"Caroling" (Tom Frangicetto Cover)

For many years my Dad would write a Christmas song each year. I remember being a little kid and being completely awestruck by the magic of him strumming out these songs and then hearing him play them back through his little boombox tape recorder for all of us. I can say without a doubt that this was the number one inspiration for me to eventually feel like I could record my own songs years down the road. It was a subconscious game changer. A DIY seed planted in my brain that grew and grew.

Of course his love of Christmas music was also transferred to me. Certainly not ALL Christmas music LOL but there is something beautiful and pure in so much of it that I adore. The songs that my Dad wrote especially were exemplary of the "true Christmas spirit" (as he called it) which to me always felt more like a teaching on how we should be living all year long.  He never wrote about presents or anything like that, it was about coming together with your friends, family, humanity at large and connecting to the joy of being alive, recognizing your blessings (aka privilege), the pain of loss, bittersweet nostalgia, the memories of everything in between and a celebration of the whole bag.  Yes my version of Christmas is mostly secular albeit some could call it spiritual.   I've never been religious and these songs, while they certainly don't erase the notion of Christ Consciousness, are not religious by any means.

He wrote "Caroling" 35 years ago so I was 4 years old. Mind blowing stuff haha. 

When Anthony told me he wanted to do this one I was really excited and instantly heard a way to reinterpret the song.  It was an extremely fun process and I love the way it came out. I can hear Anthony smiling in this performance somehow. The way he tweaked some lyrics and melodies is perfection and the slide that Brendan added brought it to another level of magical.  Lastly getting to record additional vocals with my wife Sarah (who sings the shit out of the harmony/backups throughout) was the most fun I've had in a long while. 

I've been touring for over half of my life now and while there have been plenty of times that I haven't been able to be home for actual holidays there has never been a year that I don't see my family sometime between Nov-Jan to have a celebration. This is the first and while that makes me really sad, listening to this song makes my face hurt from smiling too hard and has made me feel connected to the true spirit again. I love you all, thanks for listening and for being a part of our family. I hope your Holidaze are safe and joyous even with the bummer we've been handed this year. Merry Happy All The Things.

Attaching my Dad's original boombox recording from 1985 for reference. 

Merry Christmas Dad, I love you!

-C

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Mixed by Me :)

Guest Vocals by Sarah Collins