Guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and three-time Grammy-Award winner Brian Setzer and the Brian Setzer Orchestra are releasing Rockin' Rudolph, their first studio Christmas album in 10 years on Friday, October 16 via Surfdog Records.
The 18-piece band will support the album with a major concert tour, the “12th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour,” delivering the rocking and colorful holiday extravaganza they’re known for.
“It’s been about 10 years since I made a Christmas record,” says Setzer. “It [Christmas music] just seems to get more popular every year. They’re classic songs and you wonder after a couple records how many of them are left. Once you dig in you find, wow! I’ve haven’t done ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,’ you know. I’ve never done ‘Here Comes Santa Claus!’ Ones that everyone knows and are still out there. These songs are great songs. It doesn’t matter if they’re holiday songs or when they were written, they’re just great songs. So the trick,” the guitarist says, “is to make them sound hip. Some of them are eternally hip, you know, so you don’t have to do too much.”
Produced by Peter Collins (Rush, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, etc…) and recorded in both Nashville, TN and Hollywood, CA, the 12-track Rockin' Rudolph includes highlights such as “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree,” “Yabba-Dabba Yuletide,” and “Rockabilly Rudolph,” among other notable Christmas classic tunes with Setzer’s trademark guitar work and vocal stylings matched with the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s big-band horn arrangements.
1. “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree”
2. “Yabba-Dabba Yuletide”
3. “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
4. “Rockabilly Rudolph”
5. “Here Comes Santa Claus”
6. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
7. “Swingin' Joy”
8. “Carol of the Bells”
9. “Little Jack Frost”
10. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
11. “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
12. “Yabba-Dabba Yuletide” (extended)
Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to purchase a limited edition, numbered deluxe package of the album via PledgeMusic.com.
Rockin' Rudolph Deluxe Box Set includes:
1. Rockin' Rudolph CD
2. Commemorative sheet music and guitar chart to "Nutcracker Suite” (just as Brian reads on stage!)
3. Custom Brian Setzer die-cut Christmas tree ornament (3" tall, alloy metal)
4. Brian Setzer’s Murray’s Pomade (Hair Product)
5. Commemorative BSO "Martini Logo” stainless steel guitar pick
6. BSO Christmas album cover drink coasters
7. Six Polaroid-style BSO concert photos
8. "Live in Nashville" 10x10 print
9. Reusable 8GB USB credit card w/ extras, including:
- Hi-definition .wav files of full 12-track Rockin' Rudolph album
- Two new bonus instrumental tracks not included on the album: "Deck The Halls” & “Little Drummer Boy"
- Album cover rough sketches by Artist Derek Yaniger
- Behind-the-scenes video footage of BSO's Rockin' Rudolph recording session (House of Blues studio in Nashville, TN.)
- "Jingle Bells" - live performance by BSO (previously released)
- "Nutcracker Suite" - live performance by BSO (previously released)
- Behind-the-scenes look at Brain Setzer writing entire big band arrangement from scratch (previously released)
For more information on Brian Setzer, visit:
briansetzer.com
facebook.com/briansetzerofficial
youtube.com/user/BrianSetzerOfficial
surfdog.com/artists/brian-setzer