I remember feeling frustration when I saw the 2005 documentary Haack: The King of Techno (about synth pioneer Bruce Haack) because only the briefest glimpse of the legendary synth pioneer’s 1968 appearance on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood made the final cut. The entire segment has since turned up on YouTube, and you can take it in via Dangerous Minds where you can also read more about Haack.
Time to revisit my favorite Christmas record and attend to this little matter: In 1961, the year after Hal “Holiday” Schneider tossed his still-resonating yuletide hand grenade with his group Three Aces and a Joker, a politer version appeared on the Foxie label (a New York City subsidiary of 20th Century Fox) credited to Chuck Blevins. According to Hal, “Chuck Blevins is the brother of Jim Blevins (who plays the lead guitar on the original recording by Three Aces and a Joker). Chuck recorded it in Baltimore a while after. The original recording was in Utah.”
The temptation is to stir the pot a bit, to ask why Chuck, who wasn’t a part of the original recording, chose to do this and claim songwriting credit. And who’s the J. Blevins who shares credit? Jimmy or Joe (both of whom were members of Three Aces and a Joker)? With Hal’s ownership of the song firmly established, though, I’ll let his words above be the final ones.
“Sleigh Bell Rock” (1960) – Three Aces and a Joker (YouTube)