The Debutantes "Reunited (Merry Christmas)"

 

Artwork for "Reunited (Merry Christmas)" by the Debutantes, 2020. That's Lavinia George-Veale on the left and Victoria George-Veale on the right.

50% of the proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the Mental Health Foundation.

I became a fan of The Debutantes over the summer, when I heard their retro-1960’s inspired songs and terrific harmonies. The Debutantes are two sisters from Wales, Victoria and Lavinia George-Veale, and they have just released their fourth single, “Reunited (Merry Christmas).” I reviewed the Debutantes’ three previous singles in this post—you should check those songs out as well.

“Reunited (Merry Christmas)” was written by Alan Jones, the manager and producer of the Debutantes, and 50% of the proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the Mental Health Foundation. Mental health is a subject that the sisters are passionate about, as Victoria’s work as the face of the “Women of Heart Awards” has focused on mental health issues and awareness.

While the Debutantes’ first three singles have a retro, 1960’s flavor to them, “Reunited (Merry Christmas)” has a timeless sound that isn’t tied to any one era. The song opens with bagpipes, which always put me in a wistful mood that fits well with the song. The verses of the song are sad, but the chorus is upbeat and hopeful. The mixture of emotions in the song fits well with the Christmas season—we experience sorrow when remembering those who are no longer with us, but hopefully we’re making happy new memories, and are thankful for what we have now. Certainly in 2020, Christmas will be a season full of many emotions, as so many people around the world have experienced devastating losses this year.

Victoria and Lavinia were kind enough to send me some of their own memories of Christmas: “Christmas growing up in Wales was our favorite time of year when we would spend our holiday relaxing, watching films, eating and spending time together. Our Christmas Eve was just as important to us as Christmas Day itself, routinely spent visiting our favourite garden centre to see Father Christmas, attending a church service in the evening and then singing jolly Christmas carols around our Mum playing the piano and sometimes Dad would get his violin out! Memories like these stay with you forever and make you realize how important it is to spend Christmas with each other.” It’s clear to see that it was easy for the Debutantes to find the right emotions for this song.

As with all the Debutantes’ songs, the harmonies on “Reunited (Merry Christmas)” are outstanding. Listen closely to the harmonies on the backing vocals, which are all performed by Victoria and Lavinia. Both Victoria and Lavinia have excellent voices that are warm and inviting, and if you need a new Christmas song to put in the rotation, “Reunited (Merry Christmas)” will fit the bill nicely. There’s also a fun video for the song, which the Debutantes filmed separately. Because they filmed their parts separately, the video fits very nicely with the theme of the song, as the sisters hope to be reunited at Christmas.

“Reunited (Merry Christmas)” is available on iTunes, Amazon, or wherever you go for music these days.

The Debutantes: Groovy 1960's-inspired pop songs

The Debutantes: Victoria and Lavinia George-Veale. Promo photo for "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice."

Lavinia and Victoria in vintage dresses for the "My Precious Love" video.

The Debutantes, photo taken for the "Heartache" single.

Do you love the groovy sounds of the pop music of the 1960’s? If, like me, you answered yes to that question, there’s a new group you should check out: The Debutantes. The Debutantes are Victoria and Lavinia George-Veale, two sisters from Cardiff, Wales. Raised in a musical family, they have absorbed many musical influences from the 1960’s and beyond.

The Debutantes have released three singles so far. A full album, titled Symphonic Pop, was due to be released this summer, but it’s now been pushed back to 2021, due to the covid epidemic. Alan Jones, a member of the 1960’s Welsh pop group Amen Corner, is the producer and manager for the Debutantes, and he's written most of the songs for Symphonic Pop.

The Debutantes’ first single, released at the end of 2019, is a cover of Amen Corner’s 1969 UK Number 1 hit, “(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice.” On their version, the Debutantes sing with Andy Fairweather Low, who sang lead on the original hit, which is a fun touch. Fairweather Low’s voice still sounds great, and his vocals have a rich, soulful quality.

“(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice” starts with the girls singing “la la la la” before the chorus: “If paradise is half as nice as heaven that you take me to/who needs paradise, I’d rather have you.” The song has a really full, lush sound, harkening back to Phil Spector’s famous “Wall of Sound” records from the 1960’s. There’s a great bit towards the end of the song where Fairweather Low sings the bridge while the girls sing the chorus as a counterpoint behind him. “(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice” is a song I was not familiar with—it wasn’t a big hit in the United States—and the Debutantes’ version is a great upbeat slice of retro pop. Both Victoria and Lavinia have warm, inviting voices, and their harmonies are fantastic. The music video features the Debutantes singing and dancing in a field, mixed with archival footage of Amen Corner performing the song.

“My Precious Love,” the Debutantes’ second single, followed in February of 2020. It’s an original composition by Alan Jones that sounds like a terrific lost girl-group single from 1963. “My Precious Love” pays homage to the sounds of the 1960’s without merely sounding like a pastiche. The song grabs the listener right away, with a big buildup to the vocal entrance. The girls start singing “la la la la” before the chorus. “My Precious Love” has an infectious groove, and it’s impossible to hear the song and not start moving. Lavinia and Victoria’s vocals blend together seamlessly on all their songs, but especially so on this track. Devotees of 1960’s pop will appreciate the pizzicato sound of the string instruments on “My Precious Love,” as it fits right in with other tunes from that decade. The music video for “My Precious Love” is lots of fun, as Lavinia and Victoria, dressed in vintage 1960’s frocks, have a great time dancing and performing this catchy song.

The Debutantes’ most recent single is “Heartache,” released at the end of June 2020. It’s another catchy tune, with guitar and piano prominent in the mix. It’s a bouncy, high energy song, despite the sadness of the lyrics. As Victoria and Lavinia sing at the beginning of the song: “I don’t want to stay around and see you with another girl.” But you quickly get the feeling that they’ll soon get over this guy and be just fine. “Heartache” features gorgeous layered backing vocals and harmonies, which add to the texture of the Debutantes’ songs. The music video for “Heartache” was filmed by the Debutantes themselves during quarantine, and it’s quite hilarious.

I think the future holds a lot of promise for the Debutantes, and I’m looking forward to hearing more music from them. So, give the Debutantes a listen on Spotify, iTunes, or however you listen to music these days. You’ll enjoy their upbeat pop tunes and fantastic harmonies.