Wednesday December 22, 2021 ”Snoopy’s Christmas” The Royal Guardsmen
I like a little seasonal frivolity and good cheer in my Christmas stocking so let’s include “Snoopy’s Christmas” where the Peanuts canine, Snoopy and the “Bloody Red Baron” once again engage in an aerial dogfight (pun intended). You may recall that their first battle did not end well for the Red Baron so this Christmas Eve follow-up engagement would be the Baron’s opportunity to even the score.
I won’t ruin the ending by telling you who wins, you’ll need to spend the three minutes to find that out but I don’t think you will be disappointed with the outcome.
The Royal Guardsmen’s first record “Baby Let’s Wait” was a nice tune that did not fare that well for them although the Young Rascals would record the same song a few months after the Guardsmen and have a top twenty hit with it. The Guardsmen then connected with songwriter Dick Holler who penned all four of the “Snoopy” songs and good or bad it became the Royal Guardsmen’s signature sound and their primary claim to musical fame.
In addition to the "Snoopy" songs, Dick Holler would also write “Abraham, Martin and John”, now there’s a stretch.
Perhaps an inspiration for this song, on Christmas Eve 1914 during WW I, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.
Stay safe and well...and I suspect that ‘Christmas bells, those Christmas bells, ringing through the land…’ will be ringing through your head for a while today…you're welcome.