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NRBQThe holiday repertoire of the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet (aka NRBQ) is sprawling, diverse, typically twisted, and characteristically low-key - but full of good cheer. The compact disc versions of their album, Christmas Wish, actually manage to collect most of it - up to 19 tracks, including four from a 7-inch EP called Merry Christmas from NRBQ (Red Rooster, 1978) and eight from the original Christmas Wish mini-LP (Rounder, 1986). In all, the CD editions of Christmas Wish compile yuletide flotsam and jetsam spanning 30 years - from a 1969 home recording of "Here Comes Santa Claus" (badly played on what sounds like a mellotron) to a goofy, improvised 1999 live version of Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here."

Amidst the band's delightful, casual chaos, the clear highlight is the title tune, one of just a handful of original songs on the album. In fact, the band presents three versions: the short "reprise" from the 1978 EP; a fleshed-out version recorded in 1979; and an instrumental "TV mix" from 1995. "Christmas Wish" is a simple, infectious tune that frames singer/writer Joey Spaminato's simple, utopian vision:

I look at all the toys all under the tree,
it makes me think about the way things could be
if people all over the world could just see them, too.

NRBQIn 1980, Rounder issued the longer version of "Christmas Wish" as a single backed with keyboardist Terry Adams' tight arrangement of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," which I suspect Adams based on an earlier arrangement by Chet Atkins. The track is most notable for its loose adherence to Montana Slim's off-kilter original lyrics (or perhaps Eddy Arnold's later version). "As for me, my little brain isn't very bright," confesses the singer, asking "choose for me, dear Santa Claus, what you'll bring tonight." Not exactly the traditional holiday sentiments, but it suits NRBQ perfectly....

That sort of good humor and skewed perspective is present throughout Christmas Wish, but it's not what I'd call a substantial record. Hell, half of it was probably made up on the spot, as NRBQ actually makes something of a sport out of live improvisation. They never use a set list, and instead invite the audience to put handwritten requests for any song - not just NRBQ songs - in a "magic box." The band then blindly draws songs out of the box and is obliged to play them. The results can be random, out-of-tune, and hilarious. Moreover, NRBQ is fond of deliberate cacophony, electronic noise, and toy instruments. Even further, only four of the 17 tracks exceed two minutes, and four fail to crack 60 seconds.

For instance, one of my favorite tracks - Terry Adams' "Electric Train" - is a brief, impressionistic piece recorded in 1972 but first released on Kick Me Hard (1979). The track clocks in at 1:09, and that's pretty typical. So, like many NRBQ albums, listeners may enjoy Christmas Wish as an album - or concept - more than they enjoy its individual tracks. I know I do.

NRBQ

Consumer Notes

Best I can tell, Rounder only ever issued Christmas Wish on vinyl and cassette, and copies show up with regularity on the used market. Big Notes Records reissued Christmas Wish on CD in 1995 with four additional songs (12 total) - three 1994 live tracks plus the original reprise of "Christmas Wish." But, good luck finding a copy. I've never actually seen one, but it is listed in Discogs.

Luckily, Christmas Wish has been reissued again on CD at least three times, each time with more material. First, Japanese label Dreamsville issued an expanded edition in 2000, with five additional tracks (17 total) ranging from "Message From The North Pole," a 1976 recording from the original 1980 EP to a 1999 performance on the NPR radio program Live From Mountain Stage. I own this version, and it's lovely - pristine mastering, nice cover art, and copious annotation, though much of it, not surprisingly, is written in Japanese....

This was followed in 2007 by a deluxe edition on Clang! Records, a label with which NRBQ is affiliated, I believe. It included two additional tracks (19 total), both live recordings. Then, in 2015, another Japanese CD appeared, with the same 19 tracks as the deluxe edition but with restored original artwork in a "mini LP" format.

This is all a lot, I know, and it's clearly intended for NRBQ completists and Christmas fanatics. Most fans will want little more than the lovely "Christmas Wish" song, and it appears on several good holiday compilations. These include Christmas Party With Eddie G (1990), A Different Kind Of Christmas (1994), and Must Be Santa! The Rounder Christmas Album (1998). The song also appears on High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective (2016), NRBQ's fine five-CD boxed set, which is also available for download and streaming. [top of page]

Albums Albums

SongsEssential Songs

  • Christmas Wish (1980)
  • Electric Train (1972)
  • Jolly Old St. Nicholas (1980)

Further ListeningFurther Listening

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