Pt. 2: ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ and The Dickens Connection
Ever wonder what is the Christmas carol of Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'? Evidence points to 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' as the carol in question. We make our case herein.
Features / News
Hark the What? Ironies of a Beloved Carol
REV. MARK D. ROBERTS knows 'If you don’t want to tick people off, then don’t change the words of the hymns and carols.' As he explains, 'HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING' is a perfect example of this maxim.
How Mr. Chokepear Keeps A Merry Christmas.
From a December 25, 1841 issue of the British humor and satire magazine PUNCH, a story satirizing a heartless one-percenter's self-absorbed Christmas rituals.
The ‘Quiet Ecstasy’ of Harry Simeone’s ‘Little Drummer Boy’
The story behind THE HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE's classic 'THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY' begins in 1941 with KATHERINE KENNICOTT DAVIS'S 'CAROL OF THE DRUM' and includes a classic Christmas album featuring the oft-covered seasonal favorite.
A Half-Century+ of Classic Animated ‘Rudolph’
On Dec. 6, 1964 NBC premiered an animated version of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER with BURL IVES as host. It drew a 50 share and was an instant holiday classic. From a 50 share to 50+ years as a holiday staple, we pay tribute to…
Singles Charts and the Battle for Bullets
In our continuing excerpts from MICHAEL SIGMAN's memoir Just Remember: Field Notes from a Music Biz Life, the author recounts the tumult that erupted when Record World dared to print charts reflecting actual record sales.
The End of the ’60s? Where Do I Begin…
In this installment of his forthcoming memoirs, contributing editor MICHAEL SIGMAN lands a full-time job at RECORD WORLD right out of college, at the very moment sure signals of the '60s' end could not be ignored.
Brooklyn, Blintzes, Baseball and Ballads With Johnny Mercer (Field Notes From a Music Biz Life)
In chapters 6 and 7 of his memoirs, MICHAEL SIGMAN recalls his father CARL SIGMAN's songwriting apprenticeship with JOHNNY MERCER and how the rocky course of his adolescent years seemed to parallel his dad's hit songs.
The Old Guard Hated the Rock But Loved the Bankroll (Field Notes From a Music Biz Life, Part 4)
In Part 4 of his autobiography, MICHAEL SIGMAN explains why the old guard post-war pop songwriters 'hated the rock but loved the bankroll'
A Gathering of Voices, in Celebration and Covenant
Continuing a journey embarked upon three albums ago, MOIRA SMILEY & VOCO and The Choir of YOU bring voices, instruments and a gumbo of American and Eastern European folk music together on LAUGHTER OUT OF TEARS.