Slim Boyd & The Rangehands - Christmas Country Style

Last week I went to a local Goodwill store that is phasing out their vinyl (sad, I know). Amongst the Barry Manilow and Christian evangelist LPs was this very album you are looking at. I picked it up for the princely sum of 75 cents and chuckled all the way to the car with this one.

I knew that sometime this week I was going to review this very album - downloaded from Ernie (Not Bert) again on November 26, 2006 at 8:36 PM. When Ernie posted this album, he also posted the following:

"I asked everybody the other day if they wanted to request anything, and got a few responses. Some of them were good ones that I'm going to work on, some stuff that I already had in the works, at least one item that I had already shared, and a couple of things that I can't share because they are on CD.

"But the very first request came from none other than my father. He wanted to hear an album that we had when I was a little kid. And you can't say no to dear old Dad, no can you.

"I remember this record from when I was little. After putting it on the turntable, I was able to sing along to every single song, even though I had no clue as to what some of them were. (Some of the titles are a little funny. They may have been trying to make you think you were getting a different song, or maybe avoid paying royalties. it is on Premiere, after all.)

"Be sure you leave a little comment thanking him for this one if you download it. It's really pretty good. Sounds like a typical Premiere label patch job though. Could be three or four different lead singers on here, and who knows how many actual bands. But it's nice stuff."

I wish there was more info out there for Premier Albums (356 W 40th St, NY, NY). This budget label has many Christmas albums out there in the vinyl bins - some good, mostly bad. These are the same people who brought you Christmas albums from Jesse Crawford, Al Goodman & His Orchestra, and Woody The Woodchuck.

Not much other info out there on Slim Boyd & The Rangehands either I'm afraid. Either Boyd and the band fell off the face of the earth and were never heard from again or this was a pseudonym for a talented bunch of studio musicians. Lee Hartsfield of Music You Won't (Possibly) Hear Anyplace Else posted several tracks of Boyd from other budget albums (click here and here to see those).

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Go Tell It On The Mountain
More barbershop quartet than country & western, it's still a nice rendition.

2.) On December 5 and 20
Ditto on the barbershop. Interesting song, though.

3.) Wagon on Christmas
Add some guitars, bass fiddle, and rework a vintage folk song, and presto! Instant country.

4.) I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I'm guessing they never sung this one on the range back home... but iffin they did, this is what it would sound like!

5.) Jeanette Isabella
That's "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella"... whoever's singing the lead can pass for Perry Como!

6.) Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Not as good as Gene Autry's original version but it can pass for a generic C & W version of "Rudolph".

7.) The Night Before Christmas
This guy sounds a little like Tennessee Ernie Ford! I really enjoyed this telling of "A Visit From St. Nicholas"!

8.) A Santa Claus Greeting
No, the song's actually called "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter". Like many other budget labels, Premier changed the title to avoid paying licensing & royalty fees. Santa says "Naughty, naughty!"

9.) Have A Merry, Merry Christmas
This sounds familiar - did someone else record this song? Either way, it's a fantastic waltz tempoed country song - my favorite on the album!

10.) Silent Night
The Perry Como soundalike is back - simple acapella version with mixed choir to start, add some strings in the middle, and it ends the album prettily.



If you were to enter Slim Boyd & The Rangehands Christmas on Google, you'll find many sites online selling this album (don't pay too much for this one!).

Or you can go digging in your local Goodwill or Salvation Army vinyl bins and wind up finding it there (before its too late). This way's so much fun and you'll be rescuing a lonely piece of vinyl to boot.

Or you can visit Ernie and get this album for your listening pleasure - just make sure you leave a comment there for his dad and for Ernie.

Either way, you're not gonna have a bad time with this album. Slim and the boys do a competent job and I'm sure you have fun listening.


Capt

Slim Boyd & The Rangehands - Christmas Country Style

Last week I went to a local Goodwill store that is phasing out their vinyl (sad, I know). Amongst the Barry Manilow and Christian evangelist LPs was this very album you are looking at. I picked it up for the princely sum of 75 cents and chuckled all the way to the car with this one.

I knew that sometime this week I was going to review this very album - downloaded from Ernie (Not Bert) again on November 26, 2006 at 8:36 PM. When Ernie posted this album, he also posted the following:

"I asked everybody the other day if they wanted to request anything, and got a few responses. Some of them were good ones that I'm going to work on, some stuff that I already had in the works, at least one item that I had already shared, and a couple of things that I can't share because they are on CD.

"But the very first request came from none other than my father. He wanted to hear an album that we had when I was a little kid. And you can't say no to dear old Dad, no can you.

"I remember this record from when I was little. After putting it on the turntable, I was able to sing along to every single song, even though I had no clue as to what some of them were. (Some of the titles are a little funny. They may have been trying to make you think you were getting a different song, or maybe avoid paying royalties. it is on Premiere, after all.)

"Be sure you leave a little comment thanking him for this one if you download it. It's really pretty good. Sounds like a typical Premiere label patch job though. Could be three or four different lead singers on here, and who knows how many actual bands. But it's nice stuff."

I wish there was more info out there for Premier Albums (356 W 40th St, NY, NY). This budget label has many Christmas albums out there in the vinyl bins - some good, mostly bad. These are the same people who brought you Christmas albums from Jesse Crawford, Al Goodman & His Orchestra, and Woody The Woodchuck.

Not much other info out there on Slim Boyd & The Rangehands either I'm afraid. Either Boyd and the band fell off the face of the earth and were never heard from again or this was a pseudonym for a talented bunch of studio musicians. Lee Hartsfield of Music You Won't (Possibly) Hear Anyplace Else posted several tracks of Boyd from other budget albums (click here and here to see those).

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Go Tell It On The Mountain
More barbershop quartet than country & western, it's still a nice rendition.

2.) On December 5 and 20
Ditto on the barbershop. Interesting song, though.

3.) Wagon on Christmas
Add some guitars, bass fiddle, and rework a vintage folk song, and presto! Instant country.

4.) I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I'm guessing they never sung this one on the range back home... but iffin they did, this is what it would sound like!

5.) Jeanette Isabella
That's "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella"... whoever's singing the lead can pass for Perry Como!

6.) Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Not as good as Gene Autry's original version but it can pass for a generic C & W version of "Rudolph".

7.) The Night Before Christmas
This guy sounds a little like Tennessee Ernie Ford! I really enjoyed this telling of "A Visit From St. Nicholas"!

8.) A Santa Claus Greeting
No, the song's actually called "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter". Like many other budget labels, Premier changed the title to avoid paying licensing & royalty fees. Santa says "Naughty, naughty!"

9.) Have A Merry, Merry Christmas
This sounds familiar - did someone else record this song? Either way, it's a fantastic waltz tempoed country song - my favorite on the album!

10.) Silent Night
The Perry Como soundalike is back - simple acapella version with mixed choir to start, add some strings in the middle, and it ends the album prettily.



If you were to enter Slim Boyd & The Rangehands Christmas on Google, you'll find many sites online selling this album (don't pay too much for this one!).

Or you can go digging in your local Goodwill or Salvation Army vinyl bins and wind up finding it there (before its too late). This way's so much fun and you'll be rescuing a lonely piece of vinyl to boot.

Or you can visit Ernie and get this album for your listening pleasure - just make sure you leave a comment there for his dad and for Ernie.

Either way, you're not gonna have a bad time with this album. Slim and the boys do a competent job and I'm sure you have fun listening.


Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 3 - Jim Beam, 1967

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

It's celebrity endorsement time!

Back in 1967, the entire James Bond phenomenon had reached its peak. The production of "You Only Live Twice" was heading to Japan to film several sequences when Connery decided to announce to the world this would be his last Bond film.

When he landed in Japan, this was international news. World paparazzi began to fly to Tokyo to get final pictures of Connery as Bond. Thirty extra private security guards were hired to combat the excess noise and hindrance but even the guards started to take photos!

The Japanese press were just as brutal. During news conferences the press insisted on referring to Connery as James Bond. The final straw came when Connery attempted to use a public restroom and several memebers of the Japanese press and photographers followed him into the john to get an interview and pictures!

Connery made it out of Japan alive and agreed to fulfill all of his promotional obligations for "You Only Live Twice". He made one final round of press conferences, interviews, and photo shoots for the film so he could be done with 007 once and for all.

The Jim Beam company decided to tie in their bourbon with Bond just in time for Christmas:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Connery's whole demeanor is one of "give me the drink and take the bloody picture". He's dressed in festive Christmas black and I'm guessing that background was airbrushed in behind him. Or maybe Sean sampled some of that drink before the photo shoot began.

One can only imagine what his thoughts on the Japanese were when this picture was taken.

What do you think?

Ernie says: Perhaps they were referring to that little episode in Lost In Translation when Bill Murray is in that whiskey photo shoot.

Creedmoor says: Look how bored he looks in this ad. Getting paid well to pose with a bottle of booze. I'd be Beaming!

Stephen says: I thought of just the scene Ernie mentioned. "For relaxing times, make it Jim Beam times. Now get the hell out of my face before I kick yer bloody arse."


Any other opinions?



Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 3 - Jim Beam, 1967

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

It's celebrity endorsement time!

Back in 1967, the entire James Bond phenomenon had reached its peak. The production of "You Only Live Twice" was heading to Japan to film several sequences when Connery decided to announce to the world this would be his last Bond film.

When he landed in Japan, this was international news. World paparazzi began to fly to Tokyo to get final pictures of Connery as Bond. Thirty extra private security guards were hired to combat the excess noise and hindrance but even the guards started to take photos!

The Japanese press were just as brutal. During news conferences the press insisted on referring to Connery as James Bond. The final straw came when Connery attempted to use a public restroom and several memebers of the Japanese press and photographers followed him into the john to get an interview and pictures!

Connery made it out of Japan alive and agreed to fulfill all of his promotional obligations for "You Only Live Twice". He made one final round of press conferences, interviews, and photo shoots for the film so he could be done with 007 once and for all.

The Jim Beam company decided to tie in their bourbon with Bond just in time for Christmas:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Connery's whole demeanor is one of "give me the drink and take the bloody picture". He's dressed in festive Christmas black and I'm guessing that background was airbrushed in behind him. Or maybe Sean sampled some of that drink before the photo shoot began.

One can only imagine what his thoughts on the Japanese were when this picture was taken.

What do you think?

Ernie says: Perhaps they were referring to that little episode in Lost In Translation when Bill Murray is in that whiskey photo shoot.

Creedmoor says: Look how bored he looks in this ad. Getting paid well to pose with a bottle of booze. I'd be Beaming!

Stephen says: I thought of just the scene Ernie mentioned. "For relaxing times, make it Jim Beam times. Now get the hell out of my face before I kick yer bloody arse."


Any other opinions?



Capt

A Family Christmas Album - Something For Everybody

Continuing with my list of Christmas albums I've downloaded since 2006, this was left mouse clicked on November 26, 2006 at 5:20 PM from Ernie (Not Bert).

After reposting a fun Christmas album from Buddy & Bunny Burden (in which Bunny appeared on the cover and little else), Ernie read the fantastic blog of Lee Hartsfield called Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else. It seems Lee posted several Christmas tracks where Bunny actually sung.

So Ernie searched deep into his stacks and stacks of untracked Christmas vinyl and whaddya know? He actually had the entire album that Lee's tracks came from. Ernie's got the fastest turntable in the west and transferred the album you are looking at.

Ummm... :-)

There's nothing out there online (with the exception of Ernie's original post) about this album. I Googled "Halo Records Nashville" but came up empty there.

Ha ha. (<--- nervous laugh) Hey! How about a niceeeee back cover shot? Yeah, that's it! Let's put that back cover shot up here... that'll fill some space!




What a great back cover, huh? Ain't it somethin'? The way the black and the white blend into... umm... black and white... Yep, that's a beaut of a back cover.


What now?


Oh, the music?


TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Bobby Russell - The Christmas Song
Straight up rendition with touches of countrypolitan. Russell's got good pipes.

2.) The Singleton Singers - 12 Days Of Christmas
A pretty bland version with a solo piano and lots and lots of voices. Something to fill out the album maybe.

3.) Buddy & Bunny Burden - Christmas Card (Organ Instrumental)
The back cover says its an instrumental but there's Bunny (in a breathy voice - g-r-r-r) reciting. Now Buddy's lounge singing... who wrote this back cover?

4.) J.T. Adams & The Jordanaires - It's Christmas Time
J.T. does a fine job with this song but Elvis' backing group really makes the song. Gots to remember this one!

5.) Bill Purcell - Silent Night
Hey, back cover writer! That's Bill PURSELL! Organ and chimes version... yep, like we haven't heard THAT before... check out his Top Ten hit that Ernie also featured at his blog!

6.) Bobby Russell & The Music City Boys Chorus - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Like song number one, this one's got moments. The kids are a nice touch.

7.) Prissy Reed / Margie Singleton / Ray Walker & The Jordanaires - Jingle Bells
I knew Margie could sing but how about Mrs. Jerry Reed? Sounds like they're having fun (I think I am too...?)

8.) Buddy & Bunny Burden - Christmas Polka
OPA! Nothing like a polka played on the Kimball organ with a great duet from B & B! My favorite track on the album!

9.)The Music City Choir - Deck The Halls
I never knew "Deck The Halls" could be played to a funeral organ beat. Man, this is horrible!

10.) The Don Les' Harmonicats (featuring The Marine Band "Blues Harp") - Hark The Herald Angels Sing
What a way to go out on! Nothing like some mouth organ and blues harp to get you in the Christmas mood! These guys released a FULL Christmas album and son-of-a-gun, whaddya know? Ernie featured that one too!



I just re-read the title again and it clearly states "Something For Everybody". A truer statement was never spoken. There are some hits and some clear misses with this album but I still had a fun time listening.

This won't be the first album I'll pull out at Christmas. Nor the second. Or third. Fourth?

This will be the 853rd album I'll listen to at Christmas, guaranteed!


Capt

A Family Christmas Album - Something For Everybody

Continuing with my list of Christmas albums I've downloaded since 2006, this was left mouse clicked on November 26, 2006 at 5:20 PM from Ernie (Not Bert).

After reposting a fun Christmas album from Buddy & Bunny Burden (in which Bunny appeared on the cover and little else), Ernie read the fantastic blog of Lee Hartsfield called Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else. It seems Lee posted several Christmas tracks where Bunny actually sung.

So Ernie searched deep into his stacks and stacks of untracked Christmas vinyl and whaddya know? He actually had the entire album that Lee's tracks came from. Ernie's got the fastest turntable in the west and transferred the album you are looking at.

Ummm... :-)

There's nothing out there online (with the exception of Ernie's original post) about this album. I Googled "Halo Records Nashville" but came up empty there.

Ha ha. (<--- nervous laugh) Hey! How about a niceeeee back cover shot? Yeah, that's it! Let's put that back cover shot up here... that'll fill some space!




What a great back cover, huh? Ain't it somethin'? The way the black and the white blend into... umm... black and white... Yep, that's a beaut of a back cover.


What now?


Oh, the music?


TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Bobby Russell - The Christmas Song
Straight up rendition with touches of countrypolitan. Russell's got good pipes.

2.) The Singleton Singers - 12 Days Of Christmas
A pretty bland version with a solo piano and lots and lots of voices. Something to fill out the album maybe.

3.) Buddy & Bunny Burden - Christmas Card (Organ Instrumental)
The back cover says its an instrumental but there's Bunny (in a breathy voice - g-r-r-r) reciting. Now Buddy's lounge singing... who wrote this back cover?

4.) J.T. Adams & The Jordanaires - It's Christmas Time
J.T. does a fine job with this song but Elvis' backing group really makes the song. Gots to remember this one!

5.) Bill Purcell - Silent Night
Hey, back cover writer! That's Bill PURSELL! Organ and chimes version... yep, like we haven't heard THAT before... check out his Top Ten hit that Ernie also featured at his blog!

6.) Bobby Russell & The Music City Boys Chorus - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Like song number one, this one's got moments. The kids are a nice touch.

7.) Prissy Reed / Margie Singleton / Ray Walker & The Jordanaires - Jingle Bells
I knew Margie could sing but how about Mrs. Jerry Reed? Sounds like they're having fun (I think I am too...?)

8.) Buddy & Bunny Burden - Christmas Polka
OPA! Nothing like a polka played on the Kimball organ with a great duet from B & B! My favorite track on the album!

9.)The Music City Choir - Deck The Halls
I never knew "Deck The Halls" could be played to a funeral organ beat. Man, this is horrible!

10.) The Don Les' Harmonicats (featuring The Marine Band "Blues Harp") - Hark The Herald Angels Sing
What a way to go out on! Nothing like some mouth organ and blues harp to get you in the Christmas mood! These guys released a FULL Christmas album and son-of-a-gun, whaddya know? Ernie featured that one too!



I just re-read the title again and it clearly states "Something For Everybody". A truer statement was never spoken. There are some hits and some clear misses with this album but I still had a fun time listening.

This won't be the first album I'll pull out at Christmas. Nor the second. Or third. Fourth?

This will be the 853rd album I'll listen to at Christmas, guaranteed!


Capt

Up With People - Merry Christmas To You All

Over the past several weeks, I've looked at albums I received as Christmas presents last December or purchased around the same time. Starting today, I am dusting off an old, OLD list of all the Christmas albums I've downloaded over the past TWO years. This list was started in August, 2007 but was called to a stop a month later due to my hectic schedule at the time.

This album was downloaded on November 26, 2006 at 4:55 PM EST from the blog of (you guessed it) Ernie (Not Bert). Since 2006, I've probably downloaded more than 200 albums from this guy so get used to seeing his name and handiwork around here for the next several.

It seems I was one of the lucky ones who got this downloaded. Or did he send it to me? I forget... In any case, Ernie discovered that this album indeed was released on CD (click here - it didn't work for me) and stopped sharing the album, FYI.

The next time you're at a Super Bowl party and really want to impress people with your acumen of football trivia, or if the game is ultra boring and you want to liven things up, or if you're a useless fount of knowledge like me (and you're used to stupefying looks on people's faces), try this puzzler:

Who is the artist or group who has performed more times than anyone else at Super Bowl halftime? Gloria Estefan? With two performances, it's a good guess. Carol Channing? She was there twice too - the question is why?

The group you're looking at has entertained at halftime a record four times (1976, 1980, 1982, and 1986). It's a dubious record that's unlikely to be broken. Here's a YouTube video of the 1976 performance (skip ahead to 1:30 if you dare):




NFL Films once captured a meeting that NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had in his office concerning the Super Bowl's halftime show. Rozelle stated plainly: "There are three words I never want to hear again... Up With People."

Started in 1965, Up with People was founded by J. Blanton Belk as a positive voice for young people. Its initial cast had 140 performers that made its debut at a summer convention on the quaint island known as Mackinac in northern Michigan. From 1966 to 1967, the group began to branch out, picking up more performers along the way, and touring globally.

In 1968, the group officially became Up With People and continued to sing anywhere, anytime. Since then, almost 20,000 young men and women from more than 89 countries have been included in the group. One member went on to bigger and better things - her name was Glenn Close!

At Christmas, 1968, the group decided the time was right for a Christmas album. The multitude assembled into a Hollywood recording studio and recorded fourteen songs - ten of which are original songs!

This album is undeniably Sixties - the sound, the pop beat, the smell of dacron and polyester. At times, it goes so overboard that you will need scuba equipment to simply breathe.

There are fun Christmas songs ("Jingle Bell Beat", "A Present For Santa"), traditional carols ("Away In A Manger", "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"), and at times preachy songs ("Pat's Poem", "Up With People") with a hint of Christmas that makes them qualify for this album.

Overall, I liked the album and the soloists (Debbie Kirkpatrick, Linda Blackmore, Pat Ector) did a fine job when the spotlight shone on them. The group singing is very reminiscent of a hip Mitch Miller & The Gang and the 60s sound is a true flashback.

There are alumni associations all over the world and I would love to hear from some of the members who had a hand in this recording.

Up with People has visited 3,600 communities in 38 countries, nearly 3 million hours of community service have been performed by Up with People students, and 450,000 host families around the world have welcomed Up with People students to their homes. It continues to tour and take its uppity message around the world.




THIS JUST IN: The official website shop of Up With People states:

"Up with People does not currently have CDs for sale. We are preparing to release approximately 400 songs from our catalog that will be available for digital download through iTunes, Rhapsody, and other web-based music stores. We will even have a selection of Up with People Ringtones for you to download. Please check back for more details."


Capt

Up With People - Merry Christmas To You All

Over the past several weeks, I've looked at albums I received as Christmas presents last December or purchased around the same time. Starting today, I am dusting off an old, OLD list of all the Christmas albums I've downloaded over the past TWO years. This list was started in August, 2007 but was called to a stop a month later due to my hectic schedule at the time.

This album was downloaded on November 26, 2006 at 4:55 PM EST from the blog of (you guessed it) Ernie (Not Bert). Since 2006, I've probably downloaded more than 200 albums from this guy so get used to seeing his name and handiwork around here for the next several.

It seems I was one of the lucky ones who got this downloaded. Or did he send it to me? I forget... In any case, Ernie discovered that this album indeed was released on CD (click here - it didn't work for me) and stopped sharing the album, FYI.

The next time you're at a Super Bowl party and really want to impress people with your acumen of football trivia, or if the game is ultra boring and you want to liven things up, or if you're a useless fount of knowledge like me (and you're used to stupefying looks on people's faces), try this puzzler:

Who is the artist or group who has performed more times than anyone else at Super Bowl halftime? Gloria Estefan? With two performances, it's a good guess. Carol Channing? She was there twice too - the question is why?

The group you're looking at has entertained at halftime a record four times (1976, 1980, 1982, and 1986). It's a dubious record that's unlikely to be broken. Here's a YouTube video of the 1976 performance (skip ahead to 1:30 if you dare):




NFL Films once captured a meeting that NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had in his office concerning the Super Bowl's halftime show. Rozelle stated plainly: "There are three words I never want to hear again... Up With People."

Started in 1965, Up with People was founded by J. Blanton Belk as a positive voice for young people. Its initial cast had 140 performers that made its debut at a summer convention on the quaint island known as Mackinac in northern Michigan. From 1966 to 1967, the group began to branch out, picking up more performers along the way, and touring globally.

In 1968, the group officially became Up With People and continued to sing anywhere, anytime. Since then, almost 20,000 young men and women from more than 89 countries have been included in the group. One member went on to bigger and better things - her name was Glenn Close!

At Christmas, 1968, the group decided the time was right for a Christmas album. The multitude assembled into a Hollywood recording studio and recorded fourteen songs - ten of which are original songs!

This album is undeniably Sixties - the sound, the pop beat, the smell of dacron and polyester. At times, it goes so overboard that you will need scuba equipment to simply breathe.

There are fun Christmas songs ("Jingle Bell Beat", "A Present For Santa"), traditional carols ("Away In A Manger", "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"), and at times preachy songs ("Pat's Poem", "Up With People") with a hint of Christmas that makes them qualify for this album.

Overall, I liked the album and the soloists (Debbie Kirkpatrick, Linda Blackmore, Pat Ector) did a fine job when the spotlight shone on them. The group singing is very reminiscent of a hip Mitch Miller & The Gang and the 60s sound is a true flashback.

There are alumni associations all over the world and I would love to hear from some of the members who had a hand in this recording.

Up with People has visited 3,600 communities in 38 countries, nearly 3 million hours of community service have been performed by Up with People students, and 450,000 host families around the world have welcomed Up with People students to their homes. It continues to tour and take its uppity message around the world.




THIS JUST IN: The official website shop of Up With People states:

"Up with People does not currently have CDs for sale. We are preparing to release approximately 400 songs from our catalog that will be available for digital download through iTunes, Rhapsody, and other web-based music stores. We will even have a selection of Up with People Ringtones for you to download. Please check back for more details."


Capt

Ferrante & Teicher – Snowbound / We Wish You A Merry Christmas

If there's a site online that sells Christmas CDs or records, I have notifications that come in to alert me of new items for sale. Every morning, I'm alerted by eBay, GEMM, and Musicstack to many new items - some good, some bad, and some I've seen too many times (people still think those Goodyear & Firestone Christmas LPs will sell online!).

So it came as a shock when two months ago, I received a notification for this very CD you're looking at from the good folks at Half.com. I used to go visit Half many years ago - even sold some VHS tapes when VHS was still in vogue over there - and made some quality purchases along the way.

When eBay purchased Half.com back in 2000, they planned to integrate it into eBay and eventually close down Half.com. But eBay chose to keep it running separate primarily for the textbook market and (travesty of all travesties) Half does not accept PayPal - credit card only.

Needless to say, when this showed on Half, I went digging for my credit card. I wasn't gonna pass on this one again (more on that later).

Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher met while studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Musical prodigies, they began performing as a piano duo while still in school. After graduating, they both joined the Juilliard faculty.

They became a popular act on the "pops" symphony circuit. At the same time, they began experimenting with modifications to pianos, inserting objects into the stringbed, playing on the stringbed, striking keys or strings with blocks, and generally striving to figure out how to get the strangest possible sounds. Working before the first synthesizer, they succeeded in producing phenomenal, almost electronic sounds.

In fact, throughout this period, the duo was accused of using more than just pianos to produce these sounds, and they had to produce an affidavit to convince Columbia Records before the label released their first single by two independent witnesses that pianos were the only instruments on the recordings!

Their unusual sounds caught the eyes and ears of many early television pioneers such as Steve Allen, Dave Garroway, and Ernie Kovacs and asked F & T to appear on their shows:



Back in 1956, F & T released their first full-length Christmas album entitled "Adventures In Carols". Featuring a cover that has Santa straddling a rocket shot into the stratosphere, they used stuffed wads of paper, sticks, rubber stops, masonite strings, cardboard wedges, and sandpaper into the pianos to conjure up weird effects resembling gongs, castanets, drums, xylophone, and harpsichord.

Strangely enough, it works with Christmas very nicely. "Sleigh Ride", then a new Leroy Anderson composition making the rounds, benefits immensely from the F & T treatment and it was rumored that this was Leroy Anderson's favorite version of his song!

It's a remarkable album. Back when the King of Jingaling began FaLaLaLaLa.com in 2004, this was one of his first featured albums at that site (and it's still available at FLLLL so go get it!).

By the end of the 1950s, most of their albums were entirely comprised of prepared piano pieces. Despite the innovative workmanship on these albums, it wasn't translating into commercial success.

They left Westminster Records for the larger United Artists Records in 1959 and caught a major break. Their parent company, United Artists Pictures was filming a new Billy Wilder / Jack Lemmon movie called "The Apartment" and needed a catchy tune.

Their instrumental version of "The Apartment" was a smash. These recordings put them atop the easy listening charts and suddenly they were playing to packed concert halls across the country. They quickly became one of the best-selling instrumental easy listening groups of the 1960s.


In 1962, F & T released "Snowbound" just in time for Christmas - the first album on this 2-for-1 compilation from 1992. About half of the twelve songs on this album are "true" Christmas songs ("Let It Snow", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland") while some are standard winter songs ("Snowbound", "Happy Sleigh Ride", "June In January") while others make you scratch your head and ask "why?" ("Moonlight Serenade", "Moonlight in Vermont").

There's no mistaking the Ferrante & Teicher sound when it comes to the pianos, but this album is quite a letdown from the exotic sounds of "Adventures In Carols".

Several of the songs are dominated by a lush strings from a full orchestra and choir. This makes it hard to know what the duo pianos are playing inbetween (or if they sound you think is from the piano is actually from the piano).

The other tracks feature the trademark duo piano sound from F & T but there's no danger or the unexpected here. Listen to "Adventures In Carols" and you'll never know what your going to hear next. Here it's Christmas 101 - follow the lush accompaniment to the end with no room for experimentation of the once former unique F & T sound.



In 1966, F & T visited Christmas a third time with their album "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". This epic album is an opera compared to "Adventures In Carols". Imagine the lushest, biggest, fullest orchestra & piano sound you've ever heard on any Christmas album, then triple it. You might just come close to what this entire album sounds like.

Every production dollar United Artist spent on this album is within earshot. Nothing was held back on this album. The well-arranged medleys cram in even more Christmas songs than before. It's massive, it's spectacular, it's screams Christmas.

And I hate it. Every stinking note.

I have attempted to listen to this album from beginning to end since I picked it up and I just can't do it. Having known where these guys started with "Adventures In Carols" and where they ended up with... this... it's heartbreaking and earsplitting.

I'm guessing the deal F & T made with the devil to become wealthy, internationally successful recording stars was to record drek like this. Between 1960 and 1973, they averaged four albums a year for United Artists, often playing to packed concert houses, appearing up to 100 times a year at their peak.

They adopted near-identical hairstyles and mustaches, wore matching big "birth control" glasses, and loud tuxes, giving even Liberace a run for their money:


By the late 1970s, the duo were still recording and touring when they decided to leave United Artists to form their own label. Named Avant-Garde, they now recorded twin piano arrangements only, leaving the orchestra far behind. They continued to release newly interpreted versions of songs like "Wind Beneath My Wings" and all of Andrew Lloyd Webber's signature tunes while continuing to perform concerts across the world.

Every rainbow has an end and it came at the end of the 1980s when they retired and went to Florida. Ferrante and Teicher lived within a few miles of each other and were content living off the royalties for several years.

When the lounge craze hit back in the late 90s, they were in demand again. F & T hired a new manager, dusted off the glasses and blazers, and began to record again while reissuing older catalog material.

That's where 2000's "Christmas Is So Special" falls. A repackage of this CD, it eliminates the two "Moon" songs from "Snowbound", adds a version of "Ave Maria", and presto! Used copies can be found of this CD at Amazon.com in the $35 - $50 range.

A single new CD was released entitled "Denizens Of The Deep" hit the stores in 2001 but by then, the lounge craze was over and F & T went back to Florida. Last year, Lou Teicher died of heart failure at the age of 83.

When I managed several CD store in the early 1990s, I had one copy of this album in one of my stores and it sat there for a majority of the time I worked there. Before I left that job, I nearly cleaned out every one of their Christmas CDs. Can you guess which CD I left behind?

At long last, welcome home, F & T.


Capt




BONUS VIDEO: F & T play "Brazilian Sleigh Bells" on "The Dean Martin Show":

Ferrante & Teicher – Snowbound / We Wish You A Merry Christmas

If there's a site online that sells Christmas CDs or records, I have notifications that come in to alert me of new items for sale. Every morning, I'm alerted by eBay, GEMM, and Musicstack to many new items - some good, some bad, and some I've seen too many times (people still think those Goodyear & Firestone Christmas LPs will sell online!).

So it came as a shock when two months ago, I received a notification for this very CD you're looking at from the good folks at Half.com. I used to go visit Half many years ago - even sold some VHS tapes when VHS was still in vogue over there - and made some quality purchases along the way.

When eBay purchased Half.com back in 2000, they planned to integrate it into eBay and eventually close down Half.com. But eBay chose to keep it running separate primarily for the textbook market and (travesty of all travesties) Half does not accept PayPal - credit card only.

Needless to say, when this showed on Half, I went digging for my credit card. I wasn't gonna pass on this one again (more on that later).

Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher met while studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Musical prodigies, they began performing as a piano duo while still in school. After graduating, they both joined the Juilliard faculty.

They became a popular act on the "pops" symphony circuit. At the same time, they began experimenting with modifications to pianos, inserting objects into the stringbed, playing on the stringbed, striking keys or strings with blocks, and generally striving to figure out how to get the strangest possible sounds. Working before the first synthesizer, they succeeded in producing phenomenal, almost electronic sounds.

In fact, throughout this period, the duo was accused of using more than just pianos to produce these sounds, and they had to produce an affidavit to convince Columbia Records before the label released their first single by two independent witnesses that pianos were the only instruments on the recordings!

Their unusual sounds caught the eyes and ears of many early television pioneers such as Steve Allen, Dave Garroway, and Ernie Kovacs and asked F & T to appear on their shows:



Back in 1956, F & T released their first full-length Christmas album entitled "Adventures In Carols". Featuring a cover that has Santa straddling a rocket shot into the stratosphere, they used stuffed wads of paper, sticks, rubber stops, masonite strings, cardboard wedges, and sandpaper into the pianos to conjure up weird effects resembling gongs, castanets, drums, xylophone, and harpsichord.

Strangely enough, it works with Christmas very nicely. "Sleigh Ride", then a new Leroy Anderson composition making the rounds, benefits immensely from the F & T treatment and it was rumored that this was Leroy Anderson's favorite version of his song!

It's a remarkable album. Back when the King of Jingaling began FaLaLaLaLa.com in 2004, this was one of his first featured albums at that site (and it's still available at FLLLL so go get it!).

By the end of the 1950s, most of their albums were entirely comprised of prepared piano pieces. Despite the innovative workmanship on these albums, it wasn't translating into commercial success.

They left Westminster Records for the larger United Artists Records in 1959 and caught a major break. Their parent company, United Artists Pictures was filming a new Billy Wilder / Jack Lemmon movie called "The Apartment" and needed a catchy tune.

Their instrumental version of "The Apartment" was a smash. These recordings put them atop the easy listening charts and suddenly they were playing to packed concert halls across the country. They quickly became one of the best-selling instrumental easy listening groups of the 1960s.


In 1962, F & T released "Snowbound" just in time for Christmas - the first album on this 2-for-1 compilation from 1992. About half of the twelve songs on this album are "true" Christmas songs ("Let It Snow", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland") while some are standard winter songs ("Snowbound", "Happy Sleigh Ride", "June In January") while others make you scratch your head and ask "why?" ("Moonlight Serenade", "Moonlight in Vermont").

There's no mistaking the Ferrante & Teicher sound when it comes to the pianos, but this album is quite a letdown from the exotic sounds of "Adventures In Carols".

Several of the songs are dominated by a lush strings from a full orchestra and choir. This makes it hard to know what the duo pianos are playing inbetween (or if they sound you think is from the piano is actually from the piano).

The other tracks feature the trademark duo piano sound from F & T but there's no danger or the unexpected here. Listen to "Adventures In Carols" and you'll never know what your going to hear next. Here it's Christmas 101 - follow the lush accompaniment to the end with no room for experimentation of the once former unique F & T sound.



In 1966, F & T visited Christmas a third time with their album "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". This epic album is an opera compared to "Adventures In Carols". Imagine the lushest, biggest, fullest orchestra & piano sound you've ever heard on any Christmas album, then triple it. You might just come close to what this entire album sounds like.

Every production dollar United Artist spent on this album is within earshot. Nothing was held back on this album. The well-arranged medleys cram in even more Christmas songs than before. It's massive, it's spectacular, it's screams Christmas.

And I hate it. Every stinking note.

I have attempted to listen to this album from beginning to end since I picked it up and I just can't do it. Having known where these guys started with "Adventures In Carols" and where they ended up with... this... it's heartbreaking and earsplitting.

I'm guessing the deal F & T made with the devil to become wealthy, internationally successful recording stars was to record drek like this. Between 1960 and 1973, they averaged four albums a year for United Artists, often playing to packed concert houses, appearing up to 100 times a year at their peak.

They adopted near-identical hairstyles and mustaches, wore matching big "birth control" glasses, and loud tuxes, giving even Liberace a run for their money:


By the late 1970s, the duo were still recording and touring when they decided to leave United Artists to form their own label. Named Avant-Garde, they now recorded twin piano arrangements only, leaving the orchestra far behind. They continued to release newly interpreted versions of songs like "Wind Beneath My Wings" and all of Andrew Lloyd Webber's signature tunes while continuing to perform concerts across the world.

Every rainbow has an end and it came at the end of the 1980s when they retired and went to Florida. Ferrante and Teicher lived within a few miles of each other and were content living off the royalties for several years.

When the lounge craze hit back in the late 90s, they were in demand again. F & T hired a new manager, dusted off the glasses and blazers, and began to record again while reissuing older catalog material.

That's where 2000's "Christmas Is So Special" falls. A repackage of this CD, it eliminates the two "Moon" songs from "Snowbound", adds a version of "Ave Maria", and presto! Used copies can be found of this CD at Amazon.com in the $35 - $50 range.

A single new CD was released entitled "Denizens Of The Deep" hit the stores in 2001 but by then, the lounge craze was over and F & T went back to Florida. Last year, Lou Teicher died of heart failure at the age of 83.

When I managed several CD store in the early 1990s, I had one copy of this album in one of my stores and it sat there for a majority of the time I worked there. Before I left that job, I nearly cleaned out every one of their Christmas CDs. Can you guess which CD I left behind?

At long last, welcome home, F & T.


Capt




BONUS VIDEO: F & T play "Brazilian Sleigh Bells" on "The Dean Martin Show":

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 2 - Pall-Mall Cigarettes, 1956

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

It's hard to believe now but cigarette advertising in America once dominated the industry. Radio and television cigarette commercials were the norm. Every magazine had ads promoting cooler, milder, smoother, and longer lasting smokes.

Doctors were endorsing cigarettes as harmless while celebrities were identified with certain brands of cigarettes. For example, Jack Benny was Mr. Lucky Strike, his long time radio show sponsor. He once went on Fred Allen's radio show and, in a skit, had his pants removed onstage only to reveal custom boxers that read "Luckies" as a pattern!

By the time this ad was published in 1956, that had all changed. A scientific study was released showing cigarette tar caused skin cancer in mice so filter cigarettes were introduced to ease people's minds.

The Federal Trade Commission then released a series of guidelines that prohibited all references to "throat, larynx, lungs, nose or other parts of the body," or to "digestion, energy, nerves or doctors" in all cigarette advertising.

Cigarette sales were plummeting so Pall-Mall decided to remind people of the good old days:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Remember how much fun you had when you lit up? Think of all the joy you had when you inhaled that warm, rich, cigarette smoke without a filter! Give your guy or gal a carton of cigarettes for Christmas - see, that fun couple below are doing it, why not you? Smoke two, three, even FOUR packs a day and have FUN doing it!

What do you think?

Stephen says: Ah yes, nothing says Christmas like a pack of Pall Malls under the tree. Just don't light up too close to it.

Anonymous says: Give the fun of emphysema for Christmas!

Tim says: Christmas: outstanding...AND it is mild!

Creedmoor says: I remember my parents exchanging cartons of smokes with friends and co-workers for the holidays. It was standard procedure. Nothing celebrates the birth of Jesus better than a trache ho-ho-hole.


Any other opinions?



Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 2 - Pall-Mall Cigarettes, 1956

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

Last Friday and every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

It's hard to believe now but cigarette advertising in America once dominated the industry. Radio and television cigarette commercials were the norm. Every magazine had ads promoting cooler, milder, smoother, and longer lasting smokes.

Doctors were endorsing cigarettes as harmless while celebrities were identified with certain brands of cigarettes. For example, Jack Benny was Mr. Lucky Strike, his long time radio show sponsor. He once went on Fred Allen's radio show and, in a skit, had his pants removed onstage only to reveal custom boxers that read "Luckies" as a pattern!

By the time this ad was published in 1956, that had all changed. A scientific study was released showing cigarette tar caused skin cancer in mice so filter cigarettes were introduced to ease people's minds.

The Federal Trade Commission then released a series of guidelines that prohibited all references to "throat, larynx, lungs, nose or other parts of the body," or to "digestion, energy, nerves or doctors" in all cigarette advertising.

Cigarette sales were plummeting so Pall-Mall decided to remind people of the good old days:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Remember how much fun you had when you lit up? Think of all the joy you had when you inhaled that warm, rich, cigarette smoke without a filter! Give your guy or gal a carton of cigarettes for Christmas - see, that fun couple below are doing it, why not you? Smoke two, three, even FOUR packs a day and have FUN doing it!

What do you think?

Stephen says: Ah yes, nothing says Christmas like a pack of Pall Malls under the tree. Just don't light up too close to it.

Anonymous says: Give the fun of emphysema for Christmas!

Tim says: Christmas: outstanding...AND it is mild!

Creedmoor says: I remember my parents exchanging cartons of smokes with friends and co-workers for the holidays. It was standard procedure. Nothing celebrates the birth of Jesus better than a trache ho-ho-hole.


Any other opinions?



Capt

Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas Sampler

Whenever I search for Christmas albums at my local thrift store (where the manager knows me by name), I always peruse the used compact discs. As iPods and MP3 players have increased in popularity, more and more CDs are finding their way into Goodwill stores, cluttering up the space formerly reserved for LPs.

The manager of the store nearly pulled my arm off when I walked into the store to show me this CD. He had held it behind the counter out of sight just for little ol' me (thank you Darryl!). I own the five Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas CDs already so I sort of already owned this CD. But how many times do you come across an honest to goodness promo sampler in a thrift store?

For those who may not know, radio DJ Bob Rivers is the Weird Al Yankovic of Christmas music. He began his broadcasting career in Connecticut where he was heard on WAVZ, WNHC, WCDQ, WELI, WFIF, WCCC, WWCO, and last but certainly least, WLIS.

With no more stations left to conquer in Connecticut, Bob moved on to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. A program director stint at WECM in Claremont, New Hampshire cured Bob of any further desire to be in management. "I worked at 20 stations in about six years," says Bob. "I wanted to make every mistake possible in this business."

After a brief stint as keyboardist/songwriter for a 70's bar band, Bob returned to radio at legendary rock station WAAF-FM. He teamed up with Peter "Zip" Zipfel as part of their successful Bob and Zip morning show and began producing parody and novelty songs, both for the station and for the American Comedy Network, a radio syndication service that provided comedy material to local U.S. and Canadian radio stations.

One of the first parodies he produced was "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You", about the lawsuit and resulting court ordered split up of AT&T's Bell System. The song was sung to the tune of Neil Sedaka's #1, 1962 hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart.


In 1987, Rivers released his first Christmas CD - "Twisted Christmas". With such parodies as "Wreck The Malls", "A Visit From St. Nicholson", "We Wish You Weren't Living With Us", his radio hit "The Twelve Pains Of Christmas" which still gets radio airplay at Christmas, and other non-threatening Christmas tunes, it quickly sold 1.6 million copies, garnering a certified RIAA Gold Record for Atlantic Records.

Bob soon left Boston for Baltimore's WIYY-FM as their morning personality and came up with one of the most successful radio promotions of all time in April of 1988. The Baltimore Orioles had begun the season horribly, losing their first 10 games in a row. Rivers vowed to remain on the air until the Orioles won the next game.

Unfortunately, the Orioles kept losing. And losing. And losing. Rivers continued his broadcast for an amazing eleven days as disheartened Oriole fans kept him awake by calling in, expressing their frustration.

The Orioles were 0-21 when they travelled to Chicago to face the White Sox on April 29, 1988. Not surprising to this Cub fan, the Orioles handily beat the South Siders 9-0. The streak was over and, at long last, Rivers left the radio station studio.

He became a local celebrity among Orioles fans for his pledge and won the National Association of Broadcaster's "Promotion of the Year" award. But his tenure was short lived in Baltimore thanks in large part to a growing drug problem.

Rivers went to Seattle in 1989, successfully underwent drug rehab, and settled in at KISW where he began gathering his "Twisted Christmas" team to formulate their next album. That came in 1993 with "I Am Santa Claus".


This was a harder, edgier album than "Twisted Christmas" (which might be the reason it's my fave of the five). Some of the tunes include "I Came Upon A Roadkill Deer", "Teddy The Red-Nosed Senator", "Jingle Hells Bells", "Walkin' 'Round In Women's Underwear", and the tasteful instrumental of "O Christmas Tree" complete with sawing & chainsaw effects - all brilliantly executed and all winners.

Four Christmas seasons came and went. Rivers continued to record parody songs and released two volumes of "Twisted Tunes" in 1997. Then, without warning, that very same year... Rivers & Co. celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Twisted Christmas" with the release of Christmas album number three - "More Twisted Christmas".


The CD leads off with "It's The Most Fattening Time Of The Year" with John Davidson on lead vocals and featuring THE Richard Simmons interjecting (quite possibly the best recording either John or Richard ever did!).

Add some dead on versions of the B-52s ("Toy Sack"), Led Zeppelin ("Sled Zeppelin"), Bing Crosby ("There's A Santa Who Looks A Lot Like Elvis"), Jimi Hendrix ("Holidaze" to the tune of "Purple Haze"), and two Beatle tunes ("Jesus's Birthday" and "All You Need Is Elves"), and Bob Rivers is batting 3 for 3 with Christmas albums!

Three years later, Bob decided it was time for his fourth Christmas album - "Chipmunks Are Roasting On An Open Fire":


Among the clever parodies ("Carol Of The Bartenders", "Pokemon", and "Who Put The Stump") are some slightly disturbing elements that I really didn't enjoy. "Homeless For The Holidays" is not funny at all, we get to hear a Christmas tree angel impaled on "The Angel", and what's with the Amos & Andy voice for Nat King Cole on the title track?

For me, this album was okay. Not great, not bad, it remains lower on the list though. But having gone 3 for 4 in the overall batting average, I was willing to give Rivers another chance.

Most of the tracks from the sampler pictured above came from albums two, three, and four - no tracks from the first "Twisted Christmas" were on the sampler. Thankfully, a majority of the songs on the sampler are classics and I can listen to this one anytime.

In 2001, the cast and show moved to KZOK-FM where they've stayed until today. Bob embraced the Internet big time and posted nearly every Twisted Tune (including Christmas) to hear via streaming audio at his website. The following year, Bob and company released their fifth full Christmas CD and, to be honest, I was a little worried over the title - "White Trash Christmas":


Whatever fears or doubts I had, they quickly melted away when I heard the parody of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" ("Aquaclaus") on track one. After throwing Eminem for a loop on "What If Eminem Did Jingle Bells?", we get to the holiday hit of 2002 - "Osama Got Run Over By A Reindeer" I'm not sure if he improved on this song but I must admit I did laugh when it was all over the radio at Christmas that year.

There are some hits ("Me And Mrs. Claus", "Shoppin' Around For A Christmas Tree", "The Little Hooters Girl"). There are some misses ("White Trash Christmas", and "Have Yourself An Ozzy Little Christmas" despite the return of John Davidson).

And then there's "Be Claus I Got High", and "I'll Be Stoned For Christmas". I guess Bob's reached the stage where he can laugh at his former addiction but I fail to see the humor in mixing drugs and Christmas.

Overall, I'll give this one a passing grade because the laughs do outweigh the bad. Final box score: 4 for 5 for a fantastic .800 batting average.

It's been six years since we've seen a new Twisted Christmas CD. Surely there's plenty of material out there for Bob and Co. to another full holiday album.





Capt

Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas Sampler

Whenever I search for Christmas albums at my local thrift store (where the manager knows me by name), I always peruse the used compact discs. As iPods and MP3 players have increased in popularity, more and more CDs are finding their way into Goodwill stores, cluttering up the space formerly reserved for LPs.

The manager of the store nearly pulled my arm off when I walked into the store to show me this CD. He had held it behind the counter out of sight just for little ol' me (thank you Darryl!). I own the five Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas CDs already so I sort of already owned this CD. But how many times do you come across an honest to goodness promo sampler in a thrift store?

For those who may not know, radio DJ Bob Rivers is the Weird Al Yankovic of Christmas music. He began his broadcasting career in Connecticut where he was heard on WAVZ, WNHC, WCDQ, WELI, WFIF, WCCC, WWCO, and last but certainly least, WLIS.

With no more stations left to conquer in Connecticut, Bob moved on to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. A program director stint at WECM in Claremont, New Hampshire cured Bob of any further desire to be in management. "I worked at 20 stations in about six years," says Bob. "I wanted to make every mistake possible in this business."

After a brief stint as keyboardist/songwriter for a 70's bar band, Bob returned to radio at legendary rock station WAAF-FM. He teamed up with Peter "Zip" Zipfel as part of their successful Bob and Zip morning show and began producing parody and novelty songs, both for the station and for the American Comedy Network, a radio syndication service that provided comedy material to local U.S. and Canadian radio stations.

One of the first parodies he produced was "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You", about the lawsuit and resulting court ordered split up of AT&T's Bell System. The song was sung to the tune of Neil Sedaka's #1, 1962 hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart.


In 1987, Rivers released his first Christmas CD - "Twisted Christmas". With such parodies as "Wreck The Malls", "A Visit From St. Nicholson", "We Wish You Weren't Living With Us", his radio hit "The Twelve Pains Of Christmas" which still gets radio airplay at Christmas, and other non-threatening Christmas tunes, it quickly sold 1.6 million copies, garnering a certified RIAA Gold Record for Atlantic Records.

Bob soon left Boston for Baltimore's WIYY-FM as their morning personality and came up with one of the most successful radio promotions of all time in April of 1988. The Baltimore Orioles had begun the season horribly, losing their first 10 games in a row. Rivers vowed to remain on the air until the Orioles won the next game.

Unfortunately, the Orioles kept losing. And losing. And losing. Rivers continued his broadcast for an amazing eleven days as disheartened Oriole fans kept him awake by calling in, expressing their frustration.

The Orioles were 0-21 when they travelled to Chicago to face the White Sox on April 29, 1988. Not surprising to this Cub fan, the Orioles handily beat the South Siders 9-0. The streak was over and, at long last, Rivers left the radio station studio.

He became a local celebrity among Orioles fans for his pledge and won the National Association of Broadcaster's "Promotion of the Year" award. But his tenure was short lived in Baltimore thanks in large part to a growing drug problem.

Rivers went to Seattle in 1989, successfully underwent drug rehab, and settled in at KISW where he began gathering his "Twisted Christmas" team to formulate their next album. That came in 1993 with "I Am Santa Claus".


This was a harder, edgier album than "Twisted Christmas" (which might be the reason it's my fave of the five). Some of the tunes include "I Came Upon A Roadkill Deer", "Teddy The Red-Nosed Senator", "Jingle Hells Bells", "Walkin' 'Round In Women's Underwear", and the tasteful instrumental of "O Christmas Tree" complete with sawing & chainsaw effects - all brilliantly executed and all winners.

Four Christmas seasons came and went. Rivers continued to record parody songs and released two volumes of "Twisted Tunes" in 1997. Then, without warning, that very same year... Rivers & Co. celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Twisted Christmas" with the release of Christmas album number three - "More Twisted Christmas".


The CD leads off with "It's The Most Fattening Time Of The Year" with John Davidson on lead vocals and featuring THE Richard Simmons interjecting (quite possibly the best recording either John or Richard ever did!).

Add some dead on versions of the B-52s ("Toy Sack"), Led Zeppelin ("Sled Zeppelin"), Bing Crosby ("There's A Santa Who Looks A Lot Like Elvis"), Jimi Hendrix ("Holidaze" to the tune of "Purple Haze"), and two Beatle tunes ("Jesus's Birthday" and "All You Need Is Elves"), and Bob Rivers is batting 3 for 3 with Christmas albums!

Three years later, Bob decided it was time for his fourth Christmas album - "Chipmunks Are Roasting On An Open Fire":


Among the clever parodies ("Carol Of The Bartenders", "Pokemon", and "Who Put The Stump") are some slightly disturbing elements that I really didn't enjoy. "Homeless For The Holidays" is not funny at all, we get to hear a Christmas tree angel impaled on "The Angel", and what's with the Amos & Andy voice for Nat King Cole on the title track?

For me, this album was okay. Not great, not bad, it remains lower on the list though. But having gone 3 for 4 in the overall batting average, I was willing to give Rivers another chance.

Most of the tracks from the sampler pictured above came from albums two, three, and four - no tracks from the first "Twisted Christmas" were on the sampler. Thankfully, a majority of the songs on the sampler are classics and I can listen to this one anytime.

In 2001, the cast and show moved to KZOK-FM where they've stayed until today. Bob embraced the Internet big time and posted nearly every Twisted Tune (including Christmas) to hear via streaming audio at his website. The following year, Bob and company released their fifth full Christmas CD and, to be honest, I was a little worried over the title - "White Trash Christmas":


Whatever fears or doubts I had, they quickly melted away when I heard the parody of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" ("Aquaclaus") on track one. After throwing Eminem for a loop on "What If Eminem Did Jingle Bells?", we get to the holiday hit of 2002 - "Osama Got Run Over By A Reindeer" I'm not sure if he improved on this song but I must admit I did laugh when it was all over the radio at Christmas that year.

There are some hits ("Me And Mrs. Claus", "Shoppin' Around For A Christmas Tree", "The Little Hooters Girl"). There are some misses ("White Trash Christmas", and "Have Yourself An Ozzy Little Christmas" despite the return of John Davidson).

And then there's "Be Claus I Got High", and "I'll Be Stoned For Christmas". I guess Bob's reached the stage where he can laugh at his former addiction but I fail to see the humor in mixing drugs and Christmas.

Overall, I'll give this one a passing grade because the laughs do outweigh the bad. Final box score: 4 for 5 for a fantastic .800 batting average.

It's been six years since we've seen a new Twisted Christmas CD. Surely there's plenty of material out there for Bob and Co. to another full holiday album.





Capt