Molto Groovy Christmas was born when producer/writer/director Roman Coppola teamed up with producer Alessandro Casella and multi instrumentalist Carlo Poddighe to create a Christmas album which showed their love of the eclectic style of 60s and 70s Italian soundtracks.
It’s no surprise that this selection of seasonal carols come from a company calling themselves Molto Groovy Productions. Right from the 1st track you’re ushered through a timewarp back to a mid 60s Sunset Strip nightclub decked out with tinsel, shiny baubles and very freaky oil wheel projections on the walls. There’s probably some go-go dancers in a cage too, wearing Santa bikinis, gyrating to the music, who knows…
The songs themselves may be traditional but each one comes complete with virtually every 60s instrument and production trick to give it a full retro revamp. We’ve only reviewed a selection of the goodies included in the playlist but there are highlights right from the start, and we’ll leave it to you dear listener to find the other gems that are also here..
Oh Come All Ye Faithful kicks off with some nice choppy Hammond organ before shifting into fuzz lead and then breaking down into a full old-school phasing production.
Joy To the World is a nice mix of Farfisa organ with baroque-pop flourishes, with plucked piano providing some nice psych touches.
On first hearing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, we were reminded of some long lost 70s blaxploitation film before more Hammond action comes in, progressing to a mid-song wig out.
The mood changes for the cover of White Christmas; imagine Bing Crosby backed by the Ray Conniff Singers oohing & aahing on a Hawaiian beach. palms swaying in the breeze as twangy vibrato guitars chime on the shore.
Our favourite track is a great version of Jingle Bells, which sounds as if it was recorded by Duane Eddy at the Munsters house at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Starting off, with distorted harp honking and guitar feedback, before a distinctly minor-key version of the tune twangs in, but all bizarrely interspersed with little sections from a spaghetti western.
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable voyage of discovery, and an intensely groovy Xmas experience for all the family, at least to the old hippy in your family or anyone with the remotest interest in 60s psychedelia.
Molto Groovy Christmas is available for download at www.cdbaby.com
Have a listen to Molto Groovy Christmas:
Links:
The Planet Of Sound 