Billy F. Gibbons is ushering in the spirit of the holidays with the release of his unique version of “Jingle Bells.” Retitled “Jingle Bell Blues,” it was recorded by the ZZ Top guitar hero in Nashville over the summer by Gibbons and Michael Fiorentino.
“It dawned on us that everybody loves Christmas music,” says Billy of the new release, “and everybody loves the Jimmy Reed blues vibe so we figured we’d combine them. We threw in some hot rod references for good measure because our preferred sleigh is the horsepower-propelled kind. Have mercy and happy holidays.”
The jingling, slow blues rendition is the latest chapter in the 150-year-plus story of the Christmas favorite, composed by James Lord Pierpoint and published in 1857.
The song, though originally written for a Thanksgiving event, has been associated with Christmas almost since it was first published. The song had broad appeal in the 19th century for young and old alike because “sleighing” was a holiday pastime. The broad...
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