Brett Banter

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.