(November 25, 2024) Sharon Rae North aimed to create – or re-create – a specific sound with “Everything I Ask For,” her swinging entry to the Holiday song canon. The key word here is “swing,” a word in the musical parlance is associated with jazz. North said she wanted to write a song that had the spirit of a festive and romantic swing tune from the 1940s – the kind of track that a singing group like The Andrews Sisters or a solo vocalist such Ella Fitzgerald could have really sunk their teeth into.
With “Everything I Ask For,” Sharon Rae North accomplished what she set out to achieve – a fun tune that finds North lending her honeycombed vocals to the expressing the Christmas wish of many women: someone tall, dark and handsome among the assorted gifts underneath the tree.
Written by North and produced by Kevin Flournoy, the singer noted that the lyrics and melody came to her simultaneously. North immediately knew she wanted Flournoy, a frequent collaborator, to produce the song and play the piano. It’s easy to understand why North wanted Flournoy to play because his touch on the ivories established a swinging tone that all the musicians met.
North penned lyrics that manage to be innocent and seductive. She opens the song by stating the childhood desire that Santa grant her biggest wish. The twist is that North sings about a grown-up fantasy that finds her unwrapping her life-sized gift. Check out Sharon Rae North’s swinging holiday tune “Everything I Ask For” here.
By Howard Dukes
