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Dylan does Brave Combo
Brave Combo’s version of ‘Must Be Santa’
Dylan’s version
Bob Dylan has acknowleged that his new Christmas single “Must Be Santa” uses an arrangement of the song- including added lyrics- cribbed from Denton polka band Brave Combo. Dylan has played the song by B.C. on his XM radio show.
“I’ve already got my Christmas present,” says Carl Finch of Brave Combo, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. “Just to have our music in the head of Bob Dylan blows my mind.” Finch puts the Dylan cover up with Brave Combo’s appearance on “The Simpsons” a few years back as alltime great moments.
Curiously, the Dylan version contains lyrics added by the band after their recording of “Must Be Santa” came out on Rounder in 1991. Percussionist Jeff Barnes added this, “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen/ Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon/ Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen/ Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton” after Clinton was elected in ‘92.
Brave Combo, which didn’t write the rest of the song (heard on an old Mitch Miller album) has a couple of Xmas shows in Austin coming up, Dec. 13 at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and Dec. 18 at Jovita’s.
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