Well I thought I would join in with contributing a Christmas song. I'm excited about this one, because I was able to coerce my wife into singing with me on it. (Although she sings with me all the time, I think it is easier to get a personal phone call with the queen of England than it is to get Rachel to slow down enough to stand in front of a mic in my little studio and sing!)

The instruments are RT's/RD's, and I threw in some organ, percussion, chimes and bells. Hope you enjoy this!

It's Christmas Time (My Favorite Time Of Year) - VIDEO

It's Christmas Time (My Favorite Time Of Year) - SOUNDCLOUD

It's Christmas Time (My Favorite Time Of Year)
© Stephen W. Young

The frost is on the ground, and the days grow short
And the children dream out loud of all they're hoping for
And the embers in the fireplace are crackling as tender as a prayer
There's a sound of carols ringing in the air

And it's Christmas time, my favorite time of year
When the meaning of this life becomes so clear
And the angels sing, the hosts of heaven
Rejoice before the throne
'Cause in Bethlehem, the Savior has been born

I love to hear the laughter in the afternoon
When the smells of a home cooked dinner fill the room
And the mistletoe starts working, and love is flowing in the air
And the joy of Christmas time is everywhere

And it's Christmas time, my favorite time of year
When the meaning of this life becomes so clear
And the angels sing, the hosts of heaven
Rejoice before the throne
'Cause in Bethlehem, the Savior has been born

Here are the RT's/RD's...
RealTracks in style: ~~519:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2933:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking SongwriterFolkSlapQuinn Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2930:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm FolkRock8thsBrent Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 3162:Guitar, Baritone Electric, Rhythm BluesyPopHeldEmbelBrent Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 2681:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop8thsZaneLow Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 646:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopRockBritEdgy Ev 120 (A:arp)
RealTracks in song: 2904:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm GrittyBluesyPopBrent Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 2618:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Funk16thsMutedWahWah Ev16 100
RealTracks in song: 2906:Piano, ElectricVintage, Rhythm BluesyPopMike Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 3203:Guitar, Acoustic, Soloist RnBPopBrent Ev 110
RealDrums in song: NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
[b][/b]

Hi Steve,

This is really, really wonderful listening.

When I looked at the musical ensemble, my first thought was, "How on earth does Steve manage to get such a warm, cohesive and inviting musical sound using such a wide range of Realtracks!" If I was wearing a hat right now, I'd tip it towards to you in acknowledgement. Without doubt, you are are the master I feel bubbles of panic rising in me when I only have 4 tracks to mix and arrange!

Back to the music...

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It has commercial quality and is so very, very friendly on the both the ears and the psyche. As I listened, images of all that makes Christmas special for families drifted through my mind.

The duet between you and Rachel really is the icing on a very fine musical Christmas cake.

All the best,
Noel

Surprise, great vocals! lol. Man, top notch all the way around. Love the song! It just sounds so good. The perfect song for this time of year!

Nice one Steve. This feels like a genuine paean to Christmas.
As usual the production is first class. Rachel's voice is indeed a pleasant surprise - solo and harmonising. In fact, you sound great together.
Merry Christmas,
Mike

Harmonies made in matrimony - your voices were a treat.

Steve & Rachel,

Everything about this is good. No surprise there.

A beautiful Christmas write. Exceptional vocals throughout.

Exquisite production - with a "modern" flair... nice! So many nice, subtle touches...

Sounds like a classic right out of the gate.

fj

Excellent Christmas song...
I really enjoyed listening...
Rachel has such a lovely voice...
And it compliments your own voice so well...
That I look forward to hearing more duets from you two .

Merry Christmas to you & your family.

Wonderful Holiday tune, full of warmth, light, love and vivid Christmas images. Super vocals from both of you. All wrapped up in a sweet flawless musical package. Thanks for this ear candy, merry Christmas!

Janne

Wow, super good production, excellent voices, great Christmas song

Thanks so much Noel! Always enjoy reading your very thoughtful comments. Glad you like this one!



Really appreciate you taking the time to listen and comment! Glad you enjoyed this!



Thanks, Mike! Your comments are very appreciated. Yep, Rachel has always been one of my favorite singers. We've been singing together for 45 years now. But I really married her for her money. (Her maiden name was Nichols.)

Nice melody. Your wife has a lovely voice. I enjoyed the whole package here. What a joyous holiday song!

What a fantastic holiday song! The vocals suited the song wonderfully. Thanks for sharing!

Steve,

Great vocals on this—nice production touches on it, and it really fits in the mix. A fresh take and feel on a Holiday song . . . warm and genuine. This is polished to a shine; first rate all around on the production.

I’m not sure my next comment is going to make sense or that I’ll say it right . . . but I’m just going to put it out there for what little it may be worth. The verses tend to be very new world (almost commercial) while the close of the choruses strike me as a more traditional carol. That is, there’s a contrast in tone between the verse and the more traditional “Bethlehem” references at the end of the chours. Again, not sure that makes sense, nor that there’s anything to change—it just struck me, is all. And as it doesn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the song, not sure it’ve even worth raising . . . but there it is for you to ponder, and most likely, rightly dismiss.

Admirably done, Steve. Enjoyed it!

Regards,

Deej

Catchy chorus, with excellent harmony. You two sound really nice together.

I love like how your vocals are always up front, but never harsh.

Great production - instruments are supportive and clear, but never get in the way. The tubular bells are a nice touch.

Thanks for the Christmas present!

Awesome Christmas tune Steve. You are one of my favorite vocalists on the forum. Love it when you post new tunes. Your wife has a lovely voice as well. Such perfect harmonies. Well done. Guitar was very cool

Wow Steve that is fantastic! What great pure sounding vocals all around on this! A really top notch Christmas song! Thanks, Torrey

Stunningly beautiful. At the risk of contradiction...it's a modern classic!

You have one of the finest voices on the forum and now what a joy to hear Rachel...wow!

Great band and that rhythmic chime sound is perfect for the theme.

One to play for the family!

J&B

BEAUTIFUL!!! JUST BEAUTIFUL!!! Absolutely love this line:

And the embers in the fireplace are crackling as tender as a prayer

And it stands out even among lyrics which are all wonderful! Glad your wife could lend a hand.....great voice, and the song works so well as a duet!!

LOVE IT!!! Take care. Greg

Love hearing all the holiday/Christmas songs this time of year!

I've been in and out of town for the holidays, and working a lot in between! Just want to say thank you to all who posted such nice words about this song! I hope all of you had a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year (and Happy New Decade)! I pray you all have a wonderful year this year, and look forward to sharing and hearing a lot of great music from you all!

All the best,

Steve