Bah humbug! Why David Brancaccio hates holiday music
Bah humbug! Why David Brancaccio hates holiday music
David Brancaccio has something he must own up to: He can’t stand holiday music. Nothing sends shivers down his spine than hearing Paul McCartney sing “Wonderful Christmastime.”
But this year, his heart for holiday music may grow three sizes, thanks to his childhood friends who are also award-winning songwriters and performers. Judy Pancoast and Darmon Meader make the case for seasonal tunes — and the economics behind them. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.
David Brancaccio: Now here’s the part where I admit I just can’t stand holiday music. Gassing up or buying toothpaste — no escape. Somebody like Paul McCartney sings, but what I hear is “Simply spending a fortune to my last dime.” Joining us to talk sense into me are two childhood friends who separately became music stars who have created and performed holiday music. Here’s one, Judy Pancoast:
Brancaccio: That’s “House on Christmas Street.” Judy has also been nominated for a Grammy for her children’s music. Hey, Judy!
Judy Pancoast: Hi, David. How are you?
Brancaccio: Good. I love hearing you because you’re my friend, but care to diagnose my general problem with holiday music?
Pancoast: I don’t understand when you became such a humbug because, you know, I was thinking about this. You actually gave me my very first Christmas present that didn’t come from somewhere in my family. So once upon a time you had the Christmas spirit, David.
And think about this: If it weren’t for Christmas music, when would we hear Bing Crosby or Elvis or Karen Carpenter? We would not hear these great voices if it weren’t for the most wonderful time of the year?
Brancaccio: All right, I suppose on some oldies channels, but I see your point. Now on the line with us as well is jazz man Darmon Meader — also my pal since forever. He and his band New York Voices have worked on Grammy-winning projects, and they also have a holiday album. Hey, Darman!
Darmon Meader: Hey, David!
Brancaccio: You and I have hung out since we were toddlers, yet somehow our paths seem to have diverged on holiday music. You don’t hear the genre as a consumerism promotion device?
Meader: Well, here’s where it gets tricky. If you say I love holiday music or I don’t like holiday music, that’s like saying I love pop music or I don’t love pop music. The genres are so diverse. The truth of the matter, if I wander into a random shopping mall, I’m probably going to not like the majority of the music I hear, because it’s all mostly the secular music that’s kind of watered down, a lot of pop artists trying to make an extra dollar off of the season or whatever. The music I love to listen to is what we call “traditional pop.” It’s the Tony Bennetts. It’s the Ella Fitzgeralds. It’s, you know, Rosemary Clooney or whatever. And that’s the music that I’ll be playing at home during the Christmas season.
Brancaccio: Here’s Darman with his fellow New York Voices.
Brancaccio: So Darman, to what extent might it also be about the intent of the artist when crafting a Christmas song, you know, like, you know, meeting their mortgage payment would be one intent, but a loftier goal, maybe? Some artistry?
Meader: I think it can be both. I mean, there are some amazing contemporary Christmas songs out there that do have a heartfelt meaning and are musically interesting. But it’s also easy to sometimes feel like a lot of them are, the artists attempt to create an annual annuity as that song gets played every December. You know, part of it also gets into the whole side of things where Christmas as a secular joyful season — family, friends, good cheer, and throw in a little romance perhaps; you know, that’s wonderful. But that’s very different than the original meaning of Christmas in terms of the birth of Christ and all the sacred music. And that music tends to be put on the shelf in the contemporary world we live in these days, which, for those of us that grew up listening to that music and think of that as being equally a part of it, you know, I love the balance of the two.
Brancaccio: Judy Pancoast, I guess, what was your intent when you wrote “House on Christmas Street”? I mean, it wasn’t just like to get a nickel out of me.
Pancoast: The original intent was just to make people happy. I mean really, that’s it. I just want to make music that makes people laugh, have a good time, have fun. I’ve never gotten rich off my music, so that wasn’t even a thought. But I’ll be honest with you: immortality, David. I wanted a song that would live on after I’m gone, that people would still be listening to seasonally after I’m gone, like all those artists that I mentioned before. You know, the only times a lot of people hear Nat King Cole is at Christmastime. So, I said to Philip, my husband, “If I ever had a hit, I would want it to be this one because it would come back year after year after year long after I’ve left.” And I feel, as a musician, that’s my goal — to have one song that stays with people and becomes part of their lives.
Brancaccio: Now Darmon, I’m hearing from something you said earlier that there’s also some holiday songs that make you break out in hives?
Meader: Oh, for sure. I mean, “Santa Baby,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Blue Christmas,” “Rocking around the Christmas Tree.” You know that genre that’s just sort of kitschy, and it also feels like a lot of it’s based more in the idea of let’s sell a lot of gifts at Christmas and less about the real spirit of, you know, hopefully, closeness of family and friends and all of that.
Brancaccio: Judy, as a practitioner, your view on holiday music in general: Can’t get enough of it? Bring it on?
Pancoast: Bring it on, baby. I don’t look at it in a commercial way at all. I mean, when I’m out shopping, it adds to the ambiance. It doesn’t necessarily make me want to buy more stuff; it just adds to the ambiance. And when I am creating Christmas music, I’m not thinking, “Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching,” you know. “Let’s have some money.” And I don’t craft it in a way that I feel is going to make people go shopping. You know, it’s just not even in my mind when I’m doing it. And I’d like to think that most artists, when they make Christmas albums, yes, they want to sell they want to sell albums, but I don’t think they’re thinking about the aspect that you’re talking about, which is getting people to buy more stuff.
Brancaccio: And given the economics of music these days and what music streaming services pay artists, I suppose I should be more supportive when musicians release whole albums that might work as gifts for the holidays.
Pancoast: I actually had people order two physical CDs for me this year and I almost fainted because it just doesn’t happen.
Brancaccio: Judy Pancoast, “House on Christmas Street,” a song embraced by people who have those houses you cruise past covered in blinking holiday lights, and Darmon Meader, New York Voices. Each are my friends from our childhoods in Central Maine. Thank you both, Judy and Darman!
To play us out, here’s Darman with New York Voices.
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