Christmas Flowers
1966 · Hartco TH-002 · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Artist
- Ted Hart
- Title
- Christmas Flowers
- Release
- Christmas Flowers / The Christmas Letter
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Hartco # TH-002
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
- Songwriter
- Sam Mattie
- Genre
- Traditional Pop · Traditional Pop
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
The song "The Christmas Letter" (Hartco Records # TH-002), narrated by Little Teresa Ann, also 6 years of age, like the famous Becky Lamb, dealt with the Vietnam War. The label, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, released song-poems - song lyrics that have been set to music for a fee. (1) Sam Mattie wrote the lyrics. The girl told the listener that her father fought in Vietnam: "daddy left us a year ago to fight in Vietnam...dodging bullets and grenades". While the other kids wrote to Santa Clause asking for toys, Teresa Ann only wanted "daddy by my side". So this provided another representation of how the war impacted on the children and families of soldiers away from home. And once again, it displayed the exploitation of a child for commercial advantage. Produced by Ted Hart, presumably the owner of the record label.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Ted Hart (Ted W. Hart; died 28 February 2004, aged 64) was a US producer, musician, songwriter and label owner who ran Hartco Records in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area. "Christmas Flowers" is his side of the December 1966 Hartco split single (TH-001/TH-002), the flip being Little Teresa Ann's "The Christmas Letter"; mastered at Nashville Matrix, lacquer by Cosimo Matassa. Distinct from Rod Hart (row 343). [Source: Discogs]
Themes
Song Poem · Christmas · Soldier's Perspective · Combat · VC
In collections
US Domestic Perspective Songs · Children on Record · Christmas Songs