Brett Banter

Countdown for Christmas: Day 21

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:34:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Major faux pas on our part, we almost forgot the McKenzie Brothers’ 12 Days of Christmas. Yes, this is more popular in the North, but what a great song as actors Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis butcher the 12 Days of Christmas as decoded by two drunken Canadians.

It was from their album Great White North, in which the gifts included eight comic books, seven packs of smokes (cigarettes), six packs of two-four ("two-four" is Canadian slang for a case of 24 bottles of beer), five golden toques, four pounds of back bacon, three (pieces of) French toast, two turtlenecks, and a beer in a tree (identified early on in the song merely as "a beer"). They did not get past the eighth day; Bob wanted to include a dozen (12) doughnuts on the twelfth day.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. donates to Greer Soup Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:01:00 +0000

GREER – Employees from Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. wrapped a year of giving to the Greer Soup Kitchen with the delivery of $4,714 along with food and paper products today.

The $4,717 included a match from Mitsubishi Polyester Film for what its more than 600 employees and contractors raised for the Greer Soup Kitchen during the holiday season. The total is part of a larger series of support for the Greer Soup Kitchen, which is part of Daily Bread Ministries and has been serving the Upstate since 1990. The donation will allow the Greer Soup Kitchen to serve 30,000 meals in the community.

In November, 55 Mitsubishi Polyester Film employees and their families participated in a fundraiser walk for the agency and the company donated money on behalf of each employee and their family members who took part. That allowed for more than $1,000 to be raised.

“It is great to be part of an organization that cares about giving to those less fortunate in our community, and great to have employees who give their time to help others during this busy time of year,” said Dennis Trice, president and chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Polyester Film.

Steve Miller, one of the founders of the Greer Soup Kitchen, said the agency gets a lot help from area churches, but Mitsubishi Polyester Film is one of the few businesses that give so much.

“They have stepped up to the plate,” he said. “And we appreciate that.”

Mitsubishi Polyester Film employees already are looking at ways to garner more support for the Soup Kitchen in 2012. One shift is planning to volunteer during lunch at the kitchen in the near future.

The Greer Soup Kitchen is located at 5200 Poinsett Street and relies completely on donations of food and money from businesses, churches and private citizens to fund its mission of providing meals to those who need them. It serves more than 150 meals each day and is open year round.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. is an Americas’ affiliate of Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. and offers a wide array of polyester films for existing markets such as industrial labels and liners, flexible packaging, and also for many of today’s new emerging markets in energy and electronics. Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. has additional polyester film assets in Germany, Japan and Indonesia. Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc., the parent company of Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc., manufactures and sells various high performance products and services including functional films, electronics materials, industrial and construction materials. Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. is part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Group, one of the largest chemical companies worldwide with annual revenues of approximately $35 billion.

-30-

Countdown for Christmas: Day 20

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:36:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Did you know Alvin and the Chipmunks won three Grammy’s for “The Christmas Song? " Neither did we. That is more than the Rolling Stones won in their entire career not to mention Men at Work.

The Christmas Song is one of those odd little numbers. Kids love it, teens remember it fondly and adults cringe at the high-pitched voices. Whatever. Here it is again.

Countdown for Christmas: Day XIX

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:20:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

White Christmas….ok, you thought we would go the entire month without mentioning this song from the movie “Holiday Inn.” Yes, that is the name of the movie it original appeared in, but the famous version is from the subsequent movie, “White Christmas," and of course is sung by Bing Crosby.

Was it a hit? Well, there have been 50 million copies of the song (not the movie) sold worldwidemaking it the most popular song of all time. That doesn’t include the sales of the more than 500 different versions recorded over the years. Of course, we still think My Sharona will get a second wind any day now and push White Christmas from the top!

Countdown for Christmas: Day 18

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:34:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Grandma got over by a Reindeer was recorded during the early 1980s when novelty songs and novelty phone recordings were all the rage. Old woman hated the song despite the catchy beat. Something about offensive lyrics.

Inexplicably , this song was later turned into an animated holiday special about 20 years after the original recording. That is a head scratcher. Also, this was recorded by a guy named Dr. Elmo, who has nothing to with the little red Sesame Street character.

Countdown for Christmas: The 17th Day

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:56:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

And now it is time for a creepy little stroll down memory lane. Years ago, John (our vp) had a high school Latin teacher who was a Bing Crosby fan. He usually shared some stories at Christmastime and let the students watch video. One was a duet between Bing and David Bowie singing “The Little Drummer Boy.” Now most of the kids in class knew the song, but not the story our teacher shared. He said it was a rumor that Crosby died during the making of the holiday special and he was superimposed via video to appear to sing with Bowie. The teacher then denied the rumor.

Hence an urban legend was started at John’s high school. We can’t find any other sources to confirm this, but there is an odd glow to Crosby as he sang as if he was superimposed. So, ummm.

Anyway, the video is really kind of interesting for the banter between Crosby and Bowie. Enjoy.

Countdown for Christmas: Day 16

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:26:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Some things just can’t be explained. Dominick the Italian Donkey is one of them. A 1960 hit for a man named Lou Monte, who made a career out of singing horribly insensitive songs about Italian heritage. Others songs in his repertoire including a pasta eating cat (not Garfield) and George Washington eating cold pizza while crossing the Delaware.

And yet, many of our friends think this is the greatest Christmas song of all time.

Countdown for Christmas Day 15

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is one of those polarizing Christmas songs. The song is beloved in part because of the early 1960s Christmas special (complete with headlines from long , long defunct newspapers) that featured ahead of its time Claymation.

The song, though, sends sort of a missed message. Defenders see it as how even someone considered an outsider can find acceptance by being themselves. Others see the story as a cruel metaphor of life. People will ruthlessly mock you until they need you, which essentially is what happens to Rudolph.

Anyway, the real story here is the Dean Martin version of Rudolph where America’s top hepcat sounds about three sheets to the wind and for reasons only known to him affects a German accent halfway through the song.

Achtung!

Countdown for Christmas: Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Ok, Christmas Time is Here is supposed to sound reverent of the season, but really this may be the most depressing Yule Tide song not recorded by Greg Lake. Part of the reason is the spoken word part where Charlie Brown talks about how sad he is at this time of year. But in reality, this song sounds like it was recorded by a bunch of kids who each learned their dog got run over that morning. Seriously, you can almost see three-day old snow covered with black soot and rain coming down while listening to this.

Never mind that is comes from a Christmas special where the kids end up robbing Snoopy's dog house to decorate a tree.

Countdown for Christmas: Day 13

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

What is the definitive version of “Baby, it’s Cold outside?” We’re really not sure. There are at least 50 versions out there sung by a who’s who of the entertainment industry over the decades: Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Jr., Robert Palmer, Dinah Shore, Johnny Mercer, Pearl Bailey, Ricardo Montalban, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, James Caan, James Taylor and Miss Piggy.

This song is a very twisted little number. The guy is kind of wuss as he begs for the girl to stay and possibly may have slipped her a roofie as she states “what’s in this drink.” The actual lyrics refer to the guy as “wolf” and the girl as “mouse.” It was written in the 1930s, so I guess things were a little different back then.

There is a follow-up version some of friends came up with that is just too controversial for a family blog like this.

Countdown for Christmas: Day 12

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch….oh what a great opening line to a Christmas song. The beauty of the Grinch song is that even though it is a Christmas song, it really has nothing to with Christmas. It’s just a song about a really bad dude, who is doing really bad things.

Little known fact. Many people think that horror film icon Boris Karloff sings the song because he is the narrator of the story in the cartoon version of How The Grinch stole Christmas. It was actually a Thurl Ravenscroft, a voice actor who is maybe best known as the original voice of Tony the Tiger in the Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes commercials.

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:48:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Ok, we are going to go a little traditional for a second with Andy Williams’ “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Seriously, this dude really gets into song with all of the gusto his voice can give it. This really is a Christmas standard up there with White Christmas and the original Rudolph. We just love it.

Countdown for Christmas: Day 10

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:47:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Who doesn’t love “Snoopy and the Red Baron,” the snappy little song detailing Charlie Brown’s dog battling the WWI German flying ace? Well, apparently Peanuts creator Charles Schultz who sued the band its producers over copyright infringement case in 1966. Well, Schultz was in the right as the band—a Florida-based group known by the British sounding Royal Guardsmen – tool the plot of a Peanuts story line and put it in song form.

Well, Schultz wasn’t an entirely bad dude and later let The Royal Guardsmen create other Snoopy songs. Still, it is a pretty cool ditty. And note the different start to this version.

Countdown for Christmas: The ninth day

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:24:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Elton John’s “Step into Christmas” may be one the more “out there” holiday songs recorded. Seriously, watch this video. Snow wasn’t the only white powder that was used to make this album feel like a party song.

You have to give John credit – this song does not let up and gets his full 1970s treatment. Harmonies, a kicking piano part, groovy bassline, fun lyrics. This is a great Christmas number because it sounds like an Elton John song. He put some effort into this badboy and it shows. According to liner notes that I stole from Wikipedia, it was recorded with a “wall of sound” feel ala Phil Spector. I don’t quite hear it, but I did pick up this gem….The B-side to this was “Ho,Ho, Ho, (Who’d be a turkey on Christmas)….ummmmmmm, yeah, there was something going on during this recording that would have given DEA agents pause.

Countdown for Christmas Day EIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:10:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

For your consideration, RUN DMC’s Christmas in Hollis. If anything, the backbeat this song is awesome and just makes you want to groove. The lyrics are meh. Take a listen for yourself.

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:16:00 +0000

What can you say about Cheech and Chong’s “Santa Claus and his Old Lady” other than it may be one of the greatest stories ever recorded. The premise is classic. Cheech is trying to write a song (rather badly by the way) about Santa Claus. Chong has never heard of Santa Claus because he is from Pittsburgh, and well the story takes off from there as Cheech gives a very strange version of Santa’s life. Making toys, flying reindeers, drug use, threats of deportation and finally going underground. The denouement, though, is Chong still not understanding the story and thinking Santa is a bad musician ringing a bell outside a department store.

We should also mention how awesome their parody version of Felix Navidad is, but that may come later this month.

Countown for Christmas: Day Six

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

Since we have been doing a butt load of British-based Christmas songs (I guess our London office should be happy), let’s look at an American group. First, this was a little hard because most Americans like to regurgitate old standards over and over again. Lame.

But leave it to The Beach Boys to spark up the Christmas season with “The Little Saint Nick,” which envisions Santa Claus as 1960s-style California hipster with a cherry red sleigh, making toys all year and pretty much being a bad ass up at The North Pole. The song is delivered with the famed Beach Boys harmonies so that makes it pretty cool as well. On a side note, we really like that Beach Boy Brian Wilson later ballooned to the size of Santa Claus. Did we just go there? Yes, we did. Yes, we did.

This song still is worth listening too.

Woodlands at Furman Challenge Winners Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

GREENVILLE– The Woodlands at Furman completed its inaugural Challenge with more than 160 Upstate seniors taking part in nine events during the course of the year.

The Woodlands at Furman teamed up with the Greenville Track Club this year to sponsor the Challenge because of its commitment to healthy senior living in the Upstate. It is a Life Care community that added Masterpiece Living in May 2010. Masterpiece Living assists visionary communities who are already leading the industry with their wellness commitment, to become places where residents and staff alike seek to better themselves. Residents in Masterpiece Living communities are enriched by opportunities afforded through an integrated approach to lifestyle enhancement.

Points were awarded based on finish in age brackets, overall age and participation. The goal was to make sure everyone had the opportunity to earn points regardless of skill and age.

The top three finishers on the men’s side were Lee Cook of Greer, Dann Shoaf of Anderson and Weldon Humphrey of Greenwood. The top three female finishers were Joy Bailey of Greenville, Anne Brooks Salem and Betty Burrell of Greenville.

The Woodlands at Furman is a non-profit, mission driven continuing care retirement community owned and operated by a local board of directors and managed professionally by Greystone Communities. The 22-acre campus, adjacent to Furman University, opened in March 2009 and consists of 132 apartment homes in addition to 32 assisted living apartments, 16 memory support suites and 30 skilled nursing suites. Residents enjoy a wide range of amenities - enabling them to continue an active and engaged lifestyle. For more information, please visit www.thewoodlandsatfurman.org.

Countdown for Christmas Day V

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:04:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

The great thing about 70s British supergroup, Slade, is that they always sounded the same. No matter what. They sounded liked they had just rolled in from the bar and were recording at 3 a.m. the hazy remnants of whatever song they wrote on a cocktail napkin. Americans love that kind of sound, but Slade never got any respect in the U.S.

It’s a shame because they may have recorded the most original, most rockingest Christmas song of all time, “Merry Xmas Everyone.” Unlike most Christmas songs, which are recorded in the summertime, you get the feeling the boys from Slade looked around at family members coming in, drinking booze, singing carols and hanging up stockings and just recorded the song on Christmas Eve.

So, here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun.

Countdown for Christmas Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:34:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

The most depressing popular Christmas song of all time may belong to Greg Lake, of Emerson Lake and Palmer fame. That band is of course is the answer to the classic joke, how do you spell pretentious? ELP.

His “I believe in Father Christmas” is so bizarrely sad, it is good. It is a downer of a song. The opening lines of “they said there would be snow for Christmas” immediately lets you know a lie is coming. Lake answers immediately yes, all it did was rain on Christmas. The songs then goes onto how he wanted to believe in Christmas and how he bought into it that he actually believed. Those dreams come crashing down when he realizes the season is a farce.

However, Lake said that was not his intention. He was protesting the commercialization of the holiday and how it lost its true meaning. Maybe. The one saving grace is this ditty comes in at just under four minutes. That is short for an ELP track in the 1970s. Thankfully short.

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:24:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

The Waitresses “Christmas Wrapping” is up next on our tour of holiday hits. Ok, Christmas Wrapping was hardly a hit, but it lives on for its pseudo punk/ska refrain of “merry Christmas, merry Christmas” that beats into your head with the subtlety of a nail to the forehead.

The Waitresses are kind of an interesting band. They started off as an in-joke for an Ohio-based punk band. The members would bring his girlfriend on stage at the end of the set and declare “The Waitresses” were now going to play. It was a joke, but a record producer ended up liking chick’s odd screeching then the real band. So The Waitresses were born.

The funny/sad thing is most people have heard this song, but have no idea who the band was. There are worse things.

Countdown for Christmas Day II

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:41:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

What is the most underrated Christmas song of all time? Well, it obviously has to come from the most underrated band of all time, The Kinks, who recorded “Father Christmas.”

What a great song. The fun little ringing Christmas bells in the beginning segues brilliantly into Dave Davies’s blasting opening guitar riff. Listen to that a few times. How many Christmas songs rock like that? Very few. This ain’t the frigging Eagles here.

In true Kinks fashion, the seemingly simple lyrics are brilliant. What sounds like a little raucous song about wanting money for Christmas over toys, hides a greater depth. The bridge where the gang of kids explain what they really want is a job for their unemployed father who “has lots of mouths to feed.” Deep down, the narrator (Ray Davies)is telling a story. Don’t judge someone so quickly. Their actions may tell something different than you expected. And the last lyric about remembering the “kids who’ve got nothing” is more socially conscious then anything John Lennon ever pretended to be.

What a great Christmas song.

Countdown for Christmas: Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:32:00 +0000

For the 25 days leading into Christmas, Brett Inc. is talking music. Christmas music. Sit back and enjoy.

At some point in the 1970s, many of the major rock acts starting putting out their own Christmas songs. These were no stale rerecordings of old chestnuts. These bands were trying something very new and making the songs sound like something from their albums that already were dominating the charts. One of the ones that has always made us smile is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time.” This sounds like an outtake from Band on the Run with the overdubs, weird Moog synthesizer parts and the somewhat “British” feel of the choir section.

Just listen….

Yes, that hypnotic keyboard part will haunt you the rest of the day. You really get the feeling that McCartney had a lot of fun just putting that part together. The chorus is a bouncy little ditty. The video, though, is what makes this song groove. Exploding presents. Two Pauls. The local choir that looks like a street gang. Linda’s bad hair. Paul in a scarf. The little Christmas party it appears Paul is crashing in the cutaway scenes. The man had a sense of humor. This song is proof.

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:24:00 +0000

GREENVILLE– More than 20 local companies are taking part in The Woodlands at Furman’s inaugural Festival of Trees.

The companies are decorating the trees that will be part of a live auction on Dec. 15 at the Woodlands at Furman. Proceeds of the auction will benefit The Sunshine House in Travelers Rest.

The December 15 Festival of Trees coincides with The Woodlands at Furman’s annual Holiday Open House and Tour of Homes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The event will feature carolers from Berea First Baptist as well as hors d’oeuvres. Guests are asked to RSVP to 864-371-3123.

Companies taking part in the event include Amedysis, Alzheimer’s Association, Comfort Keepers, The Glade, The Heart Association, Home Care Assistance, Envirocare, Heritage Health Care, Interim Health, Leopard Forest Coffee Shop, Bank of Travelers Rest, Gentiva Hospice, Senior Helpers, TD Bank, Osher Life Long Learning Institute, Walgreens, Southern Care, Brett, Inc. and Love, Thornton, Arnold and Thomason, PA.

Countdown for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Brett) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Make sure to check in tomorrow as we start our countdown to Christmas for the next 25 days. We will be reviewing, reflecting and regurgitating about favorite and least favorite holiday songs of all time.

So yes, those who are averse to really bad and cheesy music need to watch out.