Little Drummer Boy

[StephenM]

Epiphone Firehawk using very clean settings on boss me-25,
Shecter bass using same as Firehawk, MXL mic, recorded and mixed on Zoom L-20
mastered on Audacity with the Masterdesk plug in that Zoltan suggested 

this was born from electric guitar practice this afternoon.  I had no particular thought of recording until... guitar first, then bass.  the bass I actually used a thumb drive to tap on the strings on parts, and a pick and fingers.. I just was trying to make something interesting to go with the guitar thing.
When I sat down to listen to hear what I might add vocally, this song came to my head...
so one practice swipe on the vocals and then the real thing. 

so here is a serious question, and I am looking for answers. 

If you ever heard this somewhere, where would it likely be?

my answer is a loony bin for musicians...

having said that, I love this song... and was trying to see 3 poor kids coming to the event and one had a string thing that sounded low, one had a kind of guitar, the other could only sing...and this is their offering...

[Ted]

Remember what I said about holiday music? How the songs that persist are the best of the best? This song, "The Little Drummer Boy," is the exception. I really dislike this song. In particular: Parumpa pum pum. What hack lyricist came up with those nonsense words and thought, "Yeah, I'll go with that?"

So I saw this posted by you, and I almost didn't click through. I was expecting a reverent cover, and that was the last thing I wanted to hear. I don't know what masochistic urge made me click play, but I'm glad I did.

There's a menacing delirium to this. The image that comes to mind is not the cute stop-motion Drummer Boy from the Christmas special. Rather, it's a slightly dangerous and addled kid holding a couple of mallets that could equally be used as weapons.

"Mary nodded." Damn right she did. The way most people cooperate with a potential mugger.

"The ox and lamb kept time." Born under a death sentence, the livestock enjoyed seeing humans, for once, cowering for their safety.

You fixed it. For the first time ever, I enjoyed this song.

[Jean Pierre]

then this title intrigued me!
in French 'le petit garçon au tambour'...so I immediately thought of Volker Schlondorff's film
( a hard film  but fascjnating=..and  I had a poster of it in my first home studio when I was in Lyon

I found this image  a bit scary:  this little boy visibly "inhabited" by the drum roll he produces

I must admit that not understanding the lyrics I didn't recognise this (very well known) song, you really "inhabited" this song and made an arrangement that goes well with my poster, no?

Note that the toy drum is a very "& fashionable" toy in the 40's-50's, and a nightmare for the unfortunate parents who had the bad idea to buy it to their bambino

For my part and like Ted I don't like this song at all but you have done a rather amazing, haunting and slightly obsessive arrangement...but far enough from the original melody that, intrigued, I searched and found it on YT and thought "ha! but this is the song!

I still don't like this song but I put the reference on YT anyway because I love the "a capella" singing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc

bravo Stephen for this Christmas rant

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[Zoltan]

Mary nodded (= was bored and fell a sleep) while someone let it rip with his rumpa (Swedish for butt).

The sound must have been silent, but deadly as it inspired the animals to spasm in terror.

All the while someone played air drums.

The Sound of Silence meets The End. Only with less harmony singing and napalm in the morning.

Still i couldn't stop thinking about that thump drive. I hope it still works. I doubt warranty would cover "yeah, i slapped the bass with that". Saying that like it was normal...

Checking back what Ted wrote i noticed that the rumpa fired twice (pum pum). I'm not sure what that kind of numerology means, but it shows that it was done intentionally. One can be forgiven for "firing" once, but twice shows intent. No jury would let that go as a mere accident...

Epilogue... I can just imagine someone new to this site arriving into a place called Songcrafters, and seeing all these helpful comments

[chapperz66]

Well that got my attention Stephen!  What a great re-imagining of a Carol that - although it's not a favourite of mine either - it is one that everyone knows.  Brilliantly original.

Paul

[Jean Pierre]

In my cover song Zoltan said

while listening to Stephens Christmas song (It's not in DADGAD, but the playing / choice of notes doesn't sound like the run of the mill pentatonic either)

It's true, I had this feeling too, but I didn't say it in my comment!

[StephenM]

this was worth doing just to read all the cool comments from it...

I practice weird scales all the time...but like I a fish I don't know a fin from a scale...    

I played this for my wife... I don't think she dug it but she didn't hate it... because as she said, "the guitar sounds clean it's not distorted." 
I like the pictures and video as well... crazy stuff

I doubt anyone would play this at family and friend gatherings, although I know a few where I would...

[StephenM]

then this title intrigued me!
in French 'le petit garçon au tambour'...so I immediately thought of Volker Schlondorff's film
( a hard film  but fascjnating=..and  I had a poster of it in my first home studio when I was in Lyon

I found this image  a bit scary:  this little boy visibly "inhabited" by the drum roll he produces

I must admit that not understanding the lyrics I didn't recognise this (very well known) song, you really "inhabited" this song and made an arrangement that goes well with my poster, no?

Note that the toy drum is a very "& fashionable" toy in the 40's-50's, and a nightmare for the unfortunate parents who had the bad idea to buy it to their bambino

For my part and like Ted I don't like this song at all but you have done a rather amazing, haunting and slightly obsessive arrangement...but far enough from the original melody that, intrigued, I searched and found it on YT and thought "ha! but this is the song!

I still don't like this song but I put the reference on YT anyway because I love the "a capella" singing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc

bravo Stephen for this Christmas rant

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

I found this quite amazing...

[Rene Asologuitar]

Hi Stephen,
This is serious creation, and I am digging it.
If you ask me, I would be finding this creation in the Holy Land, as your musical vibe is of Arabian Nights sounds.
I can remember my visit to Jerusalem, and enjoying the music and dance presentation for us.
Love your riffs and quite exotic sounding scale.
Lovely jam!!!
Rene

[Ray Brookes]

Wow, was not expecting this. Great creativity, Stephen and lovely clear recording especially on the vocals. Not sure what the guitars are doing but they are doing it very well.