Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 217 - Thinking about Christmas Songs Part I

Christmas songs that get you in the mood!

I was walking through a shopping center when I heard Christmas songs...
As I haven't done a Christmas song feature before, I suddenly thought of doing one.

There are lots of wonderful Christmas songs, such as “Jingle Bells”, “White Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Let It Snow”, “Winter Wonderland” and many more.

And the melody lines of these songs are catchy, so once you hear them your brain remembers them. As soon as December comes around, Christmas songs start playing everywhere, and they're often repeated over and over again, so even if you don't know the titles, there are probably many songs that you're familiar with.

Christmas is a big event at the end of the year, and there are many happy memories (or maybe not for everyone?), so just hearing the sound of it can lift your spirits.

Christmas songs are special in that they enter people's hearts and expand within each person's own filter.

Everyone Loves Christmas Songs!

When you look at Christmas songs in J-pop, there are many that have become standard.
The most famous of these is probably Tatsuro Yamashita's (titles omitted below) “Christmas Eve”, with its wonderful middle section featuring the Hapelberg Canon chorus. Yumi Matsutoya's “Koibito ga Santa Claus” is a standard song at ski resorts. It is stuck in the memories of many people.

Producing Christmas Songs on a Digital Synthesizer

I think there are many people who have made Christmas songs at home.
I was working at a broadcasting station, so I had a special Christmas segment made for the news, and I produced the music for the segment myself, wrote a storyboard, and filmed the video with the help of all the cameramen. We made a Christmas package that was about 1 minute and 50 seconds long, and it was broadcast. Other stations also tried something similar, and the success or failure of the experiment could be seen as an indication of the strength of the station. Christmas was that special. This was more than 20 years ago.
I asked the band members, including myself, to perform.
At the time, the synthesizer was a Yamaha DX7 II, which produced the electric piano sound, and the Roland D-50 produced the bells (a must for Christmas songs!) for the intro and pad and organ sounds. We used a Roland MC-500 sequencer and recorded on a Teac 4-track recorder. The drum machine was a Yamaha RX11. The bass and guitar were played by the band members. The vocals were recorded in the MA room with a vocalist from a radio station. The final product was recorded on a Sony U-matic 3/4 tape. A member of the production team who knows a lot about sound worked as the engineer. I looked for the tune, but I couldn't find one, so I'll just introduce the lyrics.

♪ “A Major Waltz Party”

Let the Holly Bell ring, Silent Night tonight
A major waltz party
To you, who has removed the loop,
Merry Merry Christmas to you

When the noise of the city can be heard clearly
The stardust illumination
Is decorated on the fir tree

Let the Holly Bell ring, Silent Night tonight
In the velvet moonlight
The smooth waltz, the shadow sways
Merry Merry Christmas to Night

The song has a chorus; an intro once, two chorus and a verse. The song is about 1 minute and 50 seconds long.

Nowadays, with workstation synthesizers, I think that songs can be made without much stress and the environment for music production is well-established.
The existence of MIDI and the progress of digital technology have made music production easier.
Now, let's introduce some wonderful Christmas songs from the world of rock and pop.

■ Recommended album: 'A Very Special Christmas' by Meny Artist (1987)

This Christmas album was released in 1990 to support the Special Olympics.
The cover, designed by pop art master Keith Haring, was a big talking point. The album itself is just as fun and pop as the cover.
The artists who participated in this album include Madonna, U2, The Pointer Sisters, Stevie Nicks, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, and many more.
This Keith Haring series was very popular, and many other albums were released.

Recommended song: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by The Pointer Sisters

I think this track is one of the best in the classic song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.
The bells and acoustic piano of the intro are wonderful. The point which stuck in my mind was that Pointer Sisters sing the chorus “Santa Claus is coming to town” with riffs and runs.
The loudness and speed of the recording, which seems to have been done in one take, gives the song a sense of momentum, and the listener's tension also rises.

Recommended song: “Merry Christmas Baby” by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

This is a valuable track recorded live by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The world of Christmas spreads out all at once when the saxophone and rhythm ensemble join in with the strong acoustic piano intro by Roy Bittan.
In the middle of the song, saxophonist Clarence Clemons plays “Jingle Bells” to add to the Christmas mood. You can hear the fun of a live performance.

Switching topics, in 1979, the No Nukes Concert was held at Madison Square Garden to appeal against the dangers of nuclear weapons. It has also been released on record and CD. Many artists took part, including the Doobie Brothers and Jackson Browne. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band also performed with Jackson Browne. The song “Stay” is very similar to the arrangement of “Merry Christmas Baby”, or is it the same? If you are interested, please listen to it. It's funny.

Musicians, Albums and Recommended Songs Featured This Time

• Artists: The Pointer Sisters, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, etc.
• Album: 'A Very Special Christmas'
• Recommended songs: 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town', 'Merry Christmas Baby'

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