We Three Kings

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Features, Christmas Music December 10, 2017December 10, 2017Tabernacle Organ 0 Comment

We Three Kings purports to tell the story of the Magi — perhaps one of the least understood elements of the Nativity Story. While scripture is short on detail of exactly who the Magi were that does not mean the imagination does not run wild and creative when we celebrate their role in Christmas. In this fun video the “three kings” take over the organ…and put on quite a show: The show here is the annual Christmas concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which always features an organ solo of some type. That small moment in the spotlight is alwaysRead more

Christmas in the 1970s

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Past, Retro Christmas September 10, 20171970s Christmas 0 Comment

Christmas in the 1970s was an era between eras. Music and television stars of the 1950s still produced major Christmas releases and the gifts, toys and fads of the time seemed caught sometimes between a time warp to the past and to the future. Take, for example, the wildly popular Star Wars action figures – the hottest toys of the late 1970s. Star Wars is just as wildly popular now as it was then. Video games got their start in the 1970s. Only they were not called “video games”. They didn’t know what to call them then. At the veryRead more

A Marshmallow World

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Music August 27, 20171968, A Marshmallow World, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin 0 Comment

It’s a Marshmallow World was introduced by Bing Crosby, of course, way back in 1950. It was a golden era for new Christmas music and Bing cranked them out better than anyone. It was a hit, but a minor one for Crosby, at least compared to his other Christmas tunes. The song was covered by several artists over the next several years but it never found its lasting identity until Dean Martin recorded it in 1966 as part of The Dean Martin Christmas Album. Funny thing is it wasn’t hit for Martin at the time. The album did well —Read more

Kenzie Nimmo Releases Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Music, Christmas Video November 24, 2016November 24, 2016kenzie nimmo, new Christmas music 2016 0 Comment

Kenzie Nimmo kicks off the rush of new Christmas music videos with this minimal and stirring version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Take a listen: Singer-songwriter Kenzie Nimmo is well known for her cover songs which she posts to her enormously popular Vine account and highly subscribed YouTube channel as well. She released her viral video, “Cool Kids,” when she had only 1,900 followers. She grew up participating in musical theater and many other musical activities. She went to school for music at BYU where she met Harris Heller, another music student with whom she started working onRead more

Pentatonix Releases Hallelujah

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Music, Christmas News October 21, 2016October 21, 2016new christmas music, Pentatonix 0 Comment

This has got to be one of the most over covered songs of recent Christmas albums. But this is Pentatonix. That means it is fresh, stirring — a must listen and a must watch: The is the first release of their new album, A Pentatonix Christmas. If you thought you’ve heard too much of them these past few years just check that at the door. A Pentatonix Christmas features versions of “White Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” and other tunes you’ll be blasting in the coming months. Stay tuned for more to come.

Real and Rumored New Christmas Music of 2016

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Music, Christmas News August 26, 2016new Christmas music 2016 2 Comments

New Christmas music is released each year traditionally in the months of September, October and November. While country music fans have a lot to celebrate this year with several major artists coming out with albums the news has been a little slow this year for artists in other genres. Here is a brief recap of some of the major releases we know about or have heard rumored: 1. Jimmy Buffett’s new Christmas album “‘Tis the SeaSon” will be released on October 28, 2016. It is now available For Pre-Sale at Mailboat Records. On the Bing and Bong show Jimmy saidRead more

Will Smith Christmas Movie Buzz Building

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Movies, Christmas News August 23, 2016new Christmas movie, Will Smith 0 Comment

There is a new Christmas movie heading to theaters this year and the buzz is building — even if it is getting late in the year. Will Smith is starting to promote Collateral Beauty, which is due in theaters December 16th. The film tells the story of a man — Smith, apparently — who suffers a personal tragedy and is trying to put his life back together. The film has an all-star cast of Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, and Keira Knightley. Billed as a “dramedy” Smith says the film is a curious mix of “It’s aRead more

Casting a Remake of It’s a Wonderful Life

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Movies August 22, 2016August 22, 2016It's a Wonderful Life 4 Comments

Back in 2013 Hollywood announced a sequel to It’s a Wonderful Life. Thankfully the project never happened and hopefully it never will. It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic American film that is best honored by leaving it completely alone. In 1977 the film was remade as a made-for-TV movie. It was horrible. But you’ll have to recall that in 1977 It’s a Wonderful Life was not the Christmas classic it is today, even though it was 30-years old by that point. The strange path that It’s a Wonderful Life took to nearly untouchable status as THE film of ChristmasRead more

Cary Grant Day

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Countdown, Christmas Movies January 18, 2016September 14, 2016Cary Grant 0 Comment

There are 342 days remaining in our countdown to Christmas and today we celebrate the birthday of Cary Grant. On this day in 1904 Archibald Alexander Leach was born in Horfield, Bristol, England. His life travels and work would take him to America and world fame as the debonair leading man, Cary Grant. Grant’s story is interesting. He had a tough childhood at the hands of an alcoholic father and a terribly cruel mother who was mentally ill. She had lost Grant’s older brother to sickness and some believe it spurred her emotional problems. When young Grant was 10 hisRead more

The True Story of Silent Night

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Features, Christmas History, Christmas Legends, Christmas Music September 30, 2014August 12, 2016 0 Comment

The story has become yet another chapter in the book of Christmas legend. The year was 1914 and soldiers on both sides of the battlefield somewhere in France were enduring a dark and frozen Christmas Eve night. World War I — the Great War, as it was called — eventually took the lives of more than 10 million people. But it is doubtless that the mostly-young men of that Christmas Eve were contemplating much more beyond their longings for home and warmth and family. When soldiers on the German line placed candles on small Christmas trees and raised them aboveRead more