John Romano - "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" Thoughts

Watch the video for "Happy Christmas (War is Over)

John Lennon and Yoko Ono had a number 2 hit with “Happy Christmas - War is Over” way back in 1972, long before John Romano knew anything about anything. Who knows where the inspiration comes from to like a song enough to record it? Maybe it was somewhere deep in John’s psyche, waiting to come out. I know John is a big Beatles and Lennon fan and getting inside their music is second nature to him.

John had the inspiration to do the song over the summer and had it done by Labor Day. It was one of those “fall into place” experiences that sometimes come along in life. Dave La Chance, the producer, had a window in his schedule; the guitar and bass player (heart and soul of the indie band Spectacles) were free; the back up singers (the lovely girls of the group Dakota) had a couple of hours on a Sunday night to lay down gorgeous harmonies. Just one of those come together things.

The mastering wasn’t at Capitol Records, like the first album, but at the Mastering Lab, also in Hollywood. The technician definitely added to that certain x factor a tight song already has. He somehow heightened the magic that was already there in the raw mix.

As for the timing of this song, well, sure, there’s a war on and some folks want it, some don’t. This new version isn’t meant to be a plea for peace or a celebration of imminent political change. Back when Lennon did the song, Viet Nam was still raging and he was just writing about the eternal nature of war and how Christmas is still a time to have joy, no matter what.

And that’s what the new version of the song is all about, too.