(originally posted 12/10)
While I don't generally pick favorites, as each year passes this record has gotten deeper and deeper into my soul, and I could probably say that it's my favorite rock n roll Christmas single.
One area that wasn't explored very deeply by US garage bands was the Christmas record; however, Chicago's Saturday's Children were way too sophisticated to be called a garage band.
Here, the band (deeply influenced by the Beatles) melds "Deck The Halls" with Dave Brubeck's jazz standard "Take Five' and turns it into a jazzy, quasi-psychedelic number that I almost guarantee will bring on some holiday cheer. This group had an incredible knack for harmonies, and tackle the tricky 5/4 time signature with ease making for the most hypnotic Christmas record I've ever heard. The other side ("Christmas Sounds") is an exceptional holiday original showcasing their excellent group harmonies and songwriting skill. This song gets closer to my heart with each passing year, and sadly, Saturday's Children main man Ron Holder passed away about a month ago (not to mention Mr Take Five himself, Dave Brubeck) making this record extra powerful this season.
from 1966...
SATURDAY'S CHILDREN - CHRISTMAS SOUNDS
b/w DECK FIVE
2 comments:
Deck Five is very underrated. Love the harmonies and the odd meter workout here. Sounds a lot like Garage Rock meets medieval counterpoint. Which for a garage band in the late 1960's is really far out territory. And musically takes a lot of chops vocally and instrumentally. The most underrated Christmas rock record ever made and the best I have heard. Thanks for posting this. After all, It's Dunwich, Man!
Every Saturday's Children release I've ever heard shows talent and ingenuity. Not only did Deck Five capture the feeling of Take Five, but it did it, not with Brubeck's 5/4, but with 3/4 (or 6/8) time. Phenomenal!
Terry
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