A Merry Christmas with Pat Boone

It is almost November and still no news in the air about new Christmas releases. Looks like this is one music genre that the Internet has truly killed. With memory being a prime factor in its appeal, music lovers prefer to listen to old Christmas recordings, copies of which most of them already have. Unless a new pop Christmas tune in the magnitude of All I Want For Christmas Is You or Give Love On Christmas Day comes along, artists and producers would prefer to sit the Yuletide season out.

But all is not lost for Christmas music loving Pinoys because Pat Boone is coming to town. The American singer, actor, writer, teacher and a lot of other things besides, will be performing in A Merry Christmas with Pat Boone at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 6. Presented by Ovation Productions, it will not only be a concert of Christmas songs of which Boone has plenty and I can honestly say that his versions rank alongside the classics by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams. He will also perform his big hits.

Boone has sold over 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits and starred in several Hollywood films like Bernardine, State Fair and April Love. I always think of him as the guy who bridged the gap between Crosby, Sinatra, et al. and Elvis Presley and company. Boone’s singing voice is a soft baritone made for the standards but he made it big during the late ’50s. Being a young performer at the time, he adapted himself to the demands of the market and also sang rock and roll. But it was smooth rock and roll, a kind that was accessible to conservative parents and teachers who thought of Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc. as the bad boys. Boone was wholesome. He drank nothing stronger than milk and wore vests and sneakers. Sometimes he wore his collar up, James Dean style but otherwise he was just nice.

Despite his good boy image, Boone was a huge success. Check out his well-put together compilation The Best of Pat Boone that includes his greatest hits and selected B-Sides and singles. I am sure that though the songs may have been before your time, they will still strike a familiar chord. You must have heard a lot of them before because Boone remains a big favorite among Pinoys who still often break out into the wistful April Love.

Among these songs are Quando Quando Quando, Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White, Remember You’re Mine, Moody River, Speedy Gonzales, Wonderful Time Up There, I’ll Remember Tonight, Ain’t That A Shame, Love Letters In The Sand, There’s A Gold Mine In The Sky, Bernardine, Friendly Persuasion, When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano, Tweedle Dee, Stagger Lee, Beyond The Sunset, Long Tall Sally, The Theme from Exodus (This Land Is Mine), Good Rockin’ Tonight and Tutti Frutti.

But since this will be a Christmas show, you should get ready for the Boone kind of Yuletide cheer. It is soft, laidback and utterly relaxing. As per his Christmas Album, we can expect him to do Jingle Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Silver Bells, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Silent Night, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Joy to The World, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, O Holy Night, Do You Hear What I Hear, The Christmas Waltz, Blue Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus and Amazing Grace.

American songbook freak that I am though, one of my all-time favorite albums is Pat Boone Sings Irving Berlin where his easy, soothing vocals lend themselves beautifully to the immortal ballads written by the great composer. The songs may sound dated to younger listeners but they have certainly not lost their charm.

These are Always, What’ll I Do, All Alone, How Deep Is The Ocean, Say It With Music, Be Careful It’s My Heart, Soft Lights And Sweet Music, Remember, A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, All By Myself, The Girl That I’ll Marry, Say It Isn’t So and They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful. There is no chance that Boone will perform any of these at the Big Dome but since it will be a Christmas show, we can count on him doing two of Berlin’s greatest classics, Count Your Blessings and of course, White Christmas.

Tickets to the show are now available through www.ticketnet.com and all Ticketnet outlets. Call 911-5555. Prices are P5,810, P5,280, P4,755, P3,700, P2,640 and P1,060.