#new christy minstrels

[music-crush]

Randy Sparks

Happy birthday Lloyd Arrington "Randy" Sparks, founder of New Christy Minstrels!

[howardhawkshollywoodmusic]

90. Today by The New Christy Minstrels debuted Apt 64 and peaked at number 17, scoring 822 points.

They were named after The Christy Minstrels of the 19th century, and members included solo hit makers Barry McGuire, Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes. They had six chart entries 1962-65 and three made the top 40.

[travsd]

The New Christy Minstrels

Randy Sparks (b. 1933) turns 90 as I write this. Not a household name himself per se, Sparks turned out to be something of a starmaker in the long run, and was a major player in the folk boom of the early ’60s. His primary claim to fame is as the founder and leader of the New Christy Minstrels in 1962. My dad had all their records, but I’ve always frankly found them unlistenably corny. Basically…

[julio-viernes]

Mi favorito de todos los "You Were On My Mind" de Ian & Sylvia que he escuchado es el de Barry McGuire, la versión que más fuerza interpretativa tiene, la más rockera... Las versiones de We Five, Crispian St. Peters, Bangles... y el propio original están todas más o menos bien, pero me quedo con la del ex New Christy Mintrels. Está en su segundo álbum en solitario, uno de esos discos del folk- rock original que hay que tener, "Eve Of Destruction" (Dunhill, 1965). En recuerdo de Ian Tyson, fallecido a finales de 2022.

[musicboys]

The New Christy Minstrels, 1964.

[kwebtv]

Marineland Carnival - CBS - April 18, 1965

Family Special

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

The Munsters

Fred Gwynne��as Herman Munster Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster Al Lewis as Grandpa Butch Patrick as Eddie Munster Pat Priest as Marilyn Munster 

The New Christy Minstrels

Sid Gould as the Tour Guide

[tototavros]

there's a lot of good covers of Cotton Fields, but this is my new favorite

[tfc2211]

The Quiet Sides Of The New Christy Minstrels (1965)

Julianne A Travelin' Man I Know Where I'm Goin' My Dear Mary Anne Jimmy Grove And Barbara Ellen Last Farewell

[jules-has-notes]

The Chicken Song — VoicePlay live performances

For this post, I want to let you do a bit of compare-and-contrast. Below are two performances of the same piece, two years apart. As with a lot of VoicePlay's more theatrical skit-songs, every iteration is a little different, and delightful in its own way. Especially in comedic numbers like this, "Elvira", and "Road Trip", where the guys are trying to make each other laugh almost as much as they're trying to entertain their audience.

Details:

title: The Chicken Song

original song / performers: American novelty song also known as "The Rooster" ; first two verses included in the New Christy Minstrels' "Bits and Pieces" medley (1962)

arranged by: VoicePlay

.

version 1

This video was recorded during VoicePlay's concert at The O'Shaughnessy theater at St. Catherine University during the 2014 Arts Midwest conference in Minnesota.

performance date: 19 September 2014

My favorite bits:

Layne playfully admonishing the videographer while clucking

Eli's tokyo-drift skibble at the end of each chase

"Anybody wanna milk me?" ::delighted pointing at the audience response:: "Oh, okay!"

"Big guy." ::patpat::

::half-heartedly points at his raised hand:: "’T’s’muh branch."

Eli's smug grin at Geoff's reaction to him taking over, "And an awful lot of it."

Layne, Geoff, and Eli's startled smiles at one audience member's distinctive laughter

Tony repeatedly trying to refuse his assigned role, only to get annoyed when the others don't immediately back him up. "C'mon!" 😠

"I don't think we have that."

Trivia:

Tony's improvised dialog, "Hey, my name is Maggie. Welcome to Matt's," is a reference to Matt's Bar in Minneapolis, where the guys had been very excited to go for a lunch of "juicy lucy" burgers before the show.

Since they were in Home Free's neck of the woods for the conference, the guys had a chance to catch up with Rob Lundquist and Tim Foust.

Tim live-tweeted the show in his typical wry fashion, including some arboreal appreciation for his fellow bass singer.

.

version 2

This performance was part of a benefit concert for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation hosted by the Alpha Epsilon Phi fraternity at Stanford University. Tony got stuck in Florida because of Hurricane Matthew, so their old friend Paul from Vox Audio agreed to pinch hit. Which made it even more chaotic than usual.

performance date: 7 October 2016

My favorite bits:

Layne shaking his tail feathers

Eli and Layne's little finger wiggle high-five

Earl and Layne cracking each other up with livestock jokes, then everyone giggling even more when Geoff calls them out on it

Eli laughing so hard he has to take a knee

::elbow bump::

Geoff asking the audience, "D'you guys know what Chiclets are?" only for Earl to immediately pull one out of his pocket

Paul accidentally skipping the second refusal gag and grumbling about not getting paid enough

::wolf whistle:: "Shaddup."

Eli doing his darnedest not to laugh at Paul's waitress antics, to the point of angling himself away from the rest of the group

Paul's incredible scream

Trivia:

The "California cow" / "happy cow" / "best cheese" banter was referencing a series of ads from the California Milk Advisory Board that aired in the early 2000s.

The Chiclets gum question was asked at least in part because that brand had recently been discontinued.

Young lads Layne, Earl, Geoff, and James May recorded a live audio version (without the waitress verse) for 4:2:Five's album "Time Machine" way back in 2004.

[merriclo]

✴.·´¯·.·★🎀𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼, 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓸𝓸, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓼 (𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓸𝓵)🎀★·.·¯´·.✴ (no pressure tho!)

ahh this is so sweet, thank you!!! 🩷

Cat’s in the Cradle — Harry Chapin

Keep You Safe — The Crane Wives

Green Green — The New Christy Minstrels

Lewis Bridal — The Irish Rovers

Skinny Little Missy — Nickelback

[punk-chicken-radio]

the new christy minstrels - three wheels on my wagon

-ax and TOS

[pussycat-popper]

^^current obsession

[allegrasloman]

My dad listened to opera (Aida and Pagliacci ONLY, which is funny because there are lots of other good operas) and light classical music (RCA's 1960 Festival of Light Classical Music, another banger), he had an absolute wailer of a 50's recording of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor which on a decent sound system was like a sit-down with God, Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 (which is the one that got pinched for the 'Babe' soundtrack) and THEN as an adult he went back to school and took philosophy and hung with dope smokin' rebellious types and then we went through ALL the Moody Blues Albums, MANY of the Bob Dylan Albums, ALL the early Joni Mitchell Albums, and stopped off at Osibisa, Black Orpheus, the ubiquitous Take Five album, Simon & Garfunkel, the Sandpipers, the New Christy Minstrels, Sonny and Cher (!?! 'a cowboy's work is never done' on autistic repeat, one of our houseguests screamed for mercy one of the funniest things I ever saw as a child), the Strawbs and whatever else took his fancy. My kids didn't get anything like this because I never had a decent sound system after my 26th bday but then the internet came along and they formed their own taste without my influence.

it is a parents responsibility to play good music during their child’s formative years. make sure the nostalgia playlist is a banger

[tfblovesmusic]

Maligayang Pask-OH SHIP! Mixtape 1, Listening Guide 1

Section 1: The Ber Months Begin

Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts,” the official Christmas anthem of the Philippines, commences the playlist as a moderato overture. Immediately following it is Paul and Storm’s “The Way-Too-Early Christmas Song.” Though it takes place on November 1, the lyrics ring true too – at least in the nation in which its Christmas season kicks off 2 months prior. Bing Crosby’s actual “Christmas Song” follows it as a contrast.

A string of songs usher in the holiday season. The Washington Symphonic Brass’s arrangement of the opening chorus of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio - "Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage" - follows The New Christy Minstrels’ cover of “We Need a Little Christmas” in great fanfare. The Kidsongs Kids tell the listener, “Christmas is Coming.”

Rock band Jingle Punx exclaims, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” as Amy Grant announces, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Paul McCartney, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots jam out, simply having a “Wonderful Christmastime.”

Section 2: Consumerism and Conniptions

For some secular people, Christmas means physical presents and great spending. Maestro Forte tells the Beast, “Don’t Fall in Love,” as the mall Santas convince elf Buddy that “Nobody Cares About Santa Claus.” The Bob Rivers Comedy Corp endures the “Twelve Pains of Christmas.” (As much as I don’t condone corporal punishment, the segments in which the kid throws a tantrum makes you want to take your tsinelas to his upos, di ba?)

The consumerism theme segues as the Pet Shop Boys sing their anthem on Christmas “Shopping” and Meryl Streep croons about “Money, Money, Money.” The Brothers Bright declare that “It’s a Wonderful Life.” As the consumerism gets deeper into the listener’s head, the ensemble of She Loves Me get stressed about “12 Days to Christmas.”

Section 3: In Search of Advent

Immediately after the tangent on consumerism, holiday stress, and seasonal villain songs, Faith Hill questions the true meaning of the holiday, asking, “Where Are You Christmas?” Then, treble Andrew Swait and pianist Andrew Plant vainly plumb through the confusion it with Benjamin Britten’s arrangement of “I Wander as I Wonder.”

The Gesualdo Six - Guy James, Alexander Chance, Joseph Wicks, Josh Cooter, Michael Craddock, and Samuel Mitchell – sing in anticipation of the Reason of the Season “Veni, Veni Emannuel.” The choir of All Saints Church in Beverly Hills – accompanied by organ and bassoon – likewise seeks out the infant Jesus in the David Hurd anthem, “A Stable Lamp Is Lighted.”

The Montreal Symphonic Winds plumb the mystery of Advent in their arrangement of Bach’s organ chorale Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659. Then, the Purcell Quartet, Dame Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, and Peter Harvey usher the listener deeper in the mystery via the opening of the cantata (BWV 61) of the same name as the chorale prelude.

Section 4: Cool Yule Jerk!

The segment naturally opens with Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” The Eurythmics declare a “Winter Wonderland,” and Barney, Baby Bop, and BJ announce that “It’s Snowing.” The Acoustix sing Kay Thompson’s medley of “Jingle Bells” and “Sleigh Ride.”

Then, the vocalists share two winter tales. Stephanie J. Block sings “The Ballad of Sarsaparilla Safirovich” and the Kidsongs Kids construct “Frosty the Snowman.” Then, Sarsaparilla Safirovich appears in winter clothes and does a jive with Frosty as The Capitols sing “Cool Jerk.” They join the kids in Bette Midler’s “Cool Yule.”

Section 5: Tree-Trimming Party

The Kidsongs Kids “Deck the Halls.” Meanwhile, the Bob Rivers Comedy Corp seems to have trouble doing so, stressing over “Decorations.” When all the trimming is sorted out, Amy Grant leads them to a dance party, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

Section 6: Christmas in War and Peace

It’s worth noting that some of the most inspirational secular carols were written during Christmases in times of war. And included in the section are a few musical perennials.

The segment commences with Anne Murray’s cover of a serviceman’s seasonal promise, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The feelings are intensified on the widows’ walks of their hometowns, with Darlene Love bemoaning about being “All Alone on Christmas.” Mariah Carey also stands at her widow’s walk, belting, “Baby, Please Come Home.”

The servicemen who made it alive return back to their hometowns as the Carpenters announce they are "Home for the Holidays." The Oak Ridge Boys dedicate their ballad, “Sincerely, I Remain,” in honor of them. The listener envisions a POW table, dimly lighted by a sole flame from a candle as the Cambridge Singers solemnly sing John Rutter’s “Candlelight Carol.” Kathy Troccoli asks the listener – civilian, veteran, or active duty member – to “Go Light Your World.”

Calls for peace intensify, as Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli become united in “The Prayer.” Grant crafts her “Grown-Up Christmas List,” as Murray also asks Santa Claus for “A Little Good News” through the next year. Andreas Scholl sings a seasonal berceuse from Bach's Christmas Oratorio – “Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'” – to the Holy Infant, amid the war and chaos.  

As the Harlem Boys’ Choir prays to God to “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” Bette Midler assures the listener that God is watching them “From a Distance.” Crosby and David Bowie loudly beseech peace with their medley of “Peace on Earth” and “Little Drummer Boy.” Mme. Dion finally exclaims, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)."

Best listened with Spotify Premium.

[ghostie111]

THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS & THREE WHEELS ON MY WAGON

Before his anti Vietnam song Barry McGuire