Musical Interlude: A Christmas Classic

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It's December 1st today ... just twenty-four more days to Christmas. I think it's time for another musical interlude. If I had to choose just one song which immediately brings to me the mood of Christmas, it has to be this one. 


Thirty-four years ago, in December 1976, I left St Joe and sunny Sarawak for ultra-chilly UK to continue my A-Levels there. It was that same December that Johnny Mathis' "When A Child is Born"  made #1 on the UK Pop Charts and remained there for what seemed like forever ... a number of you were also there in the UK (you know who you are!) and I'm sure you watched it week after week on "Top of the Pops" on BBC TV.


It's a very beautiful song (although with all over-played songs, it attracts its share of cynics). The lyrics are meaningful and I'd guess many specially remember the part where he says "black, white, yellow ... no one knows ..."


'Nuff said ... now turn up the volume and let this videoclip bring back the memories ...

A little bit of info about Johnny Mathis that you might not have known since there was no Google or Wikipedia in the swinging 70s ...Born John Royce Mathis on September 30, 1935, this American singer of popular music concentrated on romantic jazz and pop standards for the adult contemporary audience through the 1980s. Starting his career with singles of standards, Mathis became more popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts.According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Mathis has had sales of over 27 million just in the US. According to one report, he has recorded over 130 albums and sold more than 350 million records worldwide.

Not bad for a kid from Gilmer, Texas, where he was born fourth of seven children. Their family moved to San Francisco, California, where he grew up. Mathis's father worked in vaudeville, and when he saw his son's talent, he bought an old piano and encouraged his efforts. Johnny started singing and dancing for visitors at home, at school and church functions. When he was 13, a voice teacher accepted him as a student in exchange for work around her house. He studied with her for six years, learning vocal techniques, voice production, classical and even operatic skills.

Johnny Mathis was also a star athlete in high school, where he was a high jumper, hurdler and played on the basketball team.. He was actually enrolled at San Francisco State University on a scholarship, intending to become an English and physical education teacher when he was talent spotted at a San Francisco club. To cut a long story short, there came a point when Johnny had to decide whether to go to the Olympic tryouts, to which he had been invited, or to keep an appointment in New York to make his first recordings, which were subsequently released in 1956. He opted for the recording ... and as they say, the rest is history.

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