The artist with the high voice, Betty Miranga, sent us her Christmas season song, and it's a cute one about trying to remember the names of Santa's reindeer. By the sound of her voice, it's hard to believe she's got a 4-year old Grand daughter, at least according to the lyrics! Betty still plays country music venues, stays really busy so we were surprised to see a song recording by her. But we hope she keeps them coming. She's got a unique voice perfectly suited to the style of music she sings.
I love Christmas time of the year With the Christmas trees and the gear But there’s one thing that I can’t do Remember the names of them reindeer!
Now let me see, the one in front That’s got the red whiskey nose Couldn’t play no reindeer games What’s his name, do ya suppose?
Was it Andy, or was it Burt? Was it Sammy, or was it Curt? Somethin’ like Randolph, I declare! Must be Adolph, I’ll bet my shirt!
So old Adolph with nose so bright Guides the sleigh thru the foggy night It must have been a wondrous sight Guided by a whiskey nose light!
Yeah man! That's fer shore his name!
As far as the other ones go I think I done got them figgered Here goes, I’m a gonna name them My memory just got triggered!
Adolph leads all of the herd Basher runnin' up his rear Lancer he's a pretty one He’s got Cornet bitin’ his ear! Blitzer an onry ol’ cuss Flasher wantin’ to show his stuff Dunder and Stupid go too slow So the last one is Vixer!
Naw, that ain't right!...
I love Christmas time of the year With the Christmas trees and the gear But there’s one thing that I can’t do Remember the names of them reindeer!
No I just can’t! No matter how I try! It's embarrasin'! My 4 year old Grand daughter Can name them all! Dang!
Let me try it again...
Adolph leads all of the herd Basher runnin' up his rear Lancer he's a pretty one He’s got Cornet bitin’ his ear! Blitzer an onry ol’ cuss Flasher wantin’ to show his stuff Dunder and Stupid go too slow So the last one is Vixer!
We were at first surprised when Forgotten Bob sent us his Christmas song A Rockabilly Christmas, but when were reminded he's got 8 kids, all of them grown up and babies of their own, it stands to reason Bob being the family man that he is would host a Christmas party. We can just imagine the noise, bustle, and fun of having a houseful. And when they all tune up and start jammin'...we can't imagine how that would sound. We know all of his kids are musical. Some guitarists for sure, a drummer, and a classically trained pianist! And we like the line: We're all different, ain't it true! Celebrate how it's right for you! Indeed!
All eight of our kids will be here For our Christmas celebration A really big house full for sure For our holiday libation
Some of them got their own babies They all add to the party All bring food and drink to pass So we'll eat and drink real hearty
It's a rockabilly Christmas Later we take guitars in hand And blare out some songs of good cheer With our own family band!
It all starts on Christmas Eve When they all trickle in Got our big table all set up So the feasting begins
Ham, turkey, great big beef roast All kinds of cheese and cold cuts Some wander around, yak and graze Some wanna sit on their butts!
It's a rockabilly Christmas Later we take guitars in hand And blare out some songs of good cheer With our own family band!
We love Christmas, watching TV With the kids cookies in hand Like How The Grinch stole Christmas And good ol' Frosty The Snow Man!
Might seem really strange to you Celebrate with a big to-do We're all different, ain't it true! Celebrate how it's right for you
It's a rockabilly Christmas Later we take guitars in hand And blare out some songs of good cheer With our own family band!
Merry Christmas! Huh, huh, huh Merry Christmas! How, how, how Merry Christmas! Yeah, yeah, yeah Merry Christmas Peace on earth!
It's a rockabilly Christmas Later we take guitars in hand And blare out some songs of good cheer With our own family band!
Amos Carter is the first one of our artists to submit a Christmas holiday themed song, and we find out Santa wears Airpods as he does his work leaving gifts, and boogies to the beat he's hearing in his Airpods as he goes. This is a big production for Carter, who usually plays with only his double bass, a guitar or two, and a piano. Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus was tried out in Amos' gigs, and the audience gave it a lot of applause. Amos does this with most of his songs, and this practice has given him some good songs to record, such as Slew Foot Stu Boogie.
Carter had some problems a while back getting a piano player that fit in with his small group. He kept pestering his mother, a talented pianist, to join the band. Mams Carter is a recording artist in her own right, as she's recorded for Big And Tall Records before, with The Blues Done Got Me So Bad as a good example. Mams doesn't like playing gigs all that much, but she usually plays when the group records, as she does in this recording.
We put out some feelers with our other artists, and there will most likely be more Christmas themes recording coming soon, as the season is upon us!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
One Christmas Eve I stayed awake To catch that jolly ol' elf As he slid down the chimney To fill stockings hung on the shelf
I was fightin' sleep really bad When out the corner of my eye A big fat guy in a red suit! Santa Claus! It's true! Ain't no lie! He had Airpods in his ears..
He was too fat for the chimney Don't know how he got in the house The way he was movin' his feet Weren't tip toeing like a mouse!
Was boogying to the tree Wigglin' and shakin' his ass The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus Was havin' himself a gas!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
He got in his big gunny sack Laid bunch of gifts under the tree The he saw the treats and the milk Sprawled on the couch ate the cookies
He was enjoyin' his work Laid on the couch for a while Then he jumped up with a start Wasn't gonna cramp his style
Boogying next to the tree Dancin' like he weren't a senior The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus Usin' a broom as a partner
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
Kept watchin' through the banister He boogied his way with the broom Jivin' and shuckin' with his feet He made his way across the room
Then he got close to the door Jiggled his big butt for a while Then looked me straight in the eye And disappeared with a smile!
Visions of Santa in my head I sat up in bed full awake! The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus All a dream for heaven's sake!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
As we all opened our gifts On the frosty Christmas morn I told the gang about my dream What they said made me forlorn
But what could I say to all that Already knew it wasn't true And that fact was kind a sad It made me feel a little blue
Then I came to a gift for me Among Christmas paper wads Tag said it was from Santa... It was a pair of Airpods!
Luigi and his brother Antonio have opened a barbershop in Paducah,
Kentucky and offer lots more services than just hair cuts and shaves. There is no overture to open the opera, but the orchestra plays a very small introduction to Luigi the barber's first aria that welcomes new patrons to the shop.
Luigi's aria - Come On Into My Shop
This aria shows right away that this opera won't be the rarefied language or atmosphere of a classical opera. It is McGonigle's version of a patter song, although the tempo is not excessive, the words come forth fast and close together. All their services tells why they can only stay in a town for a certain amount of time. The law usually catches up to the sooner or later, and the husband's that figure out what's going on threaten real harm.
Soon their barbershop has a large growing clientele
that enjoy all the amenities the brothers provide. A group of the march to the barbershop after work to relax. A short march in a traditional style.
March of the patrons
When they arrive, they all engage in singing their praises of Luigi and the shop
Chorus - The barbershop, our safe haven
Illegally sold alcohol, illegal gambling, and illegal prostitution is praised by the patrons of the barbershop in this section for men's chorus. It also alludes to Luigi's aid in convincing the wives to let the men stay at the shop. When the wives call, many times Luigi will go to their house to explain, sometimes he's gone for over an hour. Either these guys are dumb or don't care what's going on. This is one area where this opera is like any opera; a certain amount of suspension of reality is needed.
Three months goes by since the opening of the barbershop, and the two brothers are making lots of money. This is portrayed by a waltz.
Luigi's Waltz
A waltz in mixed minor and major keys that leads to Luigi's second aria
Luigi Aria - How Much Better Is It Gonna Get?
Luigi counts the money earned for the day and is amazed at how much they're making, and at the expense of some very 'stupid hilly billies'. This give a further glimpse into the lecherous and deceitful heart that Luigi has.
While Luigi gloats over the money and calls his patrons stupid, his brother Antonio has been mopping up to finish the day before they close the shop. Antonio is a big, lumbering man unlike his brother who is of average stature. McGonigle portrays Antonio mopping the floor with what he calls
Antonio - Mop The Floor Interlude
Horns, trombones, and a tuba portray the rather clumsy Antonio. They lead into an aria by Antonio
Aria - That's all well and good
Antonio is more even tempered and practical, and warns Luigi about his philandering, a warning that has been given many times and to deaf ears.
Scene 2
In The Flowershop
Set
in Louisa's flower shop on the other side of town. As she starts her
workday on a bright spring morning, she sings to help pass the time. We
hear the first of another barber across town, Vic, that has feelings
for her, but her interest is beginning to be taken up with Luigi, whose
shop is just a ways up the street from her shop.
Louisa's aria
She hears a commotion outsideof the shop and notices a group of older ladies having a heated discussion.
Gossiping women outside the shop- Interlude
Among
them is her Aunt Cora, who enters the shop and tells Louisa about the
scuttlebutt concerning Luigi's barbershop. Aunt Cora has noticed Louisa
and Luigi getting close, and wants to warn her of him.
Aunt Cora's aria
Louisa's
aunt tells Louisa what she's heard about Luigi, and she expresses her
distrust of the Italian barber, and tells her she ought to give Vic a
try, ashe's a nice guy and not a 'foreigner'. Finally, Aunt Cora
asks her if she has to be hit with a brick in the head to get the
message! An example of McGonigle's plain language use, along with
ethnic slur of 'dago', that portrays the common language of the time
Louisa's answer to Aunt Cora -
Louisa
shows patience and understanding towards her aunt, whose husband has
left her. The aria shows the affection Louisa has for her aunt, who has
been like a mother to her.
SCENE 3
In The Beauty Salon
JILL'S ARIA -
As scene 1 took place in the barbershop, scene 3 takes place in the female version of it, the beauty salon. A
short tango intro begins and leads to the main aria of the scene, Jill'
aria which is also a tango-like section. Jill is the wife of one of the
men who frequent Luigi's shop, and she knows about all of what goes on
there, including her husband Sammy (who appears later in the opera)
paying out money meant for household expenses on gambling and
prostitutes. But she also reveals what happens with her when Luigi shows
up at her house when Sammy wants to stay at the shop and gamble. Luigi
ostensibly goes to their house to tell Jill that Sammy's just shooting
the breeze with his pals, but his actual motive is to have sex with her!
She figures that out, and welcomes him! Evidently Luigi shows up often
when Sammy's not there, and if it isn't at Jill's house, it's at another
of the wives' houses! Jill knows it all, doesn't care, she loves how
Luigi treats her and tells all the other ladies in the shop about it.
With the chorus joining in, other women admit to the same thing.
McGonigle told us that very little of his original libretto for this
entire act has been changed. No wonder no one wanted to take a chance on
this opera, as he wrote the first version in 1952. It was somewhat
graphic for the time, even for the opera house, that traditionally has
dealt with all kinds of societies' evils.
TANGO OF THE HAIR DRYERS - Instrumental
Now
we don't have a clue what in hell the title means, but this short
instrument is indeed a tango that again is highlighted by a solo for
accordion. This leads directly into the section for female chorus.
MEN ARE PIGS!
The
women sing of their disgust with their husbands and men in general
after hearing all the shenanigans going on. Jill has a solo, and the
women respond. Some of the sections are repeated, the music quickens and
then slows down for ashort coda that recalls the lead-in to
Jill's opening aria. McGonigle has said that this short choral piece is
one of his favorite parts of the opera. He agrees with the women, as a
group men ARE pigs! The female choir at the recording session really got
into this, and McGonigle was smiling and laughing after they got it
down!
Un Grupo de Mexicali has proven to be one of the most popular groups here at Big And Tall Records. The Hispanic and Latin American community makes up a lot of their fan base, but we've heard from others who are not in those groups that have told us their love of this group. They typify the emotions that are brought forth through this artform. Truly, Mariachi music can touch us deeply, sometimes even for those who do not speak Spanish. We have heard this group run through so many songs and emotions and it is always a joy to hear them. We hope the present questions about how safe it is for them to visit is soon dispelled. They have told us they enjoy being in the U.S., and are very appreciative of the audiences that attend their concerts and events that they play at.
This song, El Despertar el Sol (The Awakening Of The Sun) celebrates the sun of Mexicali, Mexico the home town of the band, and is a is a good example of the Mariachi tradition of El Grito, which translates in English to yelling, or shouting. The phrase can mean different things, and originated with the ringing of the Churchbells in Dolores, Mexico in 1810, along with the shouts of the catholic Priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla urging the people to rise up against their Spanish occupiers and oppressors. In the Mariachi tradition, the shouts convey myriad emotions and feelings from elation to sorrow, all to help lead to understanding of the song. It is also a powerful symbol of national and ethnic identity. A good 'El Grito' as told to us, is spontaneous, an improvisation from the singer, and as many times it occurs while the music playing, it is not an easy thing to do as to be heard.
The first verse translated from Spanish reads: The dark night is gone. A window opens and light slowly enters. A new day sings, "Mexicali awake!"
Se fue la noche oscura Se abre una ventana La luz entra ligera Un nuevo día canta Mexicali despierta ya
El sol el sol el sol Se alza y brilla más El sol el sol el sol Nos trae felicidad El sol el sol el sol Un nuevo comenzar
Olores de café Voces en la calle La ciudad se mueve No hay tiempo para el talle La vida va de prisa
El sol el sol el sol Se alza y brilla más El sol el sol Nos trae felicidad El sol el sol Un nuevo comenzar
Olvidemos tristezas Dejemos lo que fue Bailemos con el alma Con todo nuestro ser El sol nos da la fuerza
The sun, the sun, the sun Rise and shine brighter The sun, the sun Brings us happiness The sun, the sun A new beginning
Let's forget sadness Let's leave behind the past Let's dance with our souls With all our being The sun gives us strength
El sol el sol el sol Se alza y brilla más El sol el sol Nos trae felicidad El sol el sol Un nuevo comenzar
We welcome a new artist,Betty Miranga, a female vocalist that sings primarily country and blues, As of yet, we don't know much about her as the recording came to us sooner than any info about her from our associate that recommended her. We did get a photo of her that our resident graphic artist rendered to the cover used for the recording. After listening to her we thought she must be a younger singer, as she sings in such a pure and clean high register. Now she's not an old timer by a long time, but it's a cinch after seeing her she's been around a few years. We did find out she won a singing contest in her hometown area about 20 years ago, and has been singing ever since. She usually plays gigs with other artists, and seldom plays in bars. Our associate says she emits sophistication, even as she sings about a train whistle reminding her of her lost love, in country style tradition. So we welcome her, and hope she does up some more material in her laid back country sophistication style. Her voice is unique!
We was happy, least for a while Had lovin’ like I never had One day he left me all alone God lawd, I sure do feel bad
Ever time I hear that whistle Number 45 crossing close I think how he ain’t comin’ back That man that I sure love the most
Johnny worked Number 45 The engine bound for the coal mine Was fair of hair, handsome of face He’s gone, all I do is pine
Ever time I hear that whistle Number 45 crossing close I think how he ain’t comin’ back That man that I sure love the most
Friends say some rail men do that Strike up a new love now and then Get a wild hair and change their crew
Ever time I hear that whistle Number 45 crossing close I think how he ain’t comin’ back That man that I sure love the most
Don’t know if I’ll again Johnny spoilt me for other men Got the grand feelin’ ever time Make me shout and holler AMEN!
Ever time I hear that whistle Number 45 crossing close I think how he ain’t comin’ back That man that I sure love the most
Big And Tall Records is proud to present a new female vocal artist - Queenie Mae Bradley! At 22 years old, she's the youngest artist we've ever recorded, but her voice sure doesn't reflect it! She's already got a positive adult timbre, and she can really sing! But that shouldn't come as a shock once you learn that her Grandmother is Mams Carter, and her Uncle is Amos Carter, of whom both are recording artists for our label! Uncle Amos tells us a little something about his talented niece:
You wouldn't know it by how she can belt out a song, but Queenie Mae is rather shy. But music has always brought here out of her shell. When she was a little girl, she'd start to dance and then sing when Mams would play anything at the piano that had a good, driving beat. She's a natural! When she was a teen and we had family get-togethers, many times we'd take turns singing or playing and instrument. She was never interested in playing an instrument, her instrument is her voice! When I and then Mams started recording at Delmar Gentry's studio, we kept after her to try it. Cut a record, be a keepsake if nothing else. We finally got her to go to the studio so Delmar could hear her, and she persuaded her to record a song. Queenie, Delmar, and myself worked on a song together for her, and came up with Stop, Look, And Listen Boogie! Delmar sent the recording to the folks at Big And Tall Records, and they called the next day and said they wanted to release it!
Yes, we did. We were, and still are, very impressed with Queenie's talent! That is the purpose of our record label, to find new and/or unknown talent and release recordings of them. By the way, Delmar called us to tell us about her, and towards the end of our conversation he told us he's imposing physically as well as artistically. Delmar himself is about 6 foot 4, and he estimated she's at least 6 foot 2! And he says she's no bean pole, she's got some meat on her bones, a very attractive young woman!
You cavort and drink with the boys Don't ya have no eye for women? Playin' cards, watchin' football Yer makin' a bad decision...
Spendin' all yer time watchin' sports You shore don't know what yer missin' Instead of hangin' with the guys My sweet lips ya'll could be kissin'!
Better stop, look, and listen You could use a good gal like me Get yer head out of yer ass Get it instead where it should be!
I see that yer out and about A mighty good share of the time Not arm and arm with a woman How about if you just take mine!
You attract me so totally Time for us to get together I'll treat ya real good, yes I will! No one ever treat ya better...
Better stop, look, and listen You need a good woman like me! Get yer head out of sports and drink Get it instead where it should be!
Yer a fine lookin' man, yes sir! I watched ya goin' to and fro Know you once had a woman But that was a long time ago
I can help you forget her, If that's the really big problem The few times you looked at me Yer face looked so sad and solemn...
Better stop, look, and listen You can have me baby for free! Pay attention to me, man! Ain't never had a gal like me!
Won't ever stop chasin' you! You might as well just give in Take a good long look, and you will! So c'mon, and let us begin!
I'll put the whammy on you good! Stare a hole right into yer soul Then you'll look over my way And you'll lose all yer control!
Better stop, look, and listen You'll have some regrets, you'll see! If ya don't pay no attention... Won't never ever let ya be!
