Well, here we go again. All of the promotional material about Colbie Caillat's "Christmas In The Sand" from the label and from the artist herself promised 14 or 15 tracks (it has always been referenced as "10 holiday standards" and "3 newly written songs" plus "Mistletoe", and most recently Billboard reported it was made up of "five originals and 10 holiday standards"). So now the track list has been posted at Amazon and--surprise, surprise--there are only 12 tracks listed.
1. Merry Christmas Baby (feat. Brad Paisley)
2. Santa Baby
3. Christmas In The Sand
4. Baby It s Cold Outside (feat. Gavin DeGraw)
5. The Christmas Song (feat. Justin Young)
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. Every Day is Christmas (feat. Jason Reeves)
8. Silver Bells
9. Winter Wonderland
10. Mistletoe
11. Happy Christmas
12. Auld Lang Syne
Of songs that either Colbie has mentioned as being on the CD or that the label has included in previous promotional materials, the "missing" tracks appear to be "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", the latter previously released in 2009 (I never really did believe there was a 15th track). Chances are these tracks will surface as "bonus cuts" somewhere. But it would be a plus if the record company would be straight about the content from the git-go.
1. Merry Christmas Baby (feat. Brad Paisley)
2. Santa Baby
3. Christmas In The Sand
4. Baby It s Cold Outside (feat. Gavin DeGraw)
5. The Christmas Song (feat. Justin Young)
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. Every Day is Christmas (feat. Jason Reeves)
8. Silver Bells
9. Winter Wonderland
10. Mistletoe
11. Happy Christmas
12. Auld Lang Syne
Of songs that either Colbie has mentioned as being on the CD or that the label has included in previous promotional materials, the "missing" tracks appear to be "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", the latter previously released in 2009 (I never really did believe there was a 15th track). Chances are these tracks will surface as "bonus cuts" somewhere. But it would be a plus if the record company would be straight about the content from the git-go.
The Oak Ridge Boys' SIXTH Christmas album releases today. "Christmas Times A-Coming" features 12 tracks from the holiday stalwarts and you'll find an overview on our Previews page. But did you know that there's an "Exclusive" version of the CD out there with 2 bonus tracks? Well, there sure enough is. The "Exclusive" version should be turning up at your local Cracker Barrel today or in the very near future. No one has yet said what the two additional tracks are, but we're told they are "heartwarming bonus tracks that capture the meaning of the season". The Cracker Barrel edition of the new album also features a different cover (left) than the standard retail edition. So far, no listing for the record on Cracker Barrel's web site, but we'll link it up through our List as soon as it shows up.
UPDATE: The bonus tracks on the Cracker Barrel Exclusive are "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "The Christmas Song". I'm told (by the employees) the album is selling briskly there. And there's nothing to indicate they weren't recorded anew. BTW, if you stop by Cracker Barrel to pick up a copy, they've got this awesome Apple Dumpling desert that you really ought to try. Skip dinner, go straight for the desert. Yum!
UPDATE: The bonus tracks on the Cracker Barrel Exclusive are "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "The Christmas Song". I'm told (by the employees) the album is selling briskly there. And there's nothing to indicate they weren't recorded anew. BTW, if you stop by Cracker Barrel to pick up a copy, they've got this awesome Apple Dumpling desert that you really ought to try. Skip dinner, go straight for the desert. Yum!
Our friends from the Fayetteville Ska Alliance met their fund raising target and have been hard at work on their coming Christmas album. While we don't have all the purchase info just yet, we do have a title, some cover art and a working track list. Very cool! Oh, and the unfinished/demo/sampler/teaser above. Now that's really, really cool! Really looking forward to this one.
Deck The Halls
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Up On The Housetop
Carol Of The Bells
Jingle Bells
Hark The Herald
A Medley (O’ Come All Ye Faithful, We Three Kings, Joy To The World, and more)
Have Another Piece Of Pie (original)
Merry, Happy, Jolly, Good Time (original)
????? (original--as yet un-named)
Deck The Halls
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Up On The Housetop
Carol Of The Bells
Jingle Bells
Hark The Herald
A Medley (O’ Come All Ye Faithful, We Three Kings, Joy To The World, and more)
Have Another Piece Of Pie (original)
Merry, Happy, Jolly, Good Time (original)
????? (original--as yet un-named)
Across the pond, folks are all a-Twitter (pun intended) about the coming Christmas album from the reunited Steps. Steps was a very popular 90s Pop vocal group who recorded 3 studio albums and released 16 singles before splitting up in 2001. 14 of their singles went top 5 with 2 going all the way to #1. Steps didn't really translate on this side of the Atlantic, their only American album release rising no higher than #79. The group reunited in 2011 for a documentary and decided a full-blown reunion would be fun. They started work on the Christmas album, "Light Up The World", in August and it's release (accompanied by a brief Christmas tour) should come in late November or early December. The Steps sound--what I've heard at least--is reminiscent of ABBA, in case you were wondering. Heck, they even recorded a song called "Thank Abba For The Music".
We've also learned recently that Thomas Anders, the former front man for the German group Modern Talking, is slated to release "Christmas For You" on November 16. Modern Talking, a Synth Pop/New Romantic band, was a hit making machine in Europe. And Anders is known to love Christmas music, having previously released a pair of holiday singles and even reuniting with the other half of the duo for an album last year specifically so the two could record a new Christmas song together. The album "Peace On Earth" featured both "It's Christmas" and "Give Me Peace On Earth". The new holiday set from Thomas Anders will likely only be available to we Americans as an import.
We've also learned recently that Thomas Anders, the former front man for the German group Modern Talking, is slated to release "Christmas For You" on November 16. Modern Talking, a Synth Pop/New Romantic band, was a hit making machine in Europe. And Anders is known to love Christmas music, having previously released a pair of holiday singles and even reuniting with the other half of the duo for an album last year specifically so the two could record a new Christmas song together. The album "Peace On Earth" featured both "It's Christmas" and "Give Me Peace On Earth". The new holiday set from Thomas Anders will likely only be available to we Americans as an import.
I thought this was pretty cool, myself. And I had thought about holding it for a Singles post (it's been a really bad year for Christmas singles so far; still early, but I haven't found much worth posting about). But it's not a single--not really, anyway--so I'll toss it in here.
Growing up and watching the Tonight Show every chance I got, there were only a very few non-Top 40 singers that made a deep and lasting impression on me. One was Jazz singer Joe Williams. But another--one I'd never have guessed--was Anthony Newley. He was exactly the kind of Middle Of the Road/Adult artist I hated as a kid. But there was something about his voice and how he used it that absolutely captivated me. And it was the voice, not the mannerisms (if you never saw Newley on the Tonight Show, he had sort of a Joe Cocker-ish spastic thing going on--at least that's how I remember it).
Anthony Newley died in 1999, losing his battle with cancer. But he had recorded a number of tracks in 1996 and 1997 with the intention of putting out another album. He was somewhat shy of enough material for a full record when illness overtook him and the tracks remained unreleased. Among the tracks Newley'd recorded were a pair of Christmas songs he'd written, intended for a single. Stage Door Records, along with the Anthony Newley Society, have finished the mastering of Newley's final recordings and will release them as "The Last Song" on November 5. Filling out the album are 4 previously unreleased live tracks and the two Christmas songs, "What Shall We Bring?" and "Santa Claus Is Elvis". The album is showing as an import on Amazon at the moment. And, yeah, I want those two songs. Don't you?
Growing up and watching the Tonight Show every chance I got, there were only a very few non-Top 40 singers that made a deep and lasting impression on me. One was Jazz singer Joe Williams. But another--one I'd never have guessed--was Anthony Newley. He was exactly the kind of Middle Of the Road/Adult artist I hated as a kid. But there was something about his voice and how he used it that absolutely captivated me. And it was the voice, not the mannerisms (if you never saw Newley on the Tonight Show, he had sort of a Joe Cocker-ish spastic thing going on--at least that's how I remember it).
Anthony Newley died in 1999, losing his battle with cancer. But he had recorded a number of tracks in 1996 and 1997 with the intention of putting out another album. He was somewhat shy of enough material for a full record when illness overtook him and the tracks remained unreleased. Among the tracks Newley'd recorded were a pair of Christmas songs he'd written, intended for a single. Stage Door Records, along with the Anthony Newley Society, have finished the mastering of Newley's final recordings and will release them as "The Last Song" on November 5. Filling out the album are 4 previously unreleased live tracks and the two Christmas songs, "What Shall We Bring?" and "Santa Claus Is Elvis". The album is showing as an import on Amazon at the moment. And, yeah, I want those two songs. Don't you?
Finally today, another Kickstarter campaign. This one from Josiah James. James is a Contemporary Christian artist from California. Bringin' it West Coast, Dawg. I know next to nothing about Josiah and his music except that he started very young and, in 2010, he "released" a free download for Christmas, "Heaven Came Down", that I liked a lot and it stuck with me. It was again a free download last Christmas (and it's probably still out there as a free download if you know where to look). But Josiah is ready to record a full Christmas EP, now, and the only thing in his way is the cost. So, you know, dig it or don't. But, if you do, all you really have to do is pre-order a copy with your pledge. A $7 pledge reserves your pre-release digital download and, for just $10, you'll reserve a physical copy of the EP...signed, no less. As with all these Kickstarter deals, there are more incentives for larger pledges and, if the goal isn't reached, you won't owe a thing (but that wold also mean no EP, and that would be very sad). And the more money Josiah raises, the more songs on the Ep. Now that's an incentive!
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