Musical Note
Musical Note

Bah Humbug The Alternative Christmas Album

Humorous Christmas songs. Do you twinkle like the lights on a Christmas tree at the approach of Christmas or do you throw up your arms in dismay? If the latter applies then this album is definitely for you!

The Christmas phenomena clearly interests songwriters and provides loads of material for their pens. Ian McCalman and Robin Laing immediately became co-conspirators in Ian Green's eccentric project and their constructive suggestions and musical contributions became invaluable as the project progressed.

Most of the tracks were licensed by Greentrax but some tracks were recorded specially for this album. These include the wickedly hilarious The Man That Slits The Turkey's Throats at Christmas, written by John Rudkin and performed by Robin Laing (with barber-shop vocal backing from Ian McCalman and Scott Murray), and The Present, composed and sung by Tom Clelland, which captures the image of the present we've all received and hated!

Eric Bogle's Santa Bloody Claus has a decidedly Australian slant and is a hilariously disrespectful offering. This is followed by Tom Lehrer's A Christmas Carol, humorously honouring the nation's manufacturers in Tom' s unique satirical style. The other gems are The Lone Shepherd (composed specially for this project) and There Are No Lights On Our Christmas Tree, two funny and cleverly crafted contributions from The Grey Funnel Line man, Cyril Tawney.

Bill Barclay performs his drunken Twelve Days of Christmas vinyl success of some years back. The McCalmans rock to Ian's God Bless The Birthday Boy with a star-studded backing including Runrig's Malcolm Jones. Loudon Wainwright III provides a very thought-provoking song of 1991, Christmas Morning, Enoch Kent has a dig at commercialism in Christmas Comes But Once a Year, and His Worship and The Pig describe how Santa's wife Mary Christmas has run off with the man from Toys 'r' Us.

The album concludes on an almost serious but certainly genuine note with We Wish You A Merry Christmas from the one-off Greentrax Choir. Everyone who took part in this track gave their services free and the royalty will be donated to Cancer Research.

THIS IS A SUPERB ALBUM!!!

You can listen to a whole song by clicking on the name with the musical notes on each side.

1. Introduction - The Bells, The Bells!
2. Santa Bloody Claus - Eric Bogle -4:00
3. A Christmas Carol - Tom Lehrer - 2:40
4. There Are No Lights On Our Christmas Tree - Cyril Tawney - 4:46
5. The Man That Slits The Turkey's Throats at Christmas - Robin Laign - 5:19
6. The Present - Tom Clelland - 2:57
7. Twelve Days of Christmas - Bill Barclay - 5:51
8. Mary Christmas - His Worship and The Pig - 3:12
9. Musical NoteGod Bless The Birthday Boy Musical Note - The McCalmans - 3:16
10. Christmas Comes But Once a Year - Enoch Kent - 2:16
11. Christmas Morning - Ludon Wainwright III 3:36
12. The Lone Shepherd - Cyril Tawney - 7:08
13. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - The Greentrax Choir 3:01
Celtic Christmas

This CD is available for $11.99 plus shipping/handling. Click here to order Bah Humbug. If you want to pay with cash go here.

You can find more articles in the archive under Notes on Celtic Music.

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