{{Short description|Christmas novelty songs}} {{italic title}} thumb|Cover of the first ''Jingle Cats'' album, ''Meowy Christmas''
'''''Jingle Cats''''' (1993) and its follow-up ''Jingle Dogs'' are a series of Christmas novelty song albums from producer Mike Spalla.<ref name="LA"/> A third series was released in 1997 titled ''Jingle Babies''. ''Jingle Cats'' and ''Jingle Dogs'' were released as albums and videos. A 1998 video game of ''Jingle Cats'' was released in Japan.
==Releases== The songs are created by Spalla who mixes actual animal sounds to match tones of the songs.<ref name=LATimes/> He started with a version of "Jingle Bells" that was released to radio stations a few years before the full album came out.<ref name=LATimes/> In all, it took more than 1,000 meows, screeches and growls to assemble 20 melodies.<ref name=LATimes>Wharton, David (1993). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-19-va-58488-story.html "It's the Cats' Meows."] ''Los Angeles Times''. 1(3).</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wi0IAQAAMAAJ|year=1993|publisher=Wilkerson Daily Corporation}}</ref>
''Meowy Christmas'' was released on CD and cassette in 1993 to wide United States media coverage within its first week. The album reached number 86 on a ''Billboard'' chart and was sold out a week before Christmas. The following year, ''Meowy Christmas'' was placed on the ''Billboard'' top 10 catalog album chart. The second album, ''Here Comes Santa Claws'', was released in 1994 with "3,000 brand new meows and new arrangements".<ref name="Meowy">{{cite book | title=Billboard | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | issn=0006-2510 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA63 | access-date=November 18, 2021 | page=63}}</ref> ''Here Comes Santa Claws'' starred Spalla's cats Sprocket, Twizzler, Binky, Cheese Puff, Clara, Cueball, Graymer, Max, and Petunia. Spalla played the accordion and the background music was from his dog, Klippy Kloppy.<ref>{{cite book | last=Comfort | first=D. | title=Just Say Noel: A History of Christmas from the Nativity to the Nineties | publisher=Gallery Books | year=1995 | isbn=978-0-684-80057-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A4K9an69V3oC&pg=PA61 | access-date=November 18, 2021 | page=61}}</ref> Its success resulted in a national tour and live television appearances. A spin-off series starring Jingle Dogs was released on September 11, 1995, titled ''Christmas Unleashed''. On October 23, 1995, a VHS was released that features the Jingle Cats singing and dancing.<ref name="Meowy"/> Jingle Dogs received a VHS release in 1996 alongside a Jingle Cats VHS.<ref>{{cite book | title=Billboard | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | issn=0006-2510 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wAcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69 | access-date=November 18, 2021 | page=69}}</ref> The Jingle Cats album ''Rhythm and Mews'' was released in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rhythm-and-mews-mw0000688486 |title=Rhythm and Mews |website=Allmusic |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> The Jingle Dogs CD ''Puppy Holidays'' was released in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/puppy-holidays-mw0001716889/releases |title=Puppy Holidays |website=Allmusic |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> In 2009, the album ''First Meowel'' was released on iTunes as well as the official website and starred the cats Messifur, Jumper, Ally, and Christmas Tree Face with dog noises in the background.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2009/11/21/the_jingle_cats_came_back.html |title=The jingle cats came back |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=November 21, 2009 |website=Toronto Star |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> In 2008, ''Jingle Cats Christmas'' was released on DVD with songs from the Jingle Cats and the Jingle Dogs.<ref name="Letter">"Meowy Christmas." Science Letter, November 18, 2008, 3756. Gale Academic OneFile (accessed November 18, 2021)</ref>
==Merchandise== A mail order catalog sold Jingle Cats t-shirts, buttons, and stickers.<ref name="LA">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-19-va-58488-story.html |title=Valley Dog and Cat Lover Turns Pet Sounds Into the Howlelujah Chorus: If Christmas carols 'sung' by felines top your list of holiday hits, Mike Spalla hopes you'll be itching to buy his new recording featuring canine performers. |last=Wharton |first=David |date=December 14, 1995 |website=Los Angeles Times|access-date= November 18, 2021}}</ref> Hallmark Cards signed a four-year contract to sell Jingle Cats singing cards in 2008 and over 125,000 cards sold within the first three months. The song "Jingle Cats Medley" played in the film ''Fred Claus''.<ref name="Letter"/> A 1998 video game was released for Mac, Windows and the PlayStation in Japan titled {{nihongo|''Jingle Cats: A cat story of love and friendship: The Love Para Operation Volume''|ジングルキャッツ 愛と友情のネコ物語 : ラブパラ大作戦の巻}}.<ref>{{cite web |website=jp.playstation.com |language=Japanese |title=ジングルキャッツ ラブパラ大作戦の巻 {{pipe}} ソフトウェアカタログ {{pipe}} プレイステーション オフィシャルサイト |trans-title=Jingle Cats: Love Para Daisakusen no Maki {{pipe}} Software Catalogue {{pipe}} PlayStation Official Site |url=https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps01409.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122203240/https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps01409.html |archive-date=22 January 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The player is given the task of taking care of the Jingle Cats by interacting with them in various ways, having to fill up a "love-o-meter" before time runs out.<ref name="AV">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/jingle-cats-can-be-as-surreal-as-actually-living-with-a-1798245890 |title=Jingle Cats can be as surreal as actually living with a cat |last=Agnello |first=Anthony John |date=April 6, 2016 |website=AV Club |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> Writing for The Believer, Blake Butler notes that "the object is to breed and care for cats, which begin to sing when they're done copulating".<ref name="Believer">{{cite web |url=https://believermag.com/the-original-singing-babies-the-jingle-babies/ |title=The Original Singing Babies: The Jingle Babies |last=Butler |first=Blake |author-link=Blake Butler (author) |date=July 1, 2008 |website=The Believer |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> The video game was not released internationally.<ref name="AV"/>
==Reception== In 1995, ''Here Comes Santa Claws'' won a Billie Award from ''Billboard'' for point-of-purchase category.<ref name="billboard1995">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91|accessdate=22 January 2013|date=May 6, 1995|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=91}}</ref> David Wharton of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said, "Yet for every person who listens to 'Jingle Cats' and hears only screeching, there are cat lovers who hear a symphony."<ref name="LA"/>
After following up what ''Billboard'' called "excellent" ''Jingle Cats'' and ''Jingle Dogs'' albums, Spalla produced a ''Jingle Babies'' album for which ''Billboard'' described the series as having hit a "brick wall".<ref name="billboard">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4AkEAAAAMBAJ|accessdate=22 January 2013|date=December 6, 1997|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4AkEAAAAMBAJ/page/n14 15]}}</ref> Ashley Naftule of ''Phoenix New Times'' reviewed ''Jingle Cats'' and said, "Don't be fooled by its kitschy name: A more accurate title for the project would be The Wretched Mewling Of The Damned."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/jingle-cats-is-the-worst-thing-to-happen-to-christmas-music-8902023 |title=Jingle Cats Is The Worst Thing To Happen To Christmas Music |last=Naftule |first=Ashley |date=December 19, 2016 |website=Phoenix New Times |access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> Blake Butler wrote a review of the Jingle Babies release ''Rockabye Christmas'' in ''The Believer'' saying, "I imagine these boggled carols funneled loudly into malls, sending people running from the Gap and Sharper Image back to hide inside their homes, to wrap the roof with enough colored light to keep the dark out, fearing what other kind of man might slide down the chimney."<ref name="Believer"/>
==In popular culture==
In the Yogscast's annual "Jingle Jam" charity livestream, the hosts traditionally watch Jingle Cats on YouTube as the first segment every 1 December. Since 2017, they have invited fans to submit their own Jingle Cats videos.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 November 2017 |url=https://x.com/yogscast/status/934107363824500736 |website=Twitter |title=Jingle Cats Competition! |access-date=13 December 2024}}</ref>
==See also== *{{annotated link|Cat Organ}} *''Meow the Jewels'' *''The Singing Dogs''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131218000718/http://www.jinglecats.com/ Jingle Cats official site]
{{Authority control}}
Category:1990s Christmas albums Category:2000s Christmas albums Category:Cats in popular culture Category:Zoomusicology