The Killers: I’ll Be Home For Christmas – új szám a karácsonyi meglepetésalbumhoz

A bevételeikkel az U2-frontember Bono jótékonysági projektjét, az afrikai AIDS/HIV ellen küzdő (RED)-et támogató karácsonyi Killers-kislemezekből már a hatodik szám után, 2011 végén is kiadtak egy kronologikus összeállítást (Red) Christmas EP címmel, de mostanra már elegendő dal gyűlt össze egy teljes albumhoz, melynek ma közzétett sorozatzáró száma igazán különleges darab lett. A hajdani tanárával mikrofon elé álló Brandon a prózai bevezetőben felidézi, milyen volt élete első fehér karácsonya kilencévesen, a Utah állambeli Paysonban, ahol az a bizonyos tanár úr, Mr. Hansen megismertette negyedikes osztályával az I’ll Be Home For Christmas című dalt, mely 1943-ban egy második világháborús katona szemszögéből íródott, aki levelet küld a tengerentúlról a szeretteinek haza.

My mother and father spent most of their lives in Henderson, Nevada
The small, dusty sidecar of Las Vegas
Henderson was just like any other town in America
Only with slot machines in the Laundromat
It was 1990 and Vegas was booming, baby
But Jeanie and Terry weren’t gamblers or dealers or mafiosos or lounge singers
They were just two normal people trying to keep up with the pack in a 116° rat race
And those rats, well they’d nibbled long enough
Now I don’t know what a mosey looks like
But they packed up their house and their clothes and their me
And they moseyed on out of dodge
Of course I had my gripes about leaving
I mean, I had a life in Henderson
Kenny and Kevin Heebner were just two houses up
The desert fort behind my house wasn’t gonna defend itself
But what could I do?
I was 9, a 9 year old can’t just stage a sit in while the rest of the family checks out
This wasn’t a ‘Home Alone’ movie,
So I went where the sweet and sour chicken was cooked
And the ice cold caffeine free Coke was just a fridge away
And just like that, from sage brush, slot machines and Elvis
To Footloose, Onion days and Jewel,
She was born there after all
This place called Payson, Utah
God’s country
Population: blink and you’ll miss it
Dad got a job in the produce department at the Smiths Food King
Which was fitting since he managed to produce 6 kids
April, Shelley, Amy, Stephanie and my brother Shane were the other 5
I was in 4th grade at the time
An age when boys start thinking more like men
And there wasn’t a dull moment
I’d had my first fight, my first crush, my first rodeo
But most importantly, my first white Christmas
I did my best to fit in and I did as my teachers said
But that year, one teacher stood out from the rest
He didn’t just stand out from the rest, he sung out
His name was Mr Hansen
And on a frosty December morning he explained to us the story of the old standard ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’
A tale of a World War II soldier stationed overseas
Writing a letter to his family about the return that he may never make
I saw it struck deep in him
Now it would be easy to describe Mr Hansen as brave
After all, this was a man who himself had served his country during the Korean War
But getting up in front of 25 nine year olds and singing a cappella
That’s a whole other kinda bravery altogether
The other kids were looking for the nearest escape
They couldn’t bear the embarrassment
But not me, I was wrapped up in it
I couldn’t help myself
I knew I was experiencing something different from the others
But I was uplifted so it didn’t matter
I felt the isolation of war
I felt the power of a song
And that’s the kinda thing that sticks with you
You don’t let it go
And so for this year Christmas song,
I have a friend I brought along
He’s 86, but sounds like 20
And though the other kids might find it funny
He’d like to sing his song for you
And if he doesn’t mind, I might join in too

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az I’ll Be Home For Christmas feldolgozása Brandon Flowers fent olvasható bevezetőjével. . .
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. . .és a dal eredetije Bing Crosby 1943-as felvételén:

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a gyűjteményes karácsonyi album borítója és számlistája:

The Killers: Don’t Waste Your Wishes (2016)

A Great Big Sled (feat. Toni Halliday)
Don’t Shoot Me Santa (feat. Ryan Pardey)
Joseph, Better You Than Me (feat. Elton John & Neil Tennant)
¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe! (feat. Wild Light & Mariachi El Bronx)
Boots
The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball
I Feel It in My Bones (feat. Ryan Pardey)
Christmas in L.A. (feat. Dawes)
Joel The Lump of Coal (feat. Jimmy Kimmel)
Dirt Sledding (feat. Ryan Pardey & Richard Dreyfuss)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (feat. Ned Humphrey Hansen)

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ráadásként néhány aktualitás a Killers háza tájáról:

októberi fotó Brandon Flowersről és Ronnie Vannucci Jr. dobosról, akik Jacknife Lee producerrel dolgoznak a feldíszített stúdióban:

a 2006-os Sam’s Town album idén októberben megjelent 10 éves jubileumi újrakiadásához bónuszként közzétett Peace Of Mind című demófelvétel, mely annak idején dobozban maradt:

egy One More Song munkacímű új szerzemény, melyet Brandon a Killers nyári koncertjein mutatott be zongorakísérettel:

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a Killers-basszusgitáros Mark Stoermer augusztusban megjelent második szólóalbumáról, a Dark Artsról a beharangozó Spare The Ones That Weep klipdal után a Blood And Guts (The Anatomy Lesson) című szám októberben már egy korhatáros videót kapott, melyet Charlotte Kemp Muhl (Sean Lennon barátnője és The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger nevű közös zenekaruk énekesnője) rendezett: