Off the top of my head: Trans-Siberian Orchestra is sort of a heavy metal/orchestra group (like that album Metallica did, S&M I think it was called). A guy who was a guitarist for Savatage for a period of time was also involved in TSO. I don’t know what appeared first, but a version of “Christmas Eve in Sarajevo” appears in the Savatage concept album “Dead Winter Dead” (which is excellent, by the way). The song, possibly the very same version, also appeared on a TSO album (I think the first one). Spend some time with google and it should turn up the relevant stuff.
It’s often credited online as being by Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Metallica. I don’t think Met actually had anything to do with it, but people assume they did because it sounds kinda reminiscent of S&M. It’s definitely TSO, on their album Christmas Eve and Other Stories.
As it turns out, the version on Savatage’s “Dead Winter Dead” came out before the TSO version, since this says it was released in '95. Jon Oliva is the connection between the two bands (maybe there are even more?).
I haven’t heard either version of that song in a while, but I think they were pretty much identical.
Anyone who likes S&M really needs to check out “Dead Winter Dead” as well as the album “Streets.”
The liner notes for Christmas Eve and other Stories credits Dead Winter Dead as the source for CEIS. I can’t quote the note exactly as my copy is out on loan.
I strongly recomond this album. If yo buy it make sure you read the liner notes as the album plays.
Well since I’ve a huge TSO and Savatage fan I can give you the story.
Savatage did the song first, on their album Dead Winter Dead, which is a story about the war in Sarajevo. Paul O’Neill had said he wanted to do the song for a long time but no band would pick it up. Then when he was working with Savatage he told Jon Oliva about the song and he liked it so Savatage went with it.
When Dead Winter Dead was released, Christmas Eve got played, but the DJs didn’t think people would like the name Savatage. I think they came up with TSO at the time to make it sound better for the radio. A year or so later a number of the band members from Savatage played on the first TSO album, though not all of them. They now tour with two different groups with half the band playing in the east and the other in the west. I believe at one point in time the majority of Savatage has worked in TSO, but I don’t have my albums with me to know 100% for sure.
