The Rage Monthly: “Christmastime” is my favorite of the new holiday songs. Will you share the experience of writing that? Chynna Phillips: Yeah! I was just cruising down the street on my way to work. I was
thinking of a cool Christmas melody and it just sort of popped into my head. It’s very easy to sing along to and very spirit-filled. I got to the studio and ran it past the other gals and Glen [Ballard] and everyone really liked it. We added some lyrics and it really took on a life of its own. The way we wrote it and the way it ended up being recorded are really very different. It was really fun. Glen came up with the “counting down to Christmastime” lyric,
it really displays the Wilson Phillips’ harmonies in a really cool way. All the children of the world are always counting the days before the big day.
Rage: Glen Ballard is such a force as a producer. For this Christmas album, what is one of your most memorable experiences during the time spent recording? CP: I would have to say that is when we recorded “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” It was the first song that we recorded for the record. The buzz and the energy in the air was just so exciting. We hadn’t worked together in so many years. We were all like horses behind the gate raring to go for the race. That’s the strongest memory for me just because of the incredible adrenaline that was running through our bodies on that first day of work.
Rage: There is a quote that Thomas More said dur- ing the 16th century. He said, “God is love straight through.” Do you mind sharing your experience in your decision to become a Born-Again Christian? CP: Oh, I would love to. I actually accepted
the Lord into my heart when I was about twelve. Then, as I matured and I grew up, I just started
exploring other avenues and other avenues of faith. None of them gave me the same experience that I had as a Christian. When I was about 34, I de- cided to recommit myself to the Christian life and I got baptized. I started reading the word of God. I had some very, very profound awakenings and
realizations about why we’re here, why we are alive and why we are
human...and why we need God. I came
to the realization that Jesus Christ was God incarnate. I never looked back. I realized through prayer, I could call on the Lord and I could ask Jesus to help me with any situation I was in. If ever I feel like I fall short, which I do every day (laughter) or If I did something I wasn’t proud of, I knew I had a God that could forgive me and that did already do the work on the cross. It’s an amazing revelation to know my faith and raise my kids in that faith. It’s been a very powerful, powerful seven years for me, to say the least.
Rage: Ahhh…that’s beautiful. My favorite classic that you sing is “Silent Night.” The new arrangement, harmony and your voices together are outstanding. CP: Yes. Thank you. That’s mom’s favorite too [Michelle Phillips].
Rage: If you look back on Christmas past, which Christmas in your mind would be the most memorable and why? CP: The most memorable Christmas I ever had was when my mother told me, that we
were too broke to get me a 10-speed bicycle. I kind of huffed and puffed then shrugged my shoulders and sort of let it go. Christmas morning, we opened all the presents and I was very pleased with the presents that I received. I was ready to move on to some pumpkin pie when my mom said, “Chynna. Will you go out to the garage and get me some firewood?” I said, “Mom. It’s cold out there.” And she said, “Do it!” I threw on my sweater and went out in the garage. I opened the garage door and…
of course. There was a big red bow with a beautiful silver 10-speed bicycle. She was standing in the doorway laughing. I was so excited. You know. It was just one of those memorable Christmas moments.
Rage: Sure. You close the album with “Our Prayer.” Tell me about your choice for closing with that. CP: Our choice for closing with “Our Prayer,” was sort of “do we open the record with it or do we close the record with it?” It couldn’t fall anywhere in between. We wanted to end it with just the most radical harmonies and we wanted to end it with promise. I feel like “Our Prayer” has a lot of promise in it. Every time we listen to it…we get really emotional because it captures lightning in a
bottle. It kind of captures The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, Wilson Phillips… it encapsulates everything that is our signature and what we stand for as a group. So, we love it.
Rage: I don’t know if this is the right word, but it’s very monkish. Something you would hear in a cathedral. CP: (laughter) Yes. Exactly. And the low part is really Carnie. Everyone thinks that we
have a man on there. But, that is really Carnie singing every single one of those low parts. It’s astonishing that she was able to get that low.
Rage: Does your friendship [with Carnie and Wendy] go back to when you were kids? How did you come together as friends? CP: I met Carnie when she was two months old. Her and my father played baseball
together. Brian Wilson and John Phillips were very close friends and they use to play sports together on Saturdays. So, the moms would come with the babies and Carnie had no hair. Her mom used to paste with tape a bow on to her head. She was very upset. Yeah, the two of us were very close friends and then Wendy came along a couple of years later. We just became the best of friends.
Rage: In closing, what is one of your favorite Christmas CDs that you always listen to each and every Christmas? CP: You’re gonna laugh…you know what mine is? It’s A Charlie Brown Christmas by
Vince Guaraldi. Yup, that’s my favorite. I just love it. Christmas is never the same unless I play that one.
Rage: Thanks so much. It’s been a joy. CP: Thanks so much for talking with me.
DECEMBER 2010 | RAGE monthly 53
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