With a major-label distribution deal right out of the chute, Candy Butchers seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of other smart, song-focused, melody-driven, ’90s outfits like Ben Folds Five and Fountains Of Wayne before the proverbial window of opportunity slammed shut circa 1997. Since then, seemingly unflappable leader Mike Viola has kept plugging away, fending off adversity in his personal life (his first wife died of cancer) and overall public indifference to get his music out there, whether as himself, under the Candy Butchers moniker, on film soundtracks or elsewhere. Viola’s new solo release, Electro De Perfecto (Good Morning Monkey/Hornblow), is a slickly produced celebration of a versatile songwriter in his prime, one who deserves a little more love. Viola will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Viola: There weren’t many records in my house when I was growing up. But Christmas With The Chipmunks was in my mom’s collection along with Neil Diamond, Merle Haggard, Charlie Rich and Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. My knowledge of harmony and arrangement is heavily influenced by CWTC. The console stereo in our living room had a bunch of different speeds. It even had 16-rpm speed so you could slow records down so I was able to pick out the tight, linear three-part harmonies and the music arrangements that went by too fast at 33 1/3 rpm. It’s brilliant!!! And if the Chipmunks piss you off for some reason you can just pan them out of it (either left or right … and not on every song I don’t think). It’s the Wrecking Crew playing on this. Hal Blaine, Leon Russell, Tommy Tedesco, etc. The same guys that played on Pet Sounds a few years later. Crazy right? Not really. They played on the Beach Boys Christmas record as well. I’d count that one, this one and maybe Nat King Cole’s Christmas record as the most influential records of my formative years, the soundtrack of my childhood along with AM radio. All that harmony and confidence. All that cartoon counterpoint. Make sure you buy the right one … this record sold so well they made other versions with an inferior band. Kind of like what Ozzy did with the re-release of Blizzard Of Oz. Cheap bastards.
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV7nceF0sio
