Jingle Bell

For Elsie single-sided 12" label

### Label

The Cryptic Corporation, Rykodisc, Euro Ralph, Bomba Records, Ralph America, Cherry Red Records, MVD Audio, New Ralph Too

### Producer

The Residents

**"Jingle Bell"** (alternatively "**Jingle Bells**") is an instrumental track recorded by The Residents in 1985, during sessions for their album *The Big Bubble.* The piece was overdubbed and used during the group's 13th Anniversary tour as part of a suite of pre-recorded music played during the show's intermission; in 1987, it was released as **Part 3** of the limited edition instrumental EP *For Elsie*.

In 1997 the original version of the song was released as "Jingle Bells" on the *Our Poor, Our Tired, Our Huddled Masses* box set, where it appeared on the third disc, "Jefferson", focused on singles. The original mix (as "Jingle Bells") was included on the digital compilation *Documentation - Tunes in Danger of Becoming Lost* in 2009; the release notes refer to there being "no record of it ever having been a single," despite the song's prior inclusion on "Jefferson". In 2007 the overdubbed version was reissued (as part of *For Elsie*) on the compilation *Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three*.

In 2019, The Residents' Mysterious Archivist re-discovered the song (titled "Jingle Bell") on a tape labeled *A Sorded Residents*. The Residents had apparently forgotten that the song had been released, but recalled a never realized Big Bubble Christmas single that the song may have been connected to. It was remastered and included on the third disc of the pREServed box set *Mole Box*, where it is the first bonus track accompanying *The Big Bubble*.

## List of releases

* *For Elsie* EP (1987)
* *Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses* 4 CD edition (1997)
* *Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three: For Elsie and Other Selections* (2007)
* *Documentation - Tunes in Danger of Becoming Lost* (2009)
* *Mole Box: The Complete* *Mole Trilogy* *pREServed* (2019)

### List of versions

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Clementina Street studio recording, 1985 (*For Elsie* mix, 2:31)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Clementina Street studio recording, 1985 (titled "Jingle Bells", 2:35)
3. ↑ Clementina Street studio recording, 1985 (titled "Jingle Bell", 2:42)

## See also

* *The Big Bubble* (album)
* The Big Bubble (band)
* *For Elsie*
* *A Sorded Residents*
* Christmas

## External links and references

* *Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses* at Discogs
* *Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed* at Discogs

**Cast of Characters**
Mohelmot · Chubs (Innisfree · The Scientist) · The ObserverDarkness · The Evil DisposerCross (Zinkenites · Kula Bocca · The Big Bubble · Frankie DuVall)
**Part One: *Mark of the Mole* (1981)**
(video game · novel)
**Side A: Hole-Workers at the Mercy of Nature**
"Voices of the Air" · "The Ultimate Disaster" · "Migration"
**Side B: Hole-Workers vs. Man and Machine**
"Another Land" · "The New Machine" · "Final Confrontation"
**Part Two: *The Tunes of Two Cities* (1982)**
(*The Comix of Two Cities*)
**Side A:** "Serenade For Missy" · "A Maze Of Jigsaws" · "Mousetrap" · "God Of Darkness" · "Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)" · "Praise For The Curse"
**Side B:** "The Secret Seed" · "Smokebeams" · "Mourning The Undead" · "Song Of The Wild" · "The Evil Disposer" · "Happy Home (Excerpt From Act II of "Innisfree")"
***Intermission: Extraneous Music From The Residents' Mole Show* (1982)**
**Side A:** "Lights Out (Prelude)" · "Shorty's Lament (Intermission)"
**Side B:** "The Moles Are Coming (Intermission)" · "Would We Be Alive? (Intermission)" · "The New Hymn (Recessional)"
**The Mole Show (1982-1983)**(*Mole Dance 82* · *Live At The Roxy* · *La Edad de Oro* · Uncle Sam Mole Show · VHS · *Live In Holland* · DVD bag set)
**Part Three: ???**
"Now It Is Too Late" · "Going Nowhere" · "Tired Old Man" · "Marching To The We" · *Mole Suite*
**Part Four: *The Big Bubble* (1985)**(fictional band · Black Shroud Records)
**Side A:** "Sorry" · "Hop A Little" · "Go Where Ya Wanna Go" · "Gotta Gotta Get" · "Cry For The Fire"
**Side B:** "Die-Stay-Go" · "Vinegar" · "Firefly" · "The Big Bubble" · "Fear for the Future" · "Kula Bocca Says So"
**Part Five: ???**
**Part Six: ???**
**Related works**
"Open Up" · "Anvil Forest" · The 10th Anniversary Show (*Assorted Secrets*) · *PAL TV LP* · The 13th Anniversary Show · *Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed* ("From MOM1" · "Untitled" · "**Jingle Bell**" · "Another Another Land")
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