Chip Davis, better known as Mannheim Steamroller, once wrote advertising jingles with Bill Fries and helped him create the popular C.W. McCall character, the man behind the 1976 hit “Convoy.” Shortly after that, Davis started recording what he called "18th century classical rock" — classical music performed on electric bass and synthesizers. He eventually came up with the name Mannheim Steamroller to promote himself and as they say, the rest is history.
Mannheim Steamroller has been synonymous with Christmas music since Davis released Mannheim Steamroller Christmas in 1984. The album sold over five million copies and scored a top 40 hit on the Adult Contemporary Charts with a rendition of “Deck the Halls.” Since then, Steamroller has released over half a dozen Christmas themed albums to an eager public.
With Steamroller’s latest release Christmas Song, Davis sticks to the holiday classics, with a few of his own songs mixed in. The sound of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” written by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne, is dominated by recorders with an overlay of drums and saxophone. Johnny Mathis lends his soft, dulcet tones to “The Christmas Song.”
It is on songs like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” where Mannheim Steamroller really shines. Their rendering of this Christmas classic has a very jazzy feel to it; heavy on the percussion, saxophone and guitar. Things slow down considerably; with the quiet, almost sequin arrangement of “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.” I was taken back to a time as a child, when I used to look up at the dark sky, anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival.
“Feliz Navidad,” written by José Feliciano, returns listeners to the more jazzy upbeat sound found in earlier songs on the album. “Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue” is an original song written by Chip Davis for his son Evan. The rhythm of the song starts off slow but picks up as the music continues. “Masters in the Hall” is an old carol from the 19th century. Frankly, I don’t think I had heard it before listening to Christmas Song. It sounds like something you might hear at one of those huge cathedrals.
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