Christmas Cheer - Part 5

Each year in late November this blog rises from its slumber to present some basic information about the tracks on my annual holiday mix of songs and other ephemera. We do this over a period of about four weeks, typically covering several tracks each day. This year's holiday mix is called Christmas Cheer, and we've already discussed 13 of its 37 tracks, which leaves 24 more to go over the next 24 days. Today's post will examine Tracks 14 and 15. Let's get started!

Track 14
Christmas Messages from President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963)

This track is perhaps one of the most fascinating and troubling clips I’ve ever included in any of my mixes. It’s a short piece comprised of excerpts from two different recordings of our 36th president, Lyndon B.  Johnson, each taped within several weeks of his ascension to the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

The first excerpt is from Johnson’s formal remarks at a memorial service for the late president held at the Lincoln Memorial on December 22, 1963, exactly one month after the assassination. (Johnson suggests at one point that he was speaking on Christmas night, but that seems to have been inaccurate.)

Johnson’s remarks drew parallels between the lives and tragic deaths of Presidents Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, noting that both men made significant and lasting contributions to our nation that will be felt for many years to come. It was a very touching presentation.

    

The second clip shows a different side of Johnson. It’s an excerpt from a recording of a phone call Johnson placed to President Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline, on December 21, 1963 – approximately one month after her late husband’s assassination. Johnson called Mrs. Kennedy numerous times during December and January, and at least six of the calls were recorded. In this call, he seems to either be flirting with the former first lady or condescending to her as if she was a young child.

	Mr. Johnson:	You gonna come back and see me?
	Mrs. Kennedy:	(giggles nervously) Someday, I will . . .
	Mr. Johnson:	Someday?
		Give Caroline and John-John a hug for me? Tell them I’d like to be their daddy?
	Mrs. Kennedy:	I will.
	Mr. Johnson:	Goodbye
	Mrs. Kennedy:	Alright. Goodbye.

I’ve always found Johnson to be one of our most complex and confounding presidents, and this short conversation reminds me of the inner conflict and duality that defines his remarkable personality.

Raised in poverty in rural Texas, Johnson turned himself into a powerful and highly skilled political leader through hard work and force of will. When he agreed to join the Democratic ticket as John Kennedy’s running mate in 1960, Johnson was in his eighth year as Senate Democratic leader. Throughout Kennedy’s entire Senate tenure Johnson was perhaps the most powerful Democrat in Washington with far more influence than Kennedy. Yet Johnson envied Kennedy’s wealth, his suave sophistication and the respect he enjoyed from Washington’s elite. The ease with which Kennedy carried himself intimidated Johnson, who felt like a country bumpkin by contrast.

Following Kennedy’s death, Johnson feared he’d never be as loved and respected as his predecessor, so he tried furiously to surround himself with members of Kennedy’s inner circle in the hope their cachet would rub off on him. This was the impetus for the many calls to Mrs. Kennedy, I believe. He wanted to create the appearance that she saw him as a legitimate successor to her husband, and he worked tirelessly to woo her through the first half of 1964.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s clumsy style and lack of sophistication made him come across as horribly inappropriate. Can you imagine how Mrs. Kennedy must have felt hearing Lyndon Johnson volunteer to become her children’s new daddy?

The 1963 holiday season was a difficult one for the nation, but, of course most difficult for the late president’s wife and children. The grace and beauty of Camelot was giving way to something more like The Beverly Hillbillies.

Here's the complete track:

Watch film of the Memorial to JFK followed by the National Christmas Tree Lighting on 12/22/63

Track 15
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, by The Fab Four (2002)

Among the best of the many Beatles tribute bands is one called The Fab Four, formed in 1997 in sunny Southern California. The group includes a rotating cast of a dozen or more regular performers that tour in various permutations that sometimes include two different foursomes at once. In 2013, the group received an Emmy Award for their PBS special “The Fab Four:  The Ultimate Tribute.”  

In addition to touring, The Fab Four are known for their unique collection of songs that feature the lyrics of various classic holiday carols and songs in the style of well-known Beatles classics. These are presented largely in the form of three CD albums, two of which were released in 2002 (“A Fab Four Christmas” and “Have Yourself a FAB-ulous Little Christmas) and the third of which includes all the songs from both of these albums with a number of bonus extras (“HARK,” released in 2008).

I’ve included songs by The Fab Four in two of my previous mixes:  “Silent Night,” which was featured on my 2014 mix “Is There Really a Santa Claus,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” which appears on my 2016 mix “Let It Snow!”

This year’s mix features the classic holiday carol “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” which is offered in the style of the Beatles’ hit “Baby’s in Black” from their album “Beatles ’65,” released in the U.S. on December 15, 1964. (In the U.K. the song appears on the album “Beatles for Sale,” which had been released one week earlier.) The original carol was written in 1850 by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts.

The actual Beatles have been in the news recently with the release of what’s being described as the final new Beatles release, a song titled “Now and Then.” The song was written by John Lennon in or around 1977 and discovered on a tape with several other uncompleted songs several years after Lennon’s assassination in 1980. The surviving Beatles, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr attempted to turn Lennon’s demo into a completed Beatles song in the 1990s, but technological limitations at the time prevented the separation of various components on the recording. Recent advances allowed the two surviving Beatles to create a high-quality version of the song using Lennon’s original vocals and a guitar track recorded by George Harrison before his death in 2001. The music video of the song is remarkable on a number of different levels.

Listen to The Fab Four’s 2008 album “HARK” on YouTube

Watch the Fab Four Perform on the Hallmark Channel’s Beatles Christmas Special

That's all for today. Check back for more someday real soon! Only 23 shopping days left until Christmas!

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.

Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 7

Today we take a look at Tracks 19-22 of this year's holiday mix, Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof!

Track 22
Yoko Ono Holiday Album Parody (2008)

I've always been a big Beatles fan — whether the exuberant innocence of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the trippy psychedelia of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," or the long medley on the second side of "Abbey Road," I love them all. I like most of their solo stuff, too, with the one sad exception of Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime," which I find utterly unlistenable. In fact, not only do I love everything by The Beatles, I like songs that feature Linda McCartney's vocals. And I'll do you one better. I'm a big fan of Yoko Ono.

I figure most people think I'm joking when I make that claim but it's the God's honest truth. Unfortunately, Ono has been ridiculed and slandered almost constantly since she first became famous worldwide as John Lennon's lady, To some, she's the dragon lady who broke up the Beatles. To others, she's a talentless social climber who used Lennon's wealth and fame to promote her inferior art and atrocious "music." In fact, Ono was a highly respected conceptual artist before she ever met Lennon and her work has long been celebrated in avant gard circles for its originality, insight and wit. She certainly isn't responsible for the disbanding of the Beatles. And while some of her music can be an acquired taste, much of it is profoundly moving and meaningful. You can dance to a lot of it, too. From 2003-2016, remixed versions of 13 of Ono's songs topped the Billboard Dance Club chart. Not bad for a woman who turns 90 years old in February.

Anyway, Track 22 is a short parody purporting to be a commercial for a Yoko Ono holiday album. Clips of the various holiday standards are played and they all consist of a woman screaming indecipherably for five or six seconds. Terrible. So why did I include this track? Well, for one thing it gives me a chance to sing Yoko's praises and I like such opportunities. It's also sort of funny if you're aware enough to see through the preposterous claim that her music sounds alike and sounds awful. Finally, I know Yoko's got a sense of humor and likes to deal with criticism head-on. I doubt she'd be offended.

Watch the "The Case for Yoko Ono" from PBS Digital Studios

Listen to the Album "Between My Head and the Sky" by Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band

Track 21
I Want a Beatle for Christmas, The Fans (1964)

One measure of the size of the cultural tidal wave that hit with the arrival of the Beatles in February 1964 is the number of holiday novelty songs about the group that were released later that same year. I've featured half a dozen on my previous mixes as listed a bunch more in previous posts about the phenomenon, and I've got two more on this year's compilation. 

Track 21 is by a London-based duo called The Fans, which is made up of two friends named Gita Renik and Jeanette Ross. I haven't been able to find out much more about the song or the group than that, however — the song can be found all over the internet but it typically appears with nothing more than the song, artist and year of release.

Hear "I Want a Beatle for Christmas," by The Fans

Track 20
Christmas Song (A John and Yoko Parody), Guppy Pie Productions (2014)

I don't have much of anything to offer about this track either. It's a clip I found on YouTube featured on The Great Movie Channel page. According to the clip itself, it was created by Guppy Pie Productions, which is apparently affiliated with a North Hollywood outfit called Pie Town Productions. I don't know that the singer sounds or looks too much like John Lennon, but it's a cute little clip that suggests both the movie industry and the Bush family are impediments to world peace and I think that's something John and Yoko would probably endorse.

Track 19
(I Want) a Beatle for Christmas, Patty Surbey and The Canadian VIPs (1964)

The last of this year's four Beatles-related tracks (actually the first of the four since we list each day's tracks in reverse order) is by Canadian Patty Surbey, who has been described by the Canadian music website Canuckistan Music as a "perky amalgam of Connie Francis and Brenda Lee, with maybe a bit of Annette Funicello or Cathy Carroll thrown in for good measure." The website gives high marks to this record, too. "Buoyed by a rollicking backbeat supplied by the Canadian V.I.P.s and peppered with Surbey's hiccupy vocals, "(I Want) a Beatle for Christmas" is a fine record on its own and could probably have done well enough without the Xmas or Beatles references."

The song did well in some parts of Canada, but delays in mailing the production master prevented a timely pressing in the United States and Christmas arrived before the record caught on in this country. 

Surbey followed-up this record with another single recorded with The Canadian VIPs called "Hey Boy" that was released in early 1965, but that was pretty much the end of Surbey's music career. She eventually resurfaced in Ontario as an active member of a born-again Christian church.

I'll be back sometime soon with the start of the second half of this year's mix. How's your holiday shopping going?

Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 6

Today's post looks at the next four tracks on my latest annual holiday mix and offers a bit of background on each.

Track 18
Holiday Greetings, Shirley Jones

Shirley Jones in 1960

Shirley Jones is one of those legendary entertainers who seems to have been around forever and worked and excelled in nearly every corner of the industry. But there's one other thing about this star that sets her apart from most others — everybody likes her. Just this morning, as it happens, a tweet from her son, singer and former teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy, appeared in my Twitter feed that reads:

Took both my wife and mother to dinner tonight and we all ordered martinis. As it turns out, only one of us learned to imbibe with the likes of Sinatra, Bogie and Bacall. Well played, Mom. Well played.

That's a sweet note for a celebrity to write about his 88-year-old mother, to be sure, but what I found amazing is the flood of replies from fans and folks who know her personally all attesting to what a wonderful person Jones is and how kind and generous she is to those around her. My faith in humankind was at least somewhat restored and I'm grateful.

Born in rural Pennsylvania, Jones began to sing in her church choir and studied singing throughout her school years. After winning the Miss Pittsburgh contest in 1952, Jones was spotted at a Broadway audition by the casting director for Rodgers and Hammerstein who, quickly put her under contract. After several minor Broadway roles she was cast in 1955 as the lead in the film adaptation of Oklahoma! Other film roles followed, including leading parts in Carousel and The Music Man. In 1961, she won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Elmer Gantry.

Jones is probably best remembered for her role as Shirley Partridge on the ABC musical sitcom The Partridge Family. In the show, Jones played a single mother who formed a popular singing group with  her four children. In addition to the situational comedy, each episode featured a song or two purportedly performed by the talented family band, two of whom — Jones and her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, playing Keith Partridge — were actually performing. by the family group. The Partridge Family were soon topping the music charts in addition to the Neilson ratings, and Jones added pop sensation to her stage, film and television credits.

Unfortunately, Jones' success with The Partridge Family limited her ability to land other roles once that series went off the air. While she's continued to work, particularly on the stage, The Partridge Family  will likely remain her biggest hit. 

Of course, Jones has kept busy with a variety of other activities. She raised the three sons she had with her former husband, the late actor Jack Cassidy. She also has ten grandchildren, and she spent considerable time with the actors who played her children on TV. She also keeps busy with industry and charitable work, particularly on behalf of PETA. By all accounts, Shirley Jones is one terrific lady.

Watch "The Partridge Family," Season 2, Episode 1

Listen to "The Partridge Family's Greatest Hits"

Track 17
Christmas Time Is (Comin' Around Again), The Mavericks (2017)

I love running across bands whose holiday spirit is palpable and evidenced by specific holiday activities. Some artists perform special holiday shows, for example. Others — like the Beatles, R.E.M. and The Killers — famously release special holiday singles each year. The Mavericks, a Grammy Award-winning, genre-defying band from Miami, Florida, seem to do a little bit of both these things. In 2018, they released a popular Christmas album called Hey! Merry Christmas!, which included eight original holiday songs. Further, they are currently on their "2022 Very Merry Christmas Tour," which will include a stop right up the street from me at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, December 17. Give these guys a jolly "Ho! Ho! Ho!"

The Mavericks

The band was founded by guitarist Raul Malo and drummer Paul Deakin in 1989. Robert Reynolds (bass guitar) and Ben Peeler (lead guitar) joined soon after. They started playing local clubs in the Miami area almost immediately and in 1990 they produced their first album independently. The record's success led to the band being invited to a country music showcase in Nashville at which they were signed by MCA Nashville. There were problems describing The Maverick's style of music right from the start. They were signed as a country western act, but Malo's Cuban heritage and the fact they came from Miami complicated things. The band itself understood that they couldn't fairly be put in any particular category.

No matter what label you use, The Mavericks have had 11 hit albums since they signed with MCA. They've been nominated for eight Grammy Awards and won one in 1996 for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for their album Here Comes the Rain. The group disbanded for several years in 2000 but since reforming in 2003 they've continued to tour and release new albums. 

I selected "Christmas Time Is (Comin' Around Again)" for this year's mix, but any of the tunes on their holiday album would have also worked well. Here, for example are The Mavericks performing the title song from that album, "Hey! Merry Christmas!

 

Listen to "Christmas Time Is (Comin' Around Again)," by The Mavericks

Buy The Mavericks' holiday album on amazon.com

Details on The Mavericks December 17 Show at The Ace Hotel in DTLA

Track 16
Santa's Got a Brand New Bag, Jim and Cathy (1965)

The third and final version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag" on this year's mix is by a group called Jim and Cathy. While this seems to have been the only record Jim and Cathy ever recorded under that name, the duo resurfaced in 1967 under the new name Friend and Lover, and promptly released a new album called Reach Out of the Darkness. The title track of the album was released as a single inn he Summer of 1967 (the fabled "Summer of Love") and became a Top 10 hit. I don't recall ever reading or hearing about Friend and Lover or "Reach Out of the Darkness, but I recognized the song immediately when I played it a few minutes ago and I'm sure you will, too (see link, below). Over time, according to the Song Facts website, the song has become "one of the canonical Flower Power songs, almost to the point of being a stereotypical parody of itself." Because of its strong association with the San Francisco hippie scene of the late 1960s, it was been used as background music in numerous films to conjure up a 1960s feel.  

Jim and Cathy

Friend and Lover and its earlier incarnation, Jim and Cathy, was made up of singers Jim Post and Cathy Conn. The couple married in 1966, and Cathy Conn became Cathy Post. Unfortunately, neither the marriage nor the band lasted too long after their first album's chart run. Jim continued to record and perform through the 1970s and '80s, though he never equaled the initial success of Friends and Lovers. He died just this past September at the age of 82. Cathy died in 2019 at the age of 73.

Hear Jim and Cathy's version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag"

Hear the Top 10 Hit "Reach Out of the Darkness, by Friend and Lover

Track 15
O Come All Ye Mindless, U.C. Berkeley Free Speechniks (1964)

Tracks 13, 15 and 23 are short variations on traditional Christmas carols repurposed by the Free Speechniks of the University of California at Berkeley as part of their Free Speech Movement (FSM). The story of the FSM is briefly described in the summary of Track 13, below.

The lyrics to the tune at Track 15 are as follows:

Hang on until our third of these little ditties, which will appear as Track 23 in a few days.

That's all for now. I'll be back next week with more.

Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 4

Here's some background on several more of the holiday tracks on my latest seasonal compilation, Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof!, which is available to hear or download on my holiday music website:

Track 11
Holiday Greetings, Peri Gilpin

I’m a longtime fan of the NBC sitcom Frasier, which ran for eleven seasons from September 1993 through April 2004. The show consisted of 264 episodes and won a record 37 primetime Emmy awards including five consecutive Emmys as outstanding comedy series. The program featured sharp writing, smart comedy and, best of all, a generous collection of offbeat and likeable characters. I especially liked Roz Doyle, who produced Frasier's call-in radio show. Actress Peri Gilpin played Roz for the show's entire 11-season run all eleven seasons and she did a terrific job of developing her multi-faceted character. Gilpin's short holiday greeting appears as Track 11 of this year’s mix.

Gilpin’s played a host of other roles in at least a dozen films and 50 or more television shows, including a major role as Kim Keeler on the ABC Family series Make It or Break It about the lives of teen gymnasts preparing and competing for the Olympic games. But she’ll always be best known for her work as the wisecracking, fun-loving Roz Doyle.

Frasier is said to be in development for a 10-episode reboot at Paramount+. Unfortunately, David Hyde Pierce has reportedly declined an invitation to return as Frasier’s brother, Niles, and John Mahoney, who played their father, Martin, died in 2018. We certainly hope that Roz will be included in whatever version of Frasier returns in the future.

Watch Clips of Roz Doyle's Funniest Moments on "Frasier"

Track 10
Santa's Got a Brand New Bag, Gary Walker (1965)

This year's mix includes three different novelty takes on James Brown's classic "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," which became the groundbreaking performer's first Top 10 hit in the late summer of 1965. This is hardly the first instance of a mainstream hit spawning one or more holiday knock-offs, but this song may hold the record for the greatest number of contemporaneous holiday novelty versions. Phil Milstein's pop culture website Probe Is Turning on the People cites six different versions that were released within 18 months of Brown's unforgettable original. While each version has its own unique style, all six assert that Santa, like Brown's "Papa," is updating his image. In the parlance of the time, a "brand new bag" referred to a new interest, style or way of doing things — specifically, in this context, an older man brave enough to strut his stuff on the dance floor and otherwise adopt the hip style of the younger generation. 

Of the three versions offered here, it's Gary Walker's that stays closest to Brown's original. Walker, originally known as Gary Leeds, recorded his version shortly after leaving The Standells, a Los Angeles-based band later known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water." The following year, he moved to London and joined The Walker Brothers, who had a number of hits on both sides of the Atlantic including the Burt Bachrach song "Make It Easy on Yourself," which topped the British charts. The group disbanded in 1967 and while Gary continued to perform as a solo artist he failed to reach the charts again.

Listen to Gary Walker's version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag"

Listen to The Walker Brothers' hit "Make It Easy on Yourself"

Track 9
Santa's Got a Brand New Bag, Joey Reynolds (1966)

Joey Reynolds

This next version is another radio DJ novelty record, not unlike Jerry Worsham's version of the Rolling Stones' "Get Off of My Cloud" (see Track No. 7, above). Joey Reynolds has been on the radio since the late 1950s and has worked at well over 30 different stations over the course of his long and storied career. Reynolds is known particularly for his on-the-air pranks and publicity stunts; in fact, he's sometimes referred to as one of radio's original "shock jocks."

Reynolds first made a name for himself in the 1960s and '70s as a popular but fairly typical Top 40 DJ in Cleveland; Detroit; Hartford, Connecticut, and his hometown of Buffalo, New York. While working in Buffalo, he turned down an opportunity to bring the Beatles to that city immediately after their American TV debut because he thought the quoted fee of $3500 was too high for a Monday night show. He was working in Detroit when he recorded "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag." 

Over the next 30 years, Reynolds worked at stations across the country, including WQV in Pittsburgh; KMPC, KRTH and KMGG in Los Angeles; WFIL in Philadelphia; WSHE, WQAM and WIOD in Miami; WFLY in Albany, New York, and WNEW in New York City. His show gradually transitioned from primarily music to predominately talk until by the time he joined WOR in New York City in 1996 it was pretty much exclusively talk. Reynolds stayed with WOR until 2010 and enjoyed even wider coverage while there through syndication. More recently, he had a Sunday evening show on New York's WABC.

Reynolds released a couple of additional novelty records over the years, but this was his sole holiday tune. Our loss, to be sure.

Listen to Joey Reynolds' version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag"

Check out Joey Reynolds' Personal Website

Listen to the Joey Reynolds Show Theme by The Four Seasons

Check out Joey Reynolds' Demo Tape

I'll be back sometime soon with additional background on more of this year's selections including yet another version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag."

Be a Santa, Part 10

Track 34
Christmas at the Airport, Nick Lowe (2013)

Nick Lowe

Around the time I left for college in the late '70s there were some big changes taking place in the American rock music scene. I'd been into the whole California soft rock scene (CSN and CSNY, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Steely Dan); I loved the Beatles, the Stones and David Bowie; I was crazy about Motown and all kinds of R&B — hell, I was even getting into disco. I had a couple of shows on our college radio station and hung around with other folks who were big into music and what was really capturing the attention of my edgier friends was the punk, new wave and power pop stuff that was coming out of London and New York — The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Police, Talking Heads … and British rocker Nick Lowe, for example. 

Lowe earned his chops on the London pub scene in the early to mid '70s as a member of the band Brinsley Schwarz. After leaving that band in 1975, Lowe played with Rockpile with Dave Edmunds, recorded a number of well-received solo albums and produced records by such artists as Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and the Rumour and The Damned. He was a prolific songwriter during this period, writing or so-writing such hits as "So It Goes," "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass," "Cruel to Be Kind," and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." Lowe's version of "Cruel to be Kind" made it all the way to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, and his singles "Crackin' Up" and "Switchboard Susan" were also big hits. 

Although he released a string of fine records over the next 30 years, Lowe wasn't able to match the success he enjoyed in the late 1970s. To be honest, I sort of lost track of Nick Lowe until 2013, when he released a terrific holiday album called Quality Street:  A Seasonal Selection for All the Family, which record I'm happy to say was noted in this blog. David Letterman had Lowe on the Late Show in December 2013, and we reported on that here, too. For some reason, however, I've never included anything from Quality Street on my previous mixes. I'm happy to remedy that oversight this year by featuring "Christmas at the Airport."

Listen to Nick Lowe's Album "Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family"

Track 33

Rudolph (You Don't Have to Put on the Red Light), mojochronic (2010)

I found this little number in a file on my computer marked "Holiday Mashups," where it's been sitting for about ten years. I can't say I know a whole lot about mojochronic, but from what I can tell it's a person or group of people who combine two or more individual tracks into surprising and not-quite-discordant mashups. The two songs mashed together here, of course, are Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Roxanne, by The Police. The common element is that Rudolph's nose is red and Roxanne, a prostitute, likely plies her trade in a red-light district. I'm not sure there's very much more that needs to be said about this one, other than the fact that the video does a great job of cutting up the classic 1964 Rankin Bass television special to track to the beat of The Police. Enjoy.

Track 32

St. Nicolas, Filobin (1978)

This is another track I've had on my computer for quite a while but haven't found the right spot for until now. Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of information about this track. All I can really report is that Filobin is the stage name of Guy Philobin, a French animator and musical clown who released this holiday single in 1978 with a B-side titled "The Toys of a Wise Child." It's a cute little number, and I remember just enough of my high school French to be able get a rough gist of what the guy's saying.

Only three more tracks to review, and I'm hoping to post something on them around the same time Santa finishes his Christmas Eve deliveries in France tomorrow night!

Be a Santa, Part 3

Continuing our review of my latest holiday mix Be a Santa, here's some quick background on three additional tracks:

Track 9

Bring Me a Beatle for Christmas, Cindy Rella (1964)

Track 8

Christmas with The Beatles, Judy and the Duets (1964)

Tracks 8 and 9 are but two further examples of the breadth and depth of the effects of Beatlemania on American culture in 1964. While many no doubt recall the various holiday tracks the Beatles themselves recorded and circulated via their official fan club throughout the 1960s, what's less well remembered are the many holiday-themed novelty records that others produced about the supergroup. I've included several of these oddities in previous mixes and links to a couple of these earlier offerings appear below. Lucky for you, I've got two more crazed fan tributes on Be a Santa.

The first is by the cleverly named Cindy Rella (sorry, it wasn't my idea). From what little information there is about Ms. Rella, it seems she previously scored with several very minor hits including "I Want Him to Come Back Home" and "To Tommy with Love." For good or ill, this Beatles tribute appears to have ended her career. 

This may just be me, but I had some trouble understanding some of the lyrics. Ms. Rella sings with a heavy accent, though it's hard to discern exactly where she's from. The lines I did understand were pretty much about exactly what you'd expect:

Bring me a Beatle for Christmas

Bring me a Beatle to love

Which one I don't care

Just as long as he's there

Paul is oh so handsome

When he smiles my heart skips a beat

The smart one is John

But he married a blonde

Ringo, George, John or Paul

Golly I like them all

If you don't bring me one

Christmas won't be any fun

"Christmas with The Beatles" is pretty much more of the same, although Judy and the Duets do not appear to have recorded any tunes other than this one and its flip side, "The Blind Boy."

I got a big charge out of watching the recent Beatles documentary Get Back, which, if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend. The talent and drive of these four guys is amazing and it's wonderful to see signs that their legacy will endure long after most of us are gone.

Listen to "Bring Me a Beatle for Christmas," by Cindy Rella

Listen to "Christmas with the Beatles," by Judy and the Duets

Listen to "Ringo Deer," by John Ferrier, from My 2016 Mix "Let It Snow"

Listen to "I Want a Beatle for Christmas," by Becky Lee Beck, from my 2014 Mix "Is There Really a Santa Claus"

Listen to "Ringo Bells," by Three Blind Mice, from my 2008 Mix "Home for the Holidays"

Track 7

Holiday Greetings from President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden (2020)

I'm going to avoid the temptation of a long political message in describing the seventh track on this year's mix other than to report it is an excerpt from remarks that were recorded last December before President Biden took office. The couple's complete statement appears below. Let me also just add that while I don't agree with everything the current administration has done and there are certain issues I'd like to receive additional attention, it's good to see a sincere a decent leader in the White House again as opposed to someone whose own self-interest and naked greed is the only standard for decision-making. Ho! Ho! Ho! and Merry Christmas to all!

Let It Snow!, Part 8

Today, we take a quick look at four more tracks from my latest holiday mix, Let It Snow!

Track 27
Chanukah Prayer, by Carole King (2011)

Carole King

If you grew up in the 1970s, you knew Carole King's music, and, if you liked music at all, you probably owned a copy of her 1971 album "Tapestry." King first made a name for herself as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing a number of big hits for other artists including, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," a #1 hit for the Shirelles in 1960; "The Loco-Motion," a #1 hit for Little Eva in 1962 and Grand Funk in 1974; "Up on the Roof," a hit for The Drifters and, later, James Taylor; and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," which became a signature song for the great Aretha Franklin. Many of her songs were co-written by lyricist Gerry Goffin, her husband at the time. But King was not only a talented songwriter, but a terrific singer, too, and at the urging of James Taylor and others, she released an album of her own called "Writer" in 1970. That one didn't attract much attention, but the follow-up, "Tapestry," sure did, topping Billboard's Album chart for 15 consecutive weeks and remaining on the chart for over 300 weeks. At the 1972 Grammy Awards, King pulled off a rarely-seen hat-trick, winning awards for Best Song ("You've Got a Friend"), Record of the Year ("It's Too Late"), and Album of the Year ("Tapestry").

Of course, after a smash like "Tapestry," it's awfully hard to top yourself, and while she continued to release albums at a pretty good clip through the 1970s and '80s, King pretty much stopped making records in the early 1990s. It was pretty good news then when the word leaked out in 2011 that King's daughter, Louise Goffin, was working with her to prepare a holiday album, "A Holiday Carole." It's a wonderful album that spans a variety of musical styles, leaning heavily in favor of more contemporary songs, a number of which were hits for other artists. Interestingly, none of the songs are written by Carole herself, although Louise Goffin co-wrote several.

"Chanukah Prayer" is my favorite song on the album — built around a traditional Jewish prayer. As King later explained,

Louise had the brilliant idea to take the Chanukah prayer that I learned from my parents, and they learned from their parents, and back through generations. She said 'I want to record you singing that and I'm going to build a track around it.

The result is a warm, jazz-inflected tune that brings together three generations on vocals: King, her daughter, and grandson. It could almost be the early 70s all over again.

Hear Carole King's "Chanukah Prayer"

Watch "The Making of 'A Holiday Carole'"

Track 26
Hark! The Angels Sing, by The Fab Four (2002)



When the history of rock-and-roll modern music is finally completed, few acts will loom quite so large as The Beatles, and when the history of Beatles Tribute Bands is definitively written, it will probably include a thing or two about The Fab Four. I previously included one of their tunes on "Is There Really a Santa Claus?" And there are a dozen or more yet to choose from.

Track 25
Ringo Deer, by Gary Ferrier (1964)

While I recall nothing about this phenomenon personally, I understand that large parts of our planet went a little crazy for the Beatles shortly after they started to become known. This enthusiasm manifested itself in various different ways, the best known of which is the non-stop shrieking of teenage girls whenever John, Paul George or Ringo was spotted. Another symptom was the rash of tribute songs recorded about the "Fab Four." Some of them had Christmas themes, many were about drummer Ringo Starr, and a few were Christmas-themed songs about Ringo. One can be found on my 2008 mix, "Home for the Holidays," and another is Track 25 on this year's mix.

I don't know an awful lot about this record, except that it was recorded by Garry Ferrier, a disc jockey for CHUM in Toronto and promoted by the Canadian arm of the Capitol Records publicity team. The lyrics aren't exactly bold or beautiful, but they're fun, as is the song — and the song's subject, too:

The North Pole’s all abuzz these days,
With news that’s really new,
Santa Claus has got a brand new reindeer now for you,
He's a swinging kind of reindeer and very, very rare,
Instead of antlers on his head,
He's got Beatle hair!

They call him Ringo, Ringo, Ringo Deer,
A Ring along  Ringo, Ringo, Deer,
Ringo, Ringo, Ringo Deer,
He's with Santa Claus this year.

I've got at least one more Ringo-themed Christmas song in my collection, so at least we've got that to look forward to!

Track 24
Christmas in the Country Radio Promo (Patriotism), by Van Trevor (1968)

This little number is from the same promotional record as Track 18, which I posted about several days ago. As I noted in my posting, I discovered this record on the now-defunct "Beware of the Blog" website created by community radio station WFMU in Jersey City, NJ. Interestingly enough, one of the four artists who added tracks to the mix, singer Lynda K. Lance, posted a comment to the piece that presented the audio:

Greetings, surprised you found this. we all moved to Nashville, Dick Heard, Van Trevor,Eddie Rabbitt & myself(right after HS graduation & Viet Nam)at the end of '68.Neil Bogart of Buddah(later Casablanca Records)was setting up a label(Royal American) in Nashville under Dick Heards management. Dick and Eddie were in Greenwich Village NY. Van & I met doing performances in the Northeast. this was Dicks idea to borrow something we all took part in regularly for the CMA, PSAs by country music entertainers held in recording studios on Music Row. we would all line up at the mike,a real cattle call, walk thru read copy, sometimes with call letters.that's when you got to hear Tex Ritter tell all his great old stories.glad to see so many collectors like me of info out there. ck my website to see new stuff...wanted to call project "not dead yet"...but wouldn't you know, it was taken! Lynda K.

Lynda's website can be found HERE.

Thirteen tracks left to go, which we could complete by Christmas Eve if we choose to. But I don't think that's in the cards. We'll get them done, but it will be sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day when we do it. Hope that's cool with you.

Is There Really a Santa Claus, Part 10

I hope everyone had a pleasant pre-holiday weekend and managed to enjoy at least part of it away from the shopping malls. Continuing our look at the contents of my latest holiday mix, here's some information about the next three tracks:

Track 28
Santa Claus on a Helicopter, Wing (2010)
Before I offer any thoughts on this little number, I think you should have a chance to see it on video in its original, unvarnished form. Steel yourself. It's not for the faint of heart:



Wow, huh? Take a moment to recover whilst I slowly give you some background about this very unique artist. (Yes, I know the word unique means "one of a kind" and therefore can't properly be modified by an adjective like "very," which describes degree — but, hey, c'mon … if there was ever a singer who's "very unique," it's got to be Wing, right?) Anyway …

Wing has appeared on my various mixes six times with five different songs. (I inadvertently used her version of "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" on both Don't Wake the Kids (2005) and Stop Singing Those Dreadful Songs (2006). It was so good, I guess I just got carried away!) This puts her in second place among frequently featured artists, right behind Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow (7 tracks) and just before Red Sovine (4). Raised in Taiwan, Wing emigrated to New Zealand sometime before the most recent turn of the century. She settled in the Auckland area, where she began to sing on a volunteer basis at various hospitals, rest homes and sanatoria. Several patients apparently urged her to record an album, and, not subject to the oversight of a conservator or guardian yet herself, Wing obliged them with Phantom of the Opera, a collection of songs from the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical. This was followed by a string of CDs featuring various assortments of standards and popular hits. Despite, or perhaps because of, her unconventional style, Wing's recordings began to attract increasing numbers of fans, largely via the internet. In 2005, she expanded her repertoire by recording a series of tribute albums to various groups including the Beatles, the Carpenters, Elvis Presley and AC/DC. That same year, she guest starred as herself on an episode of South Park, called Wing. The singer's first U.S. performance took place in San Francisco on her one-stop "Wing Over America" tour in 2007, and she returned in 2008 to perform at the popular SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. She's also appeared on television many times, including a live performance of Michael Jackson's hit "Beat It," which you really have to see to believe.

In recent years, Wing's style has evolved in a somewhat different direction as a result of her collaboration with writer/producer Rappy McRapperson. The two first joined forces on the CD Stop the Nonsense (2010), which was followed in quick succession by Wing Sings For All The Single Ladies And Raps For All The Safe Parties (2010) and Carols, Rap and Sing; A Beautiful Christmas (2010). These releases were marked by an emphasis on original songs with topical messages to today's young people. For example, "Stop Smoking Crack" warns against recreational drug use, while "Safe Computer" has something to do with computers (I think): 

Computer sing,
Computer swing.
Computer walk,
Computer moonwalk.

Yeah lets go,
Wiki, Wiki, Wiki, Wiki, Wikipedia.
Wiki, Wiki, Wiki, Wiki, Wikipedia.
Firewall make our computer safe.
Computer.

Stuck up in the clock,
Looking fast like that,
Then safe computer,
Safe computer.
Internet,

Thirty minutes conversation,
Save it.
A good life.
Live it.
Computer dance,
We just beat it.

© Copyright - wing han tsang / wing han tsang (885767652927)

Wing has released 22 albums and EPs to date, including two holiday CDs. The first of these, Everyone Sings Carols with Wing, features ten carols, including three that are sung in Chinese. "Santa Claus on a Helicopter" appears on Wing's second holiday release, Carols, Rap and Sing; A Beautiful Christmas, which, as Wilson and Alroy's Record Reviews point out, is one of the few album titles to include a semicolon. The album consists of just five tracks. Wing was clearly going for quality over quantity. One of the five tracks is her version of "Hallelujah," written by the great Leonard Cohen and originally released on his 1984 album Various Positions. Here, too, Wing's version is extremely unique (see ¶2, above). You've almost certainly heard the song before, It's been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows and recorded by more than 300 different artists. The song is the subject of a fascinating book, The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" (2012), by former Rolling Stone critic Alan Light. I don't believe anyone but Wing has recorded "Santa Claus on a Helicopter" to date, but then again the truly great songs can sometimes seem a little too intimidating to attempt.

A few final thoughts:  First, Wing offers a unique (there's that word again) "singing service" to her listeners and fans. For a modest fee, Wing will call the phone number of your choosing and sing one of her songs to the person you identify. I had her call a friend of mine on his birthday several years ago to sing him the "Happy Birthday" song, and I'm pretty sure he has yet to recover from the experience. Details on the service are available HERE. Second, despite the my snarky comments, I honestly like Wing. True, I can't tolerate her singing for more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time, but when you consider her as a complete package, there's something especially endearing about the woman. She seems to love what she's doing and her enthusiasm is contagious. Moreover, she genuinely appears to care about others, whether it's the invalids she sang to at her first sanatorium performance or the stoner teens she's trying to reach with her heartfelt anti-crack message. Mark me down as a "Wing nut." It's not the first time I've been on such a list. Finally, there are actually three different versions of this year's mix in circulation, one of which features a short "hidden track" that follows Wing's offering. If you're lucky enough to have received the version with this hidden track, you'll know right away who performed the track and what it's about. In fairness, I have to admit the underlying piece was edited slightly, but the result is probably a more honest statement about the speaker's true beliefs than the original version was.

Track 27

Santa's Coming on a Whirlybird, by Little Lance and His Friends (1960)
Unfortunately, I don't have very much information to share about this track, which I accidentally stumbled across a few years ago on the Dr. Demento website. Demento, otherwise known as Barret Eugene "Barry" Hansen, is a radio broadcaster and record collector who specializes in offbeat and novelty records. He hosts a weekly internet show that features episodes that are largely organized around specific themes. At least one or two of the shows each December boast holiday themes, and they're a good source for unusual Christmas tunes and holiday comedy. I happened to spot "Santa's Coming on a Whirlybird" in one of my files shortly after I'd selected Wing's helicopter-related nightmare for this year's mix, and I thought the two songs belonged together.

Track 26
Merry Christmas, by Sue and Mike (1971)
This little number has got to be among the oddest of the many odd lots I've featured on my various mixes, and once I fill you in a bit on its history it's going to seem that much odder still. Its origins trace back to a post on Beware of the Blog, run out of free-form radio station WFMU-FM, broadcasting at 91.1 FM in New York and 90.1 FM in the Hudson Valley. There aren't a whole lot of free-form radio stations left today in this land of the free, and that's an awful shame. There aren't many blogs like Beware of the Blog, either. Over the years, it's been the source for more than a few of my holiday mix tracks as well as a bunch of graphics, movies and soundbites I've used elsewhere. The posts are less frequent and less interesting than they used to be, but it's definitely worth a look.

The short clip on my mix was created using the raw audio that was posted on the blog on December 26, 2010. One of the blog's regular contributors collects reel-to-reel tapes that he's found at various garage sales, thrift shops and elsewhere, many of which contain fascinating slices of life,. This was the case with some tapes that were apparently recorded during the 1971 Christmas season by a couple of graduating college students from Omaha, Nebraska, named Sue and Mike. The two had been married for around a year, and it sounds as though the tapes were made to be sent to their parents to make them feel as though they were a part of their holiday festivities.

What struck me most as I listened to their tapes was how different they seem compared to today's college students. Had I not known they were finishing college, I would have guessed they were much older. Of course, if they were making the tapes for their parents, they were no doubt trying to sound more serious and mature than they may have been; but they seem more middle-age in their outlook than young 20-somethings. Consider for a moment how much our culture has changed from their time to today — music, movies, TV, fashion, design, media, technology. My mind hurts just thinking about it.

The excerpt I've included in my mix was actually repackaged from the raw audio by San Francisco producer Matt Valerio, also known as Bomarr, or, formerly, the Bomarr Monk. He creates a dynamic new holiday mix each year, and the clip I chose was first released on his Wild Xmas with Bomarr, vol. 6. I really like what he came up with:




Of course the big question that remains is what ever happened to Sue and Mike? Despite the efforts of several curious WFMU listeners, they have yet to be located. Assuming they were in their early 20s when they made their tapes, they'd be around 65 years old today. Wherever they are, we know they had a lot of fun during the long-ago Christmas season of 1971.

I didn't include this clip on this year's mix, but Bomarr released a second clip from the Sue and Mike chronicles, which you can hear below:




Read the Beware of the Blog Posting about Sue and Mike's Holiday Tapes

Listen to Sue and Mike's Christmas 1971 Tape, Part 1

Listen to Sue and Mike's Christmas 1971 Tape, Part 2

Listen to Sue and Mike's Christmas 1971 Tape, Part 3

Listen to Sue and Mike's Christmas 1971 Tape, Part 4

Visit the Bomarr Blog, featuring Bomarr's Wild Xmas Mixes