ALBUM: The Ventures, ‘The Ventures’ Christmas Album’
Christmas music, especially the pop variety, gets a bad rap. Every December (and usually earlier), the same old rotation of familiar songs floods the airwaves from seemingly every direction. It’s rare that new entries get accepted into the Christmas canon, and even new recordings of established classics tend to stick to unimaginative arrangements.
Holiday music is designed to soundtrack family gatherings and seasonal shopping, so it’s supposed to deal in nostalgia and appeal to as broad a group as possible — or at least to not offend anyone. As a result, it tends to be bland and sentimental.
Pop holiday albums don’t have to suck, however, as exceptions like A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector prove. Lesser known, but nearly as great, is The Ventures’ Christmas Album, released in 1965 by the influential instrumental combo, and now reissued on CD and digital download by Real Gone Music.
The Ventures’ surf-rock arrangements of familiar holiday tunes, entwined with references to then-contemporary pop hits, is playful and fun where so much Christmas music can be saccharine and grating. The obligatory sleigh bells and twinkling vibes add just the right amount of festive spirit, while still allowing the band’s reverb-heavy guitars and groovy attitude to shine through.
The Ventures’ Christmas Album opens with the distinctive introduction to the band’s signature tune, the 1960 hit “Walk – Don’t Run,” then seamlessly transitions into the classic seasonal melody “Sleigh Ride.” This motif repeats over the course of the album: “Wooly Bully” adds a Tex-Mex flair to “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “I Feel Fine” gives “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” a groovy backbone, and “Memphis” puts the “rock” into “Jingle Bell Rock.”
While these pairings could potentially feel gimmicky, the songs are so well-chosen and smartly integrated that they feel like natural fits. (Was there ever a time when “Frosty the Snowman” didn’t reference the Champs’ “Tequila”?) Instead, it’s as if the Ventures have transformed each track into a present, packing a surprise beneath the typical Christmas wrapping.
Even the tracks without obvious pop references reveal their own delights. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” starts off with a placid bell solo before erupting into a loose party number, complete with handclaps. A track generically titled “Snow Flakes” conceals a rocking take on “Greensleeves”/ “What Child is This.”
Amid the easygoing arpeggios of “Silver Bells,” a suitably metallic-sounding vocoder whispers the title phrase. The lone original track, “Scrooge,” cuts through the holiday sweetness with cackling laughter, a minor key riff, and a cry of “Humbug!”
Real Gone Music’s reissue of The Ventures’ Christmas Album features both the album’s stereo and mono mixes on a single disc, the latter making its CD debut. The Ventures seem especially suited for stereo, which divides guitarists Don Wilson and Bob Bogle between left and right channels to emphasize their elaborate guitar interplay and the crispness of the band’s surf-rock sound.
Those who aren’t listening closely through headphones, however — say, holiday partygoers — may simply appreciate the ease of letting the album play twice through without having to switch it out. After all, even at 12 tracks, The Ventures’ Christmas Album clocks in at well under half an hour.
In other words, The Ventures’ Christmas Album is the best possible holiday guest: it brings a cheerful attitude, good jokes, and delightful gifts, and doesn’t wear out its welcome.
Get your copy of The Ventures’ Christmas Album at Real Gone Music’s online shop.
