AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS (2019): Jingle beatle-bell rock

 |   |  1 min read

AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS (2019): Jingle beatle-bell rock

The Warehouse Stationery outlet store near my place in central Auckland is the last place I'd expect to be surprised by the sounds of their muzak.

But a fortnight ago when they played the Beatles' Eight Days A Week it was not just a surprising selection but an enjoyable moment when I looked around at the other customers of all cultural and age demographics.

Everyone, and I mean literally every single person, was smiling.

That, to me, is the power of music.

And then a few days ago I was back there – these damn computers are so demanding of paper, inkjet stuff and such -- and the Beatles' I Saw Her Standing There came on . . . to the same effect.

BUT!

It wasn't the Beatles.

It was an astonishingly faithful version of the same authentic chords and production, but with a Christmas sentiment.

It was Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by – as it turned out – a Scandinavian band who re-styled themselves as the Rubber Band.

And they have a whole album of Beatles-based songs wound around Christmas songs like Jinglebells, Last Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, White Christmas and so much more,.

Silent Night to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds?

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer as Taxman?

We need more such amusements.

Enjoy.

“won-too, ah-won-too-three-fow . . .”

At Elsewhere we love the Beatles, and love those who reconfigure and sometimes even disrespect their music for amusement.

We are amused!

You can find the Xmas! The Beatmas album by Rubber Band at Spotify here. And it's just Yuletide fun.

And my god we need more fun, right?

Screen_Shot_2019_12_18_at_3.12.07_PM




Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Absolute Elsewhere articles index

BLONDIE RECONSIDERED (2017): The tide coming in, again.

BLONDIE RECONSIDERED (2017): The tide coming in, again.

More than four decades after their self-titled debut album, Blondie return with a new album Pollinator with songs written by TV on the Radio's David Sitek, Sia, Johnny Marr and others, including... > Read more

RICHARD THOMPSON INTERVIEWED (2013): Audiences and the art of the song

RICHARD THOMPSON INTERVIEWED (2013): Audiences and the art of the song

Richard Thompson should need no introduction. He has been an acclaimed songwriter/guitarist for over 40 years dating back to his innovative work with the pioneering English folk-rock group... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Nick Lowe: Dig My Mood (1998)

Nick Lowe: Dig My Mood (1998)

It is coming up close to three decades since Nick Lowe -- once a laddish and witty figure in British rock in the immediate post-punk days -- decided to take the long view on his career and... > Read more

EPs by Yasmin Brown

EPs by Yasmin Brown

With so many CDs commanding and demanding attention Elsewhere will run thisoccasional column by the informed and opinionated Yasmin Brown. She will scoop up some of those many EP releases, in... > Read more