You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, but do you know Chronic and Que-P and Doobie and Blitzy? Or perhaps even the most notorious of them all, Rudolph the red-eyed reindeer?
Grand Forks musician Johl Chato, known to friends as Jam, is hoping to introduce the alternative team of reindeer and his pot-based parody songs to new audiences this holiday season by releasing his holiday album, .
Chato, who produces songs through the name Blaze of Grass, said that he香蕉视频直播檇 been kicking around the idea for a Christmas parody album for more than a decade before he enlisted the help of a jazz singer from Victoria (who goes by the name High Grade on Chato香蕉视频直播檚 project), a drummer from Vancouver and local music producer Sacha P茅tulli to reimagine the classic sounds of malls and coffee shops at Christmas time.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 hungry for a little bit of change and a little bit of evolution with our Christmas carols,香蕉视频直播� Chato said. 香蕉视频直播淟ike, who香蕉视频直播檚 ready for breath fresh air here?香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淩udolph the Red-Eyed Reindeer,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淟et it Grow,香蕉视频直播� Little Trimmer Boy,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淪ativa is Coming Around香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淕reen Christmas香蕉视频直播� (based off the classic 香蕉视频直播淲hite Christmas香蕉视频直播� and not Elvis Presley香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淏lue Christmas,香蕉视频直播� to be clear) round out a jazzy album that, were it not for its lyrical content, could well be played alongside Michael Bubl茅 at a mall.
Oddly enough, that香蕉视频直播檚 how the idea first came to Chato.
Listening to radio playing at the store, he said, 香蕉视频直播淚t just happens off the cuff,香蕉视频直播� and the words begin to replace themselves. Though, Chato said, he tries to 香蕉视频直播渕atch the spirit of the original香蕉视频直播� with every parody.
香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈Rudolph the Red-Eyed Reindeer香蕉视频直播�, it sort of just fell into place,香蕉视频直播� Chato said. While his version keeps the melody and general premise, the reggae infusion at the first chorus sets Chato香蕉视频直播檚 song apart from the Christmas canon.
Painting the character through a hashy haze, Chato said, is his version of the chants that carollers mimicked as children 香蕉视频直播� the 香蕉视频直播渓ike Monopoly!香蕉视频直播� line-ender in original version of the song he parodied, or even like the 香蕉视频直播淛ingle bells, Batman smells,香蕉视频直播� version of the holiday classic.
The other four songs on his debut Christmas album released online, though sung with a wry smile, came from a more serious place.
香蕉视频直播淚 decided that I needed to do an album to really substantiate my platform that I香蕉视频直播檓 not a one hit wonder like, I really am a cannabis parody man.香蕉视频直播�
So, he thought through other Christmas songs and compared them to cannabis-based stories, language and humour and weeded out the ones that just wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 fit the bill.
香蕉视频直播淲hen it comes down to it,香蕉视频直播� Chato explained, 香蕉视频直播測ou only have so many synonyms and adjectives for cannabis.香蕉视频直播� Some expressions just didn香蕉视频直播檛 fit. Nevertheless, the lyricist said, 香蕉视频直播淪ometimes I香蕉视频直播檒l give up on them, but sometimes I香蕉视频直播檒l just build and chip and chip and then it just comes out.香蕉视频直播�
Chato香蕉视频直播檚 repertoire expands beyond December songs too 香蕉视频直播� he香蕉视频直播檚 also got a parody of The Who香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淏ehind Blue Eyes香蕉视频直播� (香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈) and the theme song to the 1970s sitcom Happy Days (香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�).
For the 香蕉视频直播淲eed Al香蕉视频直播� of Grand Forks, cannabis-related riffs on old classics is part of legalization and a second coming of social acceptance for pot, which was criminalized in Canada in 1923.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 hoping that [cannabis] will sort of be an industry that will grow 香蕉视频直播� no pun intended 香蕉视频直播� to have these spin-off industries too,香蕉视频直播� Chato said.
Jensen.edwards@grandforksgazette.ca
Like us on and follow us on .
