4. Old Mister Winter (Here Comes The Sunshine)

Track 4:
Old Mister Winter (Here Comes The Sunshine)
The Orange Effect

The Orange Effect is a new band out of Orange County featuring Blake Flattley and James Carrol alongside solo Winter Is On My Head contributors Matt Preston and Tim Bauer (me). Old Mister Winter is the first song we recorded and the first song we wrote together. Read Blake's insights as to the meaning behind the lyrics below:

"At Christmas time we often remember loved ones that have been lost and think back fondly on their memories. 'Old Mister Winter' is the story of a man, who after having progressed through the seasons of life is now watching that life fade away. Whereas death is normally a sad, terminating event, this is a story of love bringing warmth to the heart of a cold man like sun rising on freshly fallen snow."
-Blake Flattley, The Orange Effect

The Orange Effect is currently working on their first album, keep up to date at their website.

Credits:
Written by: The Orange Effect
Played by: The Orange Effect
Mixed by: Mike Coburn http://www.myspace.com/stateoftheroomaddress
Special Thanks: Mike Coburn, Steve Zank

3. Sarah Berson - Christmas With An Outhouse

Track 3:
Christmas With An Outhouse
Sarah Berson, featuring Tim Bauer and Steve Zank

Sarah is a friend of mine currently serving overseas in the Peace Corps. Christmas With An Outhouse is a song she penned to the music of O Holy Night about experiencing Christmas away from the comforts of home. I had the honor of singing her lyrics and our good friend Steve Zank contributed the bulk of the instrumentation. Here is what she had to say about what the song means to her:

"As a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Ukraine, I sometimes get caught up in what I don't have. Friends and family within reasonable proximity. Produce all year long. The ability to freely converse with neighbors. Indoor plumbing.

Missing my favorite American holidays has been a difficult facet of my service. The lyrics for "Christmas With an Outhouse" juxtapose my two worlds: wanting to enjoy the holiday in the traditional ways and yet living in Ukraine. The last line to the song, "this life half-given, half-taken in this land" is a tribute to the amazing people here who have made a home for me; made themselves my family. I am here to give, but of course, I receive much more than I can even fathom, and for that I am truly blessed.

So even though there are no Christmas jingles on the radio and I'm trudging through snow for a bathroom break, I am glad to be here, making  home away from home, and learning to love the contrasts.

A huge shout-out goes to Tim Bauer and Steve Zank for creating the awesome sound to this song!

Blessings to you as you make your own home, and the homes of others."
-Sarah Berson

You read more about Sarah's adventures on her blog.

Credits:
Lyrics: Sarah Berson
Music: Adolphe Adam
Vocals, Melodica, Sleighbells: Tim Bauer
Piano, Gutiar: Steve Zank

2. Matt Preston - Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel

Track 2:
Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel
Matt Preston

Matt has been a friend of mine for quite some time. We have been involved in numerous projects together and most notably currently play together in The Orange Effect. His take on the old classic Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel gives you a nice taste of his vocal skill and talent for arranging harmonies. Here's what he had to say on why he chose the song, and what musically influenced his arrangement:

"Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel is an old carol that was originally translated from an ancient Latin text Veni, Veni Emmanuel written by John Mason Neale. The song is believed to have come from Isaiah 7:14 which says 'Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.'

This song has always been a favorite of mine to sing because of its minor feel. You can almost feel the longing for Immanuel (God with us) within the chord structure of the song. Christmas has always been a big thing in my family, and it is full of many traditions. Singing songs together as one huge family around the tree would be one of those.

The style of the song was inspired by the band/artist Bon Iver as they have been dancing in my head these past months."
-Matt Preston

You can read about Matt's other projects at http://MattPrestonMusic.com

Credits:
Vocals, guitar, piano, programming: Matt Preston
Arrangement: Matt Preston
Mixed by: Matt Preston

1. Melanoid - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Track 1:
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Melanoid

In the coming days I will be featuring each song along with a brief statement from the song's artist. Melanoid's I'll be home for Christmas is the first track on the album and as such it is the first to be featured on the blog.

Melanoid is a project by John Hanson, an incredible local musician and songwriter. My band The Orange Effect recently had the honor of sharing a bill with him and I was blown away by his singing ability and creative songwriting. If you haven't yet, you owe it to yourself to obtain a copy of Melanoid's debut album Asleep In The Wake.

John's version of I'll Be Home For Christmas is a perfect opener to Winter Is On My Head Vol. 1... it's classic and familiar but the arrangement allows you to hear it in a completely new way. Read John's thoughts on the song and listen again to his vocals, the inspiration is almost tangible:

"This song was originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943 in the midst of World War II. I have always loved this Christmas song because it is not about snowmen, reindeer, or santa Clause; it is simply about a man longing to be with his family during Christmas time. Anyone who's been away from a loved one during christmas time can relate to this, but this song really pulls on the heart strings of soldiers who can't be with their families and also have the fear of possibly never returning."
- John Hanson, Melanoid

Credits:
Written by Buck Ram, Kim Gannon and Walter Kent
Vocals and Other Stuff: John Hanson
Recorded at The Office
Mixed by Chris Sorem at Dar Studio www.drumaddictrecordings.com

Download Now Available

After months of hard work I am proud to announce Winter Is On My Head, Vol. 1 is available for download! Please click Download and follow the links to donate any amount of your choosing through PayPal. All donations go to benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission. After you donate, make sure to follow the link on the PayPal site that takes you back here to download the album. An option is also available on our Download page for those who cannot afford to donate at this time. Please tell all of your friends and family about the project so we can raise as much as possible to the support the Rescue Mission.

Keep checking this page in the coming days. Each track of the album will be featured in a blog post, starting with Melanoid's I'll be Home For Christmas. These posts will contain an artist statement, lyrics if it is an original song, credits, and an illustration of each contributing artist.

Thanks for all of your support, enjoy the album and have a merry Christmas.

Cheers,
Tim

Track Listing

Hi everyone, tonight is the night. The album will be released at midnight, I hope you love it.

This is the final track listing:
1. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Melandoid
2. Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel - Matt Preston
3. Christmas With An Outhouse - Sarah Berson feat. Tim Bauer & Steve Zank
4. Old Mister Winter (Here Comes The Sunshine) - The Orange Effect
5. Christmas Is Mine - Lincoln Six Echo
6. Angels We Have Heard On High - Troy Born
7. Emmanuel (Zacharia's Song) - Anthony Celia
8. Angels From The Realms Of Glory - Ryan Medina
9. Ice Planet - Solare
10. Christmas Is Just An Ambulance Away - Steve Zank
11. Angels We Have Heard On High - Tim "The Sloth" Bauer
12. O Holy Night - Yellow Red Sparks
13. November - Alex Navarro

I want to say a huge thank you again to all of the artists who generously gave their songs to this album, it means a lot to me to have been entrusted with that honor, they will do a lot of good for the Rescue Mission.

Release Date - Monday December 14

Hi everyone,
Monday December 14 is the day you will be able to visit www.winterisonmyhead.com and download it. You will be able to donate whatever price you would like. If you can't afford to donate, please tell 10 friends about the album instead. Make sure to tell everyone know and keep up to date on this blog, at Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. The more people who know about the album, the more we will raise for the Rescue Mission. I have made up some banners like the one below, let me know if you would like the html code to post around the web or on your/your friends' MySpace pages.



The weather has started to get pretty cold around here, I hope you are having a great winter!
Cheers,
Tim

About The Album Name

For those of you who are curious, Winter Is On My Head's title and artwork were inspired by the following passage from Victor Hugo's novel The Toilers Of The Sea.

Man is an infinitely small copy of God. That is glory enough for me. I am a man, an invisible atom, a drop in the ocean, a grain of sand on the shore. But, little as I am, I feel that God is in me, because I can bring forth out of my chaos. I make books, which are creations. I feel in myself the future life. I am like a forest which has been more than once cut down; the new shoots are stronger than ever. I know I am rising toward the sky. The sunshine is on my head. The earth gives me its generous sap, but Heaven lights me with the reflection of unknown worlds. You say the soul is only the result of your bodily powers. Why, then, is my soul more luminous when my bodily powers begin to fail? Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. There I breathe at this moment the fragrance of the lilacs, the violets and the roses, as twenty years ago. The nearer I approach the end, the more plainly I hear the immortal symphonies of the worlds which invite me. It is marvelous, yet simple. It is a fairy tale, and yet is it historic. For half a century I have been writing my thoughts in prose and verse, history, philosophy, drama, romance, tradition, satire, ode, and song. I have tried it all, but I feel that I have not said a thousandth part of what is in me. When I go down to the grave I can say, like many others, I have finished my day’s work; but I cannot say I have finished my life.

Cheers,

Tim

Album Contributors

I am proud to announce the artists appearing on Winter Is On My Head vol. 1! The following artists have contributed songs to the album, click their names to find out more about them.

Melanoid
Ryan Musique
Anthony Celia
Solare
Troy Born
Yellow Red Sparks
Steve Zank
Tim "The Sloth" Bauer
Lincoln Six Echo
Alex Navarro
Matt Preston
The Orange Effect
Sarah Berson

All of these artists donated their time and talents, please support them to show your appreciation! There will be more information throughout the coming week about when and how to download the album so be sure to subscribe to the blog or check back frequently.
Cheers,
Tim

Welcome

Winter Is On My Head is a collection of Christmas songs that have been generously donated to raise funds for those in need. The album will soon be available for download from this website and you will be able to pay as much or as little as you like for the album. 100% of any money received will benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission. You can read more about them and their work at www.rescuemission.org. Make sure to tell your friends and family about the project, and have a happy holiday season! Thanks for your love and support.
Cheers,
Tim