JOHNNY MATHIS – "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)"

GOOD SPOT!

#1 and #2: I always put the picture in last in any given Popular entry, it’s a little bit of satisfaction for me on finishing one, as I never look at the sleeves Steve’s found beforehand. So yes my reaction was indeed WTF??? Any Mathisites want to fill us in?

appears to be by Charlie Rich. lyrics here

Don’t think he did, but weirdly there is a Country Johnny Mathis!

And he STILL thinks that “Devil Woman” is about something other than what it is actually about!

Also, this is the second 1976 number one to be the subject of a questionable Jonathan King cover version.

We used to sing this in school assembly around Christmas time – this would have been 78, 79, so I always assumed it was older than it is.

Second coming: The spoken word bit is pretty unequivocally looking FORWARD not back!

The spoken word part is also closet RASCIST viz. “Black, white, yellow – no one knows.” As I also remarked apropos Ken Dodd’s heartrending 1981 Xmas offering “Hold My Hand” (“Hold my hand if you’re yellow, black or white”), what about the Red Indians you BIGOT?

It seems to me the lyrics are actually saying everyone feels quite nice whenever a (any) child is born because at some point in the future superbaby will come to save us.

It also seems to me that that is clearly untrue, but there it is.

Love Johnny Mathis, and not in some “ironic” way either, the chap has a lovely voice. Saw him at the Albert Hall in the late 80s and he put on a bloody marvelous show. His version of ‘Misty’ always reduces me to a wobbly mess.

Like Tom said, the singer is better than the song here but I’d still give it a 6.

Shocking that the wonderful Misty only made no.12 in arguably pop’s worst ever year, 1960.

And the total change in Arthur Lee’s voice between the first Love album and Da Capo was down to the Mathis influence. No Johnny, no Forever Changes!

If my memory serves me right he wore a particularly unpleasant jumper on TOTP when this was out.

Another of these artists whose only #1 was undoubtedly NOT his best work.

Beyond that I’ve got nothing much to say – I always find it difficult to contextualise Christmas songs, because they become part of EVERY Christmas, not only of the one when we first heard them. I much preferred the St Andrews Chorale.

And lurking at 5, Mike Oldfield’s second ‘seasonal’ hit in a row, Portsmouth. This and In Dulce Jubilo/On Horseback both neatly suggested Xmas without the need for “Christian rhymes”

We had it better.

Not really – can’t find it on YouTube but it’s a regular on TOTP2.

Also, further down, the totally ghastly “Here’s To Love” by John Christie which turns “Auld Lang Syne” into a godawful plodding ballad.

I really only know Mathis from the beginning of his career in the 1950s, when he slotted somewhere between Sinatra and teen idols like Bobby Vinton. I don’t know about later, but then he had a tendency to oversing everything, much like the Pop/American Idols of today. He had the voice for it, but after entire albums of creamy falsettos and reaching-for-the-stars finales, I’m Mathised out.

Slipping steadily down the charts that month, it’s worth noting today, were Manchester United, seemingly heading for the relegation places after eight defeats on the trot when skipper Martin Buchan was injured. Wonder if Waldo’s still speaking to me this morning?

The story goes that if Johnny Mathis hadn’t been signing a record deal on the same day as the US Olympic trials in 1956 he’d have been a shoo-in as a US entrant in the high jump. Can anyone verify this?

The whole thing hung on such slender threads – if JT hadn’t slipped Chelsea would have won, but if Van der Sar hadn’t slipped they might not have equalised, if Tevez’ studs had been any longer it could have been 2-0, etc etc. I’ve always thought a penalty shootout means the two sides are equal in quality but someone has to be given the trophy. Hard not to feel sorry for JT, Lamps and Grant, although on the other hand I could watch Kenyon, Anelka and Cashley crying all night.

I mentioned earlier that “Manchester United” the no 50 hit single was written by Tony Hiller, one of the co-writers of “Save Your Kisses For Me”.

So THAT’s where Mark ‘Oh got the soppy aaah-ing in “Tears Don’t Lie” from. I had no idea.

Now generally I like Christmas songs but this particular one over eggs it’s sentimentality & I’ve never been fully convinced it is a bona fide Crimble song. It’s more along the lines of I Believe which is more about faith & hope than tradional Christmas subjects. My Xmas song of choice this year was Tull’s ‘Ring Out Solstice Bells’ which at least mentioned the Solstice & indeed had bells in it.

Having had a sneak preview of next years number ones I think we are in for a very bleak time. If I was going to miss any year out on Popular it would almost certainly be next year. There has never been a huge correlation between what’s actually happening in music & the number one slot but next year there looks to be a complete disparity (unless you count a certain infamous number two).

This was “Mary’s Boy Child” revisited, it seems to me (bugger off, Bunny. I’m talking about Harry) but with less sincerity. The carol is sweet enough and even Johnny’s “And all this happens because the world is waiting…” talkabout blurb fits in well enough so that one is not seriously inclined at the conclusion of the subsequent last chorus to deposit one’s comfortably digesting yuletide roast on top of one’s unsuspecting cat, who is in a deep and peaceful slumber on the sofa, having consumed the same. But the song is just too twee for my liking and Johnny’s starry delivery is identical from those of his non-levitical offerings. Basically, it’s just another day at the MOR office for the famously light-footed Mr Mathis and I’m afraid it shows.

#31 Personally I like the Tull Xmas record. 4/10 for Johnny imho.