Ten years ago, if you listened to KEZK for any length of time on or shortly before Christmas, you probably heard "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. It's not the most obvious choice for a commercial station, but KEZK played it frequently that year. As I listened to Alpert's Christmas album this morning, I thought about what a heartwarming song it is, given its happy ending. Thanks to Santa Claus and Jack Frost, the sleigh bell that can't jingle ends up jingling again. I'm guessing the tune must have caught a lot of kids' ears when it was released in 1968. It would be refreshing if any radio station here starts playing it again.
It will also be impressive if any station here plays Alpert's version of "Sleigh Ride," which has a "Laugh-In" Christmas special vibe in its brass arrangement, or his respectful rendition of "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring." Christmas is the season when soft rock stations and stations preparing for a format change are able to play more easy listening arrangements than they ordinarily would, which often increases the number of listeners and results in a ratings spike. At this time of year, there's room for all three of these distinctly different selections on the radio.
