“A Very Eureka Christmas” Album & Holiday Goodies!
Looking for a way to get in the holiday spirit this year? Here’s some music to throw in your digital stockings! First up, a soundtrack album for fans who’ve been especially good this year…
I’m excited to partner with Back Lot Music for the digital release of “A Very Eureka Christmas.” This album contains my original scores to the two “Eureka” holiday specials, Season 4’s O Little Town and Season 5’s Do You See What I See?. “A Very Eureka Christmas” is currently available on iTunes, and will be available from other digital retailers, including Amazon, later this month.
This quirky sci-fi comedy gave me a huge range of musical opportunities, but none were as fun or challenging as the two holiday specials. Drawing influences from classic Christmas movies of the past, O Little Town allowed me to write a bombastic, soaring orchestral score that also included heartfelt arrangements of traditional tunes. For Do You See What I See I wrote one of the craziest holiday scores ever, drawing influences from multiple eras of animation scoring, from Looney Toons to anime. These two episodes were the most complex scores I ever wrote for the series, and I’m thrilled they can finally be heard on an album.
Even though this is technically a soundtrack album, I wanted it to feel like a holiday album. So, I edited and re-ordered the tracks to flow as smoothly as possible. Pat Sullivan, from Bernie Grundman mastering, smoothed out the enormous dynamic range. Listeners can move from the gentle strains of Raya Yarbrough’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” directly into “Anime Christmas Battle,” one of the loudest and most intense action cues I’ve written since “Human Target.”
The complete “A Very Eureka Christmas” track list is:
01. Eureka on My Mind (Carolers Version)
Featuring Raya Yarbrough and Bear McCreary, vocals
02. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Performed by Raya Yarbrough
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/erkxmas1.mp3|titles=Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas]
03. Anime Christmas Battle
Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ERK513c.mp3|titles=Anime Christmas Battle]
04. Back to Live Action
Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ERK513f.mp3|titles=Back to Live Action]
05. Winter Wonderland
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/erkxmas2.mp3|titles=Winter Wonderland]
06. Looney World
07. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/erkxmas3.mp3|titles=Santa Claus is Coming to Town]
08. Super Photon Generator
Featuring Raya Yarbrough and Bear McCreary, vocals
09. Car Skis
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ERK513g.mp3|titles=Car Skis]
10. The Holly and the Ivy
11. Taggart Claus
12. Bogey Threat
13. Jingle Bells
14. Claymation Allison
15. Animation Schizophrenia
16. Sninjas Attack
17. Giant Snow Ninja
Featuring Raya Yarbrough and Bear McCreary, vocals
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ERK513a.mp3|titles=Giant Sninja]
18. Snowball Adventure
19. Claymation World
20. Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/erk410a.mp3|titles=Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming]
21. O Little Town of Eureka
Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
[audio:http://www.bearmccreary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/erk410e.mp3|titles=O Little Town of Eureka]
22. Holiday Heroes
23. Eureka on My Mind (Carolers End Credits Version)
Featuring Raya Yarbrough and Bear McCreary, vocals
To learn more about the “Eureka” holiday specials, you can read my detailed blog entries (O Little Town and Do You See What I See?) or check out my video blog for each episode…
[media id=24 width=445 height=255]
While you’re getting in the holiday spirit, here are a couple other goodies to check out.
My brother’s band, Young Beautiful in a Hurry, has released a holiday single, “Slim Pickins’ [This Christmas].” This is one of those songs that Brendan has been hammering away at on the piano every time we go back home for the holidays. I always associate this tune with the smell of pine needles and home cooking. So, its a really moving experience to hear it come together in the studio with this fully produced recording. Brendan’s lyrics, as usual, make piercing observations that give the gorgeous melodies even more meaning. It’s a reminder that the holidays can be a tough time for some of us, and that we should all appreciate what we have that much more.
YBH is graciously donating all proceeds from this single to the charitable organization Homeboy Industries, which “provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and recently incarcerated men and women, allowing them to re-direct their lives and become contributing members of the community.”
The song is available for $1 at bandcamp, and is the best money I’ve spent in a long time. Check it out and donate to a worthy cause.
Raya Yarbrough‘s December Songs was a record I produced with Raya last year, but it’s worth putting on your radars once more. The 6-song EP showcases Raya’s ridiculously gorgeous voice and her luscious string arrangements. I conducted and played keyboards and accordion, and I also contributed an arrangement of one of my favorite Danny Elfman compositions: “Sally’s Song,” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Raya’s song “Racecar 49” originated with this Christmas EP, and will be showcased in her upcoming show / album “North of Sunset, West of Vine.”
You can audition song clips and purchase “December Songs” on iTunes.
Finally, I’m scoring a new holiday special you should keep an eye out for next month. You may be disappointed that it’s not “The Walking Dead Christmas Special.” Hey, now that I think about it, that would be pretty awesome. Maybe next season. No, this is actually happening…
… The Holliston Christmas Special. “Holliston” is a quirky horror sitcom starring (real life filmmakers) Adam Green and Joe Lynch, and I contribute a metal / horror score that nimbly hops genres. Last spring we debuted a 6-episode first season and we’re coming back strong in 2013 with even more episodes. In the meantime, check out the “Holliston Christmas Special” on December 18th at 8PM on Fearnet.
There are some really exciting releases being lined up for 2013. I expect that your iPods and CD players will overflow with new Bear tunes next year. Until then, enjoy these holiday releases and keep an eye out on the blog for more.
Happy Holidays, everybody!
-Bear