I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 15 and Out

With Christmas Day just over the horizon it's time to wrap up my review of the 41 tracks on my 20th and most recent holiday compilation, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." I've enjoyed providing a bit of background on the contents of this year's package, and hope I may have introduced you to something new to you. There are only three tracks left to consider, so let's get to it!

Track 39

Raindrops on the Rooftop, Gene Marshall

Back in the 1960s and '70s, ads like the one to the right were often seen in the back of low-brow publications urging readers to submit their original poetry so it could be set to music. What the ads didn't mention was that adding music would cost money, but by the time that was disclosed a good number of the would-be lyricists were willing to spend a couple of hundred bucks to set their words to music. The results — often tragic but always unique — are called "song poems," and I've been collecting them for years. More than a few of these little gems have holiday themes, and I've been sticking them on my annual mixes pretty regularly from my very first compilation. I've posted more than a few times about these song poems, and you can review some of those older posts by using the index in the far-right column. 

The lyrics to this tune were written by one Veta Viola Clark and sung by Gene Marshall, one of the more popular vocalists from the song-poem mills. I was introduced to this tune via one of my favorite offbeat music blogs, Bob Purse's "The Wonderful and the Obscure." In fact, Bob's blog is the only place I was able to find any reference to the song, so I appreciate his diligence in unearthing it and generosity in sharing it. Bob has good things to say about Marshall's performance, which, I agree, is as solid as ever. Indeed, the whole performance comes off well, which isn't always the case in the world of song poems. Yet Bob labels the song a "Christmas [d]owner," which is also true, based on the straightforward words Ms. Clark has penned. While listening to this track, Bob found himself thinking 

what was the writer's intention in putting together this lyric? Because the song is all about how Santa can't go to areas where it's raining and there's no snow.

Presumably the song wasn't intended for those who are past the Santa age, or who were never there to begin with. I would think most songs about Santa's visit (aside from winking ones like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and a few I can think of with very adult themes), are directed straight at those who are actually (and anxiously) awaiting his arrival with parcels of toys.

So, again, why write a song presenting the very real possibility of rain on Christmas Eve, and which states directly that, in that case, Santa simply won't arrive. To play it for the kiddies? And if you do, what if it's raining that night?

I think it's a pretty little number myself, but parents should exercise caution before playing it for young children in areas without snow. 

Gene Merlino

Sadly, I have some further "downer" news to share from The Wonderful and the Obscure blog — namely, the passing of Gene Marshall this past January 8, at the age of 95. Marshall, whose real name was Gene Merlino, led a full and active life outside of his extensive song-poem work. A native of California, he played saxophone and sang for a number of popular touring bands, did extensive session work with a variety of recording artists and regularly appeared on the country's leading variety shows, including The Judy Garland Show, The Carol Burnett Show and the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. In 1967, he won a Grammy award as a member of the Anita Kerr Singers for the 1967 hit "A Man and a Woman." Merlino was also a member of the group that sang the theme for the TV show "Gilligan's Island." He claimed to have recorded as many as 10,000 song poems under the names Gene Marshall and John Muir. He and his talents will be missed.

Check out Gene Merlino's Website via the Internet Archives Wayback Machine

Hear More of Gene Marshall's Song Poems from The Wonderful and the Obscure Blog 

Track 40

Silent Night, Wing (2009)

This is the eighth time I've included a song by New Zealand vocalist Wing on one of my mixes, so I want to salute and thank Wing for her music and her contributions to date. "Silent Night" appears on Wing's 2009 album "Carols, Rap and Sing," along with four other spirited holiday tunes.

I wrote a lengthy post in 2014 about the singer, whose full name is Wing Han Tsang (曾詠韓), and it doesn't appear that she's released any new records since then. Of course, her catalogue already included 20 releases as of ten years ago, so there's no shortage of music available for fans who want to hear more. Moreover, Wing is known for her wide variety of stylings, so listeners can find everything from show tunes to rap to heavy metal among her previous releases. 

With that said, let me get right to this year's selection, which can undoubtedly speak for itself:

Check Out Some of Wing's Previous Releases

Track 41

Written in the Snow, Bruce Haack and Ted Pandel (1976)

I usually like to end each mix with something thoughtful and pretty — something that harkens back to days gone by or reminds us of friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. When I first heard this song, I immediately thought it would be a good choice to place at the end of a holiday mix, and I think it works pretty well at the end of this one.

The song comes from a rather odd album called "Ebenezer Electric," a retelling of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" by experimental composer Bruce Haack with the participation of his frequent collaborator, Ted Pandel.  Best known for the children's records he produced in the 1960s and '70s, Haack's experimental electronic music has received greater recognition recently than it did during his lifetime. He died in New York in 1988.

An only child, Haack grew up in relative isolation in rural Canada. He taught himself piano without the ability to read music, and developed a lifelong interest in synthesizers and electronic music soon after. Although he was admitted to Julliard on full scholarship, he did not fit in there and dropped out before finishing his first year. While at Julliard he met Pandel, who became his roommate and collaborator. While Pandel pursued a more typical classical music education at Julliard, Haack focused more on building his own electronic instruments and writing songs. His work with electronica led to several TV appearances, but Haack had trouble selling his music at first. However, one of his songs, "I Like Christmas," did wind up on the B Side of a 1958 single by singer Teresa Brewer.

Haack eventually took a job as a page at ABC Studios, where he met Chris Kachulis, who became his manager. With Kachulis' help, he had some success selling commercial jingles and the like and produced several lucrative records of music for dance instruction. He also produced a series of children's records that incorporated a variety of musical styles and addressed children with an unusual level of maturity and respect. Haack also completed a project called "The Electric Lucifer," which married electronic and rock styles to tell a story about the war between good and evil. Kachulis got the legendary executive John Hammond to listen to the project, and Hammond arranged for it to be released on Columbia. The album attracted some favorable notice but minimal commercial success.

"Written in the Snow" is a largely unknown record, and it lacks the futuristic and otherworldly sound for which Haack eventually became known. But it has an ethereal beauty that I find especially appealing, and leads one to call up Christmases past and the indelible memories of long-ago holidays. Kind of a neat way to wind things down:

The version of the song that appears on my mix is followed by a surprise, Hidden Track 42, that starts 10 or 12 seconds after the end of "Written in the Snow." It's a little message originally recorded by Stompin' Tom Connor that sums up my own thoughts better than I could do myself. You can hear it HERE. Thanks to all of you who have listened to any of these mixes, and Happy Holidays to all!

Hear the Entire Ebenezer Electric Soundtrack

Listen to Bruce Haack's The Electric Lucifer Album

Read “How Bruce Haack Went From Composing Children’s Music to Making One of Canada’s Weirdest Electronic Albums,” from Vice

I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 13

Today we've got some background on three more tracks from my 2024 holiday compilation, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." I've been posting information on a handful of selections every few days since just after Thanksgiving, and you can find stuff about many of my previous mixes elsewhere on this blog. I've been making these holiday mixes for the past 20 years, and you can learn more about all of them on my holiday music website. Here are today's listings:

Track 34
Getting In The Mood for Christmas, Brian Setzer Orchestra (2000) 

Brian Setzer's musical interests cover a fair stretch of territory, and there's no doubt that holiday tunes have a place near the top of his list of favorite styles. I think of him mostly as the front man for the Stray Cats, the rockabilly group that made a splash in the early '80s with the songs "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town" from their eponymous debut album. But Setzer's career has included forays into a wide array of styles, and he seems to enjoy each twist and turn of the road.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Setzer started out playing jazz in high school before developing an interest in rock and punk. By his early 20s, he'd started to get more into rockabilly and started a band with his brother that ultimately became the Stray Cats. After moving to London, they hooked up with Dave Edmunds, who produced their hit debut album. After the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, Setzer joined Robert Plant's short-lived group the Honeydrippers, followed by work on a couple of blues/rock-style solo records and a tour with George Thorogood. 

By the 1990s, Setzer turned his attention to big-band swing music and formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra (BSO). The group has recorded nine studio albums since 1994 including three Christmas records:  "Boogie Woogie Christmas" (2002), "Dig That Crazy Christmas" (2005), and "Rockin' Rudolph" (2015). In 1999, the BSO won a Grammy award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for its version of the Louis Prima classic "Jump, Jive an' Wail." In recent years, the BSO has launched several holiday-themed tours during the Christmas season, and they've become well known for their performance of big band holiday sounds. 

Setzer was forced to cancel the BSO's planned "Christmas Rocks!" holiday tour on doctor's orders due to a severe case of tinnitus in 2019, and the band has not toured subsequently. Setzer toured with a reunited version of the Stray Cats this past year. At least BSO fans have that group's holiday records and videos to see them through the 2024 holiday season. 

See the Brian Setzer Orchestra Guest Star on the CBS Sitcom "The Nanny" (1997)

Watch the VH1 Music Documentary on Brian Setzer:  Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

Kenmore Square, Boston

Track 35
Christmas in Kenmore Square, Billy West and Tom Sandman for WBCN Boston (1985) 

This track is the third of three WBCN-FM 1980s holiday promos I've included in this year's mix, and it's another of the awesome clips created for the station by Billy West and Tom Sandman. It brings back some great memories for me, not only of WBCN's golden era but also of the Christmas I spent in Kenmore Square myself. 

Although I attended and graduated college in Baltimore, I spent my junior year in a special program on urban government at Boston University. I had a dorm room in a complex known as The Towers on Bay State Road, and as I recall I spent nearly the entire holiday vacation on or around campus. I loved being in Boston that year, and I was starting to get into live music in a big way and enjoyed being able to hang out at clubs like The Rat, Spit and The Paradise without the crowds of students from outside of Boston that typically filled the Square when school was in session. It was a crazy time. Ronald Reagan had just been elected president, John Lennon had just been killed, and there was all sorts of amazing music in the air. Bruce Springsteen released his double-album masterpiece "The River" in November, and I played that album, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy," and "Remain in Light" by the Talking Heads almost non-stop — also "Catholic Boy," the debut album by The Jim Carroll Band, and a bunch of great local bands including Third Rail, The Neighborhoods, Ron Scarlett and more.

Billy West

As this is the last of this year's WBCN promos, I should add at least a couple of words about the two guys responsible for them. Billy West was hired by the station primarily as a voice actor, and he worked there from roughly 1980 until 1988. He voiced various characters for the "Mattress Mishigas" feature that wound down Charles Laquidara's "Big Mattress" show each morning, and he created promos and other comedy bits for the station. A native of Boston's Roslindale neighborhood, West also played in a band called The Shutdowns during this period. After leaving WBCN, West became a regular on the Howard Stern program on K-Rock Radio 92.3 FM in New York, voicing a wide array of characters from Johnny Carson and Rudy Giuliani to Lucille Ball and Sammy Davis, Jr. In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles and became a successful voice actor and performer for film and television. He's probably best known for his work on The Ren and Stimpy Show, Futurama and Doug.

Tom Sandman

Tom Sandman  started his radio career in 1973 working at his college radio station at the University of Cincinnati. From there he took a job doing an overnight show on the local public radio station, followed by work as a production specialist at Cincinnati's leading album-oriented rock station, WEBN. Wanting to expand his horizons, he applied for jobs at a variety of larger stations and received an offer from WBCN in September 1982. As he later explained,

What's interesting is that both [WEBN and WBCN] also had, from day one, a commitment to offbeat, creative, eccentric, weird, humorous production — produced elements in between the records, some of them commercials, but some of them not commercials — just production for the sake of entertainment, image production. That also attracted me to 'BCN, and I had a very happy and productive eight years there.

Here's another great holiday promo Sandman and West created for WBCN, "Christmas in Kenmore Square":

Track 36
Merry Christmas Santa Claus, Max Headroom (1986) 

I remember first hearing about Max Headroom in early 1987, by way of a single off-hand comment by one of the reporters at a small monthly newspaper I edited in Boston. It's funny the things we remember about people. This reporter was a bright, interesting and all-around terrific guy and the one thing I remember most clearly about him was his telling me that he'd seen the first episode of the Max Headroom show on TV the night before and thought it was really funny. No reflection on him, but I have yet to see a single episode.

Max Headroom

The U.S. version of Max Headroom was a mid-season replacement that aired on ABC beginning March 31, 1987. Based on a British TV movie, the show takes place in the future, when the world is controlled by a powerful web of television networks. Investigative reporter Edison Carter is the last remaining check on the hegemony of the networks. Despite his network employment, Carter files a series of inside reports on their many abuses of power. Fearful of his safety, Carter attempts to flee but is seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Carter's brain is downloaded onto a computer, from which he can  communicate, albeit with occasional glitches of stuttering. The computerized version of Carter adopts the name Max Headroom, as the last thing the real Carter saw before his accident was a moveable gate in the parking garage bearing those words of warning.

The series did well enough in its first half season to be picked up for the fall, but scheduled opposite Dallas and Miami Vice it was pulled before the end of the year.

Max remained a cultural icon of sorts even after his show was cancelled. There was something about a computer-generated character stuttering as his data buffers that portended a dangerous future, and who doesn't enjoy an occasional preview of our dystopian future? But Max Headroom never quite achieved the same sort of cachet in this country that he had in Britain a short time earlier.

Before invading American shores, the British producers of the show even scored with their own holiday special, the "Max Headroom Giant Christmas Turkey Special, which aired in late 1986. It was from that special that Track 37 from this year's mix was commissioned as a limited edition 7" single on Chrysalis Records. Enjoy:

For those brave folks who can handle it, here's the complete "Max Headroom Giant Christmas Turkey Special" for your holiday enjoyment:

There's been talk of a Max Headroom reboot now in production at AMC. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that.

We must also wait and see about my reports on the remaining five tracks from this year's mix. They'll be posted before Christmas, but I can't say exactly when. Mystery makes life more interesting.

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 suffered through PinkFong's "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 parenting friends patiently explained to me. Similarly, I can't claim to know too about the popular PBS children's show "Shining Time Station," which I understand was inspired by a British program called "Thomas the Tank Engine." "Shining Time Station" first ran on PBS from 1989 through 1993, with subsequent reruns on Nick, Jr. and a variety of other cable and streaming services.

"Shining Time Station" is as popular with educators and parents as it is with children. 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." True enough.

During the show's first season, the key role of the train conductor was played by Ringo Starr, who  was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award for his work. Starr was replaced at the start of the second season by comedian George Carlin, and a holiday special featured both gentlemen was produced to bridge the transition. 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 have enjoyed their work for years. 

I first heard of Carlin as a kid in summer camp when an older camper regaled us with 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 he was unfailingly courageous. He told truth to power and got away with it, for the most part, because he draped his biting observations in comic clothing. In describing religion as "the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims" (his "religion is bull****" rant) he took aim at the clergy with memorable precision. 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 knew Ringo as the drummer for one of my two favorite bands, The Beatles. (I also loved The Monkees.) 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 both staying power and class. 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. 

I included a song of Ringo's, "C'mon Christmas," on my 2008 mix "Home for the Holidays." I've also featured a couple of songs about Ringo — "Ringo Bells" by Three Blonde Mice, also from my 2008 mix, and "Ringo Deer" by Gary Ferrier from my 2016 mix "Let It Snow." 

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)

Hear George Carlin Tell Johnny Carson About His Arrest for Saying the Seven Dirty Words

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 (his wife) on the washboard and Jacob Powell on drums. This song served as my introduction to the group. I'd received the album "A Very Standard Christmas" as a gift in 2006, and it featured this one as well as Harley Poe's "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.

I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 11

We're continuing to examine the 41 tracks on my 20th and latest holiday music compilation, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today," and today I have some background on two more tracks, each of which touch on U.S. politics in the 1970s and '80s. 

Track 29
The Night Before Watergate, Rich Little (1973) 

This short track is another clip from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the second of three on this year's mix. It was taped on November 30, 1973, which is just over 51 years ago, and it features a guy whom Carson refers to as "probably the finest impressionist in the business" at the time — Rich Little. I was a big fan of Mr. Little back then, based largely on his impressions of Richard Nixon, whom I actively disliked. While most of my family was Republican, my maternal grandmother loathed Richard Nixon as did the woman who took care of my brother and me after our mother was killed, and these two smart women persuaded me that Nixon was bad news. I avidly followed the Watergate scandal throughout junior high. When I was 13, I won my school's citizenship award and was thrilled to receive a bound volume of the Senate Watergate Committee transcripts as my prize.  Of course, most of the country was following Watergate then, and Rich Little was getting lots of work doing his Nixon impressions. As Little explains in the clip, he used to do a version of "The Night Before Christmas" each year, and with the public's attention focused on Nixon's problems, his Christmas story for 1973 was called "The Night Before Watergate":

I've set the clip (above) to start at the beginning of the selection I chose to include in this year's mix. but I urge you to watch the tape from the beginning to see Little's entrance, get a sense of the in-house NBC Orchestra, and hear about the other guests on that evening's show.

Rich Little is still alive, and recently celebrated his 86th birthday. He was probably at or near the high point of his career around the time this show was taped. Throughout the rest of the 1970s and '80s, he was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show and occasionally guest hosted for Carson. He frequently appeared at various venues in Las Vegas and ultimately relocated there, and maintained active television and touring schedules. Born in Canada, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2010. I was sorry to learn recently that he considers himself a Republican and thought Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

 

I can't help but compare the public's reaction to the Watergate scandal with our current political climate. Back then, reports of the alleged bugging of the Democratic National Committee in June of 1972 received scant coverage at first, allowing President Nixon to win reelection by a landslide that fall. But when evidence emerged suggesting that Nixon may have participated in covering-up Republican involvement in the break-in, Congress, the media, the FBI and others began thorough investigations.  Once Nixon was found to have lied about his role in the cover-up, it was over. His political support evaporated overnight, with even most Republican leaders demanding his resignation. This year, by contrast, we have just elected a twice-impeached, convicted felon who has committed far greater transgressions than Nixon and whose entire campaign was based on lies, hatred and revenge. His recent appointments consist of unqualified, corrupt stooges eager to destroy the departments they are supposed to lead. Yet even as he sets himself up as a de facto dictator, the institutions that should be protecting us appear uninterested or unable to stop the impending madness. I'm heartbroken, and left to wonder how we could have fallen so far so fast.

Maybe we should look to some of our comedians for help, as we did a half century ago. I'm just not sure Rich Little's going to be much help this time around.

Track 30
The Night Ronald Reagan Rode with Santa Claus, Red River Dave (1984) 

"Red River" Dave McEnery

This next track is (or should be) a genuine Christmas classic, for it tells the story of the night Ronald Reagan accompanied Santa Claus as he delivered toys to the children of the United States. I discovered this one on The World's Worst Records, an aptly named website, subtitled "An Arcade of Audio Atrocities." The song was written and performed by a feller named Dave Largus McEnery (1914-2002), a Texas native who became known as "Red River Dave" because he enjoyed singing the classic ballad "Red River Valley."

Described by the Old Time Blues website as "[o]ne of the true blue, larger-than-life Texas characters," McEnery 

tried his hand at just about every occupation that appealed to him at one point or another: prolific songwriter, blue yodeler, rodeo cowboy, television personality, real estate agent, Shriner, ventriloquist, fine artist, truck stop preacher, and many, many more. 

He launched his career doing rope tricks and singing western songs at rodeos in and around San Antonio before migrating to the East Coast. He found work at a series of radio stations singing and playing western music. He started making records in 1940 for the Decca label and went on to become a prolific recording artist, creating dozens of discs of traditional cowboy songs and popular standards.

During the 1950s and '60s, his material evolved to include topical social commentary and tributes to dead celebrities. This is the stuff he's perhaps best known for today. As the Old Times Blues site explains,  

[h]is songs increasingly reflected his patriotic, conservative, and staunchly anti-communist politics, as heard in such numbers as “The Bay of Pigs,” “The Great Society,” and “The Ballad of John Birch.”  For a time in the mid-1960s, Dave turned his attention toward being a “dynamic real estate salesman,” even billing himself on contemporaneous records as “Singing Cowboy Realtor.”  Though sales of his private press 45 RPM singles were usually fairly poor, Dave continued to record and publish his old-time yodeling songs about current events all the way into the 1980s, with numbers like “The Pine-Tarred Bat (Ballad of George Brett),” “The Ballad of E.T.,” and “The Night Ronald Reagan Rode with Santa Claus.”  In total, McEnery penned more than a thousand songs over the course of his life, many of which were never commercially recorded, and are now likely lost to time; in one 1946 publicity stunt, he wrote fifty-two songs in twelve hours while handcuffed to a piano.  Later in his life, he broadened his horizons to include oil painting, usually western landscapes, which he sometimes sold.  

This track was released in 1984 on Beautiful America Records, backed with a song called, "Santa's Watchdog, Archibald," both of which can be heard on and/or downloaded from the World's Worst Records site HERE. 

I suppose any true patriot would be stirred by the notion of Santa and Ronald Reagan joining forces, which is why this track is so powerful. Even a quick look at the lyrics should quicken the pulse of any true-blue American:

It was the night before Christmas at Santa’s abode,

The cold wind was whistlin’ down the old Arctic Road,

Reindeer were prancin’ out there in the snow,

And Santa’s big sleigh was all ready to go.

 

When out from the snow storm there rode a tall man,

The cowboy dismounted, extended his hand and said,

I’m Ronald Reagan, I hope it’s alright,

I’d like very much, sir, to join you tonight.

I’m bringing some presents, some items of truth,

That I want to give to America’s youth,

Oh, ho! chuckled Santa, of course I know you,

I gave you a pony the year you were two.

 

Why, you’re Ronald Reagan,

Of course, it’s alright,

I’m happy to have you on my journey tonight

We’re proud of you, Ronnie. You’re on the right track,

Now what’s in your saddlebag? What’s in your pack?

 

Why you’ve got mementoes of America there,

There’s Washington crossing the Old Delaware,

And miniature replicas of the Liberty Bell,

And prints of the Star Spangled Banner as well.

 

And pictures of patriots long in their graves,

And Abe’s proclamation that freed all the slaves,

And framed constitutions to hang on the wall,

And statues of liberty, nine inches tall.

 

And flags called old glory. Oh, God bless her name,

And little toy Alamos and the Battleship Maine,

And copies of music, well there’s “Over There,”

And “God Bless America,”

And manuscripts rare.

 

Son, you’ve brought some keepsakes more precious than gold,

For they tell the story of our country of old,

America’s creed and the great Declaration,

Of the 4th of July that made us a nation.

 

Why your pack’s a treasure,

I’m so glad you came,

To help me deliver such gifts in the name,

Of honor and liberty and freedom so sweet,

Ronald Reagan, this Christmas will never be beat.

 

Quick Dasher, quick Dancer, quick Vixen of old,

Yes, we’ve got a story that’s worth being told,

Get moving old Rudolph, start leading the way,

This Christmas we’re boosting the great USA!

 

With a dash on the wind they flew into the night,

Ronald Reagan and Santa Claus, holding on tight,

The sleigh bells were playing Yankee Doodle in time,

And here’s what I heard Santa shout down the line.

 

Merry Christmas, America, it’s time to renew,

Your pledge of allegiance to the red, white and blue,

And we found a new spirit in America because

One night Ronald Reagan flew with old Santa Claus.

I'm not sure there's much more to be said about that — at least not until someone finds a way to add Donald Trump to the mix. (If you want a real acid trip. try playing this song at a very slow speed.)

In his later years, Dave leaned real hard into the dead celebrity thing, releasing post mortems on Bing Crosby, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Lee Harvey Oswald, Sharon Tate, Amelia Earhart and Elvis Presley's mother, Gladys. He recorded a tribute to kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst when she was feared dead, but the discovery that Hearst helped her captors pull a bank heist kind of killed the mood for that tribute. He released the song anyway. I believe it's sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." (Listen HERE.)

In the end, of course, McEnery himself was called to follow the celebrities he'd honored in song. He died on January 15, 2002 at the age of 87. All told, he led a rather interesting life.

Hear Red River Dave's "California Hippie Murders"

Hear Red River Dave's "The Ballad of Emmett Till"

Read McEnery's obituary in The Guardian

Hope you're keeping happy and warm and have finished at least some of your holiday shopping. I'll be back now and again over the coming days with background on the 11 remaining tracks from this year's mix.

I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 10

We're in the process of reviewing the 41 tracks on my 20th annual holiday mix, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today," and it's time now to look at the next couple of tracks:

Track 27
Rock 'n' Roll Santa, Jan Terri (1994) 

Jan Terri

I first posted about Jan Terri in 2017, when I included one of her songs in my "It's Christmas Time Again" mix. The song I used that year was "Excuse My Christmas," and it's a real piece of work. Like many of Jan's records, my initial reaction to it was severe cringe. But slowly it grew on me, as her songs sometimes do. My reaction to "Rock 'n' Roll Santa" was pretty much the same, though I'd say that of these two tunes, this year's selection is the better of the two.

A native of Chicago, Jan comes from a musical family. As a child, she reportedly played in a local jug band with her mother, while her father performed in various Chicago clubs wearing blackface as "Black Elvis." After finishing school, Jan worked a variety of jobs and tried to make it as a musician. Whatever extra money she earned was invested in studio time and equipment, and she fashioned several crude music videos to promote her songs. While working as a limousine driver, she became friendly with a local advertising executive, who gave one of her videos to Marilyn Manson, the controversial shock rock artist who hit it big in the mid-'90s with such songs as "The Dope Show." Manson was taken with Jan's work, noting that her simple, frumpish lyrics and brash, unpolished style combined to form something greater than the sum of their parts. The IMDb website echoes this theme in its write-up of Jan, whom it describes as an "[e]ndearingly bad amateur Italian-American singer/songwriter."

Short (5' 1"), plain, and dumpy, with a gratingly nasal off-key voice and a strangely engaging abrasive, yet earnest persona, Jan possesses a certain lovably ham-fisted charm that makes her essentially the latter-day equivalent to notorious ‘60s freak celebrity old lady singer Mrs. Miller.

Any wonder why I like her?

In any case, Manson arranged for Jan to open for several of his Chicago area shows, which led to an appearance on "The Daily Show" in 2000. Sadly, the publicity failed to deliver any offers of a record contract, but it did help her develop a modest cult following.  

It's not exactly clear when "Rock 'n' Roll Santa" was officially released. I've seen reports that it was originally included on her 2013 album "High Risk," though it doesn't appear on the latest version of that LP. I've also read that it was first released as a single in 2012, so that's the release date I'm going with. This tune also appears on her 2014 album "Holiday Songs," which includes "Excuse My Christmas" and songs about Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween and April 15 — the day income taxes are due. 

So without further ado, here's this year's Jan Terri selection, presented by way of the video that accompanied her single release 12 years ago:

 

Jan performed the song live on the cable access show Chic-a-go-go in 1996, and fortunately for us, it was captured for posterity and posted on YouTube. Be sure to watch this one to the end as an exclusive interview with the artist herself follows the performance: 

You can read my first post about Jan Terri from 2017 HERE. Since I posted that first report, Jan's released a new album called "Songs for Hope," which came out two years ago. She's also got a couple of TikTok accounts under the names jan.terri and janterri1, although, sadly, they feature some rather blunt medical updates that are tough to hear. On a more positive note, I learned through one of Jan's  TikTok posts that she recently performed a show at Tone Deaf Records in Chicago. Clips are available on Jan's YouTube channel. Whatever critics think of her music, there's little doubt that Jan's a cool lady who loves life, so we're pleased to send along warm holiday wishes and hopes for a happy and healthier 2025.

Purchase "Songs for Hope" or One of Jan's Other Albums via the Bandcamp Music Site

Watch the documentary "Jan Terri:  No Rules" on the NightFlight+ Streaming Service

Listen to Jan Terri's Complete Discography

Watch Jan Terri's Complete Interview with Jim Norton and Sam Roberts

Order an Autographed Picture of Jan or Personalized Video or Phone Message

Track 28
Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal, Artist Unknown (from Home Alone 2) (1994)

I'm embarrassed to say that I can't share much information about this next track, which I ran across among a bunch of other short clips in a catch-all folder on my computer last month. I often save files there without any identifying information thinking I'll be able to retrace my steps later on. Well, that's what happened here, and now it's too late to remove the track from the mix. I'll update this post if I can identify who's responsible for the track at some time in the future, and I'm confident that at some point I will.

I can tell you that the clip is an excerpt from the popular 1992 film Home Alone 2, and that whoever created this beefed-up version of it did so two years later. Of course, the heart of the track is the line "Merry Christmas, you filthy animal," which the character played by Macaulay Culkin lifts off a TV movie as we can see in this clip from the film:

The maker of the track I've used reworked the quote in question so that it appears several times with some additional heft added to each repetition. Here's what you'll hear when you play Track 28 on my mix:

We've looked at 28 of the 41 tracks and have 13 more to review. See you back here again soon.

I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Part 9

I started this blog to share information about the tracks on my annual holiday compilations, and we're currently in the midst of reviewing the 41 tracks on my 20th holiday mix, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." We're now more than half-way through this year's mix and today we'll be looking at Tracks 22 through 26. Here we go!

Track 22
Holiday Greetings, William Shatner 

I don't know that I've ever seen a full episode of Star Trek or even a partial episode of T.J. Hooker on TV. I've watched none of the Star Trek movies and only a few bits and pieces of Boston Legal, although I keep meaning to watch more of that show since I did practice law in Boston for a number of years. Come to think of it, the only programs I can recall seeing William Shatner in are his Saturday Night Live appearance with the Sweeney Sisters that I wrote about last week and his two appearances on the original Twilight Zone series — "Nick of Time" from Season 2 and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" from Season 5. Still, I'm crazy about the guy, especially because he's now 93 years old and still going strong. I stuck in this five-second holiday greeting strictly as a brief homage. Shatner's worked in a variety of media, kept busy throughout his career and while he takes his work seriously he's never taken himself too seriously, as we can see from the following rendition of the Elton John classic "Rocket Man," which Shatner performed in 1972 following an introduction by Bernie Taupin, who penned the song's lyrics:

Shatner's performance takes on special significance when you consider that in 2021 he became the oldest man to fly into space when he embarked on a suborbital Blue Origin flight at the age of 90 with Star Trek enthusiast and Blue Origin creator Jeff Bezos. I tell you, there's just no stopping William Shatner.

Track 23
Krampus Is an Evil Man, AAIIEE (2013) 

Krampus

While the predominant American image of Santa Claus has changed over the years (as I noted last week), he's generally seen as a kind and generous soul whose raison d'etre is delivering gifts to well-behaved children throughout the world. Because he sees kids when they're sleeping and knows when they're awake, Santa knows if they've been bad or good and dispenses gifts accordingly. The worst punishment he can inflict is leaving a lump of coal in a child's stocking — disappointing, but hardly catastrophic. There's a competing folk character,  however who metes out far more severe forms of punishment. Conceived in Germany and recognized in many European countries, this horned, anthropomorphic figure is known as Krampus, and he rounds up young miscreants on Christmas Eve, throws them in sacks and beats them with sticks. 

I first learned about Krampus by way of David Sedaris' story "6 to 8 Black Men," which appears in his 2004 collection "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim." Seriously, if you haven't read this story or heard Sedaris recount it, it's worth your time to do so. Links appear below.

Krampus' origins are the subject of some debate, but the notion of an evil character who invades the winter solstice goes back many centuries. Sometime in the 17th century, many realized that it didn't look good for Santa's precursor, St. Nicholas, to be dishing out punishment to naughty children. He was, after all, a saint. The idea emerged that St. Nicholas need to have a helper who could inflict whatever pain was required, and Krampus was assigned to do the job. 

During World War II, the ruling fascists forbid any discussion of Krampus. I guess they figured that when it came to dispensing punishment they were more qualified than any made-up character. Things changed after the war. For example, the new government of Austria took to circulating leaflets titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man," which warned parents that evoking this character might lead to serious trauma, and surely everyone had had enough of that. Around 2000, however, Krampus experienced a revival of sorts, and he's lately begun to appear with increasing frequency at holiday celebrations throughout Europe. These have mostly been fanciful appearances to date — tongue in cheek, if you will. But given the troubles some European countries are currently experiencing, one wonders what sorts of duties Krampus might ultimately be asked to perform.

This track was recorded by the Seattle-based band whose name is depicted by the symbol at left. I think Prince did something similar some years later, didn't he? symbol at left. Somewhere along the way the symbol was translated into English as AAIIEE, which seems to have led only to additional confusion. 

The band was conceived and first started playing together in 1981 and is comprised of Johnny Vinyl on guitar, vocals and keyboards; Jeff Larson on bass and vocals; Brent Petty on drums, and Greg Stumph on guitar and vocals. While the band's maintained this same basic line-up from its founding, the members' outside pursuits and travels have led to a number of lengthy hiatuses over the years. They do not seem to have ever formally dissolved, but the "Gigs and News" page on the group's website lists nothing noteworthy after 2012.

AAIIEE

I first discovered "Krampus Is an Evil Man" on the album "Christmas Boogie Woogie:  Ten Years of Green Monkey Christmas," a truly offbeat collection of holiday mayhem that you can preview or purchase on Bandcamp HERE. I love the eerie and rather frightening sound of this track; in fact, along with "Christmas Party" and one track yet to be introduced, "Krampus Is an Evil Man" is one of my three favorite tracks on this year's collection.

Check out AAIIEE's Website

Read "6 to 8 Black Men," by David Sedaris

Hear David Sedaris Read "6 to 8 Black Men"

Buy "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," by David Sedaris on amazon.com

Tracks 24 and 26
Judy Garland Holiday Greetings, Judy Garland (1963) 

I included these tracks with a certain amount of misgiving because I'm a big fan of Judy Garland and I don't mean to ridicule her for requiring three takes to record a short holiday greeting. Garland is said to have suffered from drug dependency for much of her life, and I don't mean to make light of that either, as this is an affliction that can affect any of us and in her case it appears to have arisen in part because of the heavy demands placed on her by movie studio executives who sought to take maximum advantage of her talents and celebrity. Ultimately, I chose to include this recording, divided into two separate tracks, because it demonstrates that taping any message is difficult work and getting things right often involves more than one attempt. 

Track 24 is Garland's first attempt at recording the greeting. It ends badly, as she laughingly admits. 

Track 26 consists of the next two attempts, the first of which is unusable because she fails to include a mention of the holidays. "She's aware of that," says someone — possibly the director. On the next attempt, she gets it right.

I should note that I took some dramatic license in presenting these takes as I did. In reality, what I label "Take 1" was Garland's second take, and my "Take 2" was actually her first attempt. You can see the real recording of all three takes in their proper order HERE. 

Garland began her film career in 1936 at the age of 14 in the film "Pigskin Parade." She became a huge international star three years later with her portrayal of Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," and went on to complete an additional two dozen features for MGM at the rate of around three a year over the next decade. Released from MGM in 1950, Garland was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress for her role in the 1954 Warner Brothers film "A Star Is Born," and Best Supporting Actress for the 1961 film "Judgment at Nuremberg" for United Artists. In the 1960s, Garland's focus shifted from movies to sound recordings, live performances and television. In 1969, she died from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills at the age of  47. 

Here's Judy performing a Christmas medley with Jack Jones and her daughter, Liza Minnelli, from her 1963 holiday TV special:

And here's Judy's moving performance of "'Till After the Holidays" on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, from December 17, 1968:

Garland was an enormous talent whose life included both magnificent achievements and terrible challenges. She was a warm and empathetic personality whose performances always seemed to include a certain measure of human frailty, which earned her the allegiance of fans who faced challenges in their own lives. She was revered by members of the nascent GBLTQ community in the 1960s, and was among the first performers to acknowledge and appreciate her many gay fans. Judy Garland was surely one of a kind, and she will be long remembered for her incredible talents and the body of wonderful work she left behind. 

Track 25
Mighty Lunch Hour with the WBCN Chipmunks, Tom Sandman for WBCN Boston (1986) 

(L to R): Shelton, Parenteau and Laquidara

I wrote several days ago about Billy West and Tom Sandman, the gifted producers who created a variety of unforgettable sketches, characters and promos for rock radio station WBCN-FM in Boston during the 1980s. Track 25 on this year's mix was recorded to kick off one of the thousand or more "Mighty Lunch Hours" hosted by legendary Boston DJ Ken Shelton during his 10+ years at WBCN. Shelton's show aired weekdays from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, sandwiched between Charles Laquidara's "Big Mattress" program (6:00 to 10:00 am) and Mark Parenteau's afternoon show (2:00 to 6:00 pm). As I recall, this line-up was in place for most of the 1980s.

Shortly before 12 noon each weekday, Ken would play a short intro piece featuring a reworked version of a well-known song altered to emphasize some lunch-related theme. For example, the Temptations' classic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was reworked as "Papa Ate a Chicken Bone"; David Bowie's "This Is Not America" became "This Is Not a Hamburger"; and "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen became "Lunch on Fire." Sandman and West created hundreds of similar parodies, and they helped to make the "Mighty Lunch Hour" a daily Boston tradition. 

This track, of course, was a take-off of the 1958 novelty record "The Chipmunks Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)", which I posted about last year. This Tom Sandman creation features DJs Laquidara, Shelton and Parenteau as chipmunks bickering about who works the hardest and clamoring for something good for lunch. I didn't include the entire promo in my mix, but here's the full version of the song as it appeared on Shelton's "Mighty Lunch Hour":

Shelton got his start as the floor manager for WBZ-TV's children's show "Boomtown," with Rex Trailer. From there he migrated to WBZ-FM, where he got the nickname "Captain Ken," by which many fans still think of him today. After WBZ-FM became fully automated in 1975, Shelton worked for WCOZ-FM, WEEI-FM, and finally WBCN, where he replaced Matt Siegel in 1980. Shelton had a friendly, relatively mature style at WBCN. He always impressed me as a true student of rock who could both recognize new talent and play the very best stuff from the past. 

"Captain" Ken Shelton

In addition to the Mighty Lunch Hour, Shelton's show also included a daily "Coffee Break" at 10:30 each morning, which featured listener requests phoned in from workplaces throughout Greater Boston. You can hear his regular "Coffee Break" jingle HERE. 

Things at WBCN started to go south in the 1990s. Shelton left in 1993 to assume morning drivetime duties for WZLX-FM, which became a classic rock station after it was purchased by Infinity Broadcasting. Laquidara left three years later when his morning slot was turned over to Howard Stern's syndicated program out of New York. By the 2000s, the station was a mere shadow of its former self, and in 2009 it was taken off the air entirely. Boston's 104 FM is now a sports station.

I don't listen to radio much anymore. Most stations have limited playlists of comprised of unobjectionable dreck selected by corporate functionaries and played by unctuous automatons amidst seemingly endless stretches of idiotic ads. Stations had distinct personalities in the 20th century, individual DJs played terrific tunes based on their particular tastes and the music was authentic and imaginative. You kids don't have any idea how good it really was.

Hear More Themes from WBCN's "Mighty Lunch Hour," with "Captain" Ken Shelton

Hear Still More "Mighty Lunch Hour" Themes from WBCN-FM

Hear a Bunch of Classic WBCN Radio Airchecks Via The Internet Archive

Read More About Ken Shelton from the One Music Museum of New England

We've got 15 tracks yet to discuss from this year's compilation and 15 days to go before Christmas, not counting today. I'll be back with more someday soon.