Our Monthly Club Meeting will be Sunday, vDecember 13th at the Homewood Public Library. 2:00 PM

*****Next club meeting will be January 10th, 2010, the second Sunday******

SPECIAL EVENT THIS MONTH

BE SURE TO DROP BY THIS SUNDAY AND BE A PART OF OUR ANNUAL DIRTY SANTA GAME AND THE “FREE FOR ALL” WE’LL BE HAVING. TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DIRTY SANTA GAME YOU WILL NEED TO BRING A WRAPPED GIFT OF THE MUSICAL VARIETY, GAG GIFT IS FINE. THE “FREE FOR ALL” IS WHERE YOU CAN BRING RECORDS YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE THE MEMBERS LOOK THROUGH AND GIVE TO THEM. IF YOU JUST WANT TO COME WATCH THE GAME OR LOOK THROUGH THE “FREE” RECORDS, COME ON. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BRING A THING TO BE A PART OF THE FUN & FELLOWSHIP.

BIG THANKS TO HAYES HOPPER
IF YOU WERE AT LAST MONTH’S MEETING I KNOW YOU ENJOYED HEARING FROM OUR SPECIAL GUEST, HAYES HOPPER OF THE TIKIS. IT WAS FUN TO HEAR ABOUT HAYES’ EARLY DAYS WITH THE TIKIS. DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS EVEN TALK OF THE GUYS POSSIBLY DOING A GIG IN LOUISVILLE, KY AND MAYBE EVEN JAPAN? THANKS TO HAYES FOR COMING AND SPENDING THE AFTERNOON WITH US. GOOD LUCK TO HIM AND THE TIKIS AS THEY WORK ON GETTING TOGETHER AGAIN FOR A NIGHT OF MUSIC.

So you think you know about the Christmas music of the 50’s & 60’s. See if you knew these facts about some of the songs we listened to during the best time music had to offer.

“BLUE CHRISTMAS” – ELVIS PRESLEY
Written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson. Recorded by Ernest Tubb in 1948. The Tubb recording included an extra verse that was not used in the Elvis recording. The song has been recorded by many different type singers from Bing Crosby to Brenda Lee to Billy Idol to The Beach Boys and recently by Celine Dion. One site listed over 75 artists who have recorded the song but I would say that well over 100 recordings have been made of the song. Why even a Porky Pig version by Seymour Swine was released. But with all the versions recorded, Elvis made the song “his” with his bluesy rock n roll classic version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVdMaRsJCDk&feature=PlayList&p=2EDCAC4DCC... Ernest Tubb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQW1MgZAvlo Elvis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6RrCN8q77Y Seymour Swine

“JINGLE BELL ROCK” – BOBBY HELMS
Written by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe. First recorded by Bobby Helms in 1957. The song has been linked to the rock-a-billy sound but many like to say it just sounds more country than rock. Either way it was a popular song during the Christmas season during those early years and still gets air play these days. Helms original recording was on the Decca label but was re-recorded by him for the Kapp label in 1965 and again in 1967 on the Little Darlin’ label. Wait, he’s not through yet. In 1970 Helms recorded the song for the Certron label even releasing the single with a picture sleeve. The Certron version was from a LP entitled “Jingle Bell Rock”. Another re-recording of the song was released on the Ashley label and finally in 1983 one last re-recording was released on the Black Rose label. Bill Haley and The Comets recorded the song in 1968 but it was not released and pretty much forgotten until the mid-1990’s when it was issued. Again many artists recorded the song. As many as 50 versions are documented from Chet Atkins to Hall & Oates, Lou Rawls to The Jonas Brothers. But again the Bobby Helms version is one of the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFsFntQBp9s Bobby Helms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQXMT_QhguI Hall & Oates

“ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE” – BRENDA LEE
Written By Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958. Although it was issued in 1958 and ’59 it was not until 1960 that the song hit the billboard charts. That year it reached # 14 during the Christmas season. It still is considered a classic holiday song. It reached # 4 on the charts as late as 1984. The guitar player is the same artists on Bobby Helms “Jingle Bell Rock” recording, Hank Garland. Dozens of artists has covered the song with one of the most notable cover versions done by Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love. One of the most recent covers is by Hanna Montana. The Rubber Band, a Beatles cover band, also have recorded the song in a Beatles style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRzyOSAJg94 Brenda Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLP5806ZpUU Ronnie Spector & Darlene Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llpAhc0jQ98 The Rubber Band

“PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS” – CHARLES BROWN
Written in 1960 by Charles Brown and Gene Reed, “Please Come Home For Christmas” hit the charts in 1961 reaching # 76. On the Christmas Singles Chart it reached # 1 in 1972. It was on this chart for 9 seasons. Just as so many other Christmas season rock n roll songs this song was covered by dozens of other artists including James Brown, Harry Connick, Jr, Toby Keith, Etta James, Willie Nelson, and Bon Jovi. It is definitely a classic and still gets plenty of air play today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdNoGtPQ3I&feature=PlayList&p=54C862C399... Charles Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slTYj2h6OfY&feature=PlayList&p=15E3726922... Jon Bon Jovi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUmwUIYLHvE Aaron Neville

“WHITE CHRISTMAS” – THE DRIFTERS
Written by Irving Berlin. The story goes Berlin wrote the song in 1940. He told his secretary, “Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written — hell, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!” It is listed by some as the highest selling record of all time. Probably the most notable version of the song is by Bing Crosby but on the radio stations that we listened to, The Drifters’ version was a staple during the holiday season. Their version featured both lead singer Clyde McPhatter and bass singer Bill Pinkney. It reached #2 on the R&B charts in 1954 and was on the charts again the next 2 years. It also became the first of 34 singles The Drifters had on the Hot 100 charts. Although it was very popular, the song reached its highest popularity and was played on all types of radio stations after it was used in the 1990 movie, Home Alone. There was a verse from the original version that was dropped over the years by most recordings.

It goes like this:
The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There's never been such a day
in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it's December the twenty-fourth,—
And I am longing to be up North—

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUbU5hD0rrM Bing Crosby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVZOK_9UUI The Drifters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mkZ8OLB8nk&feature=PlayList&p=267FA81299... Darlene Love (with the missing verse included)

I know I probably didn’t include your favorite but when you think about it there are so many great Christmas songs we heard on the radio during “the day”. Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Paper”, Gene Autry’s “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, Chuck Berry’s “Run, Rudolph, Run”, The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride”, Elvis’ “Santa Claus Is Back In Town”, Alabama’s “Dixie In Christmas”, and a newer recording and one of my favorites, Stevie Nicks’ “Silent Night”, just to name a few.

Merry Christmas to all and remember the reason for the season. Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

AT THIS TIME OUR JANUARY MEETING IS STILL BEING PLANNED.

WE ARE PLANNING ON ANOTHER IN-HOUSE RECORD SHOW IN THE SPRING. MORE ON THAT LATER.

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE MEETINGS SO BE SURE TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND DROP BY FOR FOOD, FUN, MUSIC AND FELLOWSHIP.

SEE YA,
CHARLIE

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Our club is a non-profit organization. The officers voted to share a portion of the income from this year's record show with the following charitable organizations:

The Downtown Jimmy Hale Mission, Meals on Wheels, Kid One Transport, and Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program. We are happy to be able to help out these charities especially this year when contributions are down from prior years.