HOW TO GO
What: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Where: Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23
Cost: $31-$75
More info: (937) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com
Artist info: www.mannheimsteamroller.com
Christmas albums are a big part of the music industry’s fourth quarter push each year. That wasn’t the case when Ohio native Chip Davis released Mannheim Steamroller’s “Christmas 1984” 29 years ago.
The collection of classically-inspired new age holiday songs was met with skepticism from record companies but was an overwhelming success with music fans tired of hearing the same old tunes every December. “Christmas 1984” went on to sell more than five-million copies. Since then Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 27-million Christmas albums, making the group the genre’s biggest selling act.
Here’s brief look at Mannheim Steamroller, which presents its multimedia holiday show at the Schuster Center in Dayton on Monday, Dec. 23.
SYMPHONIC CHRISTMAS REVISITED
Mannheim Steamroller’s latest release, “Christmas Symphony II,” was released on Oct. 15. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra joined the group on the recordings of Davis originals such as “Christmas Lullaby” and “Tradition of Christmas” and traditional favorites such as “Good King Wenceslas,” “Joy to the World” and “Away in the Manger.”
JINGLES, TRUCKER ANTHEMS AND NEW AGE
Davis, a native of Sylvania, Ohio, started his creative career as a jingle writer. He earned unexpected mainstream music success in the early 1970s as co-writer and co-producer of truck driving-themed hits such as “Convoy” and “Wolf Creek Pass” for C.W. McCall. In 1974, Davis used a portion of those royalties to form Mannheim Steamroller and start his own record label the following year.
NEW AGE AIRE
Because record companies were reluctant to bite on what Davis dubbed 18th century classical rock, the industrious musician formed his own label, American Gramaphone Records. Mannheim Steamroller’s debut album, “Fresh Aire,” was released in 1975. It was the first in a series of instrumental concept albums such as “Fresh Aire III” (1979), “Fresh Aire V” (1983) and the Grammy-winning “Fresh Aire 7” (1991).
BY THE NUMBERS
According to Mannheim Steamroller’s official bio, the group has sold more than 40 million albums since 1975. All lined up, those CDs would stretch more than 3,000 miles. Since 1974, the group has traveled more than 27 million miles, hung more than 2.6 million square feet of video screen and booked more than 41,000 hotel rooms.
ONE BECOMES MANY
Mannheim Steamroller originally began as a small unit with a handful of musicians assisting Davis in the studio. However, the 1980s were a time of expansion as the group became more popular and more musicians were required to recreate Davis’ vision for live concerts. Today, the project has two touring companies that draw from a pool of about 50 musicians.
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