The cover of the Grip Weeds album, “Under the Influence of Christmas.”
New Jersey-based Jem Records has reissued The Grip Weeds’ 2011 holiday album, Under the Influence of Christmas, with the band’s compelling cover of The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles” — featuring the late Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens on backing vocals, and The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak on guitar — as the first single. You can listen to it below.
The album was recorded at the band’s House of Vibes studio in Highland Park and features its signature mix of power-pop and psychedelic rock. Other guests include Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere & the Raiders) and Gar Francis and Myke Scavone (both of The Doughboys) on the original song, “Santa Make Me Good”: George Cameron (of The Left Banke) on another original, “For the Holidays”; and Pete Horvath and Rob Farrell (both of The Anderson Council) on a version of “Welcome Christmas” (from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”) that sounds like something The Who could have come up with. You can listen to all three songs below.
The Grip Weeds will present a holiday show at Randy Now’s Man Cave in Hightstown, Dec. 2; visit facebook.com/RandyNowsManCave.
For more on the band, visit gripweeds.com.
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