Smithereens to release Christmas CD

New York, NY — Central Jersey favorite rock ‘n’ roll sons The Smithereens wil released their first Christmas CD Oct. 9 on KOCH Records. “Christmas with The Smithereens” is hot on the heels of the smash Beatles tribute, “Meet the Smithereens,” their version of the Beatles debut album. “THE SMITHEREENS set out to re-invent the Christmas album and turn the genre completely upside down with this record,” says Pat Dinizio, the band’s lead vocalist and principle songwriter. “We made a real Smithereens rock ‘n’ roll record that stands on its own, yet somehow channels the ghost of Christmas past, and in the process, also pays tribute to and reinvents some of our absolute all-time favorite rock and roll Christmas records. I don’t think it been done quite this way before, and hopefully it’s an album you wouldn’t mind listening to the other 11 months of the year.” In addition to three Smithereens originals, including the single “Waking Up on Christmas Morning,” the tracks and their inspirations are: “Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)” — Elvis Presley “Merry Christmas, Baby” — The Beach Boys “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — Bill Haley “Christmas” — The Who’s “Tommy” “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” — Art Carney “Run Rudolph Run” — Chuck Berry “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” — The Ramones “Auld Lang Syne” — The Ventures and Dick Dale “Christmas Time Is Here Again” — The Beatles. “Walking Up on Christmas Morning” was written by Smithereens guitarist Jim Babjak. Other originals are “Christmas Time All Over the World,” a Christmas remake of “All Revved Up” and “Christmas (I Remember),” written by drummer Dennis Diken. The package includes vintage holiday pictures of the band and liner notes by Diken, a noted rock historian. “When I dig out my holiday platters every December, I feel like I’m visiting with some of my oldest and dearest friends,” Diken said. “With that in mind, we humbly present ‘Christmas With The Smithereens.’ We’ve taken what we’ve learned from some of our favorite Christmas records and did our best to make these numbers our own. Plus we tossed in a few new treats and surprises as well. It is our hope that we’ll be seeing you again and again at the end of every year.” The Smithereens formed in 1980 in Scotch Plains and Carteret. In 1986, its breakthrough hit “Blood & Roses” paved the way for many more to come. The band is performing Saturday at the Union County MusicFest at Nomahagen Park in Cranford with Live, Chuck Berry, fellow Jersey act Fountains of Wayne and many others (see www.ucmusicfest.org and the entertainment section of www.c-n.com on Friday).

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