The Muppet Christmas Carol (Soundtrack album)

Louise Gold featured as one of the Muppet Performers, produced by Jim Henson Records BMG KIDZ, recorded at CTS Studios Wembley in 1992, reissued by Walt Disney Records in 2005. Soundtrack album for the film The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Catalogue number: (Jim Henson Records/ BMG KIDZ CD - Canadian Pressing with full sleeve notes) 74860 30017-2, (Jim Henson Records/BMG Kidz, - Canadian Pressing with short sleeve notes) BG2 30017, (BMG KIDZ CD - German Pressing) 7432112194-2, (BMG KIDZ Cassette) 74869 30017-4, (Walt Disney Records CD) 61414-7.

Cast

 Muppet Performers - Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Brian Henson, Mike Quinn, Karen Prell, David Rudman, Louise Gold, and, Frank Oz

Scrooge - Michael Caine

Belle - Meredith Braun

Cover version singer - Martina McBride

Background Vocals - Miriam Stokely, Mae McKenna, Carol Kenyon, Nick Curtis, Peter Becket, Lindsay Benson, and, Phillipp Nicholl

Production Team

 Original Songs by - Paul Williams

Score by - Miles Goodman

Arrangements - Miles Goodman and Oscar Castro-Neves

Additional arranging - Chris Caswell

Ms McBride’s arranger - David Spinoza

Executive Producer - Robert Kraft

Ms McBride’s producers - Josh Leo and Robert Kraft

Songs co-produced by - Paul Williams, Chris Caswell, and, Robert Kraft

Track Listing (CD)

1. Overture (by Paul Williams) - Instrumental

2. Scrooge (by Paul Williams) - Cast (Frank Oz, Louise Gold, Steve Whitmire, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Brian Henson, and, Mike Quinn)

3. Room In Your Heart (by Paul Williams) - Honeydew and Beaker (Dave Goelz, and, Steve Whitmire)

4. Good King Wenceslas (traditional) - Muppet Brass Buskers

5. One More Step Till Christmas (by Paul Williams) - Kermit (Steve Whitmire)

6. Marley And Marley (by Paul Williams)- Marley and Marley (Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson)

7. Christmas past (by Miles Goodman) - Instrumental

8. Chairman Of The Board (by Paul Williams) - Sam The Eagle (Frank Oz)

9. Fozziwig’s Party (by Chris Caswell) - Dr Teeth and Electric Mayhem (instrumental)

10. When Love Is Gone (by Paul Williams) - Belle (Meredith Braun)

11. It Feels Like Christmas (by Paul Williams) - Ghost Of Christmas Past with cast (Jerry Nelson with: Louise Gold, Karen Prell, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson, Mike Quinn, David Rudman, and, Frank Oz)

12. Christmas Scat (by Paul Williams) - Kermit and Tiny Tim (Steve Whitmire and Jerry Nelson)

13. Bless Us All (by Paul Williams) - Tiny Tim and Family (Jerry Nelson, with: Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, and, David Rudman)

14. Christmas Future (by Miles Goodman) - Instrumental

15. Christmas Morning (by Miles Goodman) - Instrumental

16. Thankful Heart (by Paul Williams) - Scrooge (Michael Caine)

17. Finale - When Love Is Found / It Feels Like Christmas (by Paul Williams) - Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Ghost Of Christmas Present, and Cast (Michael Caine, Jerry Nelson, with: Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson. Mike Quinn, Karen Prell, David Rudman, Louise Gold, Frank Oz, Meredith Braun, and The Company)

18. When Love Is Gone (by Paul Williams) - Martina McBride

The Cassette has the same listing as the CD, with Tracks 1 to 10 on Side A and Tracks 11 to 18 on Side B. If getting the CD version at least , the Canadian pressing with full sleeve notes 74860 30017-2, is to be preferred, because the sleeve notes are much more informative (containing the lyrics to all the songs).

This is the soundtrack album for the film The Muppet Christmas Carol, all the performers, and most of the production team on it also worked on the film itself.

Dave Goelz, and, Steve Whitmire went on to feature on the album A Green And Red Christmas, for which Louise Gold, Jerry Nelson, Karen Prell, Mike Quinn, and, David Rudman are credited as backing vocalists. One cannot but wonder whether that has any connection with this soundtrack album?

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold and Steve Whitmire were among the eight main puppeteers on The Muppet Show, which Karen Prell also puppeteered on.

Muppet performers Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and Steve Whitmire had previously featured on: Muppet Show Music Album , The Great Muppet Caper (Soundtrack album), John Denver And The Muppets A Christmas Together, John Denver & The Muppets Merry Christmas 45RPM, Christmas For Kids, John Denver Christmas, and, Muppet Hits 1 and Muppet Hits 2 (on the latter two of which Robert Kraft was also Executive Producer). They also feature on Music Mayhem And More and Muppet Music Sampler (both of the latter also feature the song One More Step ‘Til Christmas).

Muppet performers Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz and Louise Gold have also featured on: The Muppet Show Music Hall, The Muppet Show 2, For What It’s Worth, and Jim Henson Presents Silly Songs, they also appeared on The Royal Variety Performance (1977).

Muppet performers: Louise Gold, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson. Frank Oz, Karen Prell, and, Steve Whitmire have also featured on: Favorite Songs From Jim Henson’s Muppets. They also feature on Muppet Music Mix (on the latter Robert Kraft was also Executive Producer, and the track Room In Your Heart was included).

The singing talents of: Nick Curtis, Carol Kenyon, Miriam Stockley, and of course Louise Gold, can also be found on Spitting Image.

Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn puppeteered on The Dark Crystal, for which Jerry Nelson did some voice-work.

Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn, puppeteered in an item about The Dark Crystal on Blue Peter.

Brian Henson, Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Karen Prell, Mike Quinn, David Rudman, and Steve Whitmire puppeteered on the film Labyrinth.

Jerry Nelson and Frank Oz can also be heard on Born To Add

Louise Gold, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and, David Rudman can also be heard on Elmo’s Lowdown Hoedown

The brilliant Muppet singing double act Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold can also be heard on Jerome Kern The First 100 Years. They mauy also have sung together on The Count’s Countdown, although there has been some debate as to whether Louise Gold actually sang on that.

Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire, and, Louise Gold appeared in The All Time Get Around Sometimes Play Together Every Other Friday Night Vaudeville Show.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, and, Mike Quinn had previously puppeteered on the film The Great Muppet Caper, whose soundtrack was also recorded at CTS Studios, Wembley.

Louise Gold, Karen Prell, Mike Quinn, David Rudman, and Steve Whitmire had previously puppeteered on Tale Of The Bunny Picnic.

Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn had previously puppeteered on the UK Co-Production of Fraggle Rock, for which Jerry Nelson, and, Dave Goelz (besides puppeteering on the main show) did voice-work.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Steve Whitmire, and, Mike Quinn had previously puppeteered on The Muppets Go To The Movies.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, and, Mike Quinn went on to puppeteer on the film Muppet Treasure Island.

Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and, Louise Gold went on to puppeteer on The Animal Show, on which Frank Oz did a guest puppeteering appearance.

Brian Henson went on to produce Mopatop’s Shop.

The Muppet Performers on this album, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Karen Prell, Mike Quinn, David Rudman, and, Steve Whitmire had all taken part in Jim Henson’s Memorial Service.

Louise Gold, Karen Prell, and, Mike Quinn had previously puppeteered on The Ghost Of Faffner Hall.

Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and, Mike Quinn went on to puppeteer on The Secret Life Of Toys.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Steve Whitmire, and, David Rudman puppeteered on Sesame Street (in the early 1990s).

Muppet Performers Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and Louise Gold had featured in the documentary Of Muppets And Men, on which Karen Prell also appeared.

Brian Henson appeared in the documentary The Wonderful World Of Puppets.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, and, Karen Prell’s recording credits include Put Some Zing In Your Spring.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, and, Brian Henson contributed to the documentary I Love The Muppets.

Meredith Braun went on to take part in CLIC’s 18^th Birthday Celebration.

Steve Whitmire probably puppeteered Kermit The Frog on ITV’s 50 Greatest Shows.

Louise Gold, and, Brian Henson went on to puppeteer together on That Puppet Game Show.

Louise Gold, and, David Rudman went on to puppeteer together on The Furchester Hotel.

Review

by Emma Shane

Of the albums from the various Muppet movies, this is probably my favourite. It is a lovely score mainly by Paul Williams, who must surely be one (Joe Rapso being another) of the best songwriters ever to write for the Muppets, after all he did write the score for The Muppet Movie, including the beautiful Rainbow Connection. The whole Muppet Christmas Carol album seems to capture the spirit of the Muppets, while also having some very moving tender moments. It is truly Jim Henson’s Muppets singing in a way that they know how to do best, and putting across a powerful message. Although Michael Caine and Meredith Braun sing well, the real singing honours on this album go to the puppeteers themselves. Although sadly minus Richard Hunt’s wonderful voice, and Jim Henson’s unique talents, the remaining muppeteers put on a good show, in this they have the super advantage of using two of their very best singing talents, Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold. In addition, several other pretty notable performers, such as Steve Whitmire, Karen Prell and Dave Goelz give some jolly good performances.

All the numbers are more than listenable to, although some are, to my mind, much better than others. When Love Is Gone was clearly meant to be the big romantic hit of the film, like Rapso’s The First Time It Happens in The Great Muppet Caper, but I don’t think it quite succeeded, although it is by no means a bad song. Similarly Room In Your Heart, although given a good performance by Steve Whitmire and Dave Goelz, is a nice Muppet number, but not that remarkable. It is however worth noting how much Dave Goelz’s musical performance has improved since the early days of The Muppet Show. Then there is Good King Wenceslas, which is well performed and great in setting the scene, and makes a nice Muppety Christmasy accompaniment. Chairman Of The Board is lyrically very interesting, and nicely sung by Frank Oz, it provides a lovely possible insight into how people’s perceptions might perhaps be shaped by their early experiences. Experienced muppeteers Jerry Nelson and Dave Goelz lead the cast in Marley And Marley, which is a great reminder of what happens when the Muppets get hold of a classic story, and perform it very well in their own unique muppety way.

It is the Muppeteers themselves who are the real stars of this soundtrack album. Stepping literally into Jim Henson’s role, of Kermit The Frog, Steve Whitmire gets his real moment of glory with One More Step Still Christmas. It is a lovely summation of Christmas Eve, and would be a great song to play on that day. But for anyone who likes the Muppets, the number does something much greater; it is a new beginning, for Kermit. Steve Whitmire displays a real Henson-like quality with this number, and yet at the same time he does the character in his own way, it is not an imitation, more an interpretation, but one that is very close to the original (his Muppet-colleague Louise Gold often achieves a similar sort of effect when she sings songs written for Ethel Merman, very similar to the original, but without actually being an imitation). Another soloist is that wonderful Muppet singer Jerry Nelson, who gets two wonderful opportunities to shine, and exercise his considerable vocal talents. As his performances of, such songs as: While My Guitar Gently Weeps and New York State Of Mind, as Floyd Pepper, not to mention Halfway Down The Stairs as Robin The Frog, on The Muppet Show proved, Jerry Nelson can be a very emotional singer. But on this soundtrack with Bless Us All he excels himself, I can’t help but cry every time I listen to it. This time it sounds like he really truly means it, he is singing absolutely in character, and is the character of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. He sings with such feeling it is as if there is something much more than just acting in that performance.

Two of the most fun numbers on the film are just the Muppets being the Muppets doing a jolly film. The first of these is Scrooge, which gives most of the Muppeteers a chance to show their individual and collective talents. Frank Oz has a few memorable lines, including the opening one, and later on one about a crust of bread. Louise Gold is next, for once she actually has an excuse to do English-accented Muppets, and gosh does she get the most out of her lines “But there’s nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone”. Meanwhile Karen Prell gets an effective look in with “The most hated and cursed” sandwiched between two of David Rudman’s lines. Other puppeteers who get their chance to shine include Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and, that talented voice-artiste Jerry Nelson. It Feels Like Christmas appears to be the film’s theme song. This is actually my favourite song in the entire film. I particularly like its performance on Track 11, where it is just sung by the Muppeteers. The lead vocal is brilliantly handled by (my second favourite Muppet-singer) the incomparable Jerry Nelson. Although some of the others get various solo lines, and here I must single out two of these that I particularly liked, both because they are lovely lyrics, and but also because they are so sincerely sung, namely: Louise Gold singing “A cup of kindness that we share with another, a sweet reunion with a friend or a brother” and Karen Prell’s “It’s in the giving of a gift to another, a pair of mittens that were made by your mother”. The lyrics are beautiful and the whole song is performed with such integrity, this is really what the Muppets are about: peace, harmony, kindness, love, and well “It’s true wherever you find love it feels like Christmas”. This song really seems to sum up both the spirit of this film, and that of The Muppets.

All in all, for anyone who enjoys the spirit and the musical talents of the Muppets in general (and Jerry Nelson in particular, along with: Steve Whitemire, Louise Gold, and, Karen Prell), this soundtrack album is a terrific one not least because it in general and the song It Feels Like Christmas in particular, is so very much them. And it is well worth having for three songs alone: Scrooge, Bless Us All, and It Feels Like Christmas. This album is funny, moving, tender, and full of the loving peaceful kind spirit of The Muppets. Of the various Christmas-related Muppet albums, this is definitely my favourite.

Critics Comments

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Links about The Muppet Christmas Carol (Soundtrack album)

Muppet Wiki’s page for the album: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppet_Christmas_Carol_%28CD%29

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