Throw Cares Away

What would it sound like if all the Transformer toys came to life and raided the handbell room at the church down the street? I'm not 100% sure, but it would likely sound something like Mannheim Steamroller's new-wave Christmas arrangements. Their version of Carol of the Bells is one of my favorite audiophile tracks, holidays or not. Hark!

By the time Chip Davis was in his mid-twenties, he had twelve country hits under a pen name, C.W. McCall, which he shared with collaborator William Fries. If you've heard one of the fictional C.W. McCall's hits without knowing it, chances are it's Convoy.

Convoy is a bizarre country/rock-opera crossover whose success has far too much to do with the CB radio craze sweeping the country at the time than any artistic merit. Having listened to the song for the first time earlier today, I don't know what to make of it. Adding to my confusion and bewilderment is Convoy topping the Billboard Hot 100 on January 10, 1976 and hitting #1 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

I'm out on Convoy but am interested in the other thing Chip was doing. He was cooking up something even weirder than the fake country-music-rock-opera-CB-centric star he and his buddy manufactured.

Chip was recording new age arrangements as a side project he called Mannheim Steamroller. The unique blend of classical piano, progressive rock, and traditional medieval songwriting could not attract the attention of any major labels at the time. (Shocking!) Well, what if I told you he composed in classical structures such as sonatas and interludes before packaging them in high-concept, primarily instrumental albums? Still no major label distribution? Dang.

Undeterred, Chip Davis created his own label, American Gramaphone. They started distributing Mannheim Steamroller albums in modest US-only releases with minimal marketing and reach. Mannheim Steamroller didn't sound like anything else but in a good way. Or at least in a highly competent way.

Love or loathe them, the production on American Gramaphone recordings was excellent. Mannheim Steamroller developed a small but loyal following, particularly among hi-fi enthusiasts. One which grew a little less small and a little more loyal every time they released another weird, eclectic, superbly produced album.

In 1984, against the advice of his collaborators, Chip recorded and released a Christmas album titled... "Christmas." It's Mannheim Steamroller's definitive work, and as a definitive work from an eclectic outsider group should be, it's not for everyone. But it is unique, and a fabulous sonic showcase.

I don't remember where I was or what I was doing the first time I encountered one of Mannheim Steamroller's songs. I do remember the feeling. It was like Christmas, but also like TRON. I didn't know what to think, but it made me smile.

These days, Mannheim Steamroller is more of a business entity than a band. They continue to tour with multiple groups out on the road simultaneously. They have a gift shop and a hot cocoa line. They've collaborated with Disney and PBS.

Mannheim Steamroller has gone on to release many more albums, Christmas-themed and otherwise, but the Christmas stuff is far and away the most successful. Their nine best-selling albums are all Christmas-themed.

Critics abound despite distinction from those looking for accuracy and space in their music. The music is often described as robotic, soulless, and without artistic merit. Fair, but hear me out. A Dorito isn't necessarily good, but it's also a modern miracle if you think about it a certain way. Mannheim Steamroller may be empty calories, but that's OK sometimes, right? It's ear candy, after all.

Data

Song: Carol of The Bells
Album: A Fresh Aire Christmas
Artist: Mannheim Steamroller
Genre: New Wave
Year: 1987
Length: 3:54
Composer: Chip Davis
Producer: Chip Davis