Christmas Cheer - Part 7

Three weeks to go until the Big Day, and I'm back with a little information about the next three tracks from my latest holiday mix, Christmas Cheer:

Track 20
Hanukkah Mambo, The Yule Logs (2012)

This is the fourth song I’ve included in my annual mixes from The Yule Logs, a band based in Chico, California. Known as the “hardest working band in snow business” and the “greatest Christmas band of all time,” The Yule Logs have made spirits bright each holiday season for close to 20 years with their festive brand of original holiday songs and storied live performances.

Based in Chico, California, the band consists of Kirt Lind, Marty Parker, Jake Sprecher, and Maurice Spencer. In addition to their traditional string of live shows during the holiday season, The Yule Logs have released six albums of mostly original material, all of which is top-quality and lots of fun to boot. 

Unfortunately, late last year the band announced in a social media post that they were calling it quits:

Hey friends. As you may have heard, we’ve decided to call it a day as a band. Time marches on, ya know? Thank you so much for 17 amazing seasons. Take care, and see you around town.

I’m disappointed because I never did get to see them perform live, and because I was looking forward to another album or two. But they leave a rich legacy and they did provide lots of folks with a great deal of fun and merriment.

I’ve included songs by The Yule Logs on three of my previous mixes. This one’s the fourth, and it’s also the second Hanukkah tune. I try to include Hanukkah and Kwanzaa songs in my compilations when I can, although it isn’t always easy to find strong entries. Fortunately, The Yule Logs have released a number of great Hanukkah tunes over the years.

I’m posting two mini players, below, featuring two of The Yule Logs albums — The Yule Logs (2009), which includes “Hanukkah Mambo,” and their most recent release, Fezziwig (2021). There’s also a link to their Bandcamp site, where, for a limited time, you can purchase all six of their albums for just $22.50. That would be a deal at twice the price! 

Buy All Six of The Yule Logs' Holiday Albums from Bandcamp for Only $22.50 (for a limited time)

Track 21
The Red Skidoo, Lee Scott (c. 1976)

Track 21 is another song-poem (surprise!), produced by the Columbine publishing mill and credited to Ms. Lee Scott. This tune was featured on Columbine’s compilation “The Now Sounds of Today,” which was released sometime around 1976. The lyrics were penned by Myrtle Moorhouse, who seems to have been smitten by a handsome man she saw riding a red skidoo. It’s not a Christmas song per se, but it’s got a skidoo in it and those require snow and winter weather — so what the heck! Truth be told, I’d say that Ms. Moorhouse wasn’t thinking so much about Christmas when she scrawled out these lyrics. We all know what good ol’ Myrtle had on her mind.

I don’t have much more to offer in the way of background on this track; about all I can do is point you toward some additional tunes Lee Scott performed. (WARNING:  Most of Ms. Scott’s other performances fall short of the standard she set with “The Red Skidoo.” If that doesn’t frighten you, well, you’re made of strong stuff, indeed.) Some of her material is available through the links listed below. Additional titles appear HERE.

Columbine apparently offered its customers a little more than just a 45 RPM pressing of their joint efforts. They also produced hundreds of compilation albums like “The Now Sounds of Today,” most with equally exciting titles. This was no doubt intended to suggest they were committed to promoting and not merely creating the various tunes they produced. God knows what they did with these compilation albums once they rolled off the presses. I can’t believe many of them were sold or that anyone actually paid much attention to them, but you can usually find lots of them on sale via eBay “for a song.”

Listen to “The Red Skidoo,” by Lee Scott

Listen to “Strange, Cold Feeling,” by Lee Scott

Listen to “Generation Gap,” by Lee Scott

Listen to “Blue Jean, String Bean, by Lee Scott

Track 22
Holiday Greetings from Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez is a singer, dancer, choreographer and activist who’s appeared in more than 40 feature films and 70 television shows. A Brooklyn native of Puerto Rican ancestry, Perez first captured the public’s attention playing Tina in Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing.” The following year, she started a four-year run as a dancer and choreographer on the Fox sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” She handled the choreography for a number of popular music videos by artists including Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and Bobby Brown.

Perez was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her work in the 1993 film Fearless, and also starred in “White Men Can’t Jump,” starring Wesley Snipes. She made her Broadway debut in 2002 in Terrence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.” In 2014-15 Perez served as panelist and co-host on The View.

Perez is also known for her activism and charitable work, particularly around Puerto Rican rights, HIV/AIDS prevention and support for the arts. She’s been a busy and productive woman over the past 30+ years, and yet she still had the time to pass along her holiday greetings.

That’s all for today. I’ll be back soon with more.

 

C'est Noel, Part 8 (Tracks 21-23)

Here's some background and random thoughts about the next three tracks from my 2013 holiday mix, C'est Noel!:

Track 23
WrestleMania Christmas, by The Yule Logs (2011)
I've posted previously about The Yule Logs, a great group from Chico, California billed as "the hardest working band in snow business." This track is from their 2011 album You Ruined Christmas, and, according to the band's drummer, Jake Sprecher, it's based on a true story:

When I was six years old I desperately wanted WrestleMania for Nintendo, as I was obsessed with the WWF. Christmas day at my Gram's house I began snooping under the tree till I found what I was certain was a video game, and tore part of the wrapping to be sure. Indeed it was WrestleMania. But then I had something of a freak-out, and decided that instead of being caught red-handed, I would take the present out to the backyard and bury it in the dirt. Later that evening as our entire family was opening presents, my Gram confusedly said something to the effect of, "Jacob, I think you're missing a present." I tried to play it off, ran out back and unearthed WrestleMania. I then brought it back inside and promptly began to weep like the child that I was.

Touching story, huh? Well, not really. But The Yule Logs have no peers when it comes to putting out first-rate holiday music, featuring both classic and original tunes. This song's a good example of that, and I urge you to buy one or more of their records to brighten your home during the holidays. The MUSIC page on their website contains a list of available albums, and you'll find links to various online vendors under each of the album pictures.

I used to love professional wrestling myself when I was a kid, although that was before wrestling really caught on in the 1980s. Back in my day, wrestling was a cheaper and more tawdry affair starring fat, out-of-shape villains; crazy, ill-tempered "managers" and a svelte, pre-steroid version of Vince McMahon, who played the role of a mild-mannered announcer. In honor of the good old days, here's an old-fashioned recipe for holiday cookies from the craziest of the crazy managers, the late "Captain" Lou Albano. (CAUTION: Do NOT make these cookies at home, or anywhere else for that matter.)  If you watch carefully, you'll see a very brief cameo by McMahon at the 0:30 mark, and a longer, more twisted appearance by former villain George (the "Animal") Steele:




Track 22
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, by Wing (2006)

I've used 398 different songs on my various holiday mixes to date, but only a handful of performers show up on the cumulative track list more than once. Six different songs by Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow have appeared on previous mixes I've circulated, which puts him in first place, followed by William Hung and Wing, who are tied for second place with four appearances each. This year's mix includes the fourth track I've used from Wing, which she calls "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," also known simply as "White Christmas." The song was written by Irving Berlin in 1941, although there's apparently some dispute about where it was written. Several reports suggest it was written at the La Quinta Hotel in California's Coachella Valley, although Phoenix's Arizona Biltmore Hotel claims Berlin wrote it there. There appears to be general agreement about where and when it was first performed in public:  Christmas Day 1941 on NBC Radio's Kraft Music Hall show by Bing Crosby. Crosby's performance was well-received, but it wasn't until the following year when the song was featured in the Paramount film Holiday Inn  that it really caught on. At first, it was overshadowed by another song from the Holiday Inn soundtrack, but as Fall arrived, it started to climb the record charts, eventually reaching the #1 position, where it remained for 11 weeks. "White Christmas" charted again when it was released several years later, reaching the #1 spot in both 1945 and 1946. One factor that probably accounts for its phenomenal success is its popularity with American soldiers during World War II. After all, the song played to people who were feeling melancholy ("Just like the ones I used to know") and eager for images of home ("Where the tree tops glisten"). For many years, this was the uncontested champion of the bestselling single contest, with total worldwide sales of over 50 million copies (100 million, including copies that were sold on various LPs in addition to the 45 RPM single version). In recent years, the song's faced competition from Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997." But according to the latest Guinness Book of World Records, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" retains the title of bestselling single of all time, an honor it's held consistently since the Guinness people published their first records book in 1955.  This song has been recorded by hundreds of acts over the years, but I guarantee you've never heard a version of it quite like Wing's.

Track 21
Santa Claus Is a Black Man, Akim and the Teddy Vann Production (1973)

I'm indebted to John Waters for introducing me to this song – and for lots more, if I'm going to be honest about it. This one appeared on the wonderful album A John Waters Christmas, along with several others I've used previously such as "Little Mary Christmas," by Roger Christian; "Happy Birthday, Jesus," by Little Cindy; and Tiny Tim's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."  This is sort of ironic because Teddy Vann wound up suing Waters for including the song on his album without first securing the proper approvals and making arrangements to pay for using it on a commercial venture, although it's likely Vann's real beef with Waters was the fact that Waters had called the song a "crackpot carol" and a "lunatic holiday song." I can't agree with Waters about those descriptions. "Happy Birthday, Jesus" is a crackpot carol; "Santa Claus is a Black Man" is a delicious period piece that represents what Teddy Vann was all about – namely, multiculturalism, joy and respect. Vann, who died in 2009, is a Brooklyn record producer who won a Grammy in 1991 for co-writing the Luther Vandross smash "The Power of Love/Love Power." He was one of the early adherents to the Black Consciousness movement of the 1960s, although he was also quick to celebrate the history and achievements of people of other backgrounds, too. I understand he learned Yiddish so he could communicate more readily with some of his older Jewish neighbors. This song features his daughter, Akim, who claims to have seen Santa Claus in the living room with her mother the previous evening. She reports that Santa looked like her Daddy in that he was black, handsome, had an Afro, and was really out of sight. This is one of the few songs I've heard that wishes its listeners both Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanza. It's a great holiday song by any measure, and I can't imagine why it's not in the heavy airplay rotation at radio stations across the country at this time of year. Oh yeah, that's right – we need to hear that abomination by Wham! more often.


BULLETIN! BULLETIN!  (12/16/13):  I've just seen the tail end of a story Chris Hayes reported on MSNBC tonight concerning a brewing dispute about Santa Claus's race. It seems Fox TV personality Megyn Kelly recently reported that both Santa and Jesus Christ are white, and that because these are indisputable facts, there can be no further debate on the subject. Because this report calls into question one of the many assertions made by this blog (see "Santa Claus Is a Black Man," above) I feel compelled to investigate. I haven't time to do this vital story justice tonight, however, so I'll simply post a link to the Media Matters report on the story and promise to add a new post when I'm able. 



More tunes from C'est Noel! examined tomorrow!

Celebrate the Holidays with The Yule Logs as they Tour Northern California this Fall

The Yule Logs

Two years ago, my 2011 holiday mix, Gee Whiz, It's Christmas (Again!), featured a terrific version of the holiday classic "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah," by a band called The Yule Logs from Chico, California. Billed as "the hardest working band in snow business," The Yule Logs keep a low profile for most of the year only to emerge each November for six or seven weeks of live gigs and making spirits bright. Formed nine years ago, they've been remarkably prolific recently, releasing one new album a year since 2009. What's more, these aren't thrown-together albums of holiday retreads, but rather well-crafted collections of original holiday material — a pretty unusual feat! Now, I haven't seen any announcement about a new release for 2013, but the band does have a number of live shows planned between now and Christmas in Chico, San Francisco, Sacramento and environs. If you live in Northern California, you may want to check out their list of upcoming gigs and make plans to see this most festive band this holiday season.

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.