Glen Burtnick’s Christmas Extravaganza
With All Star Rock Choir
December 23, 1989 - Stone Pony, Asbury Park
Tickets $10
It started…
with a booking for my big haired 80’s band at the Pony, where I pulled a decent following in the latter part of that decade performing my solo material (My band at the time was Mike Baran on guitar, Steve Schuffert on bass, Bobby Gordon on keyboards and David Prater on drums). I was scheduled to play December 23rd, and because of what time of year it was, it occurred to me it was an opportunity to play some holiday material along with my usual rock act.
I decided I’d play my solo stuff in the 1st half, then to change the stage around during an intermission and have the 2nd half be a full-blown Christmas set. I had rehearsed a second band dedicated to just the seasonal material along with a large group of singers and guest artists.
In the alternate ‘Christmas Band’, Bob Burger (one of my favorite song writing partners) played bass, Phil Florio (from my early band MANVILLE) was on drums, Arthur Scammacca (from my hometown 'jam' band Slaves Of New Brunswick) played assorted percussion and me on guitar mostly, with a number of guest singers and players running on & off stage throughout the show. My old friend Dusty Micale played keyboards and continued to perform in following shows.
The show needed a name…
I called it “Glen Burtnick’s Christmas Extravaganza with All Star Rock Choir” mainly because I was excited about putting together a choral group and the word EXTRAVAGANZA struck me comical, even a bit kitschy. To my
disappointment, it seems the word 'extravaganza' is everywhere nowadays, or maybe I just notice it more now. Whatever. It ain’t like I invented the word or something.
THE ALL STAR ROCK CHOIR…
When I was in school as a kid, I got such a kick out of singing in the choir, that ever since graduation, I’ve always missed choral singing. A Christmas Show was a chance for such singing. I got together some 4-part arrangements and called everyone I knew who I thought could handle it. For promotional reasons, I figured the choir needed a handle and since I initially conceived it as a buncha rock singers singing choral work, I guess the tasteless PT Barnum in me appeared and I came up with the boneheaded name ALL STAR ROCK CHOIR. To the best of memory (aided by some video tapes) the choir consisted of the following singers: Patti Maloney, Sandy Leone (singer from a 1970’s bar band of mine, Phlyte Ensemble), Sally Muldowney, Gail Garabo, Chip Carone, Shelly Thompson (Stranger Station), Kathy Millar (WDHA DJ), Lisa Riccardi, Pam Cutler, Alice Leon (Secret Lovers), Joe Fiamingo (Xenon), Bob Ward, Raphael (talented brother-in-law), Bob Burger, Dusty Micale (long friend/collaborator), Will Comstock, John Rogers, (Blue Oyster Cult, The Nines) Mark Tornillo (lead singer of metal band TT Quick), Lenie Colacino (Beatlemania alumnus), some guy named Randy and what was the name of that pretty girl keyboardist from the band Tokyo Pink?
Rehearsing the choir wasn’t simple. There were at least 20 people who needed to learn the parts. I made cassettes of me singing the Bass part, the Tenor part, the Alto parts and the Soprano parts since most in the group couldn’t read. Then we needed a space large enough to rehearse in. An unsung hero of my solo career at that time was George Iocca. George has a PA company & speaker manufacturing business (Dynacoustics) and very generously let me use his shop to rehearse the choir (among other favors throughout the late 80's). Keyboardist Bobby Gordon served as right hand man, reader and pianist for the choir material that year.
So on the evening of December 23rd, after the first half of the show, we took a break while the crew changed the stage to set up risers for the choir.
I recall beginning the second half of the evening with an acoustic instrumental arrangement of WHAT CHILD IS THIS? performed by ‘The Blonde Bookends’ (Mike & Steve from my band) and myself. Then Shelly Thompson and I sang the David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet PEACE ON EARTH/LITTLE DRUMMER BOY. Next, the Christmas Choir walked on to sing ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH, CAROL OF THE BELLS, and THE FIRST NOEL. After that, the band joined and we did the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ hit OH HAPPY DAY fronted by Lisa Riccardi and myself. The choir singers walked off and I fronted the band on Billy Squire’s CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU. Next, John Rogers sang the Kinks’ FATHER CHRISTMAS. I did a bar room blues version of MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY featuring a scorching solo by Ken Dubman (Prophet, Edgar Cayce). We then featured Gail and Chip Carone, two sisters who were from a fun NJ band named the Flintones (complete with caveman regalia) singing the Waitresses’ XMAS WRAPPING with a guy named Marky T playing sax. Patty Maloney (Blue Van Gogh), a girl I spent my High School years having a crush on that I’m still not completely over, joined me doing the Springsteen/Spector version of SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.
ENTER CHUCK BUCK…
After Patty sang, actor Chuck Buck started a tradition appearing as Santa Claus. We did a little comedy bit, pretty much with me feeding him straight lines for his irreverent jokes. There was a pair of dancing babes (I can’t remember their names) dressed in slinky little ‘Mrs. Claus’ getups that joined Chuck as Santa’s Helpers. Next I sang RUN RUDOLPH RUN (Chuck Berry’s classic). Second to last we did Band Aid’s DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? featuring my talented brother-in-law Raphael, Pam Cutler, Joe Fiamingo, Lenie Colacino, Shelly Thompson, Alice Leon and the rest of choir before closing with John & Yoko’s HAPPY XMAS (War Is Over).
After all was said and done, I totally enjoyed the second half - the Christmas part of the show. Playing those kind of songs onstage alongside friends is good clean fun.
And so the Xtravaganza began…
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