12.19.06 Christmas Without You
The year was - I think - 2000. The Backstreet Boys, formerly the leaders of the latest wave of boy band success, were being lapped by the younger N Sync and their double-diamond “No Strings Attached.”
I headed into a writer room with Brian White (Holding Out Hope To You, Rough and Ready) and Don Koch (Strange Way To Save The World, Adonai, In Christ Alone) to write the ultimate piece of cheese for a new Backstreet Boys Christmas record - a last ditch effort, we were told, to catch up to their rivals. I showed up with the chorus completed and most of the bridge. Brian added just about all the lyrics for the verses (blame him) and Don stuck mostly to the verse melody and chords throughout, not to mention producing the demo.
Don programmed the track and brought in Christian music newbies A Cross Between (now defunked) to sing on it. We knew we didn’t have a snowball’s chance of getting it on the record so we just had fun, adding as many “baby"s as possible in the studio.
The we heard out tune Christmas Without You was going on the record. We were shocked and started counting zeros. Even if the Backstreet Boys sold half what they had been selling, we’d each make $100,000. Merry Christmas, here’s some insurance and a car that works.
Of course, you know now the Backstreet Boys never made a Christmas record. The label pulled the plug on the entire thing and the Boys made a non-seasonal project instead. But every Christmas I pull out the demo, baby, and just, you know baby, get my Christmas jam on, baby...and laugh to a greater level of humility.
Click on the player below to listen. Enjoy.
said:
Wow. That’s hilarious.
Oh, so close...so close to saying you were part of a Backstreet Boys record…
Hale-Yeah! said:
I just told Los that he should grow the skinny line backstreet boys beard. maybe you guys could do it together...baby.
pastorburt said:
Hey! Now I have a new holiday favorite for my mp3 player. Thats was fun!
BTW - I noticed that the track is labled 07 - so what’s up with #’s 1-6?
Erin said:
I’m so sad the world did not get to experience that Backstreet Christmas album. I know I’m still in mourning.
Thanks for sharing the song. I linked it on my blog.
mdaele said:
wow thats gouda!
Shaun Groves said:
1-7 were other holiday songs - backups in case they went a different direction. It won’t be Arbor Day without you, It won’t be St.Patrick’s Day without you, It won’t be Flag Day without you, the international favorite It won’t be Boxing Day without you…
Ben Bryan said:
I would say that I now have absolutely no respect for you whatsoever, except that I’ve got give you props for having the guts to let other people hear such a song without swearing them to secrecy.
Kat said:
I’m speechless.
Brody Harper said:
I wish I had Christmas without that.
(insert “i was joking” smiley)
said:
Thanks Bro. I was sitting here eating a box of Triscuits and wishing I had some cheese to go with them. LOL
Shaun Groves said:
Ouch.
I deserved both of those.
Shawn Bashor said:
I love the drum machine, sheer talent.... Heeeeey out of curiosity was this a little insider hint on what your Christmas album is going to sound like next year Shaun?
Dave Haupert said:
Nice, but I still much prefer Dominick the Christmas Donkey as a favorite Christmas song!
Matthew Paul Turner said:
Well, if you’re going to write a cheesy song, it’s probably best that you do it at Christmas! Great story, bro. btw: You still working on a book?
mpt
Shaun Groves said:
I am.
Saw you wrote one on the beatitudes. That’s my turf! ; )
Seriously, would love to read it. I think it’s the only thing on the subject I haven’t read yet...feels that way anyway.
We should talk book world sometime. I have lots of questions and very few answers.
How about an interview for the WORDS blog here? E-mail me.
SG
said:
Shaun,
Too bad when “Plus One” and “True Vibe” were still around, they could not have played this (with a slant that Christmas without Jesus is a lonely time).
When I listened to the demo, I could actually picture Backstreet Boys singing it.
Maybe you could pitch it to Brian Littrell (http://www.brianlittrell.com/), former Backstreet Boy, with a debut Christian album “Welcome Home”, with the first single “Welcome Home” (http://www.brianlittrell.com/musicvideo.php). Weird coincidence? LOL. -G
Shaun Groves said:
The Canadian Christian boy band “Jake” actually did record this. It frightened me.