Well, because it's probably my favorite XMas jingle of all. (Get it? XMas jingle? Ha, ha, ha, ha!) Seriously, I love the song. Therefore, I can handle hearing it over and over. I cannot, of course, speak for everyone else.
More importantly, Jingle Bells lends itself to all sort of interpretations--it begs to be arranged and rearranged. it's a highly transformable tune (for want of a better, hipper phrase). In theory, all songs can be run through the interpretation wringer, and to equally good effect, but the reality is that few songs hold up well with extreme repetition. Jingle Bells does. To my ears, it's amazing what can be done with this song. One of the (near-pun alert!) miracles of Bells is that the melody survives anything it's subjected to. I'm sure that someone, given enough time, could ruin the song, but it would take a lot of work. In most instances, the song would win.
"I... I tried to... defile it. I..... (Clunk!)"--Arranger's last words. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaa!"--Jingle Bells sheet music.
Anyway, here's an utterly Jingle Bells-unrelated photo from 1928 or 1929, to be followed by a bunch of JB versions. The link leads to a folder, meaning that all 20-some files should come up on one page. It will be convenience such as you've never known. If it works out right....
I like that ad. It has lots of period charm, as the expression goes.
And just click on this link for the 22-song "Jingle Bells"-athon, Part 3. All should come up on a single page, with play, download, and something else options. I forgot what the third option is.
The artists are:
Arthur Godfrey (1953)
Artie Shaw (1943)
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (an out-take that must be heard in its entirety. Buwa-ha-haaaa!)
Count Basie
Ferrante and Teicher (1962)
Gene Krupa Trio
Gisele MacKenzie
Glenn Miller (from 1941 radio broadcast)
Glenn Miller (1941 studio recording)
Sammy Davis, Jr. (Reprise label version)
Morton Gould
Prissy Reed, Margie Singleton, The Jordanaires
Ray Price
Sammy Davis, Jr. (Again, with Columbia label version)
Sammy Kaye
United Choral Singers
Benny Goodman (1935)
Dinah Shore (1960)
Les Paul (1951)
Tony Harper (1950)
Les Paul, Mary Ford (Jungle Bells, from 1953. Awesome guitar feedback)
Santa and Johnny (Twistin' Bells, 1960)
My favorites: The Bing Crosby/Andrews Sisters 1943 out-take; Les Paul and Mary Ford's Jungle Bells (a combination of Jingle Bells and Mule Train, tune-wise!); Glenn Miller's wonderful version (in studio and radio-broadcast versions); and Tony Harper's 1950 rendition for the Columbia label, which may have influenced Patti Page a tad.
Anyway, I've got a lot to do--set up my stereo, build a radio for Christmas, feed the cats.
No, wait--I already fed the beasts. Cross one off the list. (Cross, cross.)
We close with another dumb me-photographing-myself-in-the-mirror shot, by now a blogging cliche....
Er, maybe not. Blogger seems to have stopped uploading. Well, you didn't want to see it, anyway.
Maybe Blogger.com has had enough of the photo-taken-in-mirror routine.
Lee
11 comments:
Lee, you are my hero. I've made a link to your "Jingle Bells" posts from falalalala.com, where I've been putting up different versions of this song. Thank you for your generosity in sharing all of this Christmas music with us - and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!
Aaaaaiiiiiggggghhhhh, I can't take it! It's too much. Uncle, Uncle, UNCLE!
Stephen,
My pleasure! The "Jingle Bells" history is interesting--I didn't know there was originally a different tune to the words.
Ernie,
Hang in there! You can do it,
Lee
It's included in a "Medley of Country Dances" on a 1909 Edison cylinder http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/4000/4956/cusb-cyl4956d.mp3
That is a particularly bad copy; mine is very loud & clear. Funny that Jingle Bells is now so closely associated with Christmas, when it doesn't mention anything more christmas-y than snow!
Here's another one for you, Lee:
"Swingin' for Christmas" by jug Ammons and Tom Archia, a tebnor sax romp.
Various Artists - 1948-1956 Vintage Recordings: Chicago Boss Tenors (Chess CHV 414)
Gene Ammons, Tom Archia (ts) Christine Chatman (p) Leroy Jackson (b) Wesley Landers (d)
Chicago, IL, October 12, 1948
U7139 McKie's Jam Boppers (The Battle)
same session
U7140 Swingin' for Christmas (Swingin' for Xmas)
Dear Lee--
Thank you so much for all the joyous tunes! I wandered in here last year about this time, in search of Les Paul & Mary Ford's "Jungle Bells," and there it was. Incredible. One of my favorite holiday songs from my misspent youth. Anyway, I have been reading and enjoying your site ever since. Have a great Thanksgiving and a White Christmas :)
What luck! I haven't been here in a few days (busy helping my best friend as she goes to a new job) and there's already pts. 2 and 3 of Jingle Bells!
I didn't find a part 1 though... hmmmm...where is it? :)
Thanks, everyone, for the nice words. And, Lynda, Part 1 probably got cut off the page. I put it up on Nov. 17 or so (the day before part 2). It should be right under it, but Blogger likes to display an incomplete history for some reason. Just click on November 2006 in the archives column to the right--that should make the post show up.
Blogger's habit of NOT automatically displaying a complete month's worth of postings drives me nuts. (On the other hand, it's a free service, so I'll promptly shut up!)
Lee
Thank you SOOOO much for that swingin' Jingle Bells by Glenn Miller. A friend of mine has that on vinyl and I've always loved it. Those Chesterfield smokers are satisfied, and so am I.
Fun site. I'm trying to work out what instrument is playing the melody in the Les Paul and Mary Ford version. Any ideas?
Everything is Les' guitar, far as I know. Advanced feedback, and way before it become popular!
Lee
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