition of Silent Night, also from Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

Carol Of The Bells (Live Performance)

Next the first of two live performances I included...Mannheim Steamroller's beautiful cover of Carol Of The Bells, from their second Christmas album, A Fresh Aire Christmas, from 1988

Joy To The World (Live Performance)

And this post's second live performance...Joy To The World, from their third album, Christmas In The Aire, from 1995.

Do You Hear What I Hear

Next...an absolutely stunning video for Mannheim Steamroller's cover of the classic and beautiful 'Do You Hear What I Hear', from their sixth Christmas album, Christmas Extraodinaire, released in 2001

Hallelujah

And finally, I'm rounding my Christmas Music post up with a very lovely video for the equally lovely classic 'Hallelujah' I ended it with this one for a reason...there's a message about the meaning of Christmas here that I think all of us need to be reminded of once in a while.

Merry Christmas!

We Need A Little Christmas

1966

Angela Lansbury

The interesting thing about the two Yuletide tunes I'm covering today is that neither of 'em have been around as long as a lot of 0people think they have...and that one of 'em wasn't actually written as primarily as a Christmas song.

The first one's 'We Need A Little Christmas'. Seems back in 1955 a musical based on a novel named 'Auntie Mame' opened off-Broadway. It spawned a couple of more novels, a critically acclaimed film,...and in 1966 a Broadway play. Hint...they shortened the title of the Broadway production by one word, and the word they kept wasn't 'Auntie'.

That's right...the Musical was a little production called 'Mame', which, as anyone with an interest in Broadway may remember, met with some small success. If 'Megahit' can be called 'Small Success'.

It starred Angela Lansbury (Best known for her starring role in 'Murder She Wrote) and a lady named Beatrice Arthur (We know her better as Bea Arthur and loved her as 'Maude' in the sitcom of that name, and even more so as 'Dorothy' in The Golden Girls') and featured music by Jerry Herman. One of the songs was a little tune called 'We Need A Little Christmas', sung originally by Angela Lansbury.

That's right, 'Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher can carry a tune. She had also been acting for almost 40 years before she snagged the television role she's best known. As for her roles on Broadway...she's won five (Count 'em) five Tony Awards.

The play was set in the depression and just after and followed the adventures of the wealthy and eccentric titular character as she raised her young nephew. The song came about when Mame decided that her nephew and a couple of their servants 'Needed A Little Christmas...Right That Very Minute.

And the little Christmas tune she sang...it's been covered by a diverse collection of artists, and has become a Christmas Radio staple. You're gonna hear it, most likely Percy Faith's cover of it and probably daily...until the Holidays wind down for another year. And for years to come!

So enjoy, Angela Lansbury and the original version of 'We Need A Little Christmas'

Percy Faith's cover of 'We Need A Little Christmas' is hands down everyone's favorite version of the song, and the one that you're most likely to hear on the radio over Christmas. This version just puts those visions of sugarplums in your head big-time!

The cast of Glee also covered 'We Need A Little Christmas, and did their usual awesome job with it!

And what of Mame/Jessica Fletcher herself? Angela Lansbury's still going strong, and set to star in 'Blythe Spirit' in London for a 15 week engagement in early 2014. 

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

AKA 'So This Is Christmas'

1971

John Lennon

This one was penned by a British gentleman and his wife in a hotel room, then recorded over two days at the end of October, '71. The British Dude had only a couple of years earlier been a member of a little British band of some small renown, named after an insect as I recall. Oh, and the name everyone knows it by...is not the actual name of the song.

It was written with the title 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)', but as it got airplay and became a Christmas staple, most people called by it's first line...'So This Is Christmas'...and that kind of become the recognized title of the song. The actual title, BTW, is also often written incorrectly. When John and Yoko titled it, they used the short form of 'Christmas'...'Xmas...in the title, but over the years 'Xmas' has usually been written out as the more traditional 'Christmas', again, if the correct title of the song's even used in the first place.  Whichever title's used it's become a legitimately loved Christmas favorite

John Lennon, late of The Beatles, and his wife Yoko Ono wrote this in their hotel room as a Christmas themed antiwar song (Remember, this was dead center of The Vietnam Era), and recorded it over the course of October 28^th and 29^th, 1971. Phil Spector assisted with the production, and the song was released over Christmas of that year but didn't chart. It was released in The UK in 1972, did well, and bounced back to the US.

The kids who do such an awesome job with the background vocals were the very talented young members of the Harlem Community Choir, and yes they were indeed credited. Listen closely to what they're singing...their background is 'War Is Over...If You Want It...', which was the actual central theme of the song.

It never really caught on with the record-buying public in the US, but it did get a lot of airplay, and over the years has become a Christmas staple on Christmas Music Radio, and you will I hear it repeatedly over Christmas of any year. Interestingly the majority of the people who hear it...and even sing it...have no idea that it was originally written as an antiwar song. They just know it's a really pretty modern Christmas song. And ya know...I think that's how it should be.

So Enjoy...John and Yoko's little Christmas war protest song that became a Christmas Classic!

Celine Dion's beautiful cover of John and Yoko's classic...IMHO, the only cover that does the original justice.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

1934

John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie

Covered by just about every artist known to man

This one is very literally an ‘Oldie’, but it's still managed to get covered by just about every artist who's ever even contemplated singing!

Santa Clause Is Coming To Town was originally written in 1934 by a John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, sung on Eddie Canter’s radio show in November of 1934, and apparently became a mega hit something under five minutes later. By the end of that week 100, 000  copies of the sheet music had been purchased. By Christmas Day, that number had climbed to 400, 000.

Not many songs in any  genre  can claim that kind of sales record in any pre-digital media format.

The song, of course, became as much a part of Christmas as Mistletoe, Christmas trees, and After-Christmas sales, and all of us have sung it, and heard it sung...hundreds of times. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town became the second most popular Christmas tune, ever...the only song that beat it out is a little tune about a Reindeer with a shiny nose. It’s also seriously in the running as the most covered song…of any genre…ever. Bar none..

 

The version we hear's actually missing something, though. The original first verse. Yep, the song originally had a first verse, and 'You Better Watch Out...' etc was the chorus. It's included below, in the vids. The only cover I've heard that includes it is by The Crystals, also included in the vids.

I didn’t even begin to try to listen to every version of it…but I did listen to about ten or twelve, and trust me on this there are plenty of really good covers of it out there! I picked a few that…IMHO…really rock! 

A couple of theses versions have become Christmas Radio Must-plays. And it goes without saying that Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town will get played…and covered by new artists…until time ends. 

First up, the original 1934 release of Santa Claus Is Comin' to town, which includes the long-unheard first verse that probably 95% of modern humanity...me included...had no idea even existed. This is legitimately and deservedly classic!

The Four Season's 1962 cover of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town is the only one that actually cracked the Billboard Hot 100, and they almost cracked the top 20, peaking at #23. They gave the tune a very unique flair...this is the song that pretty much ensured The Four Seasons soon to be mega-success, BTW. They were legitimate mega-stars even when facing off with The British Invasion.

The Crystals...one of the early 60's best known and best loved girl-groups...covered 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town' on the Phil Spector produced 1963 Christmas album 'A Christmas Gift For You', and when they did they kept that elusive first verse, yet went up-tempo and gave the song the high-energy beat and tempo that most modern artists have copied when they covered it. Don't let the intro fool ya on this one either...they kick it about 38 seconds in! This is a truly classic and awesome cover from a legendary group!

The Jackson 5 covered 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town' in 1970 with their signature high, high energy tempo and sound and made it one of the two covers of the song that you're most likely to hear on the radio over Christmas. The J-5 were, and still are, always fun to listen to. You can't not like their music, especially if you were a young teen about the time they came out, and you can not stay perfectly still when you listen to this. It's finger poppin, head boppin' fun at the early 70's finest! 

The cover that edges out The J-6 as the cover you're most likely to hear on the radio over Christmas? This one, by none other than 'The Boss' himself, Bruce Springsteen. It's 'The Boss'...Do I even have to say that Bruce and his E Street Band flat out nailed it? My favorite cover of this classic, and I have a feeling a few (Tens of) Million people agree with me!. The graphics on the video absolutely rock, too!

 

 

Mariah Carey covered Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town on her 1994 Christ,as Album 'Merry Christmas...it's Mariah Carey. She injected her signature style and sound into it, and turned it into a rockin' little dance tune.

Out Southern-Cali way a very lovely and talented group of sisters...six of 'em...decided they wanted to sing...not just sing but form a group. So they did!

 Meet Cimorelli, They've released a few hundred covers on YouTube, amassing millions of views and fans, and trust me on this...these gals have serious  pipes...all six of 'em. They had a blast covering 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, and made it fun to watch and listen to, at the same time proving that 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' will just continue to be loved...and get covered!