Presented for the moment without additional comment, the following excerpt from last night's "New Rules" feature from HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher puts a few important items in their proper perspective:
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Christmas Cheer - Part 6
We're in the midst of reviewing the 37 tracks on my 19th and latest annual holiday mix, Christmas Cheer. Reviewing to us primarily means providing a bit of background on each of the featured songs. We've covered 15 songs to date, and today's post looks at four more: Tracks 16, 17, 18 and 19.
Track 16
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight), Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul (2017)
Steve Van Zandt has his fingers and mind into a lot of things. For the past 50 years or so, he’s not only played guitar as a sporadic member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, while serving more consistently as Springsteen’s best friend, alter ego and consigliore. But that’s only one facet of Van Zandt’s flourishing professional life. Among other things, he’s:
- Recorded, individually and with his band, The Disciples of Soul, at least seven albums and numerous singles and EPs, often supporting these releases with tours and individual live performances;
- Produced records and written songs for other artists, including Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Ronnie Spector, Gary U.S. Bonds, Meatloaf, Darlene Love and the Iron City Houserockers;
- Built a respected acting career, beginning in 1999, including playing mobster Silvio Dante in all six seasons of the HBO smash The Sopranos and his subsequent role as star, co-writer and co-executive producer of Lilyhammer, Netflix’ first original series;
- Hosted the hit weekly radio show Little Steven’s Underground Garage, which he launched in 2002, and served as program director for two ongoing Sirius Satellite Radio channels, including his new Outlaw Country channel;
- Founded and oversaw his own record label, Wicked Cool Records;
Wrote and published Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir, which Jay Cocks called “one of the best rock memoirs ever,” and Bob Dylan noted “is filled with outrageous humor, worldly wisdom, and an uncanny sense of daring”;
- Founded and promoted the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation and its chief program, TeachRock, which developed and maintains a curriculum for elementary and high schools focused on rock music and its role in American history and popular culture; and
- Founded Artists Against Apartheid with record producer Arthur Baker and assembled over 50 artists to create Sun City, an album and affiliated releases aimed at fighting and raising awareness of South Africa’s former system of apartheid. Van Zandt has supported a variety of additional causes over the years.
Van Zandt recorded this track with The Disciples of Soul in 2017 at the end of the group’s extended tour of the U.S. and Europe. "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" was first recorded by The Ramones in 1987 as the B side to their single "I Wanna Live." It was later featured in the 2004 film Christmas with the Kranks.
The video of Van Zandt's 2017 remake was filmed on a beach in Barcelona, where the band was scheduled to perform. He explained how things came about a short time later:
Well, it was just kind of a spontaneous idea. We were gonna do a couple of Christmas shows [in New Jersey] to end the tour locally, so I said we should learn a Christmas song or two. I thought, well, I could do my own song that I wrote with Darlene Love or I could write something new or I could do something else. But I’m kind of conscious of trying to keep the Ramones music alive. So I thought it would be a good idea to do this thing and remind everybody how great the Ramones were and how great a writer Joey Ramone was, so I said, ‘Let’s do that. Let’s rearrange that a little bit, add some horns to it and the girls and we just cut it at a soundcheck, man. We learned it and just cut it live at soundcheck.
The CBS show 60 Minutes recently ran a profile on Van Zandt that provides a quick look at some of his many activities:
Steve Van Zandt Tells Howard
Stern How He Got His Role on The Sopranos
20 Hilarious Silvio Dante Moments from The Sopranos
Visit the Website for Little Steven’s Underground Garage
Order Steve Van Zandt’s “Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir” on amazon com
Learn About Steve Van Zandt’s Teach Rock Educational Program
Watch a Promo for Steve Van Zandt’s Lilyhammer, Netflix’ First Original Series
Watch TODAY’s 20-Year Anniversary Sopranos Cast Reunion
Track 17
Drummer Boy, Titus Andronicus (2022)
 |
| Titus Andronicus |
This song is the brainchild of Patrick Stickles, the band's longtime front man. It uses the tune of Billy Joel's 1973 classic "Piano Man" to tell the story of the nativity from the perspective of The Little Drummer Boy.
"I first connected the dots between the great Billy Joel song and the beloved Christmas standard several years ago, but it got tossed onto the pile with so many of my other crazy ideas.
“Things being how they are, though, I may not have the
luxury of time to execute all those crazy ideas,” he continued, “so when we had
two days off in Montreal on our recent tour, we figured we’d grab the reindeer
by the antlers and cross this one off the list, so as to avoid the pain of
eternal regret. Also, I’ve noticed a lot of discourse recently about what
constitutes a legitimate ‘parody’ lately, and I’d like to get a piece of that
action.”
This is the band's first holiday release.
Track 18
Here Comes Santa Claus, Terry and the Bunnys (1968)
 |
| Takeshi Terauchi (a/k/a Terry) |
According to Autry, the idea for the song first came to him while riding a horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade in Hollywood. While riding, he heard excited spectators repeatedly murmuring “here comes Santa Claus” in anticipation of the parade’s main event. Following the parade, he jotted down the lyrics and worked with Oakley Haldeman to compose the suitable music. Autry’s version of the song, released as a single the following year, became a Top 10 hit. He performed the song in his 1949 movie “The Cowboy and Indians.”
In subsequent years, “Here Comes Santa Claus” has been covered by a wide variety of other artists ranging from Doris Day (1947) to Bob Dylan (2009), and from Billy Idol (2006) to RuPaul (1997).
This version is by Takeshi Terauchi, a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist affectionately known to his friends and fans as Terry. Much of Terry’s music has been labeled “surf rock,” and is often said to be similar in style to the work of The Ventures. His guitar sound is characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his guitar's vibrato arm.
Terry’s music became popular in Japan, especially during the mid- to late-1960s, when he worked with a backing band known as The Bunnys. In late 1968 the Bunnys went off on their own, and Terry formed a new group known as the Blue Jeans. Unfortunately, his music was rarely played outside of Japan, and I’m not sure he ever performed in the United States.
“Here Comes Santa Claus” appears on the album “Christmas Party,” which is especially hard to find today. It is believed to be among his final collaborations with the Bunnys.
Hear Terry’s Surf-Rock Versions of Various Classical Works on WFMU’s Beware of the Blog
Track 19
Holiday Greetings from Tom Arnold
Holiday Greetings from Tom Arnold
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| Tom Arnold |
I don’t know much about Tom Arnold, but I recall he was basically just
some ordinary guy who became involved with comedian Roseanne Barr shortly after
she became a star. He’s not much of an actor and doesn’t seem to have any
discernible talents, but being involved with Roseanne was enough to make him a
celebrity in his own right even after the couple had separated. Of course, now
that Roseanne has revealed herself to hold some pretty obnoxious views I feel
considerably more sympathy for Tom Arnold, who seems like a pretty decent guy.
I’m happy to share his holiday greetings with others and wish him a Merry
Christmas as well.
We're more than half-way through this year's mix and it's only December 2!
Hope everyone has a terrific weekend! Back soon with more.
That SNL Holiday Clip with Two Hillary Clintons and a Sarah Palin
Once again this year I'll be posting a vintage holiday clip from NBC's Saturday Night Live every Saturday during the month of December. Our first clip of the season is from 2015 and features two different versions of Hillary Clinton: Amy Poehler as the 2008 version and Kate McKinnon as the "new and improved" 2015 version. The sad truth is that both versions lost, which was OK in 2008 but a very bitter pill eight years later. Tina Fey was also on hand aEnjoy!
Friday, December 1, 2023
Shane MacGowan of The Pogues Dead at 65
There was sad news from the world of music this week with the announcement on Thursday that Shane MacGowan, the longtime front man of the Celtic folk-punk group The Pogues, has died at the age of 65. The announcement was made in an Instagram post by this wife, Victoria Mary Clarke.
"I don't know how to say this so I am just
going to say it. Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and
the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul
and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of
everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his
beautiful mother Therese," Clarke said. "I am blessed beyond words to
have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally
loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and
laughter and so many adventures."
Shane MacGowan
The Pogues are perhaps best known for their 1987 Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York," which has been cited as the most played holiday song of the Century in the United Kingdom. According to legend, the song was written in response to a challenge by Elvis Costello, who wagered the group couldn't write a Christmas song by themselves. The song, written by MacGowan and fellow Pogues member Jem Finer, took two years to complete, but Costello later admitted he was wrong.
I included "Fairytale of New York" in a special bonus mix I put together in 2012 called Christmas Is Cancelled This Year. It is a fantasy collection of particularly dark songs based on the premise that Mitt Romney defeated President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.
Rest in peace.
Christmas Cheer - Part 5
Each year in late November this blog rises from its slumber to present some basic information about the tracks on my annual holiday mix of songs and other ephemera. We do this over a period of about four weeks, typically covering several tracks each day. This year's holiday mix is called Christmas Cheer, and we've already discussed 13 of its 37 tracks, which leaves 24 more to go over the next 24 days. Today's post will examine Tracks 14 and 15. Let's get started!
Track 14
Christmas Messages from President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963)
This track is perhaps one of the most fascinating and troubling clips I’ve ever included in any of my mixes. It’s a short piece comprised of excerpts from two different recordings of our 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson, each taped within several weeks of his ascension to the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
The first excerpt is from Johnson’s formal remarks at a memorial service for the late president held at the Lincoln Memorial on December 22, 1963, exactly one month after the assassination. (Johnson suggests at one point that he was speaking on Christmas night, but that seems to have been inaccurate.)
Johnson’s remarks drew parallels between the lives and tragic deaths of Presidents Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, noting that both men made significant and lasting contributions to our nation that will be felt for many years to come. It was a very touching presentation.
The second clip shows a different side of Johnson. It’s an excerpt from a recording of a phone call Johnson placed to President Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline, on December 21, 1963 – approximately one month after her late husband’s assassination. Johnson called Mrs. Kennedy numerous times during December and January, and at least six of the calls were recorded. In this call, he seems to either be flirting with the former first lady or condescending to her as if she was a young child.
|
|
Mr. Johnson: |
You gonna
come back and see me? |
|
|
Mrs. Kennedy: |
(giggles
nervously) Someday, I will . . . |
|
|
Mr. Johnson: |
Someday? |
|
|
|
Give Caroline
and John-John a hug for me? Tell them I’d like to be their daddy? |
|
|
Mrs. Kennedy: |
I will. |
|
|
Mr. Johnson: |
Goodbye |
|
|
Mrs. Kennedy: |
Alright.
Goodbye. |
I’ve always found Johnson to be one of our most complex and confounding presidents, and this short conversation reminds me of the inner conflict and duality that defines his remarkable personality.
Raised in poverty in rural Texas, Johnson turned himself into a powerful and highly skilled political leader through hard work and force of will. When he agreed to join the Democratic ticket as John Kennedy’s running mate in 1960, Johnson was in his eighth year as Senate Democratic leader. Throughout Kennedy’s entire Senate tenure Johnson was perhaps the most powerful Democrat in Washington with far more influence than Kennedy. Yet Johnson envied Kennedy’s wealth, his suave sophistication and the respect he enjoyed from Washington’s elite. The ease with which Kennedy carried himself intimidated Johnson, who felt like a country bumpkin by contrast.
Following Kennedy’s death, Johnson feared he’d never be as loved and respected as his predecessor, so he tried furiously to surround himself with members of Kennedy’s inner circle in the hope their cachet would rub off on him. This was the impetus for the many calls to Mrs. Kennedy, I believe. He wanted to create the appearance that she saw him as a legitimate successor to her husband, and he worked tirelessly to woo her through the first half of 1964.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s clumsy style and lack of sophistication made him come across as horribly inappropriate. Can you imagine how Mrs. Kennedy must have felt hearing Lyndon Johnson volunteer to become her children’s new daddy?
The 1963 holiday season was a difficult one for the nation, but, of course most difficult for the late president’s wife and children. The grace and beauty of Camelot was giving way to something more like The Beverly Hillbillies.
Here's the complete track:
Track 15
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, by The Fab Four (2002)
Among the best of the many Beatles tribute bands is one called The Fab Four, formed in 1997 in sunny Southern California. The group includes a rotating cast of a dozen or more regular performers that tour in various permutations that sometimes include two different foursomes at once. In 2013, the group received an Emmy Award for their PBS special “The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute.”
In addition to touring, The Fab Four are known for their unique collection of songs that feature the lyrics of various classic holiday carols and songs in the style of well-known Beatles classics. These are presented largely in the form of three CD albums, two of which were released in 2002 (“A Fab Four Christmas” and “Have Yourself a FAB-ulous Little Christmas) and the third of which includes all the songs from both of these albums with a number of bonus extras (“HARK,” released in 2008).
I’ve included songs by The Fab Four in two of my previous mixes: “Silent Night,” which was featured on my 2014 mix “Is There Really a Santa Claus,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” which appears on my 2016 mix “Let It Snow!”
This year’s mix features the classic holiday carol “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” which is offered in the style of the Beatles’ hit “Baby’s in Black” from their album “Beatles ’65,” released in the U.S. on December 15, 1964. (In the U.K. the song appears on the album “Beatles for Sale,” which had been released one week earlier.) The original carol was written in 1850 by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts.
The actual Beatles have been in the news recently with the release of what’s being described as the final new Beatles release, a song titled “Now and Then.” The song was written by John Lennon in or around 1977 and discovered on a tape with several other uncompleted songs several years after Lennon’s assassination in 1980. The surviving Beatles, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr attempted to turn Lennon’s demo into a completed Beatles song in the 1990s, but technological limitations at the time prevented the separation of various components on the recording. Recent advances allowed the two surviving Beatles to create a high-quality version of the song using Lennon’s original vocals and a guitar track recorded by George Harrison before his death in 2001. The music video of the song is remarkable on a number of different levels.
Listen
to The Fab Four’s 2008 album “HARK” on YouTube
Watch the Fab Four Perform on the Hallmark Channel’s Beatles Christmas Special
That's all for today. Check back for more someday real soon! Only 23 shopping days left until Christmas!
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