Ring the Bells for Christmas
You didn't think I was done with Gowan yet, did you?
The first reference I can find to this song is its appearance on John McDermott and Friend’s 2005 album Images of Christmas. John McDermott’s story is quite beyond the scope of this post, however the thing you do need to know is that he does a Christmas show every year in Toronto and for many years Gowan performed in it. Did Gowan write the song especially for the show the year before? Or for the record? The internet is silent.
What I do know is that the song has become a staple. It has Gowan’s distinct sound but also some lovely bells and a very hopeful air to the lyrics. You can hear McDermott harmonizing in the chorus. I’m always happy when I listen to it.
Gowan’s day job is performing with Styx, and like A Criminal Mind, they’ve adopted this one. Here’s Styx performing the song with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra for their 2006 live DVD One with Everything.
Enjoy your song of the day!
That 2006 DVD One with Everything was amazing! I hadn’t even thought about Styx or Gowan for decades. I certainly didn’t know Gowan was performing with them. That performance of Criminal Mind was awesome.