For Christmas 2022 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Santa Dog, The Residents' first official recording, which has now become their most ubiquitous discography entry, with multiple revisitations over the years by themselves and others. We survey the recorded history of this holiday pseudo-classic with a panoply of rock, swing, synth, orchestral and even gamelan arrangements. We also sample James MacMillan’s new (and much more pious) Christmas Oratorio, plus we explore the latest (non-holiday) albums by Qasim Naqvi (with Wadada Leo Smith and Andrew Cyrille), Tom Varner, the River People quartet, and Hardanger fiddler Agnese Amico. Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature bids farewell to Harry Partch, and contemplates a seasonal rarity from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. And finally we revisit two very different Xmas delicacies by Sun Ra and the late George Crumb. Two hours of creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world, certified free of holiday clichés.
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Flotation Device 2022-12-25: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Santa Dog at 50 [0:00]
1. [1:34] The Residents: Fire AKA Santa Dog '72. From Santa Dog (Ralph, 1972, reissued 2022 by Secret Records in Santa Dog 50th Anniversary Collection)
2. [3:17] Rick Countryman: River Rain. From Sol Expression (Chap-Chap, 2022) with River People: Rick Countryman (alto saxophone), Johnny Alegre (guitar), Tetsuro Hori (bass), Christian Bucher (drums), Alvin Cornista (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded July 19, 2022 at Crow's Nest Studio, Manila
3. [6:25] Desmond Briscoe, Glynis Jones: The Stone Tape - Original Opening and Closing Title. From BBC Radiophonic Music (Silva Screen/BBC Records, 2020) with BBC Radiophonic Workshop: Desmond Briscoe, Glynis Jones (special sound effects). NOTE: Realized for a television play broadcast on Christmas Day, 1972 on BBC2
4. [9:59] George Crumb: A Little Suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979. From Bojan Gorišek plays George Crumb Disc III (Audiophile Classics, 1997) with Bojan Gorišek (piano), Matjaž Culiberg (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1980⠀
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SET 2: Sonny sends his holidays wishes [25:55]
1. [29:34] The Residents: Santa Dog '78. From Santa Dog '78 (Ralph, 1978, reissued 2022 by Secret Records in Santa Dog 50th Anniversary Collection)
2. [31:30] Sun Ra, Alton Abraham: It’s Christmas Time. From Singles (Strut, 2016) with The Qualities (unidentified male vocal quartet), Sun Ra (harmonium), unidentified musicians (guitar, bells, wood blocks). NOTE: Recorded c.1956
3. [34:15] Sun Ra Arkestra: Marshall's Groove. From Living Sky (Strut/Omni Sound, 2022) with Sun Ra Arkestra: Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, kora, EVI), Knoel Scott (tenor and baritone saxophone), Nasir P. Dickerson, Chris Hemingway (tenor saxophones), Michael Ray, Cecil Brooks (trumpets), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Dave Davis, Robert Stringer (trombones), Farid Barron (piano), Dave Hotep (guitar), Tyler Mitchell (bass), Wayne Anthony Smith, Jr (drums), Ron McBee, Jorge Silva, Elson Nascimento (percussion), Tara Middleton (voice, violin, flute), Gwen Laster (violin), Melanie Dyer (viola), Kash Killion (cello, sarangi), Michael Richelle (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed by Marshall Allen
4. [45:19] Tom Varner: Sewing Machine Water Train (excerpts). From Sound Vespers (Tom Varner Music, 2022) with Tom Varner (French horn), Samantha Boshnack (trumpet, flugelhorn), Greg Kelley, Ray Larsen (trumpets), Jim Knodle (cornet), Haley Freedlund (trombone), Greg Campbell (percussion, tuba), Seattle Phonographers Union: Steve Barsotti, Steve Peters (electronics, field recordings), Steve Ditorre (recording engineer)
5. [57:43] Outro with The Residents: Santa Dog '88
6. [1:02:00] The Residents: Flood AKA Santa Dog 1999. From Refused (Ralph America, 1999)
7. [1:04:42] The Residents: Fire '99/Santa Dog 2nd Millenium (excerpt). From dot.com (Ralph America, 2000)⠀
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SET 3: The Santa Dog that remains [1:10:43]
1. [1:11:56] The Residents (arranged by Carla Fabrizio): Santa Dog for Gamelan Orchestra. From dot.com (Ralph America, 2000) with Gamelan Sekar Jaya
2. [1:17:00] Qasim Naqvi: Sadden Upbeat. From Two Centuries (Red Hook, 2022) with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Andrew Cyrille (drums), Qasim Naqvi (modular synth, drums), Rick Kwan (recording engineer)
3. [1:20:55] Harry Partch: The Dreamer That Remains, A Study in Loving. From Harry Partch/John Cage (New World, 1978, reissued 1997 by CRI as The Harry Partch Collection Volume 3) with The Harry Partch Ensemble: The Narrator: Harry Partch (intoning voice), The Voice/Brash Musician: Mark Hoffman (voice), Alexis Glattly, Katherine Bjornson, Michael Crosier (voices), Francis Thumm (Chromelodeon), Jean-Charles Françoix (Quadrangularis Reversum), Emil Richards (Cloud-chamber Bowls), Randy Hoffman (Eucal Blossom, Mbira Bass Dyad), Ron Caruso (Gourd Tree), Jon Szanto (Ektara, Bamboo Marimba II), Dennis Dunn, Jonathan Glasier (New Harmonic Canon I), Duane Thomas (Harmonic Canon II), Danlee Mitchell (New Kithara I, voice of Second Musician), David Dunn (Adapted Viola), Jack Logan (conductor), Mark Hoffman, Bruce Quillian (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed and recorded 1972. For more on Harry Partch, see https://www.secondinversion.org/2018/05/09/not-even-harry-partch-can-be-an-island/
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SET 4: Alternative Christmas music [1:31:30]
1. [1:34:23] The Residents: Santa Dog '84 (unfinished). From Santa Dog 50th Anniversary Collection (Secret, 2022)
2. [1:37:19] Agnese Amico: Lupulu. From Alalie (Zoar, 2022) with Agnese Amico (hardanger fiddle)
3. [1:41:44] James MacMillan: Christmas Oratorio (excerpts). From Christmas Oratorio (LPO, 2022) with Lucy Crowe (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone), London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Mark Elder (conductor). NOTE: Composed 2019
4. [1:53:43] Outro with The Residents: Santa Dog 2017
Photo credits: Santa Dog by The Residents, Agnese Amico by Tommaso Taurisano, Marshall Allen by Marek Lazarski, George Crumb by Becky Starobin, Carla Fabrizio via Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Wadada Leo Smith/Qasim Naqvi/Andrew Cyrille by Macha Rose, Harry Partch Ensemble by Betty Freeman, James MacMillan by Hans van der Woerd, Sun Ra: It's Christmas Time 45 single, Glynis Jones via BBC, River People (Tetsuro Hori, Johnny Alegre, Christian Bucher, Rick Countryman) by Jun Crame.