Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 10

My latest holiday mix for 2022 is called "Hey! You! Get Off of My Cloud," and it's available for you to listen to or download on my holiday music website. This year's mix contains 42 audio tracks, which range from short celebrity greetings to fine-sounding holiday tunes to purported songs that sound anything but fine. My aim in creating thee mixes is to assemble a grab-bag of noises that will entertain and intrigue a wide range of jaded and open-minded listeners. The main purpose of this blog is to provide some interesting background on the various tracks. Mission accomplished with respect to the first 28 tracks, and today we're going to look at three more. Let's get started.

Track 31

A Lot of Talk About Jesus Christ and Love, Bill Macy as Walter Finley from "Maude" (1975)

Walter and Maude Findlay

I watched a fair amount of television when I was growing up in the 1970s, and as I recall some of it was pretty good. I especially liked the shows created by famed producer Norman Lear, who is still active at age 100. Remarkably, Lear produced, wrote, created or developed more than 100 different shows, many of which were phenomenally successful. His most iconic series, All in the Family, was launched in 1971 and dominated both the Neilson ratings and awards shows throughout the decade. Moreover, it spawned seven additional shows, including the hit series Maude. Maude starred Bea Arthur as Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's feisty liberal cousin. I don't recall watching Maude during its original run but in recent years I discovered the show on Hulu and binge-watched a couple of seasons' worth. It's not exactly high-brow fare, but it sure brought me back in time. There were more than a few Walter and Maude Findlay types  in our neighborhood in the late '70s.

Stephanie

In any case, the very short clip I've used as Track 31 this year is from Maude, Season 4 Episode 14, "The Christmas Party," which first aired on December 22, 1975. With Christmas approaching, an old school friend of Maude's named Stephanie is staying with Maude and Walter. Stephanie, like Maude is an ardent feminist, although she insists on injecting her views into every conversation to the point where even Maude is put off. Walter and Maude are hosting a Christmas party for Walter's employees and Walter is worried that Stephanie's dogged determination to push her agenda might put a damper on the festivities. This leads to the following exchange:

Walter:    Tonight's not a soapbox, it's a Christmas party!

Stephanie:    Good, what better place? Don't you realize Jesus Christ was the first feminist? He taught the world that love begins with equality.

Walter:    My employees are coming here to have fun. It's Christmas and that's no time for a lot of talk about Jesus Christ and love!

So many of us have conflicting thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas. Part of this is no doubt because we use the holiday for so many purposes. It's a time to express our feelings for those we love and to separate what's important from the trivia of daily life. We're encouraged to think of the plight of the poor and the needy while at the same time being urged to splurge on lavish and showy gifts and parties. We're told it's a time to be joyful and happy to the point where too many feel the need to find relief in the bottle or by way of other drugs. Walter's misguided frustration is as understandable as it is preposterous, and while I don't have any simple solution to the conflicting pressures so many of us face at this time of year, it's probably worthwhile to remember that you're not alone in facing such challenges. Why not play something awful by Red Sovine and count your blessings?!

Watch the Maude episode "The Christmas Party" (1975)

Track 30

Out on the Road for Christmas, Red Simpson (1975)

Red Simpson

Regular listeners will recall that my previous mixes have featured multiple tracks by a trucker named Red — Red Sovine, creator of some of the most depressing songs in music history. Well, believe it or not there's another guy named Red who sings sings songs about truckers and has his own album of Christmas-themed trucker songs around and his name is Red Simpson. His holiday album includes a song called "Out on the Road for Christmas," which is about a poor guy alone behind the wheel on Christmas with only the promise of a quick meal at some some truck stop to look forward to. While this may sound rather poignant at first, Simpson's song sounds like "Happy Days Are Here Again" compared to Sovine's standard fare. There's none of the exaggerated pathos of Red Sovine here. Red Simpson's got a job to do and while his work isn't always easy he's going to take whatever solace he can from the satisfaction of doing it well.

The youngest of 12 children, the Arizona-born Simpson was raised in Bakersfield, California. He was interested in music from a young age and started playing piano in the local music clubs right out of high school. Country music was all the rage in Bakersfield at the time, and a number of local musicians led by Buck Owens were pioneering a style of music that became known as the Bakersfield Sound. Buck was impressed by Simpson and the two wrote a number of songs together in the early 1960s. In 1965, a Capitol Records producer who was looking for someone to put together an album of songs about truckers was introduced to Simpson and his first album release, Roll Truck Roll, was released the following year.

The truck thing seemed to work for Simpson, who followed up his first LP with another 10 albums of truck-related tunes. He enjoyed the business of making music, and didn't mind the extensive travel that was required. He didn't mind being typecast either, although he acknowledged some frustration at being continuously mistaken for Red Sovine. As he noted in his song "My Name Is Simpson," from the album "I Am a Truck":

My name is Red Simpson, not Red Sovine,

So don't ask me to sing "Phantom 309,"

I don't know "Giddy up Go,"

And I won't change my mind

My name is Simpson

Not Sovine.

Check the links below to hear this track. Here's Track 30 from this year's mix:

Join Merz Mark as he pays "A Visit with Country Legend Red Simpson"

Watch Red Simpson Sing "Runaway Truck" and more on the Buck Owens Show

Hear Red Simpson's "My Name is Simpson"

Track 29
Riding Unarmed in a One-Horse Open Sleigh, Jaston Williams (2010)

Texas is an awfully big state with an incredibly diverse population, and one of the few things bigger than the state itself is its reputation among the residents of the other 49 states. Back in the days when the governor of the state was a liberal Democratic woman, at least a small part of its reputation was built on the work of Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, creators of a series of comedic plays about the fictional town of Tuna, purportedly Texas' third smallest town. "A Tuna Christmas" was the second of these plays, following "Greater Tuna" and "Red, White and Tuna." The plays have been described as an affectionate look at small-town southern life and feature more than 20 eccentric characters played by two very busy actors.

The plays were performed in cities and towns across the country from 1981 through 2012, and recorded versions of the performances were produced and sold on videotape and DVD. "Greater Tuna" and "A Tuna Christmas" were performed at the White House at the request of President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush, both of whom gave every indication that they enjoyed the shows.

Track 29 is a short clip from "A Tuna Christmas" featuring Jaston Williams as Didi Snavely, owner of Didi's Used Weapons, a store with the motto "If we Can't Kill It It's Immortal." 

You can enjoy "A Tuna Christmas" in its entirety below:

We've got 11 more tracks to review between now and Christmas, so I'll be back soon with more. Stay warm and dry 'til then!

Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 9

Two weeks from today is Christmas Day, and we're well past the half-way mark in our look at the 42 tracks on my latest holiday mix, "Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof!" Today I've got a little background on three more tracks including a new one by an old if somewhat out-of-tune friend. Without further ado, it's up, up and away . . .

Track 28
O Come All Ye Faithful, Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow (2005)

Few artists better typify the sound of my annual holiday mixes than the inimitable Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow, whose unique stylings have been featured on eight of my previous compilations. Sadly, there's not a whole lot of information out there about Barstow and his music, and I've already reported on most of it in previous posts on this blog. But while little of what I offer today is new, it's certainly a pleasure to repost some of the most relevant items again today.

Barstow was discovered in the early 1990s at an open mic night in a New York City neighborhood bar by keyboardist Larry Goldings. Goldings instantly knew that he'd found something special, or at least unique. What is it that separates Barstow from the rest? I guess that depends on your own individual taste and musical sensibilities. But from where I sit, jazz journalist John Kelman captured the magic of Mr. Barstow's oeuvre pretty well in his oft-cited 2005 review of Barstow's classic first (and, to date, only) album, published in All About Jazz:

Every now and then an artist emerges whose vision is so unique that it creates an entirely new musical paradigm. Stretching the realm of technique by introducing harmonic or rhythmic contexts far removed from the norm, they’re often unappreciated in their time, but the passage of years can ultimately bring recognition for their genius. Ornette Coleman was one such artist. Now we have singer Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow.

In the years following his chance discovery of Barstow at some low-end dive, Goldings worked tirelessly to capture the musical essence of this heretofore hidden talent for the enjoyment of a wider audience. The result, recorded in Goldings' home studio, was an album of Christmas classics and non-holiday standards called Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow:  A Bowtie Christmas and More.

The following 2008 infomercial gives the uninitiated a little peek at what they were in for:

As Kelman explained in his groundbreaking review:

Some musicians spend years on technique, working hard to hone accepted skills like pitch and time. Barstow dispenses with such limitations. His interpretive sense is so unorthodox that once you hear his renditions of classic Christmas tunes including "Joy to the World," "The First Noel," and the tongue-in-cheek "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," you’ll never see them the same way again.

This year's "Bowtie" track offers a one-two punch combining his renditions of "O Come All Ye Faithful" in both English and Latin. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you can appreciate the occasional offbeat gem by the likes of Florence Foster Jenkins or Mrs. Miller, Johnny might well be for you, too. (Warning, there are still a couple of Barstow tunes I haven't yet shared, so there may be more to come.)

Hear Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow's "O Come All Ye Faithful"

Track 27

Jingle Bell Rock, University of Michigan Children's Psychiatric Hospital Band (1978)

Way back in 2007, one of my first holiday compilations featured a rather unique version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the classic holiday song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis." The version I used in my 2007 mix "Let's Trim the Christmas Tree" was performed by patients in the Inpatient Music Therapy Program of the University of Michigan Medical Center's Children's Psychiatric Hospital. I'd found the song on the album "Christmas at C.P.H.," a 1978 release that contained 15 holiday songs performed by young psychiatric patients as part of their musical therapy. Track 27 of this year's mix is another of the 15 songs on that 44-year-old album, "Jingle Bell Rock."

In the 44 years since "Christmas at C.P.H." was recorded, music therapy has become more widely recognized within the medical community. In short, it uses music therapeutically to address physical, psychological, cognitive and/or social functioning for people of all ages. It is typically practiced by credentialed professionals that use clinical and evidence-based music interventions to help set and achieve individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship. Because Music Therapy is a powerful and non-invasive medium, unique outcomes are possible. I suspect that holiday music therapy can be particularly helpful, and it's certainly pleasant to hear.

Track 26

Holiday Greetings, Michael Caine

I've used these short little holiday greetings on pretty much all of my annual mixes as a way of breaking up the longer tracks and giving some quick recognition to various celebrities. But it isn't always easy to find as many of these clips as I'd like. I found a few more about a month ago, including one by famed English actor Michael Caine. Caine has been making movies since 1956, and while he's scheduled to turn 90 years old in March, he isn't ready to retire yet. To date, he's appeared in over 75 feature films, winning Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actor in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999).

Caine relocated to the United States for nearly a decade in the 1980s due to escalating British income tax rates, but he has spent most of his life in the United Kingdom and is often cited as one of his native country's archetypical actors and cultural icons. In fact, Caine is frequently parodied for his speaking style and his habit of citing interesting but useless trivia in general conversation. His friend Peter Sellers often did impressions of Caine that frequently included the phrase "not many people know this," which has now become something of a catchphrase for him. 

I'm sure many Americans would happily return Caine's gracious holiday greetings and wish him the very best for 2023.

Hear Michael Caine's Raw Commentary on his film "The Muppet Christmas Carol"

I'll be back with more sometime soon. When will you be decorating your Christmas tree this year?

Serial Investigates the Legend of Kris Kringle

 

This week's SNL Holiday Flashback is from Season 40 of Saturday Night Live (2014) and features Cicely Strong, one of my favorite SNL cast members, in a parody of the investigative podcast Serial. In this clip, Serial looks at the story of Kris Kringle, who, according to legend, circles the globe each December 24 to leave presents for hundreds of million of children. But what evidence is there to back up this longtime story?

As luck would have it, tonight's episode of SNL will be hosted by Steve Martin and Martin Short, whose successful Hulu series Only Murders in the Building features its own parody of the Serial podcast stylized as "All Is Not OK in Oklahoma" with Tina Fey playing the role of Serial host Sarah Koenig that Cicely Strong plays in this week's flashback. I've just about given up on this season of SNL but as a longtime fan of Martin and Short I'm planning to tune in at 11:35 tonight. Whether I'll still be awake by the time Weekend Update begins is anybody's guess!

Watch the Classic 1986 SNL Sketch "Steve Martin's Holiday Wish"

Cicely Strong on Christmas as The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With

Watch Martin Short's Classic 1984 Synchronized Swimming Sketch

Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 8

With just over two and a half weeks to go until Christmas we've already looked at a liuttle more than half of the 42 tracks on my latest holiday mix, Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! You can access this year's mix on my holiday music website, HERE. Today, I've got some background on three more tracks. Let's get started!

Track 25
Dead Cowboys Love Christmas, Too, Simons and Cameron (2008) 

Simons and Cameron are a songwriting team founded in 2002 by Gordon Simons and Lane Cameron. Currently based in Reno, Nevada, the group writes and produces music for television and radio and specializes in Halloween- and Christmas-themed music. Both members have impressive resumes. Simons graduated from UCLA in 1990 and got his start creating jingles for Los Angeles radio station KLA, where he also served as an advertising executive. Cameron, who plays guitar, piano, bass and blues harp, attended Boston's prestigious Berklee School of Music. He has played with Steven Stills, the Allman Brothers Band and former Jefferson Starship lead guitarist Craig Chaquico. 

Hear "Dead Cowboys Love Christmas, Too," by Simons and Cameron

Track 24
Goin' Up to Bethlehem, Bob Rivers as John Fogerty (2000)

A former on-air radio personality who worked primarily in the northwest United States, Bob Rivers is perhaps best known for his recorded parodies, many of which involve holiday-related themes. This is the fourth Bob Rivers parody I've used on my annual mixes. Two of the previous three were send-ups of well-known rock tunes that were remade by Rivers with a holiday twist. In 2015, I included Rivers' song "Sled Zeppelin (D'yer Santa)" on my mix "Deck Those Halls." It was a holiday version of the Led Zeppelin hit "D'yer Mak'er" from their 1973 album "Houses of the Holy." Two years ago, I used a Rivers send-up of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" called "Smells Like the Night Before Christmas" on my mix "All Alone on Christmas." My 2016 mix "Let It Snow" included a comedy bit by Rivers about Elvis Presley called "A Message from the King."

Rivers got his start as a radio DJ in Connecticut where he worked for a number of different stations. From there he went to work on WAAF in Worcester, Massachusetts, a station I used to listen to growing up in suburban Boston. It was there that Rivers started creating parody and novelty songs both for his own shows and the "American Comedy Network" syndication service. In 1987 he released his album Twisted Christmas, which contained a variety of holiday novelties and ultimately went gold. It was followed by five additional albums:  I Am Santa Claus, Twisted Tunes 1994, More Twisted Christmas, Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire, and White Trash Christmas.

This year's Bob Rivers tune is a set-up of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Up Around the Bend," called "Goin' Up to Bethlehem":

Track 23
Silent Night, U.C. Berkeley Free Speechniks (1964)

This is the third of the short holiday tunes I've included in this year's mix prepared by participants in the Free Speech Movement at the University of California at Berkeley. Background on these songs is available in the write-up from December 1, above, and the lyrics for todays entry are as follows:

Hear "God Rest Ye Free Speech" and Other FSM Carols by the U.C. Berkeley Free Speechniks

I'll be back with more holiday cheer within the next few days. I've nearly finished with all of my holiday shopping and I'm as proud as I can be.

350+ Years of Boston Holiday Traditions

Growing up in Boston during the 1960s and '70s, Christmas was a magical time of year. It's difficult to believe that Christmas was actually outlawed in Massachusetts by the Puritans in 1659. This short clip by Boston historian Anthony Sammarco offers a little background on some of the Hub's yuletide traditions.