I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 12

With just a little more than 10 days left to go until the big day, it's time to resume our look at the tunes on my latest holiday compilation, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." Here's some background on the next three tracks:

Track 31
We Wish You a Merry Christmas, George Carlin and Ringo Starr (1990) 

One tends to miss an awful lot of fun without kids in the house. Yeah, I was exposed to that "Baby Shark" jingle last year like everyone else on the planet, but I suspect it's a very different experience to hear it non-stop for a month, as several of my friends who have children have patiently explained to me. Similarly, I can't claim to know very much about the popular PBS children's show "Shining Time Station," which I understand was based on or grew out of a British program called "Thomas the Tank Engine." "Shining Time Station" apparently ran on PBS from 1989 through 1993, and reruns have appeared on Nick, Jr. and a variety of other cable and streaming services since then.

The program has long been popular with children and educators alike. The basic premise is simple and straightforward, according to Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker:  "It's an old-fashioned show that creates a gentle, lulling atmosphere to convince children that life is fun and that trains are the way to travel."

During the show's first season, Ringo Starr played the role of the train conductor, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award. Starr was replaced by comedian George Carlin at the start of the second season, and a holiday special that featured both Carlin and Starr was produced as a bridge between the first and second seasons. This short clip was taken from the holiday special:

There's so much I could say about each of these two guys, as I genuinely admire them both and enjoy their work. 

I first heard of Carlin as a kid in summer camp when somebody described his bit about the "seven dirty words" you can't say on TV.  That caught my attention because it was titillating and forbidden. Of course, Carlin's work was far more than that. It was consistently sharp and insightful — and it was courageous. He told truth to power and he got away with it, for the most part, because he draped his truth-telling in the guise of comedy. His piece describing religion as "the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims" (his "religion is bull****" bit) is one of the greatest comic rants of all time. To the end, Carlin reminded us that the American system was intentionally designed to maintain the ruling class at the expense of the typical Trump voters. If you haven't seen the 2022 HBO documentary "George Carlin's American Dream," I recommend it.

I first learned about Ringo because he played drums for my favorite band, the Beatles. He also sang lead on one of my favorite Beatles songs, "Yellow Submarine." I suppose most folks would consider Ringo to be the least consequential of the four Beatles, but in the 50-odd years since the group's breakup he's clearly established that he's got staying power. He's had a couple of #1 hits as a solo artist, he's acted in movies and on TV, and he's toured with multiple variations of his popular All Starr Band. 

Ringo and George Carlin teaming up to share Christmas greetings may not be the biggest holiday blockbuster of all time, but it does my hippie heart good to hear them.

Watch the Shining Time Station Holiday Special (1990)

Track 32
Plasma for Christmas, Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band (2008) 

While the group's name might lead you to think otherwise, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is a three-piece, Indiana-based country blues group consisting of Reverend Peyton on guitar and vocals, "Washboard" Breezy Peyton on the washboard and Jacob Powell on drums. This song served as my first introduction to the group, as it appeared on the 2006 album "A Very Standard Christmas," which I'd received as a gift. That album also featured the Harley Poe song "It's Christmas Time Again," which I used as the title track of my 2017 mix.

(L to R): Powell, Breezy and the Rev

Reverend Peyton started playing guitar at the age of 12. After a friend told him his noodling around had a blues-like quality, he worked to immerse himself in country blues and tried unsuccessfully to develop the finger-picking technique that animated much of the music of that style. After playing guitar at his high school graduation party, he awoke with his hands in terrible pain and was told by doctors that he would never be able to play guitar again. Following a frustrating year of abstaining, Peyton had surgery and was able to regain his strength and play better and more easily than before. While recovering from surgery he met Breezy, who shared his interest in country blues, and the two began writing, performing and eventually recording together and with Powell.

In 2008, the group signed with Los Angeles based SideOneDummy Records, for whom they recorded four albums. They subsequently recorded a string of other albums for several different labels and have built a significant following by maintaining a busy touring schedule. Their must recent album, "Dance Songs for the Hard Times" reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart.

I've been holding on to "Plasma for Christmas" for years and just never managed to find a spot for it on earlier mixes. Sadly, with the Trump team preparing to take over the federal government I'm guessing my choice to include the song on this year's mix will make me look rather prescient in short order.

Watch the Video for "Raise a Little Hell" by Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band (2015)

See the Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band Perform "Poor Until Payday" (2018)

Track 33
Merry Christmas Is All I Hear, Donald Trump and David Pakman (2024) 

Like millions of others, I was despondent following Trump's electoral victory last month. Much of my sadness and anger stemmed from the willingness of so many to overlook or minimize the never-ending stream of hateful and ridiculous lies he told. One of the silliest and most idiotic of his lies was that the Democrats had somehow made it illegal for people to say "Merry Christmas." He claimed that neither President Obama nor his wife ever used the phrase, which was a preposterous slander. And he pledged that if he was elected he'd make it OK for ordinary folks to say "Merry Christmas" without being carted off to jail.

I've tried to minimize the mention of politics on this year's mix, but I couldn't resist including this short clip, which features Trump's pledge along with an apt retort from political commentator David Pakman. I enjoy listening to Pakman's show, which is available on YouTube, among other places. He's a reasonable and exceptionally well-informed podcaster whom I hold in high regard.

Listen to The David Pakman Show via His YouTube Channel

Eight more tracks to look at and 10 days in which to do it. I'll be back with more before you know it.