By Bob Makin
originally published: 12/15/2023
Highland Park-based The Grip Weeds have reissued their “Under the Influence of Christmas” on JEM Records. The LP featured a video for “Christmas, Bring Us,” one of four holiday originals and the Makin Waves Song of the Week. PHOTO BY MITCH GUROWITZ
Just in time to usher in the holidays, The Grip Weeds’ “Under The Influence” of Christmas has been reissued by JEM Records and is available on limited edition Icy Blue vinyl, as well as CD and digital formats.
The single and video for “Christmas, Bring Us,” one of the album’s four original holiday tunes, is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Christmas, Bring Us” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Dec. 15 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and MixCloud.
A joyful-delic antidote for holiday stress, “Christmas, Bring Us,” is one of the album’s two original tunes that garnered “Coolest Songs in The World” honors on Little Steven’s Underground Garage (SiriusXM Channel 21). The other is the jingle bell rock of “Christmas Dream.” Both are featured annually on the station, among many other outlets.
“Under the Influence” Christmas originals also include the bluesy garage-rock of “Santa Make Me Good” and the pretty acoustic breakup song “For the Holidays.”
The Deluxe Edition Gift Stocking CD and LP include the album; a download card with high resolution 24bit/96kHz audio of the album, including five bonus tracks; an autographed and personalized holiday card; a Grip Weeds logo shot glass; Grip Weeds logo can cozy; juicy-flavored colorful rolling paper, a kaleidoscope and other toys. The download version of the Deluxe Edition Gift Stocking also includes a pdf booklet.
The reissue has 11 remastered tracks that mix the four originals with Christmas carols, such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” as well as modern-day holiday rockers, like “2000 Miles.” That cover of The Pretenders’ Christmas classic features vocals by the late, great Pat DiNizio of fellow New Jersey music veterans The Smithereens, whose lead guitarist, Jim Babjak, adds muscle to the track with his inimitable power chords.
Producer Kurt Reil, The Grip Weeds’ drummer and co-lead singer, remixed the holiday nugget to perfection, along with two other tracks. He also remastered the album in The Grip Weeds’ own House of Vibes studio in Highland Park.
“Good holiday music puts the listener in that warm, happy holiday mood,” Kurt said. “With this album, we’ve managed to drag that joyful holiday feeling through the prisms of psychedelic and garage rock. You won’t know whether to stand under the mistletoe or stare at it for hours.”
“Under The Influence of Christmas” originally was released in 2011 to rave reviews. Other special guests include Mark Lindsey of Paul Revere & the Raiders and Myke Scavone and Gar Francis of The Doughboys on “Santa Make Me Good,” Left Banke's George Cameron on "For The Holidays," and JEM label mate Peter Horvath of The Anderson Council on a cover of “Welcome Christmas” from “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”
“A perk of operating a professional recording studio is that we get to become friends with artists we admire,” Kurt said. “We worked to make ‘Under The Influence of Christmas’ special, and so we called on friends old and new to contribute.”
The Grip Weeds also are vocalist-guitarist Rick Reil, Kurt’s brother; Kristin Pinell, his wife, and bassist Dave DeSantis, their longtime friend and a veteran of great Jersey bands, such as Chronic Sick, The Secret Syde, Laughing Soup Dish, and The X-Men. For more about them, visit https://www.gripweeds.com.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
About the author:
New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.
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