Alex Chilton was just 16-years old when he and his band-mates, known as The Box Tops, recorded The Letter in 1966. The Letter was the band’s biggest hit and was the #2 song of 1967 topped only by Light My Fire from The Doors. The band broke up in 1970.
Over the next four decades, Chilton continued to write and record and eventually formed a band called Big Star, a group Peter Buck of R.E.M. called a “major influence” on their music. Additionally, Chilton penned the theme song for That 70’s Show.
In 1975, Chilton released his second solo album, Bach’s Bottom. On it was a tune he wrote titled Jesus Christ. I actually heard a version by The Decemberists from Holidays Rule Volume 2. And only after doing some research on the song did I discover its connection to Chilton.
As most of the followers of this blog know, I started this endeavor to provide an alternative to the dreadful Christmas music on the radio. Since I started ten or eleven years ago, the availability of alternative Christmas music has exploded (which is really a good thing). You can pretty much find any music on Spotify, Pandora, Prime, Deezer and IHeart.
And as far a music radio in general goes, I rarely listen to it. And I know my twenty-something daughter never does. She just plugs in a device and listens to what she wants.
So I asked myself, what purpose does this blog serve?
First off, I like to do it.
Secondly, year after year I find truly amazing Christmas music I had previously never heard and I put it in my playlist.
Thirdly, if this blog helps you build a solid Christmas music playlist, then I’ve served my purpose. And therefore, I continue.
I do try to avoid music that gets radio airplay. But since I rarely listen to music radio anymore, some of what I find may be getting airplay.
That said, earlier this year I heard a Christmas tune from MercyMe that I’m guessing gets into a Christmas rotation. And it’s a perfect tune to start the year.
THEN, just a couple weeks ago, I heard a new Christmas song from The Mavericks that is an even better way way to start off this year’s blog.
I had already teased the Mercy Me tune so I’ll post both.
The Mavericks formed in Miami back in 1989 and are probably best described as an ‘alt-country’ or even a Tex-Mex band. They broke up in 2004 and re-formed in 2012.
On November 3 of this year, they released an original tune titled Christmas Time Is (Coming ‘Round Again). It’s a snappy upbeat number and a perfect way to kick off the blog.
MercyMe is a Contemporary Christian band hailing from Texas. The band was formed in 1994 and they’ve won boatloads of awards. Boatloads! They’re pretty good.
In October of 2015, they released MercyMe, It’s Christmas, and it was very well received. It reached #1 on Billboard’s US Christian Albums list and on #1 on Billboard’s US Top Holiday List. Christmastime Again is from that record. It’s a great upbeat tune as well.
Tom's Christmas Music Blog 