Farm-Out! Records press release... Dissin’ Bowels of Hollyday Jeer! Reindear North Polecats, ...Anything to put off the serious work of recording and releasing my formal works! Seems that a good-intentioned audio-Christmas-card turned into a one and a half month long studio indulgence (within what little spare time that avails itself to me), that by sheer destiny became the first formal release by my long-fabled micro-indie label, Farm-Out! Records. Rewind to the September 20th benefit for the Capitol Arts Center in BG, where I admittedly spent any off-stage time in the bunker below with the many musical luminaries in attendance...I think it was Matt Bitner from Technology Vs. Horse that hipped this member of the illiterati to the talented and skilled Steven Baker of Dozing Lady Records... ...Long short story, I met with Mr. Baker last week, handed over the master recording, the text, and rough graphics, and in under five days got the finished product...and couldn't be more thrilled! Seeing my label's logo on a shrink-wrapped sleeve and thermal-printed onto the actual cd has stirred something within me...Not only does it somehow legitimize Farm-Out! Records, but it has me determined to ramp up production in getting album after album after album released...because I've found somebody local to professionally fill in my duplication/packaging blanks! ..Here 'tis, the text-only info of the liner notes... It's a Johnny Thompson Kind of Christmas Magic Feeling vol. 1 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Frosty The Snowman Jinglebell Rock Winter Wonderland The Christmas Song/Don't Say Goodnight Tonight Away In A Manger Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Reprisal) Performed, Produced, Engineered, Mixed, Mastered, & Catered by Johnny Thompson www.myspace.com/johnmjohnnythompson Recorded at Scottsville Conservatory and Little Difficult Studios November/December 2008 All Arrangements/Rearrangements C & P by JMT 2008 This was a limited initial pressing of fifty, several of which have gone to their new homes, and several more of which are heading to the post office today...These are promotional copies only, not for sale, so plead your case and I'll happily see to it that a copy of this audio equivalent of coal and switches finds its way to your stocking...Yule see that this chestnut is truly better to give than receive (makes a great re-gift)!...But just be aware that "It's a Johnny Thompson Kind of Christmas Magic Feeling vol. 1" is semi-obnoxious in its content and therefore may be unsuitable for young and old alike due to a specific risk of delicate sensibility upset... For those who miss this bi-polar expression, take heart...As soon as I get a minute, I'm going to decorate my standalone with six of these ornamentations for the remainder of December...after which I'll post some more select cuts from "Scratch-Indentured" in preparation of its formal release, while continuing to record the next offering from the JMT song catalogue... I wish you all a safe, happy, and productive holliday season...and the same, but more of it, in the new year to come. Jingle Bell Rocket Science, Saint Ni+2 Liner notes from the previous year's tour...the gig where the cover art was shot...the gig that led to the album 12/01/2007 05:30 PM - Washington Office Center 101 South Court Street Scottsville, Kentucky 42164 US Cost:$5 Description:It's a Johnny Thompson Christmas!...(talk about some disappointed kids...). The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Scottsville Allen County have once again kindly asked me to provide entertainment for their annual fundraiser, A Taste of Scottsville. I'll be performing two sets of holliday favorites...One on piano, another on guitar. Come for the great food and stay for the artistic liberties I'll be taking with these time-honored and cherished classics! I was so busy preparing myself and my students for Fall Recital '07, that time must've gotten away from me. I don't recall how long it took me to work up two sets worth of Christmas music last year, but I somehow got it in my head that a week would suffice. When I began rehearsing, I quickly realized that I'd forgotten everything and that one week was going to be cutting it close (by one week, I mean an hour a day). The gig started off passable in a mediocre way, but I'd quickly realize my voice was going...I was playing alongside rythm tracks, which was no problem when I was playing guitar, but posed a challenge keeping up with while playing piano, which is not my strongest instrument by any stretch of the imagination. There were a couple of complete blank-outs where the 'drums' kept on a rollin', the vocals trailed off, and the piano playing completely stopped while I tried to figure out where I was in the song...At one point, a youth in attendance, who will remain nameless (Jamie the Great's son Nick) interrupted me to inform me that I sang like a girl, moments before pelting me with a piece of hard candy, y'know, like the Beatles!...A pillar of the community took time to interrupt me mid-song to let me know that I was long overdue a haircut...but all was not a total loss; I greatly enjoyed singing a duet on The Christmas Song with the editor/owner of The Citizen Times! Even earlier Farm-Out! Records musings on the possibility of this album... The 2112 Days of Christmas............by SAINT maNICK I've always said that there are two ways to cover a song...either note-for-note, exactly as it was written...or make it your own. Between the recital and the BBBS of SAC fundraiser, I spent a lot of time revisiting the seasonal songs of my Christmases past, and though I'm pretty much set on Christmas music 'til next year, I must say that I really enjoyed playing AND playing with this music. Many are three chord basics, but many others are insanely brilliant in their arrangements, chord progressions, and lyrics. For the most part, I played these 'straight' for the recital and fundraiser, but in getting them up to par, I simply couldn't resist tweaking several of them to match my style of arranging, and this got me to thinking...I want to add recording my own Christmas album to my expansive to-do list...maybe in time for next year! I also couldn't resist tweaking lyrics, but doubt I'd include these in the recording of "It's a Johnny Thompson Christmas!", out of concern that they might upset the delicate sensibilities of many of those around me...But for now, please take no offense, as this 'fun demental' closes this blog with some holliday cheer... On the twelveth day of Christmas, my TRUE LOVE gave to me... Twelve drummers in one... Eleven hypers hyping... Ten-sions Alleveing... Nine Teen Ninety One... Eight maids for dinner... Seven ceilings swimming... Six Canada Geese... Five golden ringfingers... Four calling cards... Three henchmen... Two fertile loves... Andy Partridge in a pear tree! It would take far too long to type out all these lyrics, but here are some working titles of variations that may, but in all liklihood, will not appear on this proposed Holliday collection... The Little Drummer Boy-Band Frosty the Woman O Little Town of Methleham Here Comes Fantomas! Glockin' Around The Christmas Tree Grandma Got Run Over by a John Deere O Christmas Treason Me Free Kings Nark the Herald Silencer Night Goat Pellets on the Mountain Winter Wonderland-grab Joy To The New World Order The Fist Noel I Saw Mommy Kissing Mrs. Claus Bombs Away in a Manger Angels We Have Heard While High Nod Rest Ye Merry Gentlebums Guess What's Roasting On An Open Fire? Jingle Beelzebub Agave' Maria Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time-share Happy X-Box (Wargame Over) ...and he was heard to exclaim as he rubbed his sore wrists,... 'If you think that blog was long, see my New Years resolution lists!' PC-out on Earth and Merry Chrysalis, Luna