Wonderland Burlesque's The Twelve Days Before Xmas - Day Eight: Beautiful Christmas by Harpo

Wonderland Burlesque's

The Twelve Days Before Xmas

 Day Eight: 

Beautiful Christmas by Harpo

Time to climb back into the Wonderland Burlesque time machine and countdown to the big day. This holiday season, the dial is set for the 1970's!

Oh, you are in for a treat, so grab a seat and buckle up. 

The seventies was a decade of change, turbulence and sweetness. Nowhere is this more felt than in the breadth and depth of the music of the time. There were so many different genres being developed, evolving and seeking validation on the radio and the industry music charts, it was a virtual musical cornucopia.  

So, get ready for another song of the season by one of our biggest (and not so big) stars, here, stateside, and across the pond, who made the seventies truly magical. 

Next up... the oddly psychedelic poetic sounds of Sweden's Harpo, sharing his holiday offering, Beautiful Christmas. 

Jan Torsten Svensson, known professionally as Harpo, is a Swedish pop singer who was popular in Sweden and around Europe in the 1970s. He is best known for his worldwide hits Moviestar (1975) and Horoscope (1976). Originally signed by the management team behind ABBA, Harpo eventually moved to EMI, where he enjoyed a string of hits from 1973-1977. In 1975, he released Beautiful Christmas as the B-side to his hit Motorcycle Mama. His career hit a snag in 1977, when he served one month in prison for refusing to take part in the Swedish Military Service. After serving his sentence, he resumed his career, eventually signing with Mickey Most's RAK Records, but never attained the same level of success he'd previously experienced. 

Harpo perfectly captures the innocence and sweetness of both the era and the season during an appearance on Top Of The Pops. Amidst a trippy, fabric-covered landscape, wearing a crocheted vest and velveteen pants with matching cap, while handling a walking stick, he waxes on about all the things he would give his love (moon, spoon, etc.), accompanied by  harpsichord and strings. It all makes Beautiful Christmas an idiosyncratic way to ring in the holidays. 

Beautiful Christmas - Harpo

Wonderland Burlesque's The Twelve Days Before Xmas - Day Nine: Hey, Mr. Christmas by Showaddywaddy

Wonderland Burlesque's

The Twelve Days Before Xmas

 Day Nine: 

Hey, Mr. Christmas by Showaddywaddy

Time to climb back into the Wonderland Burlesque time machine and countdown to the big day. This holiday season, the dial is set for the 1970's!

Oh, you are in for a treat, so grab a seat and buckle up. 

The seventies was a decade of change, turbulence and sweetness. Nowhere is this more felt than in the breadth and depth of the music of the time. There were so many different genres being developed, evolving and seeking validation on the radio and the industry music charts, it was a virtual musical cornucopia.  

So, get ready for another song of the season by one of our biggest (and not so big) stars, here, stateside, and across the pond, who made the seventies truly magical. 

Next up... the homegrown, blue collar sounds of the UK's Showaddywaddy with 1974's Hey Mr. Christmas.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

Showaddywaddy was a six-member meat 'n potatoes rock 'n roll band out of Leicester, England who enjoyed numerous Top 40 singles in the UK between 1974 and 1982. Hey, Mr. Christmas (a nod to their first hit, Hey, Rock And Roll), a one-off single, was their third song to hit the Top 40, peaking at #13 in the UK and #15 in Ireland. The band's singles were primarily covers of tunes from the 1950's. Dressed in their trademark multi-colored Teddy boy drape jackets, the group first entered the UK's living rooms via the talent show New Faces in 1973. Signed to Bell Records, the group went on to enjoy 23 Top 40 hits, ten of which hit the Top 10, with one snagging the #1 spot.

 

Resplendent, accompanied by a children's choir with a stage decked out for the season, the group manages more than a bit of cheer while performing on Lift Off. Bubbly and joyous, with a solid beat and an every-man sensibility, the song serves as the perfect accompaniment for the holiday season.

Hey, Mr. Christmas - Showaddywaddy

Wonderland Burlesque's The Twelve Days Before Xmas - Day Ten: It May Be Winter Outside by Love Unlimited

Wonderland Burlesque's

The Twelve Days Before Xmas

 Day Ten: 

It May Be Winter Outside by Love Unlimited

Time to climb back into the Wonderland Burlesque time machine and countdown to the big day. This holiday season, the dial is set for the 1970's!

Oh, you are in for a treat, so grab a seat and buckle up. 

The seventies was a decade of change, turbulence and sweetness. Nowhere is this more felt than in the breadth and depth of the music of the time. There were so many different genres being developed, evolving and seeking validation on the radio and the industry music charts, it was a virtual musical cornucopia.  

So, get ready for another song of the season by one of our biggest (and not so big) stars, here, stateside, and across the pond, who made the seventies truly magical. 

Next up...  the silky sounds of  Love Unlimited with It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring).  

Nobody does it better... than Mr. Barry White.

From Wikipedia:

It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) is a song co-written by Barry White and Paul Politi. It first became a minor hit for American singer Felice Taylor in 1967, reaching #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 44 on the R&B chart,

It was recorded later in 1973 by Love Unlimited, a girl group formed by Barry White, featuring his wife, Glodean James; her sister, Linda James; and their cousin Diane Taylor. It appeared on their album Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited. This version made it to #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #35 on the Billboard R&B chart in the US. However, it was a much bigger success in the UK, reaching #11 on the UK Singles Chart.

A marvelous slice, featuring Barry White's smooth hand and an-almost Supremes like sensibility, It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) perfectly captures the yearning and hope of the season.

It May Be Winter Outside 

(But In My Heart It's Spring)

 - Love Unlimited

Wonderland Burlesque's The Twelve Days Before Xmas - Day Eleven: It Doesn't Have To Be That Way by Jim Croce

Wonderland Burlesque's

The Twelve Days Before Xmas

 Day Eleven: 

It Doesn't Have To Be That Way by Jim Croce

Time to climb back into the Wonderland Burlesque time machine and countdown to the big day. This holiday season, the dial is set for the 1970's!

Oh, you are in for a treat, so grab a seat and buckle up. 

The seventies was a decade of change, turbulence and sweetness. Nowhere is this more felt than in the breadth and depth of the music of the time. There were so many different genres being developed, evolving and seeking validation on the radio and the industry music charts, it was a virtual musical cornucopia.  

So, get ready for another song of the season by one of our biggest (and not so big) stars, here, stateside, and across the pond, who made the seventies truly magical. 

Next up... it's a lovely ballad by the late Jim Croce.

From Wikipedia:

It Doesn't Have to Be That Way is a song written and recorded by Jim Croce for his 1973 album Life and Times. Originally released early that year as the B-side of the One Less Set of Footsteps single, it was reissued that December as the third and final single from the album, as well as Croce's second posthumously-released single. It reached a peak of #64 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending five weeks on the chart.

In the song, the narrator reveals himself to be a man who has recently ended a relationship. As the holiday season approaches, the Christmas atmosphere in his town is evident nearly everywhere, with falling snow, Christmas lights, the corner Santa Claus,  tinsel, and caroling choirs. The narrator finds room for optimism, suggesting that "it doesn't have to be that way," and that his relationship with his former love could easily be rekindled if only given a second chance.

The song remains one of Croce's most beloved.

 

It Doesn't Have To Be That Way - Jim Croce