Talk:Jingle Bells/GA1

GA Review

Latest comment: 9 months ago7 comments2 people in discussion

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Reviewer: Unexpectedlydian (talk · contribs) 12:04, 3 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

Hello! I'll be conducting this review using the table below. I've had a read of the article and looked at some of the sources. Before I dive into a full review, I just want to warn that I think this article still needs a lot of work. There are quite a few uncited claims which I believe fall out of the remit of GA criteria 2b. I also have some queries about the reliability of certain sources, as there appears to be a lot of self-published/blog material (not necessarily bad per se, but given the significance of Jingle Bells I anticipate there will be more reliable and reputable alternatives).

I have a question about the chart section as I'm not very familiar with how they are used for covers for songs: How do you determine which artists are included in the section? Is it every artist which has ever charted with a cover of Jingle Bells? If not, how did you decide who to include in the section? And should "mashups" really also be included (e.g. Jingle Bells/Hokey Cokey and Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This)? If you have any insight please let me know :) Unexpectedlydian^♯4 talk^‽ 12:04, 3 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

What I have done currently is scoured the chart databases for "Jingle Bells" and included every entry I could find. Oddly the article had no chart section for most of its history! From what I can tell, at least "Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This" is not a mashup, but rather two different songs issued as a double single. So that would definitely be fit for inclusion since one of the songs charting is "Jingle Bells". "Circling Stars" seems to be a slightly different song which heavily samples the melody of "Jingle Bells", so I am not sure about that one and would be interested in your opinion!--N Ø 12:59, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

Hi @MaranoFan, just pausing the review for now to ping you a message :) I have started to review against criteria 2 and 3, and I think there is a lot which needs to be addressed in order to tidy up the article and get it to GA standard. I just wanted to give you a chance to see my comments so far and assess whether you'd like to address them or whether we should park the review for now. Let me know what you think! Unexpectedlydian^♯4 talk^‽ 16:01, 3 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

Hello Unexpectedlydian, thanks a lot for taking on the review. Frankly, the article subject is a bit out of my wheelhouse. Due to Meghan Trainor charting her version on the Billboard Hot 100 recently, I need it for this topic. I believe the best case scenario would be me taking a full 7-day period to address everything after you have fully completed the review. However, please do not feel rushed to complete the review quickly or anything. A slow approach probably fits the unique situation better :) N Ø 12:59, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

Hey @MaranoFan, another editor has recently helpfully added some citation needed tags in parts of the article where I identified citations were required. If I were to add in the remaining tags from my review, that would take it up to around 6, which I believe is too many (see WP:GAFAIL). Additionally, as you'll see from the table below, the article is missing some key information, particularly an analysis of the music itself.

Just to add to my comments about the "Charts" section: The third paragraph of "Recordings and performances" is largely uncited, but claims that Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Les Paul and others had charted hits of Jingle Bells. However, these names do not feature in the "Charts" section. Some digging is required here to find out whether they did indeed chart and if so, that they are added into the "Charts" section.

Unfortunately, I think there is just too much research and clean-up required for this article to pass GA in a reasonable amount of time. Apologies for not spotting this sooner. I appreciate you wanting to get this to GA for completion of your topic — I think it is quite a mammoth article to tackle. I hope this isn't too disheartening and that I've provided enough feedback for you or other editors to bring it up to standard. Please do let me know if you have any questions! Unexpectedlydian^♯4 talk^‽ 13:51, 4 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

You can fail this.--N Ø 15:15, 9 February 2024 (UTC)Reply

Rate	Attribute	Review Comment
1. Well-written:
	1a. the prose is clear, concise, and understandable to an appropriately broad audience; spelling and grammar are correct.
	1b. it complies with the Manual of Style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation.
2. Verifiable with no original research:
	2a. it contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline.
	2b. reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose).	All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose) There are quite a few statements in the article which I believe could be reasonably challenged, which do not have citations: Lead The opening sentence of the article is not adequately backed up by its citations and needs to be changed: "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung songs in the world. Browne, Ray B. and Browne, Pat. (2001) claims that Jingle Bells is "possibly the best-known American Christmas song". Collins, Ace (2004) claims that is is "perhaps the most well-known, most sung Christmas carol in America." History Sleigh bells were strapped across the horse to make the jingle, jangle sound. This sentence also does not make sense within the context of the paragraph. Which horse is it referring to? Or is it referring to horses in general around the time this song was written? Either way, a citation would help here. James Lord Pierpont's 1857 composition "Jingle Bells" became one of the most performed and most recognizable secular holiday songs ever written, not only in the United States, but around the world. In recognition of this achievement, James Lord Pierpont was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame." Really important that this paragraph has inline citations as it contains some bold claims. In 1935, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra reached No. 18 on the charts with their Swing or big band recording of "Jingle Bells". In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra with Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Ernie Caceres, and the Modernaires on vocals had a No. 5 hit on the Billboard pop singles chart with a big band arrangement of "Jingle Bells" on RCA Victor as Bluebird 11353-A. In 1943, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters recorded "Jingle Bells" as Decca 23281 which reached No. 19 on the charts and sold over a million copies. In 1951, Les Paul had a No. 10 hit with a multi-tracked version on guitar. In 2001, House of Mouse version, sung by Wayne Allwine, Russi Taylor, and Bill Farmer. In 2006, Kimberley Locke had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with a recording of the song. This paragraph only contains citations for some of the Bing Crosby facts, and no other songs. Again, really important to have citations here because the claims and statistics need to be verified. Lyrics In the winter in New England in pre-automobile days, it was common to adorn horses' harnesses with straps bearing bells as a way to avoid collisions at blind intersections, since a horse-drawn sleigh in snow produces almost no audible noise. The rhythm of the tune apparently mimics that of a trotting horse's bells; however, "jingle bells" is commonly interpreted to mean a certain kind of bell. This is not common knowledge, reads as opinions, and could reasonably be contested. Melody The origin of the simpler, modern refrain is unknown, but it dates back at least 1898, when the oldest surviving phonograph recording of the song was released through Edison Records. The "oldest surviving" recording is quite a significant reference and would benefit from a citation. There are other examples in the article of where citations are needed, but the missing references mentioned above are the most crucial to be addressed in my opinion. Reliable sources are cited inline I have some queries about the reliability and relevance of certain sources: dawnofsound.com — This appears to be a self-published blog, so I am referring to Wikipedia:Citing self-published blogs to help me establish whether it should be used in this article. I am struggling to see how the blog would pass the verifiability criteria. Please do let me know if you are aware of any details which would make this source hit the criteria. Hymns and Carols of Christmas website — Same as above. Colin Buchanan, Aussie Jingle Bells — This links to the Goodreads page for this book, which does not contain information relevant to what it is citing in the article. I haven't conducted a source spot-check yet.
	2c. it contains no original research.
	2d. it contains no copyright violations or plagiarism.
3. Broad in its coverage:
	3a. it addresses the main aspects of the topic.	History The song was in the then-popular style or genre of "sleighing songs". Pierpont's lyrics are strikingly similar to lines from many other popular sleigh-riding songs of the time... Given the title of the song and its significance, I think the article needs more information about what a "sleighing song" is. Then, the article could explain how Jingle Bells fits within this genre. The third paragraph of "Recordings and performances": I'd like to interrogate a bit why the specific artists are included in this section. Is it because these versions of Jingle Bells are the most popular? Is it because they demonstrate different genres? I think this paragraph needs some clearer framing (and accompanying citations for the statistics, see section 2b). Melody I think this section needs expanding. The article should ideally have more than just a harmonic analysis of the chorus. There could be some basic information such as: the original was written for SATB and piano; the song structure; rhythmic elements; more comparison between the older and more common settings. Parodies and homages Parodies or novelty versions of "Jingle Bells" have been recorded by many artists, and include Yogi Yorgesson's "Yingle Bells", Da Yoopers' "Rusty Chevrolet", Bucko and Champs' "Aussie Jingle Bells", The Three Stooges' "Jingle Bell Drag", and Jeff Dunham's "Jingle Bombs", performed in his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" sketch. Another popular spoof of the song is "Pumpkin Bells", a "Pumpkin Carol" which celebrates Halloween and the "Great Pumpkin". As with the "Recordings and performances" section, I'd want to interrogate why these specific parodies are included in the article - what makes them so significant within the culture surrounding Christmas and Jingle Bells? Charts Just copying my question from the top of the review, mainly to help me understand how these sections are usually created in articles: How do you determine which artists are included in the section? Is it every artist which has ever charted with a cover of Jingle Bells? If not, how did you decide who to include in the section? And should "mashups" really also be included (e.g. Jingle Bells/Hokey Cokey and Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This)?
	3b. it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).	History The double meaning of "upsot" was thought humorous, as a sleigh ride gave an unescorted couple a rare chance to be together, unchaperoned, in distant woods or fields, with all the opportunities that afforded. This "upset", a term Pierpont transposed to "upsot", became the climactic component of a sleigh-ride outing within the sleigh narrative. I'm not sure why this information is contained within the "History" section of the article. I don't think the full Mission Control transcription is needed in the "First song in space" section. It is also transcribed in quite a confusing way (who is C6? Who is P7?) If the bullet above is addressed, I don't think "First song in space" needs its own subheading, and would sit nicely in the "Recordings and performances" section. Melody The "Jingle Bells" tune is used in French and German songs, although the lyrics are unrelated to the English lyrics. Both songs celebrate winter fun, as in the English version. The French song, titled "Vive le vent" ("Long Live the Wind"), was written by Francis Blanche and contains references to Father Time, Baby New Year, and New Year's Day. There are several German versions of "Jingle Bells", including Roy Black's "Ein kleiner weißer Schneemann". I think this information is either in the wrong section or not entirely relevant. Parodies and homages The Australian "Aussie Jingle Bells" written by Colin Buchanan, broadly translates the idea of the original song to the summertime Christmas of the Southern hemisphere... I'm not sure why "Aussie Jingle Bells" is given more emphasis in this section than the other parodies - I'd argue "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" is way more significant.
	4. Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each.
	5. Stable: it does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute.
6. Illustrated, if possible, by media such as images, video, or audio:
	6a. media are tagged with their copyright statuses, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content.
	6b. media are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.
	7. Overall assessment.

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