Festive greetings to all our subscribers, during this period of festive cheer we have continued our tradition of highlighting a Christmas album as our curated vinyl for December.
This year we have chosen an album which for a certain age group will bring back memories of waking up early and finding in their stockings, if they were lucky enough, a VHS copy of one of those movies which has become synonymous with the festive season.
Chock full of amazing songs by Paul Williams and performed by a cast of crazy and unforgettable characters better known as the Muppets, and interspersed with an atmospheric score created by Miles Goodman.
Miles Goodman’s score is a perfect accompaniment to the classic songs written by Paul Williams for the album, Goodman who had scored films such as ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’, ‘Footloose’, ‘Teen Wolf’, Steven Speilberg’s ‘Amazing Stories’, and ‘Tales From the Crypt’ with Don Rickles.
Born in Los Angeles in 1949, Goodman attended Antioch College in Ohio were he studied English, and the college has a scholarship which bears his name. After initially looking to become a director it was Johnny Mandel, his cousin and Oscar winning film composer who enticed him into the world of music for film.
While maintaining a lifelong connection with Jazz music and having a partnership with Oscar Castro-Neves the Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in the bossa nova movement an offshoot of samba from Rio in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it is his film composing and scoring which he is most remembered for especially his connection with director Frank Oz.
Paul Williams has been a songwriter since the 1970s and has had both television, film and musical success, his songs have been covered by the likes of David Bowie, The Monkees, The Carpenters, as well as writing songs for the likes Barbara Streisand and Daft Punk.
His career has included not just songwriting, but film scores and composing, and also acting.
He has been since 2009 the president and chairman of the American songwriting society the ‘American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers’ which licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadcasters, and digital streaming services.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an huge package full of Christmas cheer. The song "Marley and Marley," sung by living dead versions of the heckling Waldorf and Statler, is humorous, eerie, and poignant, reminding the living that "Freedom comes from giving love as prison comes with hate."
"Bless Us All," sung by Tiny Tim and his family, is a tender prayer that really captures the spirit of Christmas quite perfectly, but "It Feels Like Christmas," sung by the Ghost of Christmas Present and the cast (and also sung by the Muppet family on a 1992 television tribute to Ed Sullivan), which takes the prize as one of the first and finest Muppet songs ever.
"One More Sleep 'Til Christmas," sung by Kermit (playing Bob Cratchit) on his way home from work is an upbeat number with Kermit singing of the magic of Christmas, and as with most songs on the soundtrack, it's got a lush orchestral accompaniment but it's the warm wishes which permeate throughout which give the song a truly magical feel.
Meredith Braun, who played Belle in the movie and performs the song “When Love Is Gone”, which was cut from the theatrical release by Disney exec Jefrey Katzenberg but for those of us lucky enough, was reinstated for the original VHS release, but has since been omitted from future releases, are in for treat here as the song appears and is a truly stunning track which is used as Michael Caine’s Scrooge helplessly watches his greedy younger self lose the love of his life.
The Muppet Christmas Carol film and soundtrack continues to be so beloved, here at RRC we think that's because it doesn’t have a bad or cynical bone in its body. It wears its heart firmly on its sleeve, and yet it is never too sweet as the Muppets comedic genius acts as the perfect antidote. It is a film and soundtrack made with only the purest of intentions – to entertain children and adults alike and tell them a story about how it is better to be kind.
We hope you enjoy this festive season and look forward to spending another year curating great albums for all our subscribers.
Take care
Stu & Abi
RRC