Having already provided us with a fine selection of alternative Xmas anthems from the earlier half of the 20th century courtesy of their 2003 collection 'Papa Ain't No Santa Claus, Mama Ain't No Christmas Tree', the good people at The Viper Label have again put in some exhaustive research to present us with a second impressive archival compilation in 'I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus.'
'Papa...' proved that - against the odds - it really WAS possible to present a Christmas album joyfully free of schmaltz and with 'I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus' we're presented with a further 20 unlikely and often long-forgotten tunes full of festive charm, some of which stretch back the best part of eight decades.
Which isn't to say that a number of the protagonists don't have serious pedigree on their side. Since immortalised by having his name put to arguably Gibson's most famous guitar, LES PAUL was of course something of a guitar God in the decade following World War II and his vibrato-heavy instrumental version of 'Jingle Bells' which kicks us off still sounds futuristic, despite being laid down in 1954. BRENDA LEE, meanwhile, is another durable household name, but her rendition of the album's title song is quite an eye-opener. Recorded in 1956 when Ms. Lee was merely 12 years old, it's musically potent (with lots of pedal steel and sligh bells going head to head) though it's a little hard not to think of Shirley Temple or Millie Small. Rather more sublime are the legendary BESSIE SMITH'S 1925 recording of the louche and jazzy 'At The Christmas Ball' and the hep, jumpin' jive provided by LOUIS PRIMA'S 1936 recording of 'What Will Santa Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin'). If you're wondering why Louis Prima sounds familiar, well that may be because all of 40 years later he would be responsible for 'I Wanna Be Like You' from Disney's perennial 'Jungle Book'.
This being the season of Goodwill, it's easier than usual to pardon the likes of America's favourite singing cowboy TEX RITTER and the Bing Crosby-style 'Christmas Island' (1950) by THE DINNING SISTERS feat. BOB ATCHER, but even these are inspired compared with - Malcolm Middleton aside - most of the bilge we're expected to swallow on a yearly basis these days. Besides, 'I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus' also harbours a clutch of excellent, unlikely heroes you've probably never heard doing sterling Yule-related work before.
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If you don't believe me, make straight for THE HEPSTERS' 'Rockin' & Rollin' With Santa Claus' (1955) which gives it more than a touch of the old Eddy Cochrans with the backbeat. Or how about the determined, Charley Patton-style militant, gospel blues of THE REVEREND EDWARD W.CLAYBORN'S 'The Wrong Way To Celebrate Christmas' (1929) or the funky, Latin-influenced 'We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo' (1954) by BIG JOHN GREER, which can't fail to get the most reluctant limbs twitching.
Perhaps the best tracks of all, though, are the true pioneering oddities. For example, there aren't many examples of Caribbean folk/ calypso crossovers doing the rounds out there, but that's what LORD EXECUTOR'S potent 1937 recording of 'Christmas Is A Joyful Day' provides. Possibly even better is the incredible 'Be-Bop Santa Claus', laid down in a Beatnik-stylee/pre-rap hybrid over what sounds suspiciously like Blackpool pier organ in 1955 by one BABS GONZALES. For the uninitiated (like me), Babs was not only male, but also had a hand in writing hits for Dizzy Gillespie and worked as a chauffeur for no less than Errol Flynn. Quite a CV by anyone's standards.
You can always trust Viper to hold an absolute gem in reserve for the end credits, too, and this time we're treated to LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS' wonderfully gritty take of 'Happy New Year': not only a great tune to end on, but as good a way as any to blast away the pre-festive blues and steady you through the alcoholic annihilation that passes for most folks' Xmas these days.
And I'll definitely drink to that. Merry Christmas, y'all.
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