(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)

Something in music: origin

One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.

One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.

‘Something’ in Music 354

Something Old

Our “something old” this edition is the classic cut “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” by the Brit band the Beatles. The song was first recorded for the Fab Four’s fifth fan club Christmas record of the same name back in 1967. This is the more famous remixed flip side to the 1995 single “Free as a Bird.” This remix video also includes Christmas greetings from the group also recorded in 1967.

Something New

Our “something new” this time is the song “What a Beautiful Christmas” by Buffalo, New York-based aerospace technician, singer, songwriter and guitarist Emidio Ramirez. He performs both covers and original songs alone and with others in English and in Spanish. In an e-message, he discussed the song and its origins.

He said: “I wrote this song two years ago at the end of C-19 and at the beginning of the U-war. I had not released it because I had not received my copyright certificate from the copyright office yet. Chicana, she is my backup singer for the chorus, and she also has a couple of songs that she has written.”

He added more about his fellow performers too. He said: “Kal-El is my first guitarist for the riff that I did for the song and also has a couple of songs written. As for the inspiration of the song, we were coming out of lockdown and the war was starting so I put those two together and that was what became emotionally attached to the song. I've been playing guitar since the age of six, Kal-El was playing guitar before that and Chicana has been singing for years.”

Something Borrowed

Our “something borrowed” for this edition is the Christmas classic “Silent Night” composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818. This contemporary cover is by the Los Angeles, California-based singer-songwriter and musician Athena Andreadis. She co-arranged it with Peter Mayne.

She recorded it for Save the Children UK, and it was featured on their Brit TV advertising campaign in 2012, 2014 and 2015. It is still used to raise money for other charities. In a message on social media, she discussed the song.

She said she hoped people would support the “wonderful work [being done] for children by buying the mp3 of this classic Christmas song available world-wide” at this link. The Greek-born performer concluded: “Also for those of you in Greece and Cyprus, you can also help Greek families by buying a CD from any Starbucks store. Love and Peace!”

Something Blue

Last but not least, our “something blue” this edition is the song “Blue Christmas” recorded by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, and musician Heather Anne Lomax. It’s her tuneful take on a Hayes-John hit famously recorded by Elvis Presley back in 1957. If you’d like to learn more about her most recent release, check out your rockin’ writer’s write-up of the rollickin’ release right here!

If you’d like to see Lomax play live and are in the area, you’re in luck! She will be one of the 26 acts performing at The Elvis Presley Birthday Bash 2024 Comeback Special at The Write-Off Room in Studio City, California on January 8th at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Bonus Christmas Stocking Stuffer

Our Christmas Bonus this year is the sinful stocking stuffer “Boner For Christmas” by the Snata Barbara, California-based American “geek rock” band known as Nerf Herder. The NSFW song first appeared on their disc Hi-Voltage Christmas Rock which dropped in 2000. It was reportedly released as a single on July 10, 2001.

Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!

(Images courtesy of Rock n Roll Bride, Wedding Chicks, and/or original owners)