The Xmas EP

C O A B Discography - Single 10

10th single: The Xmas EP Release Date: 2nd December 2005

Track List:

A Winter Walk With You
A Xmas Turkey
The Lonely Kite
French Girl Talking Too

= THIS TRACK IS STREAMED CLICK ON IT TO LISTEN

Songwriters:

1 - 4. Chris Sakes

Background to single

The first two songs on this single were due to be released in December 2004 as a possible surprise Xmas CD for friends of the band. However, because of the many festivities going on and that the artwork and cover couldn’t be completed in good time to send the CDs out, the idea was abandoned.

But the songs were still an astonishing leap in style for C O A B. All of these were written by Chris during a period where he had started composing a number of songs using vastly different instrument samples from the usual dance/electronica types he had usually worked with. He formed a picture in his head to lock into a style rather like Mike Oldfield’s On Horseback/In Dulci Jubilo single from 1975. Hence once he started to use the orchestral soundscapes he had found he was wandering down a path to Christmas folk/pop tunes of old! Dangerous ground?!?

Holly was very impressed by the early version of A Winter Walk With You and suggested a few orchestral changes to the tune in terms of the type of woodwind being used. Holly is a trained trumpeter and has been in several orchestras from school days in the US so knew how certain classical music pieces blend the varying types of percussion, strings, woodwind and brass instruments. In no time at all, A Winter Walk With You was completed (around November 2004) and the version here has the combined strings, brass, swirling synth pads and piano and of course the proverbial Christmas bells! The addition of a choral vocal helps to create that atmosphere of a snowy walk by two lovers in the countryside or perhaps on an alpine hill .

The accompanying piece, A Xmas Turkey, comes from the same kind of stock but is different in terms of it’s composition in that it has a slow backbeat mixed with the usual string/brass arrangement and the tinkling pianos appear once more. These were the two songs which would have made up a quick single for handout to friends in 2004, but as it was Chris had already started on French Girl Talking and its successor, French Girl Talking Too using melodic trip-hop beats and French vocals. The latter song was slower and more in keeping with the festive season, so it fits nicely on this EP, the former making its way onto the third LP.

The final song and Track 3 here is The Lonely Kite. Another Chris Sakes composition, this was made in May 2005 and was recorded in a very short space of time. Centering on a beautiful hook-line, the song is emotive of a child’s first exposure to the force of the wind on their very first kite. That element of surprise and wonder as their lone kite sails the ebb and flow of the thermal thrusts of the wind. Chris regards this alongside the first track as one of the best pieces he has ever put together. It is conceivable that Chris may add The Lonely Kite to the 4^th LP in a slightly different version, although it would seem difficult to alter such a beautiful song. Do you agree?

The cover depicts the main songs' premise of a loving couple taking a wintry walk in the snow during that seasonal time of the year for goodwill etc.

To read more about the other singles continue on to each Singles titles page whilst the LPs can be found in the LP titles pages.