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Dwight TwilleyAfter a brief period of popularity as a power pop pioneer ("I'm On Fire," 1975), Tulsa native Dwight Twilley evolved into the very definition of the phrase coined by critic Robert Christgau: semi-popular. That is, Twilley worked in a popular idiom at a less-than-popular level. His sort of brittle classicism and cool sincerity faded from the limelight long ago. Despite a paucity of hits (his last one, "Girls," dropped in 1984), Twilley soldiered on, creating a long, largely unheralded string of semi-classics for the pop faithful.

Back in 1992, Twilley recorded two Christmas songs, a big, reverb-drenched ballad called "Christmas Love" - with harmony vocals by Susan Cowsill, no less - and a glam rocker called "Christmas Night," which sounded like T. Rex never went away. "Christmas Love" finally showed up in 1999 as the b-side to Twilley's "A Little Less Love" single (on French label Pop The Balloon) and on Between The Cracks, a rarities compilation on power pop specialist Not Lame Records. "Christmas Night," on the other hand, was never released at all.

So, the inclusion of the two songs on Dwight's 6-song holiday EP, Have A Twilley Christmas (DMI, 2004), was big news for fans. Truth be told, nothing else on the EP quite measures up against those two early tracks. More than anything, the four new songs suffer from the claustrophobic feel of a guy who spends too much time alone in the studio. They sound too clean, too compressed, too damn digital. All the same, Twilley hits more than he misses on Have A Twilley Christmas, thanks to his solid, if sentimental, performance and his pointedly eclectic song selection.

Dwight TwilleyEntertaining yet ephemeral, Have A Twilley Christmas adds up to the sort of ratified gem that makes Christmas music geeks (c'est moi) tingle all over! Mixing mournful, jangly ballads ("Christmas Stars") with suped-up power pop ("Rockabilly Christmas Ball") and goofy novelties ("Christmas With The Martians," "Santa Claus' Favorite Christmas"), Dwight Twilley revels in the sort of diverse yule that he probably grew up with in the Sooner State. "Christmas Stars" is just great, by the way, and "Rockabilly Christmas Ball" is lots of fun, but the novelties are fairly disposable. Still, Twilley takes pleasure in his work, and it is palpable in the grooves (or bits, or bytes, or whatever).

Speaking of which, Have A Twilley Christmas was originally released by Digital Musicworks International (DMI) as a download-only purchase. Soon, however, the company manufactured a limited run of compact discs for the pre-digital generation - still available through Amazon as of this writing - and they even issued a green vinyl, 45-rpm single of "Christmas Night" b/w "Rockabilly Christmas Ball." Then, they quickly released another song - the excellent "Almost Christmas Time" - exclusively in digital format. In 2005, DMI issued an expanded, remastered CD version of Have A Twilley Christmas. Now running 10 tracks, this album-length version appended "Almost Christmas Time" and added three new songs" "Christmas Lullaby," "Santa Claus Walk," and the delightful, almost Spectorian "Snowman Magic."

Dwight Twilley Though DMI soon went out of business, a new label, Gigatone, remastered and expanded Have A Twilley Christmas yet again in 2009, swelling the track listing to 16 songs. This version added just one new song (the plaintive "Help Me, Jesus") plus five different mixes, live versions, demos, etc. But, the lyrics no longer appear in the already brief liner notes. So, it's not a huge leap forward in value, even though obsessive completists (c'est moi) will likely feel compelled to pick up a copy. The good news was that the formerly hard-to-find of Have A Twilley Christmas was back in circulation. Whatever edition you prefer, it's well worth the effort - and, of course, Twilley don't mind.

Postscript

Like DMI, Gigatone also went out of business in short order, and the third edition of Have A Twilley Christmas fell out of print, as well. Eventually, even the ability to download or stream the album evaporated. Like a lot of lesser-known albums in the digital age, Have A Twilley Christmas seems in danger of disappearing into the ether. CD copies are in circulation, but they sometimes fetch a hefty price.

Dwight Twilley died in 2023. As a semi-popular artist, his legacy is also in danger. Last time I checked, his website was still up-and-running, but it hadn't been updated in quite a while - not even reflecting his deceased status. More to the point, his catalog is in shambles, with virtually nothing in print in the physical realm. The seminal Dwight Twilley Band albums - Sincerely (1976) and Twilley Don't Mind (1977) - are available to stream or download, thankfully, as well as Twilley's 1984 comeback album, Jungle - but not a whole lot else. If you can find it, I strongly recommend On Fire: The Best Of Dwight Twilley 1975-1984, a 2010 compact disc from Raven Records, an Australian reissue specialist. Almost as good - and easier to find - is the 1996 compilation XXI (aka 21) from The Right Stuff, an EMI label. [top of page]

Albums Albums

SongsEssential Songs

  • Almost Christmas Time (2005)
  • Christmas Love (1992)
  • Christmas Night (1992)
  • Christmas Stars (2004)
  • Rockabilly Christmas Ball (2004)
  • Snowman Magic (2005)

Further ListeningFurther Listening

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