"The Christmas Song" by Mendes FINALLY on CD!

[Harry]

Shout Factory Records

This is also listed at Amazon.com

Sergio Mendes fans have for years been wondering about this song. Up until two weeks ago, it only ever appeared on the original A&M vinyl of SOMETHING FESTIVE (and its later incarnation).

Rejoice! and Hallelujah!

(Oh yeah! Claudine's "Snow" is also on there!)

Harry
...who'll be looking for this one for sure, online...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

There's a Tiny Tim song on there, too...what WERE they thinking.

I always swore I'd never purchase anything by Tiny Tim, but now I'm having to think it over. I guess I could buy an original, make a copy and leave Tim off of it!

 

[Harry]

Apparently, the powers that be on this 'label' came from the Rhino stable.

Harry
...noting that Tiny Tim comes last, giving the owner a chance to hit the off switch, online...

 

[Dave]

There's a Tiny Tim song on there, too...what WERE they thinking?

I always swore I'd never purchase anything by Tiny Tim, but now I'm having to think it over. I guess I could buy an original, make a copy and leave Tim off of it!

Ummmm...I can imagine Tim Khaury doing an ALBUM of Christmas Tunes (Which even after OVERDOSING on Eggnog I probably STILL wouldn't stand! :goofygrin: ), but WHAT song does he do on this??!!

I don't even think I remember how "Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips" goes or what it sounds like, but I'm sure I'd be familiar with it if I ever hear it.

Dave

...who is STILL pretty satisfied with his Sergio Mendes "Christmas Song" and Claudine's "Snow" on the ¡SOMETHING FESTIVE! LP on vinyl, and which STILL plays perfect...!

 

[Harry]

After searching a few brick and mortar stores for this one, I gave up and ordered online. It arrived today - and the Mendes song is altered!

All sounds normal up until about 2:27 in. There, just as Sergio is finishing his electric piano bridge, it's been edited to repeat that entire middle instrumental section. Thus the track times in at 4:18.

Audio quality is suspect - kind of gritty, particularly on Lani's louder vocal passages. It's possible that they mastered it from an LP. Hard to tell - Sergio's sibillant S's in the beginning sound pretty clean. There's a few dropouts in places too.

I would only recommend this CD to a Brasil '66 fan who's never heard the song as at least an easy way of acquiring it - it's first commercial release on CD. Other fans - stick with the Something Festive LP.

The Claudine track on this CD ("Snow") sounds fine, but then it had already been remastered to CD in Japan.

Harry
..."Sometimes thee weend blows thwoo the twees", online...

 

[Brasil_Nut]

What portion is repeated? The electric piano solo?

I love the way he recorded Lani and Karen to mirror one another at the end of the song. Such a shame that Brasil '66 didn't do an entire Christmas and/or Holiday Lp. Their sound was well-suited to the theme.

Alas! Claudine's "Snow" appears here? Wow!! I'm still reeling from a recent eBay win (and a bit of a splurge...) Having obtained all of Claudine's A&M albums on CD up through Run Wild, Run Free, I was amazed to see a Japanese copy on eBay two weeks ago. Heck! I didn't even know it had been released on CD!! Indeed, I spent $$$, but it was worth every penny...my one big splurge for the year. Now my Claudine collection is complete and that's happiness!

Jon

 

[Harry]

Yes, the electric piano solo is repeated - all 28 seconds of it. Nasty edit too - I can't imagine what would possess someone to do that.

Jon, you weren't the one who made news at the top of Eb's Claudine page are you? http://home.earthlink.net/~elbroome/longet/news.html

Harry
...disappointed at the Mendes Christmas song editing, online...

 

[daveK]

I noticed that Burt Bacharach's "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" is on a CD from Collectibles. It's one of their "Ultimate Christmas Album" volumes.

 

[Harry]

That Collectables version of "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" was mastered from a poor-sounding 45. Horrible!

Harry
...wondering where the REAL masters of these are, online...

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Jon, you weren't the one who made news at the top of Eb's Claudine page are you?

Nope...that's a different copy of Run Wild, Run Free. Mine came out to something like GBP 64.00 (approximately 107.19 American dollars). Also, his posting refers to an August auction. I won my copy a mere two weeks ago (October 27, 2003).

Regardless, I'm grateful to have the entire A&M Claudine collection on CD.

Jon

...with a lighter pocketbook, but hey...it was worth it!

 

[JMK]

What a weird edit, especially considering the original clocks in at a relatively hefty (at least for 1968!) 3:45! BTW, I think we discussed this on the old Board, but to my ears, it's a Richard Hazard orchestration, not Dave Grusin. It's noticeably lighter in texture, and that shimmering high string sound that Hazard also displayed on "Like a Lover" is on full display.

 

[Rudy]

Yep, I agree your Hazard-ous guess is a good one...same high-register strings that keep out of the vocalists' way, like on the Look Around album.

That edit must be horrible. I probably could have done it better myself! Then again, there are some edit points in songs that just don't work well. Better off spending $3 on the LP of Something Festive to get it in all its unaltered glory.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

What a weird edit, especially considering the original clocks in at a relatively hefty (at least for 1968!) 3:45! BTW, I think we discussed this on the old Board, but to my ears, it's a Richard Hazard orchestration, not Dave Grusin. It's noticeably lighter in texture, and that shimmering high string sound that Hazard also displayed on "Like a Lover" is on full display.

Wow! This has me curious!! Is it really that weird? I can't wait to hear the "new" version. Is it even in context with the rest of the song? In other words, if you had not heard the original, would it sound like an edit? Interesting to say the least.

Agreed on the Richard Hazard arrangement. Grusin's orchestrations have a tendency to be heavy-handed. Hazard had a lighter touch.

Jon

 

[Harry]

If you'd never heard it before, and weren't paying too close attention, you might not notice it. It's at least a passable rhythmically-sound edit and it sounds like Sergio ran through the passage twice. But if you listen even remotely closely, you clearly hear the edit point.

Harry
...still watching the rain come down, online...

 

[HiFiEER]

Post Deleted

 

[Rudy]

Hey Kenny!

 

[gmonet]

Just so all you younger members know, A&M released this Christmas LP years and years ago. It had Claudine, and get this, Judy Garland's daughter Liza Minelli, doing a song caleed Rageddy Ann & Rageddy Andy. It is not that bad. I had the Lp for years, then sold it with my collection to a guy in Korea. It was one of my favorite holiday pieces, but I archived it on Metal bias Cassette. Knowing that Mel's Christmas song on CD excited me, but to hear it's not true to the original, I pass with my piece of cassette gold. Too bad you all cannot hear it.

 

[Rudy]

Just so all you younger members know, A&M released this Christmas LP years and years ago.

Something like this?

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1078

There were actually two Christmas releases. One was Something Festive, and there was a second a few years later that substituted two tracks for newer ones.