Michael Barbaro in The Washington Post writes that retailers are planning to play remixed Christmas songs in hopes of boosting sales.
On the remixed holiday CDs now hitting retailers’ shelves, the song titles are familiar, but the sound is not. On Old Navy’s “Jazzy Jolly” holiday CD, 46Bliss remixes Mahalia Jackson’s rendition of Silent Night. Jackson’s voice is still there, but the original tune is all but unrecognizable, replaced with a thumping drum base line and computer-generated pulses.
On Pottery Barn’s “Christmas Chill” album, Michael Kessler remixes Mel Torme’s recording of “The Christmas Song.” Torme sings, accompanied by his own echo, which reverberates throughout the piece, and a hip-hop-inspired rhythm is inserted in the background.