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Music throwback: Nowell Sing We Clear

The Cutty Wren

When I first came to Albany in the late 1970s, I saw a quartet called Nowell Sing We Clear perform two or three times. Here’s a description of the group:

“In the summer of 1975, dance musicians Fred Breunig and Steve Woodruff moved to southern Vermont and teamed up with the singing duo of John Roberts and Tony Barrand. Nowell Sing We Clear was first performed in December of that same year…

“The program explores and reveals the active and still vital themes of the birth of Jesus and the celebration of the return of the light at the winter solstice. The combined interests and skills of the performers in contra and morris dancing and in ballads and bawdry afforded an unusual approach to Christmas music.”

I bought a couple of their LPs, and I played them regularly until the albums went into storage. I didn’t think about Nowell we Sing Clear until this month. A local group called the Helderberg Madrigal Singers performed at my church on December 7. One of the songs in their repertoire was The Cutty Wren. I knew instantly where I knew that song from.

And I’m told they’re still performing, with Andy Davis replacing Woodruff. From a 2013 Slate article: “Nowell Sing We Clear celebrates an older, and perhaps more pagan, Christmas as it was known for centuries in Britain and North America.”

Listen to Nowell We Sing Clear

The Cutty Wren
The Holly And The Ivy
Green Grow the Rushes-O
Rise Up Jock

And since this the last Saturday before the big day:

Jaquandor’s Daily Dose of Christmas

Coverville 1243: The Coverville 2018 Christmas Episode

Little Drummer Boy (African Tribal Version) – Alex Boye’ ft. Genesis Choir

12 Days of Christmas Cookies – Cookie Monster and friends

Jingle Bells – The Fab Four, in the style of Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles

Every Valley – Handel’s Messiah, A Soulful Celebration

The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

White Christmas – the Drifters

Linus and Lucy – Vince Guaraldi

The Coventry Carol – Alison Moyet

Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty

What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder

The Bells of Christmas -Julie Andrews at 17:05

R.O. Blechman – CBS Christmas Message (1966)

Christmas music in November

A typo augers a special appearance, for naughty boys and girls

The Boston Globe had a story in mid-November: Are you crazy for Christmas music in November – or does it make you crazy?

“Is there anything that can summon the Scrooges quicker than early-onset Christmas music? ‘If you listen to Christmas music in November, you are a psychopath,’ one person recently wrote on Twitter.

“Yet, for a small but dedicated contingent, the jeers and eye rolls offer little deterrence. Yes, the jack-o’-lanterns might still be perched on doorsteps. True, Thanksgiving might be weeks away. They just can’t help themselves.”

I’ll admit being in the “made crazy” category for much of my adulthood. But I’ve found that finding my own soundtrack, in my own mind if necessary, works reasonably well so that I’m not totally bored by seasonal music by the Ides of December.

Still, the fact that Thanksgiving in the United States in 2018 is the earliest it can be is slightly problematic. It seems to invite turning to the “all-Christmas music all the time” radio station in the car. Not by me, and not by my daughter. Fortunately, the Hamilton soundtrack or some K-pop usually wins the day, at least until December 1.

That said, the fact that Arthur posts Christmas ads in his blog in November, from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the United States. I find interesting and charming because I don’t tend to see them otherwise.

Here’s something I’ve known for decades: Santa’s Elves Live in … Schenectady? Schenectady is near Albany, so this is required information. But this story about the Christmas transit transfer was new to me.

A typo augers a special appearance, for naughty boys and girls.

Finally, frankincense has been proven to be a psychoactive antidepressant. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I hear too much Christmas music in November. Or October, fercryinoutloud.

(X is for wanting to X out Xmas music in November, for ABC Wednesday)

Music: Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’

I got a letter today, just about noon
she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be home soon”

black santa As you may know, Stax Records was the great record label out of Memphis, TN. Motown may have been “The Sound of Young America,” But Stax was “Soulsville U.S.A.”, the title of a tremdous book by Rob Bowman.

For this holiday season, I decided to reprise some songs from the Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles box sets I have. But I had forgotten that there are THREE box sets of nine CDs each. I only bought the first two. So the third set is new to me, and possibly to you.

Volume 3: 1972-1975

What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas – The Emotions; OK, you don’t hear a lot of sad Christmas songs that make the playlist

Season’s Greetings – Cix Bits; totally unfamiliar with this group

Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ – Albert King; what it says

Volume 2: 1968-1971

Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas – Staple Singers; a downer, social justice song – no airplay for you

Black Christmas – Emotions; the trio returns with a song that won’t make most seasonal playlists

The Mistletoe And Me – Isaac Hayes; I contend that this is a GREAT Christmas song, which I’ve never heard on the radio

Volume 1: 1959-1968

Jingle Bells – Booker T. and the M.G.’s; this actually got to #20 on the Xmas charts in 1966, a special designation that Billboard has had on and off. Of the songs listed here, it’s probably the one you’ve most likely heard in December

Winter Snow – Booker T. and the M.G.’s; I love, LOVE this song. Yes, it is melancholy, but it’s an instrumental

Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday – William Bell; this song, written by Bell and Booker T. Jones, actually made #33 on the R&B charts in 1968. Not strictly a holiday song, it would be a fine addition to a playlist

Everyday will be like a holiday
When my baby, when my baby comes home

Now she’s been gone
for such a long time
ever since she’s been gone,
she been on my mind

I got a letter today,
just about noon
she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be home soon”

Ted Nugent turneth 70

The rocker Ted Nugent turns 70 today and I’m conflicted. On one hand, the vile, racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-animal rights, anti-environmentalist musician should be called out, yes?

On the other hand, as my late mother always said, “If you don’t have something good to say about someone, don’t say anything.” I could write that and leave the rest of the page blank. Which would make the statement, I suppose, and it would be REALLY easy to write, to boot. But it wouldn’t be that interesting to read.

I find him so contemptible that when I saw this faux headline a couple years back Millions Mourn As Rocker/Activist Ted Nugent, Age 68, Found Alive, I’m only mildly embarrassed to admit that I laughed out loud.

His continual disdain for Barack Obama goes back years. “At a concert on August 22, 2007, while wielding what appeared to be automatic rifles, Nugent said in reference to Obama, “suck on my machine gun.”

Naturally, last year, the current resident of the White House “invited Nugent to visit along with right-wing politician/pundit Sarah Palin and rock-or-country musician Kid Rock. The three invitees posed for a picture under the official portrait of First Lady Hillary Clinton — to mock her.”

This year: “Classic rocker and NRA board member Ted Nugent has attacked Parkland’s teenage school shooting survivors-turned-gun control activists, calling them ‘mushy brained’ and ‘soulless’ liars. In an appearance on The Joe Pags Show…, Nugent apparently forgot about his promise to stop using ‘hateful rhetoric’ after last year’s congressional shooting in Virginia.”

He also has, it appears intentionally, obfuscated whether he dodged the military draft.

And yet there is one old song of his with the Amboy Dukes I actually really like. And I enjoy it much more because “Nugent, an ardent anti-drug campaigner, has always claimed that he had no idea that this song was about drug use.”

I would never want to journey into the center of his [string of invectives] mind.

Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne turns 70

Love Hope Strength has been hosting marrow donor drives at concerts and festivals across the globe

In December 2017, I was waiting for a bus from Troy to Albany on a very cold, toes-freezing evening. This seemingly drunk guy was at the bus stop, ranting, “Ozzy Osbourne has a s**load of money. He don’t have to work at all.” I know not the antecedent to that rant.

The thing for me about Ozzy is that I know for nothing about his music, either with Black Sabbath or as a solo artist. Yes, he has sold more than 100 million albums. I know he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his band since 2006.

Yet I find him oddly interesting. I did watch a few episodes of the first season of The Osbournes (2002-2005), a “reality” show about life with him, his wife Sharon, son Jack and daughter Kelly.

It was weird, and irritating. I kept at it a bit to see if I could figure out why some of my friends were so gaga for it. I’m still not sure. But, among other things, the show “normalized” Ozzy. It also helped propel Sharon into a talk show career and stoked the kids’ showbiz careers.

Ozzy had this Las Vegas show in October 2018. “After his five-decade reign as the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne is bidding farewell to the global tour life…” although it won’t end until 2020.

And he was supporting a good cause. “Love Hope Strength (LHS) is saving lives one concert at a time. Since 2008 they’ve been hosting marrow donor drives at concerts and festivals across the globe via their Get on the List campaign, which encourages people to sign up for the International Bone Marrow Registry with a simple cheek swab.”

Oh, and that drunk guy was right. The guy born John Osbourne but “known as Ozzy since grammar school was raised in Birmingham, England and left school at fifteen to work.” The Godfather of Heavy Metal has a net worth of $220 million.

Coverville 1241: Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath Cover Story