Have a Safe and Spooky Halloween!

Legendary Boston Radio Program Director Oedipus Talks About His Annual Six-Hour Christmas Eve Radio Show

I've written previously about my all-time favorite radio station, Boston's WBCN-FM. From the mid-1970s through the late '80s, my radio dial was pretty much stuck on the "Rock of Boston," which offered a terrific mix of classic rock, local bands and cutting-edge new music. A lot of the credit for the station's success belongs to its former program director, Oedipus, who will be remembered not only for shaping the station's unique sound but also for helping to launch the careers of such successful acts as The Police, U2 and The Cars, among many others. For the past 30+ years, Oedipus has hosted a six-hour Christmas Eve radio show that he discusses here in this interesting conversation with Jim Braude of Boston's WGBH-FM:

Watch "WBCN and the American Revolution," a WGBH webcast about the history of WBCN

RIP: Dwight Twilley, Power Pop Pioneer and Christmas Music Creator, 72

Dwight Twilley, 1951-2023

 

Power-pop singer-songwriter Dwight Twilley who enjoyed chart success in the 1970s and '80s with the hits "I'm on Fire" and "Girls," died this past Wednesday, October 18, in his native Tulsa, Oklahoma at the age of 72. According to the Los Angeles Times, Twilley suffered a stroke while driving his car last weekend and sustained serious injuries when the car struck a tree. He died of those injuries four days later.

Interested in music from a young age, Twilley paired up in 1967 with fellow Tulsa resident Phil Seymour, whom he met at a screening of the Beatles' film "A Hard Days Night." The two started writing and playing songs together almost immediately and formed a band they called Oister. They developed a sound that emphasized hooks, harmonies and ringing guitars — a sound that came to be known as "power pop." After meeting with executives at Sun Records in Memphis, they began recording for Shelter Records in Los Angeles. In 1975, Shelter released their song "I'm on Fire" under the name the Dwight Twilley Band, and the song became a surprise hit, reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Unprepared to take advantage of their initial success, their first album was thrown together quickly but not released until late 1976. The follow-up album "Twilley Don't Mind" earned strong reviews but disappointing sales. Seymour left the group in 1979, leaving Twilley to soldier on as a solo performer. While his single "Girls" became an early hit on MTV and also made it to #16 on the Hot 100, subsequent releases failed to match his early success or industry expectations.

Holiday music fans may remember Twilley's 2004 EP "Have a Twilley Christmas," which featured six excellent original holiday tunes. Two of these were included on previous holiday mixes of mine. "Snowman Magic" appears on my 2010 CD "Winder Wonderland," and "Christmas Stars" was included as part of my 2018 mix "My Christmas Time Philosophy." The latter tune is also featured on the special extra mix "21st Century Holiday Classics," which I posted on my holiday music website only yesterday.

I recall buying and enjoying "Twilley Don't Mind" back in 1977. "Looking for the Magic" was among the most frequently played songs on my weekly show on WJHU-FM in Baltimore during the fall of 1978.

Although he never enjoyed the popularity he deserved, Twilley left his mark on popular music. He'll surely be missed this Christmas.

Check Out My Latest Special Extra Holiday Mix of 21st Century Aspiring Classics

I've just posted a new extra mix of holiday tunes to my holiday music website to help begin laying the groundwork for the upcoming holiday season. It's called "21st Century Holiday Classics," and it features 22 first-rate original tracks released after the turn of the current century by a host of diverse acts ranging from iconic singer/songwriter Carole King to Boston's Celtic punk rock band the Dropkick Murphys.

I put this one together to prove a point. You see, I've been complaining for years that we're being cheated each Christmas by the stubborn refusal of the entertainment industry. particularly American radio, to expand their holiday music offerings beyond a small list of played-to-death holiday classics. I mean I love "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Feliz Navidad" as much as the next guy, but both of them wear a little thin after hearing them 35 or 40 times each December. I'm not sure if it's just laziness or the impression that people want to hear only familiar songs during the holidays, but we've been hearing the same bunch of tunes for years now with only one addition — Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" — in the past 30 years. (Sorry, but I've never been a fan of hers and I flip the station whenever that one is played.) The real shame of it is that there have been a surprising number of first-rate holiday tracks released since 2000, which, of course, is the main reason I put this mix together.

Nearly all of the 22 tracks on "21st Century Holiday Classics" have been featured on my previous annual mixes. Those that haven't are marked with an asterisk on the following track list, and I'll probably have a few words to say about each of them in the coming weeks. 

1. The Season's Upon Us, Dropkick Murphys (2013)
2. Wish List, Neon Trees (2010)
3. Mrs. Claus Ain't Got Nothin' On Me, Little Jackie (2010)
4. We're Going Caroling, Dick Van Dyke and Jane Lynch (2017)
5. Xmas in New York, The Rosebuds (2012)*
6. My Gift for You This Christmas, Mass Amigos (2005)
7. Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (2011)
8. A Christmas Song for You, The Kik (2014)
9. Christmas Everyday, BoDeans (2016)
10. Change at Christmas (Say It Isn't So), The Flaming Lips (2003)
11. Chanukah Prayer, Carole King (2011)
12. Christmas at the Airport, Nick Lowe (2013)
13. The Christmas Song, The Raveonettes (2004)
14. Sha La Da La La, The She La Das (2013)
15. Holiday-ish, The Regrette, featuring Dylan Minnette (2019)
16. I Like Christmas (But I Can't Stand the Cold), Tangarine (2013)
17. My Favourite Time of the Year, The Flourin Street Band (2010)
18. What's That Sound?, J.D. McPherson (2018)*
19. Eight Candles, by Yo La Tengo (2019)*
20. I Feel It In My Bones, The Killers (2016)
21. Christmas Stars, Dwight Twilley (2004)
22. Christmas Day, 1923, Future Clouds and Radar (2007)

As I noted earlier, I've got a second new extra mix completed and my regular annual mix for 2023 is also ready to go. It's a new feeling for me to be ahead of schedule, and I'm really liking it!

Legendary B-52s Vocalist Fred Schneider to Re-Release "Destination . . . Christmas!"

I've been trying to steer clear of Twitter — I'm sorry, "X" — recently, for all the usual reasons; but I flipped it on while waiting in line at the Home Depot earlier and was surprised to see a post about Fred Schneider, the iconic vocalist from everybody's favorite 1980s college party band, the B-52s. It seems that coming up on November 17, Bandcamp will be re-releasing the album Fred did with The Superions in 2010 called "Destination . . . Christmas!"

Made up of 11 original holiday tunes, the album's promo material describes it as "equal parts disco bangers, sensual French pop, comedic holiday numbers, suggestive lyrics, and never a dull moment — an album that keeps the Xmas party going through new years."

I'm not sure why I haven't yet included anything from this album on one of my mixes because there are at least several tracks that would fit in awfully well. 

Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe Christmas Podcast Delivers Christmas Cheer All Year

There are a growing number of podcasts available on holiday-related topics these days, and at least a couple of them include material about seasonal music. One such offering is the Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe Christmas Podcast (SBMX), hosted by Rikki Meece and Mary Richards. Billed as an "all things Christmas" podcast, the program typically starts with a review of holiday-related news followed by a detailed interview with a special guest on a broad spectrum of seasonal topics ranging from "Scary Christmas Ghost Stories" to "A Paul Harvey Holiday." The conversations are fast-paced and informative and the hosts take advantage of their radio and entertainment industry contacts to speak about their areas of interest. Meece, in particular, has years of radio experience, and is currently on the air at KSL NewsRadio in Salt Lake City.

At least a dozen of the available SBMX podcasts focus on holiday music, including 

Christmas Clunkers 1, which discusses the panelists' least favorite and most annoying songs; A New Wave Christmas: 80s Bands On Holidays, and, from just this week, A Billboard Xmas History and Hits, featuring Rob Martinez discussing how a variety of holiday tunes have fared on the Billboard charts as well as how Billboard tracks and reports the scads of Christmas tunes released each year.

I heartily recommend this cheerful podcast, and I'm hoping to look at several other holiday-themed podcasts as the season continues.

Check out the Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe Christmas Podcast (SBMX) on Apple Podcasts

Check out the Sounds of Christmas Podcast hosted by Ken Kessler

It's October; Can Christmas Be Far Behind?

It's a beautiful day in Los Angeles and throughout much of the country today with mid-summer temperatures and just the slightest hint of fall. But once October begins we all know the holiday season is close at hand. In fact, just as Halloween displays are now mounted each August, some stores have already started mounting their Christmas promotions. I mean to enjoy autumn on its own terms, myself. But I understand the pull of the holiday season. In fact, I will freely confess that my 2023 holiday mix is already completed and ready to go — a personal best for being ahead of schedule! I've also got two special-themed bonus mixes I've been working on and they're nearly ready as well, so 2023 might offer a lot more nonsense from me than usual. Lord knows I'm not the only nonsense generator out there this year, and I aim to do my part.

Watch this blog for all the details, and have a wonderful October wherever you are!