Joe Williams aside, there is also Christmas music I'm listening to these days. Having missed December, there's plenty I need to catch up on. I kinda thought I was through with Christmas music, to be honest. Made it into April before the old fever hit. But then I was like an addict who'd fallen off the wagon. Spent days searching out a whole bunch of stuff--mostly the free ones, really. It is what it is. Why fight it?
So, anyway, Frankie Rockin' Smith is one of the artists I came across. He's a kid (well, at my age, I think everybody's a kid) from the UK with a voice perfectly suited to late 50s/early 60s Rock N Roll. A real throwback and, yeah, a tremendous voice. "Christmas Blues" is Frankie's debut single, although he's put in a few years independently putting out his own stuff. In fact, somewhere out there are copies of an entire (self-released) Christmas album CD--mostly a mix of standards and Shakin' Stevens covers. Of course, once actual labels get involved, they tend to shut stuff like that down right away. So, if you find a copy, it'll likely be on the secondary market (good luck).
I'd have to say "Christmas Blues" is the most played track at Stubby's House over the past three weeks or so and I haven't tired of it yet. I like the single version of "Christmas Blues" as it combines Frankie's retro R&B style with a bit of modern fuzz and feel. There's an acoustic version with a bluesier backing which you'd think I'd favor. It's nice, but I still take the Rock version. Love the fuzz.
I will say the young dude looks a little uncomfortable in the videos (imho), so I'd suggest not watching the vid as you listen...just let Frankie's voice win you over without the visual distraction.
The digital version of "Christmas Blues", which was released on December first, should be widely available (Amazon's got it), but there's also a limited edition CD single that isn't widely available. Only 100 copies were pressed and, look, it's done up like a cool little gold vinyl record. Ain't that neat? Only a few copies remain, it seems, and there's only one place to get them (so far as I can tell). EBAY! That's where the management company decided to sell the post-holiday leftovers. And the price is right--around $3.50 shipped at the current exchange rate. Grab it quick, if you want one (5 left as of this writing).
Hopefully, we'll hear more from Frankie Rockin' Smith in the years to come. While we wait, we can enjoy some of the Christmas music videos he already has up on YouTube, including this cover of Shakin' Stevens' "I'll Be Home This Christmas". And keep up on what Frankie's working on via Facebook.
I'd have to say "Christmas Blues" is the most played track at Stubby's House over the past three weeks or so and I haven't tired of it yet. I like the single version of "Christmas Blues" as it combines Frankie's retro R&B style with a bit of modern fuzz and feel. There's an acoustic version with a bluesier backing which you'd think I'd favor. It's nice, but I still take the Rock version. Love the fuzz.
I will say the young dude looks a little uncomfortable in the videos (imho), so I'd suggest not watching the vid as you listen...just let Frankie's voice win you over without the visual distraction.
The digital version of "Christmas Blues", which was released on December first, should be widely available (Amazon's got it), but there's also a limited edition CD single that isn't widely available. Only 100 copies were pressed and, look, it's done up like a cool little gold vinyl record. Ain't that neat? Only a few copies remain, it seems, and there's only one place to get them (so far as I can tell). EBAY! That's where the management company decided to sell the post-holiday leftovers. And the price is right--around $3.50 shipped at the current exchange rate. Grab it quick, if you want one (5 left as of this writing).
Hopefully, we'll hear more from Frankie Rockin' Smith in the years to come. While we wait, we can enjoy some of the Christmas music videos he already has up on YouTube, including this cover of Shakin' Stevens' "I'll Be Home This Christmas". And keep up on what Frankie's working on via Facebook.
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