Mannheim Steamroller Information Continued
Mannheim Steamroller actually began as an alias for record producer/composer
Chip Davis. The name Mannheim Steamroller comes from an 18th century German
musical technique, "Mannheim Roller". Before the fame of the group, Davis had been best
known for creating the country music character C. W. McCall (of "Convoy" fame) for his friend Bill
Fries. Before Davis made McCall a star, he produced an unusual album of classical music
performed entirely by Davis and musical collaborator Jackson Berkey, using electric bass and
synthesizers. Since no major label would handle its distribution, Davis founded his own music
label, American Gramaphone (a play on the classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), to
release the album. The result, Fresh Aire, was released in 1975 under the pseudonym
Mannheim Steamroller, in the hopes of the album being a best seller. Fresh Aire
II was subsequently released in 1977 and Fresh Aire III was released in 1979.
Mannheim Steamroller quickly grew into a full band, with Davis on drums, Berkey on
keyboards, and Eric Hansen on bass and lute. Berkey's wife Almeda joined them onstage as
another keyboardist. The London Symphony Orchestra appears on Fresh Aire V,
Fresh Aire VI, and Fresh Aire 8.
It was beginning in 1984 that Mannheim Steamroller found its greatest fame. Davis
released his first holiday album, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, featuring modern
contemporary interpretations of Yuletide favorites. This was followed by A Fresh Aire
Christmas (1988) and Christmas in the Aire (1995). The group had now become one of
the most requested Christmas music artists of all time. By the end of 1997, they had released a
live album of Christmas music, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Live and, in 2001, they
released another holiday album, Christmas Extraordinaire.
