Klark Kent's "Yo Ho Ho" - My Favorite Christmas Song!

The Christmas season means Christmas music, and most of us have favorite Christmas songs we don't mind listening to again and again (and again...) during that "most wonderful time of the year". My favorite Christmas song happens to the rather quirky and original number, "Yo Ho Ho", as performed by The Police's Stewart Copeland under the moniker "Klark Kent". Sure, it's a silly song, and perhaps the quality of the vocal performance is debatable...but it's different and a song that hasn't been played to death on the radio or covered a hundred million times by other singers. And as a big fan of Stewart's, I simply can't resist subjecting my friends to this song repeatedly as Christmas approaches.

If you've never heard the song before and are curious, or would like to know where and how to find a copy of the song yourself, then read on!

Here's a fan-made montage set to the song "Yo Ho Ho", if you've never heard it before. Enjoy!

Stewart Copeland's "Secret Identity"

So, what's with the Klark Kent thing, anyway? It's the pseudonym chosen by Police drummer Stewart Copeland, first utilized when he released the single "Don't Care" in 1978. This took place during the "early days" of The Police, but after Andy Summers had joined the band and Sting was beginning to write more complex songs for the band to capitalize on Andy's great playing talent. Originally Copeland had written a great deal of very "punk"-style music for The Police, not much of it to Sting's liking. Hence - or so legend goes - Stewart chose to record those songs himself, playing all instruments, and release the music under a pseudonym.

Ironically, while The Police struggled to make any impressions on the charts, Kent's single "Don't Care" would actually become a minor hit (making it to 48 on the UK singles charts) and earn him an appearance on "Top of the Pops" before The Police themselves would get invited!

In 1980, Klark Kent released the EP "Klark Kent: Music Madness from the Kinetic Kid" which contained Klark's two 1978 singles and additional material. That album remains quite a cult classic among Copeland fans who enjoy his quirky sense of humor, the frenetic musicianship, and the musical hints and suggestions of later Copeland solo and soundtrack work to come.

"Yo Ho Ho" was originally - and in fact only - ever released on this Christmas music compilation from IRS records. It's a great collection of odd and rare Christmas songs, featuring such notable new wave/alternative artists of the 80s and early 90s such as Squeeze, Dread Zeppelin, Wall of Voodoo, Deborah Holland (who was Stewart Copeland's band mate in Animal Logic), Timbuk 3 and the dBs.

Check out more of Klark Kent in these two great videos on youtube. The first features Klark's one and only appearance on "Top of the Pops" when his first single, "Don't Care," became a minor surprise hit. Not too successfully hiding his identity, Stewart performed the song under heavy make-up - and with fellow Police bandmembers Sting and Andy Summers in disguise as his "support band"!

The second video is the rather bizarre and frenetic promotional video, to go with the single "Away From Home".

Want to hear more Klark Kent tunes? Then hunt down a copy of this out-of-print and highly collectible CD on Amazon or Ebay. It contains all of the songs Stewart Copeland has recorded as Klark Kent - except, oddly enough, "Yo Ho Ho."

It's definitely a must-have for any Stewart Copeland fan, and I recommend it as well to any listener of The Police's music to get a real feeling for how much Stewart influenced the sound of their earlier releases.

Though long out of print, these items are up for auction right now on ebay. Love Klark Kent? Then check them out!

Thanks for visiting my tribute page to "Yo Ho Ho" and Klark Kent. Any comments? Leave them here!