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Makin Waves Song of the Week: "A Pocketful of Christmas" by The NEW Bardōts

By Bob Makin

originally published: 11/29/2024


The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “A Pocketful of Christmas,” a fifth holiday single in as many years by the all-star band The NEW Bardōts and the title track of their new holiday EP. PHOTO COURTESY OF BONGO  BOY RECORDS

​​​​​​​The air cooling, the wind blowing, and leaves falling down signal the time for The NEW Bardōts to keep a band tradition alive by releasing a new holiday song.

Complete with tubular bells and an angelic choir mixed with a gentle touch of rock ‘n’ roll, the original “A Pocketful of Christmas” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.

As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “A Pocketful of Christmas” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Nov. 29 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and Mixcloud.

With “A Pocketful Of Christmas,” the band said they hope to bring out the spirit of the holidays to listeners of all ages.




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Written by vocalist-harmonicist Wayne Olivieri and guitarist Gar Francis, recorded by bassist Dan Skye and produced by all three at Dan’s legendary Skylab Studios in Roosevelt, the track also features drummer Johnnie Rago and keyboardist John Croot.

"A Pocketful Of Christmas" is the fifth NEW Bardōts holiday song in as many years and the title track of a new EP that also features the other four: “Santa Don’t Like Politics,” If Santa Clause Were President,” “Never Too Much Christmas,” and a cover of The Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight,” which was a Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven's Underground Garage last year. The good rockin' collection on Bongo Boy Records is full of fun holiday cheer!

While there isn’t a video for the “A Pocketful of Christmas” single, the band have done astonishingly well in that department with the clip for “Corporation Businessman.” The video for the biting socio-economic satire has won 19 awards, including Best Music Video at Cannes Continental Film Festival and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and from Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards and Royal Society of Television & Motion Picture Awards.

For more about The NEW Bardōts, click https://bongoboyrecords.com/thenewbardots.

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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Saturday, July 18, 2026 @ 7:30pm
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The Wag's Beatles Spectacular

Saturday, July 18, 2026 @ 7:30pm
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Heather Maloney & Hayley Reardon

Sunday, July 19, 2026 @ 7:30pm
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Blues For Greeny The Music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm
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