Name Now One Man

This is a tune I first recorded a couple of years back and released on my album “Drawn Inward” (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/richardfranklin2). It is a jazz-rock fusion number. I think this is one of my best tunes, and until now I never made a video for it. The recording here is the same arrangement as on the album, but is a new recording/performance which sounds a bit more muscular to me.

New Jazz Fusion Tracks

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Sixties Xmas Playlists

For Christmas, here is a playlist for my 60’s style, instrumental Christmas music tracks.

I wish a very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, as well as a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Installment #14 of “A Sixties Christmas” is “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, here given a surf-guitar/rockabilly setting.

 

Away in a Manger

This is my 1960s style arrangement of “Away in a Manger”. It is intended to be similar in sound to something the Shadows might have done had they every made a Christmas album. Apparently Hank Marvin’s Jehovah’s Witness beliefs precluded them ever producing a Christmas record.

The original of the words to “Away in a Manger” is not clear. Some credit them to Martin Luther. There are two well-known musical settings. In the USA, the more popular setting was composed by James R. Murray and published in 1887. Outside the USA, the better known melody is that composed by William J. Kirkpatrick and published in 1895.

In my arrangement I have included both.

The First Noel

Installment #12 of a “Sixties Christmas” is “The First Noel”, here given a fairly straight sixties ballad setting.

Good King Wenceslas

Here is my instrumental guitar-rock arrangement of “Good King Wenceslas”. This Christmas carol tells a story of a Bohemian king going on a journey and braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king’s footprints, step for step, through the deep snow.

 

 

Silent Night

Installment #10 of a “Sixties Christmas” is Silent Night. This setting is not likely what you would expect for this popular carol. It is a slow tempo, surf-ballad arrangement with a nod to Dick Dale in the second half.

 

The Holly and the Ivy

Installment #9 of a “Sixties Christmas” is a very surf-y arrangement of The Holly and the Ivy.

We Three Kings

This is an arrangement of the popular Christmas carol, We Three Kings. No exploding rubber cigars were used.

Deck the Halls

Installment #7 of a “Sixties Christmas” is Deck the Halls given a honky-tonk, rockabilly type of arrangement.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Installment #6 of a “Sixties Christmas” is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Since this surf rock arrangement borrows from a couple of famous movie/tv spy themes, it seemed to make sense to use some famous movie/tv spies as the “gentlemen” in the video. See if you can identify them all; some are easy, some not so much. As always, please share if you enjoyed it!

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

This is installment #5 of a “Sixties Christmas” — It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. This arrangement is styled after a mid-60’s ballad with a latin feel, with plenty of surf guitar sound baked in.

 

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends and relatives. To help you celebrate, here is my surf-rock arrangement of “Oh Hanukkah”. I confess I am borrowing a page here from Meshugga Beach Party by arranging this familiar holiday song as if done by the Ventures. It’s still fun.

O Come All Ye Faithful

This is a Ventures-inspired instrumental guitar rock arrangement of  “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”.