Over the weekend, I posted a couple songs taken from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Via Twitter, someone reminded me of the Nutcracker by Spike Jones and His City Slickers, released in 1945. It was arranged by Joe “Country” Washburne, with special lyrics and effects by Foster Carling, featuring Susan Scott and a mixed chorus. You can [...]
Mixed Nuts
There are many Christmas traditions we practice in America. For some, the season always includes attending a performance of The Nutcracker (or perhaps appearing in a production). First produced in 1892, The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet; score composed by Tchaikovsky; story taken from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” In addition to [...]
The Brits Weigh In.
As someone said to me today, “The British just do pop music differently.” So true. There are plenty of acts that are huge stars, sometimes with long careers, in the U.K., but nobody in America knows who they are. Another key difference is style. The British embrace a lot of crap, but they also aren’t [...]