Candles, the band I am currently co-managing was asked to participate in an “all-original Christmas compilation album” produced by radio station: Jam 88.3 (to those abroad, Jam 88.3 is a pop-alternative station here in the Philippines). The only snag was that Candles didn’t have any original Christmas song that they could contribute. I was rung up by band co-manager, Jun Regalado, informing me of the band’s predicament. The station needed the song ASAP… and they didn’t mean just the song… it had to be recorded, mixed and mastered and delivered to the station pronto to make it to the album.
I didn’t want the band NOT to be part of the album considering how important a “career move” it was for them to be a part of it. This compilation album is already on its 3rd installment and has been an on-going tradition of the station. Almost all the known bands in the Philippine music scene and big named artists have participated on the previously produced albums.
So, being the OCD person that I sometimes am… I put my obsessiveness to good use. I pulled out my trusty pen and paper (well, actually I just turned on my PC and worked on Word… it just sounds nice!) and spent about an hour writing a Christmas song that I thought would best suit the band’s image. I spent another hour and a half working on the musical arrangement which I made sure the band wouldn’t have a hard time rendering. Also, I didn’t really go for the fluffy, softy, light and holiday-ish feel on the song. It wasn’t what I intended for the band. Instead, I composed something that didn’t sound like a holiday song but a rockin’ and catchy upbeat tune that had a “commercial touch”.
I entitled it, “Merry Christmas, Baby”. And it was ready for vocal recording immediately the next day. Some of the people who first heard the final master said that it had shades of a Gin Blossoms song. I guess that’s good thing cause I really love listening to Gin Blossoms and it probably showed on this particular composition.
Bagong Puna