Mark Lindsay: Paul Revere and the Raiders - Christmas Present and Past

CHRISTMAS PRESENT.....AND PAST.....

Originally released by Paul Revere and the Raiders, featuring Mark Lindsay,
on 10/9/1967 as Columbia # CS 9555 stereo vinyl album, # CL 2755 mono vinyl album

Reissued on CD 10/89 as Columbia # CK45310 (no longer available)
Reissued on cassette 8/90 as Columbia # 3CT 45310 (no longer available)

Reissued on CD 12/96 as 'alala # 1196-2
Reissued on cassette 12/96 as 'alala# 1196-4

Produced by Terry Melcher

A MESSAGE FROM SANTA:

CHRISTMAS IS HERE . . .

"Paul Revere and Christmas have a past and a present.
They're both very famous - and we hope you enjoy them both - for now and in the future.

Santa Claus

P.S. There are actually nine "presents" in this album: - nine original songs by Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher. Presents with a future, the past saluted with Jingle Bells."

A MESSAGE FROM SANTA'S PONYTAILED HELPER:
(If you need to download RealPlayer, please scroll down)

AND VARIOUS NOTES ON "CHRISTMAS PRESENT"

(There are also a few more notes below with the lyrics...)

A particularly confusing issue for collectors is the supposed single that was released
from this album (according to several discographies):
Columbia #4-44376 - Rain Sleet Snow / Brotherly Love.
Yes, it was assigned a catalog number and even a release date of 11/21/67,
but to our knowledge it never got to the pressing stage.

MIGHT have had something to do with an October party that Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher
were invited to attend, along with some CBS "brass", at the home of a very influential
radio programming executive. They proudly brought an acetate of the soon-to-be-released
Christmas album, and the afore-mentioned exec put it on his turntable.
As he went from track to track he got redder and redder and finally shouted

"YOU'VE REALLY MISSED THE BOAT ON THIS ONE!"

He then flung the disc across the room in front of all the astonished observers.
(No doubt he had been expecting something a little more mainstream.)
The heavy disc impaled itself in the plushly-papered wall,
and then slumped to the ground, along with CBS's plans for their supergroup's new project.
It's not hard to imagine the meeting that took place at CBS the next day --
we're probably lucky we ever got to hear the album at all, let alone a single.....

But NOW, the project has become a "cult classic"......go figure!

Reprinted from the December 1996 issue of Mark Lindsay's Steppin' Out! newsletter

LYRICS....

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

Look at all the people hurrying by

No one's got time to smile

Each one busy in his own particular way

Hurrying nowhere, don't even know why

Mile after lonely mile,

Here's advice to brighten up their day

Wear a smile at Christmas

No one likes, no one likes to see a frown

Wear a smile at Christmas

No one likes, no one likes you when you're down . . .

(Mah fellow Americans, be merry - Count yore blessings for a while)

And wear a smile at Christmas

Wear a Christmas smile

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way

HA, HA, HA

Bells on bobtail ring

Making spirits bright

Oh what fun to laugh and sing

A sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

(Repeat chorus until merriment overcomes you and you swoon with delight)

Guest vocalists, direct from a hot dog stand just off Sunset Boulevard:
Elaine Gibford and Paul Edward Connors

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

So you gave a check to the cleaning man

And you flashed your big smile as he offered his hand

But after you shook it, you washed again

And that don't seem like brotherly love

At Christmas time, who'd be such a fool

As to not abide by the Golden Rule?

Yet, we send our children to different schools

And they don't see much brotherly love

We say it's truth that we want to find

But our ears are stone, and our eyes are blind

The answer's been there for as long as time

He said, "Let there be brotherly love"

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

". . . As we were preparing the track for the lead vocal, Terry had processed the electric guitar
into realms of distortion rarely approached by Paul Revere and the Raiders.
The first time through the lead vocal, the engineer or Terry (or both) had managed to patch
the output of the mic pre-amp on my channel in and out of another mic pre-amp,
totally shredding the voice but in kind of a pleasing way.
The cue feed I'd been getting in my phones only had the first pre-amp section,
so I couldn't hear the distortion while I was singing.
Looking back, I know I sang it much differently than I would have,
had I heard that raw ripping vocal track in my phones." - MARK

Pardon my inquiry, but I got to know

What makes all you people send your mail so slow?

According to the information I receive

You send all your Christmas cards on Christmas Eve

Rain, sleet, or snow the mail goes through

And though it's kind of late, I want you all to hear

Some Christmas information for the coming year

The Postmaster General says we'll get by

If you send all your cards before the 4th of July.

Rain, sleet, or snow the mail goes through

As we fade, the postal authorities struggle on,
Valiantly singing their battle song - To the tune of increasing rates.

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

Although a Columbia 45 single catalog number was assigned to Rain, Sleet, Snow,
and there was single sheet music available for it, it was never (to our knowledge) ever released.

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

" . . . We were doing the Christmas album and the bigwigs from CBS New York
came out and stopped by the studio to check out what was really going down.
The full string section was in place, and then Terry turned to me and asked,
'Why don't you conduct it, Mark?'
I felt like an utter fool because I had no idea what I was doing,
but somehow it came out OK, either because of me or in spite of me..." - MARK

(A PRAYER AT CHRISTMAS)

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.

"On earth peace, goodwill toward men." (Luke 2:14)

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

NARRATOR [ROGER HART]:

Ladies and gentlemen, we now take you to Valley Forge, Christmas 1775.
You are there.
Any resemblance between this situation and present or future conflicts is purely coincidental.

(As we approach the camp, we see and hear men marching and talking,
huddled together in small groups to keep warm.
The General rides by on his horse,
and we close in on the dissertation of one lonely soldier.)

It's Christmas time at last

I thought I'd get a pass

But I'm stuck at Valley Forge

Behind our General George

He says we got to fight

No matter wrong or right

And so we fight the war

I wonder what it's for?

The General says we'll lose

If we don't pay our dues

But it's hard to see the foe

They're hiding in the snow

We're losing lots of men

The quota's up again

Our casualties are high

But so's the sky

It's cold out, cold out

Sold out, sold out

Hold out, hold out, but cold out

Cold out, hold out

Sold out, sold out

Hold out, hold out, cold out

Fa la,la, la, la, Fa la,la, la, la, Fa la,la, la,la,

la,la, la, la,la,la, la, la,la,la, la, la, la.

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

Dear Mr. Claus, I'm writing you this note

Please pay attention to the words I've wrote

It's getting very lonely here at home

I think I'd like a special someone

I can call my very own

Dear Mr. Claus, won't you bring me a real live doll?

'Cause I've been very, very good

Dear Mr. Claus, won't you bring me a real live doll?

Gee, you must have a thousand

You could do it, if you would

Won't you bring me a real live doll?

I'd like a special trick that looks delicious

Won't you bring me a real live doll?

I'm tired of cleaning all the pots and pans and dirty dishes

You can make her hair, dear Santa, black, brown, or red (or yellow)

Just be sure, dear Santa Claus, there's some on her head (there's a good fellow)

Dear Mr. Claus, won't you bring me a real live doll?

And I'll be good next year

YEAH

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

In Macy's window there's lots of pine

It's Christmas time

See the sidewalk Santa with his silver bell

Yes, he's doing well

Kids are climbing up on Santa's knee

They think it's all for free

Christmas help, in mini-skirts and painted smiles

Are driving daddy wild

Salvation Army bands play Christmas songs

But no one songs along

To cheer them on, the people drop a dime

It's Christmas time

I can hear sleigh bells ringing - Can you hear children singing?

(a very sad silence)

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

"...I did several takes with the tape speeded up and slowed down,
so I sound like Alvin and Simon and Bullwinkle and Rocky and The Munchkins
and the Thing from 20,000 Fathoms... all in a nice tight little chorus.
Some of the characters might have been swimming around
in the Christmas punchbowl, but no one's telling...." - MARK

Can you feel that Christmas spirit

There's magic in the air

There's a kind of kindred brotherhood

And Christmas decorations everywhere

And we know that Santa's waiting

And his sleigh with gifts is filled

Now the Christmas chimes are ringing clear

It's very still

(Shhhh....)

There's a special kind of happiness that comes but once a year

And with friends and loved ones all around

We will share our Christmas cheer

And we know that Santa's waiting

And his sleigh with gifts filled

I can feel that Christmas Spirit

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

CLICK TO HEAR REALAUDIO CLIP

Now you wouldn't take the bunny out of Easter

Or the witch out of Halloween

And if they took away your turkey,

It would ruin your Thanksgiving scene

Every year about this time, I have a question

It's a thought that's hung me up for many years

Who took the Christ out of Christmas?***

By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher

*** This line is sung by Terry Melcher, and knowing this
may help you pick out his vocals on the extensive background parts
he sang in harmony with Mark on Raider albums from 1965-1967.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!. . .

Autographed copies of CHRISTMAS PRESENT...AND PAST available at Mark Lindsay's GROOVY STUFF....

If you need RealPlayer, download it here...

Back to Site Map