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

Let It Snow!, Part 3

Don't stop me, I'm on a roll! Here are some quick thoughts about the next three tracks from my annual holiday mix for 2016:

Track 9
Holiday Greetings from David Bowie (as Elvis Presley) (2013)

From all outward appearances, it seems as though David Bowie lived a wonderfully rich and happy life. Such statements are often intended as consolation following a premature departure. To me, particularly in the case of David Bowie, this richness of his life only serves to make his passing that much sadder. 

Bowie was an artist, a writer, an actor, a songwriter, and a performance artist, but he will probably be best remembered as a tremendously bold and innovative musician and recording artist. I was a huge fan from as far back as I can remember. In fact, a brief glance at a list of his best-known songs conjures up a series of remarkably specific memories of where I was and what I was doing when each track first registered for me:  Changes, Space Oddity, Young Americans, Ashes to Ashes, Cat People (Putting Out Fires), DJ, Fashion, Let's Dance, Modern Love, Absolute Beginners, This Is Not America — the list goes on.

The track I selected for this year's mix is a short little holiday greeting Bowie recorded in 2013 for the BBC6 program "This Is Radio Clash." Speaking in the unmistakable voice of the late Elvis Presley, Bowie says:

“Hello everybody, this is David Bowie making a telephone call from the US of A. At this time of the year I can’t help but remember my British-ness and all the jolly British folk, so here’s to you and have yourselves a Merry little Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you very much.”

Interestingly enough, Bowie tied one of Elvis's record-breaking statistics shortly after his death this past January when 12 of his albums simultaneously scored spots in Billboard's Top 40 weekly album listings. 

Of course, one of the most beloved David Bowie holiday tracks is a song he recorded with Bing Crosby in 1977 for the holiday television show "Bing Crosby's Olde Fashioned Holiday Special." Unfortunately, Crosby died before the program first aired, but this wonderful recording preserves the memory:

David Bowie was an absolute original, and he died far too soon.

Watch the animated film "The Snowman" with an introduction by David Bowie

Track 8
A Message from the King, by Bob Rivers

I posted about comedian/radio DJ Bob Rivers last year when I included his holiday-themed rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic D'yer Mak'er on last year's mix. This year I included a track brings Elvis Presley back to life and sits him (where else?) at the holiday dinner table:

Track 7

The Season's Upon Us, by The Dropkick Murphys

I like many different styles of music, but what I listen to and probably love most is straight-up rock and roll. Without meaning to do this intentionally, I noticed several days ago that many of my recent holiday CDs feature at least one rock track that serves a personal stand-out cut from the mix. Last year it was "O Christmas Tree," by The Orphan, The Poet. This year, it's the seventh track of the mix, "The Season's Upon Us," by the amazing Boston-based band known as the  Dropkick Murphys.

I was born in Boston myself, and for 17 wonderful years I lived in that city's diverse South End neighborhood. I worked for the City for several years under Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, and I spent a couple of years in the aggregate working on a number of local political campaigns. Boston's political scene is rich and exciting, as demonstrated by the number of Massachusetts natives who have gone on to national office, or at least played in the genuine major leagues.

Boston's also known as a breeding ground for up-and-coming musicians, largely because of the many colleges and universities in the area. I spent a year studying urban government at Boston University in the early 1980s, and there was never a night when some hot new band wasn't playing somewhere.

The Dropkick Murphys started taking off right around the time I was relocating to California, so I don't have any particular history as an early fan of the band, but I love their stuff and really enjoy this holiday track. The band took its name, by the way, from an old-time professional wrestler who competed (performed?) in the area during the 1940s. By the time I hit down, Dropkick was better known for his post-wrestling career as the manager of a well-known sanitarium for hardcore alcoholics. More than a few wonderful people became sober at Dropkick Murphy's, and there's a special place in heaven for him for the good work he did.

Patti Smith Welcomes the New Year in Boston

I spent part of New Year's Eve Day at the Sheraton Boston before flying back to Los Angeles shortly before the new year dawned. Had I realized that Patti Smith was playing next door at the Hynes Convention Center that evening as part of Boston's annual First Night celebration, I would have gladly delayed my departure – after all, one can walk from the Sheraton to the Hynes without even going outdoors! Patti Smith is an amazingly talented artist who puts on a truly inspiring show, but she usually performs in Lower Manhattan on New Year's Eve and I didn't realize she was playing in Boston until I read about it on New Year's Day. This year, it seems she scheduled her annual New York shows on December 30 and January 1 to be in Boston for New Year's Eve. Well, if we had been at the Hynes for the countdown that night, here's what we would have seen as 2013 gave way to the new year:


The setlist for this and most of her band's other shows is available HERE. 

The following clip features the opening number from this week's Boston show, a relatively subdued version of my very favorite Patti Smith song, "Dancing Barefoot":


Incidentally, Patti recorded a rather stunning version of the classic carol "We Three Kings" for the album A Very Special Christmas 3, which benefits the Special Olympics. I've never found the right spot for it on any of my previous mixes, but it deserves a place in any respectable Christmas music collection.

UPDATE (1/20/14):  This morning, I happened upon this beautiful version of Patti Smith performing "O Holy Night." I don't read Italian very well, but I believe the video was recorded at a benefit concert at Dall'Auditorium della Conciliazione in Rome.

Here Comes Santa Claus, Part 10

Here’s some background on several more tracks from my latest holiday compilation, Here Comes Santa Claus:

Track 28

Holiday Greeting from Mark Wahlberg (c. 2010)

"Marky Mark" Wahlberg

This one’s another celebrity greeting – probably the shortest one I’ve used to date as the whole thing lasts no more than five seconds. As I noted in an earlier posting, there are lots of these recorded greetings floating around, and they serve a number of purposes on a compilation like this. I opted to go with a Mark Wahlberg greeting as a nod in the direction of two wonderful friends of the female persuasion, both of whom think this guy’s pretty terrific. Being from Boston, I know a thing or two about Mark Wahlberg. He’s a talented actor and film producer, of course, who formerly went by the name “Marky Mark” back when he was a rapper and underwear model. He’s the younger brother of Donnie Wahlberg, who was a member of New Kids on the Block, a Boston-based boy band that was popular in the 1980s. Before he hit it big himself, Mark was known more for his lengthy criminal record, which included a number of violent hate crimes against African American children and two elderly Vietnamese men. Happily, he seems to have changed his way of thinking about people with different backgrounds. Moreover, the sort of unthinking prejudice and hatred he formerly espoused is no longer accepted or overlooked in the increasingly diverse neighborhoods of Boston where he and I grew up. In a world where most of us are quick to point out all of the troubling developments around us, that’s a positive change that needs to be recognized.

Track 27

St. Nick Is Alright, by The Smalltown Poets (2011)

Track 27 is a pretty little tune by the Atlanta-based Christian rock group called The Smalltown Poets. Released in 1997, their self-titled debut album was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Gospel Rock album, and their next three albums were also well received. The band went on hiatus in 2004, but reunited in 2011 to record their first Christmas album, Smalltown Poets Christmas, on which “St. Nick Is Alright” appears. It’s an upbeat tune that’s fun to sing along with, and it seems to give the Christian rock seal of approval to a key non-religious component of Christmas – namely, Santa Claus. I’m not sure whether this reunion will lead to further albums, but Smalltown Poets Christmas is a fine piece of work and worth reuniting for. Funny how the holidays tend to bring people together.

Track 26

Seasin’s Greetinks from Popeye the Sailor Man (1933)

I don’t know whether kids today know who Popeye is, but this mighty sailor was certainly a favorite when I was growing up. With his ditzy and almost emaciated girlfriend Olive Oyl by his side and that nasty villain Brutus usually in hot pursuit, Popeye helped at least two or three generations of American children feel good about eating their spinach and doing what’s right. This little clip is from the animated short by the same name, which you can enjoy below:

Track 25

Christmas Gift Ideas from The Norelco Santa (c. 1965)

The Christmas holiday season is the busiest and most lucrative time of year for manufacturing and retail businesses, and most rely on advertising to maximize their share of the seasonal market. People often complain about how early the holiday ad season begins as well as the sheer volume of holiday ads, but a number of Christmas commercials on radio and television have achieved the status of cultural touchstones and the best of them can conjure up some powerful memories of Christmases gone by. The Norelco Santa campaign for Norelco’s line of personal shavers was extremely successful during the 1960s and ‘70s. Norelco is the American brand name for electric shavers and other personal care products made by the Consumer Lifestyle division of the Philips corporation. (Norelco stands for "North American Philips [electrical] Company.")  Here’s the full version of the commercial from which I extracted Track 25:

The campaign was retired many years ago, but just last year, Norelco turned again to the Norelco Santa, albeit in a somewhat spruced-up format:

 

We’ve now looked at 28 of the 38 tracks on this year’s compilation, and we’ll continue with comments on the ten remaining tracks between now and December 25. How many days is that? Click on our old friend (below) to find out:

Here Comes Santa Claus, Part 8

Today, I've got a little background information about three more tracks from my latest holiday mix, Here Comes Santa Claus:

Track 22

Santa’s Big Red Car, by Bobby Farrell

I first came across this tune several years ago by way of the Ernie (Not Bert) blog, which is a favorite spot for collectors of offbeat and out-of-print music of all types. According to Ernie, he found the song among a bunch of used novelty records at a store in St. Petersburg, Florida. “I was hoping for a Beach Boys-Little Saint Nick-type thing,” he wrote, “but this is what I got.” I think it’s kind of a cute little song myself, although I haven’t been able to find out much about it, or about the man who recorded it. I’m reasonably sure that this wasn’t recorded by the “Bobby Farrell” who sang lead for the German/Jamaican group Boney M, whose disco hit Daddy Cool was a favorite of mine back in the day. There does seem to have been at least one additional Bobby Farrell who’s made records in the past – a guy who first recorded as “Little” Bobby Farrell beginning sometime in the 1950s before expanding his horizons to become active in various other areas of the music business. Here’s how the ReverbNation website describes this second (or first) Bobby Farrell:

Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist, Band Leader, Broadcaster, Model, Actor, Record Producer, Booking Agent, Concert Tour Director & Producer, Music Publisher, Promoter, Licenser, Distributor, Production Studio Owner/Operator, Show Producer, Night Club Owner/Operator, Sound Engineer, Lighting Director, Artist &: Road Manager, Pressing Plant Foreman, Printer, Graphics Art Director, Disc Jockey, Radio Talk Master, Program/Music Director, and that's just a few of his Entertainment Credits! If it has to do with Recorded Music and Entertainment, Bobby Farrell has been there and made a success of each and every venture.

His honesty and integrity are exceeded only by his expertise. He founded BFM Enterprises at Dayton, Ohio, in 1959, and built it into one of the surviving Super Seven General Licensers that promote, manufacture and distribute records and motion pictures, videos, CDs and DVDs world wide! It should come as no surprise that his Vandor Motion Pictures, PhonoRecords and Music Publishing Group is the only one of that Super Seven that isn't in debt!

He also is a Master Metaphysician, an accomplished Novelist, Globe Trotter (he helped measure the earth [IGY July 1957-December 1958] with Team II 1959-1966), Inventor, Scalar Scientist, Political and Civil Rights Activist, and Firearms Handling Expert.

Now, while all this sounds a little over the top, I don’t have any reason to dispute any of it, and I’m not sure I would in any event in light of that last item on his resumé. I tend to avoid getting into it with firearms handling experts whenever possible.

Track 21

Rockin’ in a Christmas/New Year, by The Fools (1992)

The Fools

Growing up around Boston when I did, I remember The Fools as a popular novelty-type band that played some unusually good original material and appealed primarily to the area’s large college-age population. Their first hit record was a 1979 take-off on the Talking Heads’ song Psycho Killer called Psycho Chicken. The Fools were signed by EMI the following year, and their first major label single, “It’s a Night for Beautiful Girls,” was a minor hit in markets across the country. The band got additional exposure in the early 1980s as the opening band for both The Knack and Van Halen on their world tours, but they were never quite able to make the big jump to national prominence themselves. There are at least two different versions of Rockin’in a Christmas/New Year, the first of which was released in 1986 and features a completely different set of celebrity party guests than the 1992 version I’ve used in this year’s holiday mix. Frankly, I prefer the earlier version, as it's not only less violent but features cooler celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen and Prince. I used the later release, however, for reasons of sound quality. Both versions remain seasonal favorites on Boston-area radio stations to this day.

Track 20
Holiday Greetings from the Cast of "The Nanny" (1993)

I’ve never been a big fan of prime time network television, and I’m pretty sure I saw only one episode of The Nanny during its original six-season run on CBS. But several years after its network finale, the show was picked up in syndication by Lifetime Television, which started airing it at 7:00 am in place of The Golden Girls. Since I'd grown accustomed to having breakfast with Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia every morning, I left the TV on the same channel after the switch and slowly got used to The Nanny. It's a cute little show that had some mildly amusing moments, and while the story lines were mostly retreads, the characters were nice enough and they became comfortable breakfast companions who didn't mind me reading the news or cleaning the apartment while they were on. I like that in a breakfast date.

Here's the show's pilot episode, which pretty much tells the whole story:

Tomorrow: Rudolph and Tag Along, the guard dog you never knew Santa had.

Gee Whiz ... It's Christmas (Again!), Part 9

Thanks for joining me today as I continue to offer inspired commentary on the 43 tracks from my latest holiday CD, Gee Whiz … It’s Christmas (Again!). We started this endless trek what seems like ages ago -- what? it's only been 10 days? Well, we've made a lot of progress anyway. After today, it'll be 37 down, 6 to go. With gratitude for your courage, I say let's press on!

Track 37

Christmas Lost and Found (Part 9), from Davey and Goliath (1960)

See Comments on Track 6

Track 36

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah, by The Yule Logs (2009)

I’ve always loved this song, and I especially like this version of it by “the hardest working band in snow business,” The Yule Logs, from Chico, California. This high-energy, power pop foursome features Marty Parker on vocals and percussion, Kirt Lind on bass, Jake Sprecher on drums and Maurice Spencer on guitar. These guys have been getting together to play select holiday shows for something like six or seven years, and for the past three years they've celebrated each season by releasing a new album of rockin' holiday tunes. How awesome is that? Each of the three includes a mix of classic and original songs, and, happily, Hanukkah songs are well represented, too. My Track 36 comes from their 2009 self-titled debut album, which was followed in 2010 with Walked with a Reindeer, and, finally – no, let’s not say that – ah, yes, most recently, this year’s new release, You Ruined Christmas. This is an awesome band that deserves our support, especially as they have to pack a whole year’s worth of action into the all-too-short holiday season each year. Check out their website, or consider buying their music on iTunes, CD Baby or amazon. Unfortunately, their last gig for this season is tonight at the Chico Women’s Club (see their website for details), but I trust they’ll be back next year.

Here's a clip of The Yule Logs doing Christmastime Is Here (Again!) from their self-titled debut album:

Track 35

Merry Christmas, Boston, WBCN-FM Boston (1983)

I’m not sure I fully appreciated it at the time, but we had an embarrassment of riches on the radio in Boston when I was growing up. No matter what you were into, there was always at least one great station playing lots of it. As a youngster, I’d listen to whatever station broadcast the Red Sox, which I’m pretty sure was WHDH in those days. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was listening to WEEI-AM, which was a talk radio station before talk radio became big. I loved anything that had to do with politics. (Yeah, I was a nerdy little kid.) By age 13, I’d discovered rock music, and I listened to WBZ-FM every day after school and followed their Top 40 countdowns religiously. But from the time I started college until I left Boston for L.A., my station was WBCN-FM, the “Rock of Boston.” WBCN was one of the first free-form progressive rock stations in the country, which meant that the individual DJs enjoyed relatively wide discretion in deciding what to play. They were especially well known for playing stuff from struggling new and local bands, and the station is credited with helping to launch such groups as the Police, U2, Dire Staits, the J. Giels Band, and the Cars, among others. WBCN's on-air talent included such notable figures as Charles Laquidara, Ken Shelton and Carter Allen, while the gifted Billy West and Tom Sandman created a seemingly endless supply of comedy bits and promos that served as a great complement to the music. “Merry Christmas, Boston” is a track that was played for at least seven or eight years during the holidays, and listening to it makes me a little homesick for those 10°F December days. Not homesick enough to relocate, mind you, but a little wistful anyway. Here it is:



As a special treat for any other former Bostonian BCN junkies out there, here are a few more Billy West/Tom Sandman creations to make you smile:

Christmas in Kenmore Square

WBCN “Rockin’ in Boston” Promo

Selected Kick-Off Songs for Ken Shelton’s Mighty Lunch Hour

Don’t Get a Hearing Aid, You’re in Lynn, MA

With just six tracks left and seven days ‘til Christmas, I figure I can finish my commentary at a pretty leisurely pace. Unless anyone objects, I’m planning to throw in a few other holiday treats over the next week or so. It just doesn’t feel right to slack off too much while Santa and his team are kicking into highest gear.