Your Thoughts: New Green and Red Christmas CD

Punch'n'Judy said:

Probably cheaper just to have her record her vocals in a London studio.

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Yeah just wierd they would have gone to all the trouble of using her, unless some of the backing was just earlier stuff re-used. Whatever the case i'm glad they are going back and keeping people like Karen, Mike and Louise on the roster!

Ok, just listened to the samples on Barnes and Noble.com. Some of the voices take a bit of getting used to, but Rowlf and Statler were really well done! It really was good to hear Rowlf again!

Kermit's "Have yourself a merrry little christmas" was nice. I didn't appreciate the Miss Piggy "if only her dress wasn't so tight" joke.

Some things I didn't put in the review, but thought you might enjoy hearing:

As some of you may know, the CD is not everywhere yet. Disney wasn’t planning a real wide-release for a Christmas album this early (why would there be a big demand to stock a Christmas album in mid-October?) However I talked to people at Disney Records, the reason the release date was so "early" was to get the discs printed and packed before the holiday production rush. However most stores (even online retailers) won't get a stock until late-November/December when Christmas season descends on us all. So if you can't find it in your local store, just wait and it should show up soon (however asking a store rep about it might help ensure they order it).

Also, if you look at the copyright information inside the case, the songs were recorded in 2005. In fact they were all recorded before Christmas 2005. But for one reason or another, the album didn't make it out in time for Christmas (instead we got the re-release of "The Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack" in its place). However I'm glad they got it out for Christmas '06.

The 6 original songs were written by Ed Mitchell (www.eddymitch.com) who worked on "Elmo and the Orchestra" in 2001.

Also, just if you wanted to know, the original working title for the project was "Christmas with the Muppets". However after the song "A Red and Green Christmas" was written the project was renamed.

Oh, and if you haven't gotten a copy yet...what are you waiting for? There are only 55 more days 'till Christmas!

Nice to see you around GelflingWaldo

That's intresting that this was recored last year, I have yet to hear it but from what i've heard Eric's & are excellent, so he must have had them pretty perfected awhile ago.

After listening to the samples on Barnes and Noble I think it is gonna take a while for me to get used to the new voices. I am seriously gonna try tho!

GelflingWaldo said:

Also, if you look at the copyright information inside the case, the songs were recorded in 2005. In fact they were all recorded before Christmas 2005. But for one reason or another, the album didn't make it out in time for Christmas (instead we got the re-release of "The Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack" in its place). However I'm glad they got it out for Christmas '06.

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I thought I had read an interview with Kermit the Frog sometime last year where he had mentioned recording some new songs for the christmas album. I wonder if The Muppet Christmas Carol re-release was chosen instead as a companion piece to the rerelease of the DVD (then again, the other soundtracks weren't rereleased).

Luke said:

So which voices did Karen Prell, Mike Quinn and Louise Gold provide?

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Interesting.... did I work on this and then was hit over the head and forgot I did it? How funny! I hope I was good

Enjoy the CD anyway everyone!!!

Mike

Hmm..interesting...well, thanks for the info, Mike.

I wonder how your those got in there. Maybe vocals with Mike, Jerry, Karen, and Louise (say as chickens or penguins) were sampled and used as the basis for creating those accompaniments via a synthesizer processes or something.

Mike, you should call Disney Records, maybe you can get some royalties ($) out of this.

I am really liking this album!! Thank goodness Halloween is over and it's finally November so I don't feel quite as weird about listening to Christmas music now. I really do get that classic Muppety Christmas feeling when listening to many of these songs, especially Rowf's "Christmas Party Sing Along," Gonzo & Rizzo's "Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and of course Kermit singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Actually, Kermit's may be the most beautiful and touching version of that song I've ever heard. This is definitely worth every single penny. Any true Muppet fan should have this CD! It is both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. It can be enjoyed by fans of the classic or newer Muppets alike.

It seems like The Christmas Party Sing-Along was just sung by Rowlf (with background vocals by chickens and penguins). I feel like that song should have featured more characters joinning Rowlf (though it's good that he basically has a solo song on the album). It would have been great if Rowlf was joined by Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rizzo, Pepe, Bunsen, Beaker, Beauregard, Bean Bunny, Sam the Eagle, Lew Zeland, and maybe also Johnny Fiama, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Strangepork, and Robin.

I just realised that three of the credited performers who we don't know why they were credited are known to have been members of Muppet Central. Mike Quinn, Karen Prell, and Jerry Nelson have all posted here before.