A Very Special Christmas - Super Boffo Bonus Episode!

In this Very Special Episode of Sick Burns we look at one of the biggest charity records of the 1980’s -- a decade full of charity records. “A Very Special Christmas” has been a holiday juggernaut since the first album was released in 1987. A compilation of Christmas standards from music’s hottest 80’s stars, the album was produced by Jimmy Iovine, who was inspired to make something special to commemorate this special time of year after losing his beloved father during the holidays. He called out the big guns, dusted off the Phil Spector playbook, and produced something truly special. All proceeds benefited the Special Olympics, which now counts VSPs many albums as its largest source of funding. It’s a super boffo episode with coverage of not one but 15 different songs! Put on your elf hat, grab a cup of wassail and join us, won’t you? 

Inspired by the music? Why not consider a direct gift to Special Olympics?

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Chapters

• 0:02 Chit Chat
• 10:47 Introducing the Song

Transcript

Unknown: 0:05

Welcome to Sick burns, where to Gen X friends of corporate PR pro and a college English professor delivered choice critique on 80 songs. I'm Margaret. And I'm Elizabeth. Let's get into it today. Hello, hello. What tweet did I see of yours? Oh, that your tweet about us Gambit. Have you watched that show? It's good. I haven't yet everybody tells me to.

Margaret: 0:34

We're making our way through shits Creek. And so we're not we're kind of looking to start a new one. But my sister she's told me to watch this show like five times. So we were talking about it at dinner one night, and my son said, Oh, yeah, I watched that. That's real good. And I was like, Is this what you do in your room? After you're done with your schoolwork? Apparently, he's on the chess team. So I guess Oh, yeah, the hidden test team. And he was like, Yeah, totally. That's my favorite opening move is the Queen's gambit. And I was like, oh, did not even know it was a chess move. So thank you for Wow. draw you closer, I would have got so, so good for him. He knows how to play chess. I don't do you know how I know the moves of the pieces? But I don't know. I don't know how to strategize or plan or respond or anything. I know what each individual piece can do. But in the game of chess, or like in life? Well, I thought you were asking me about the game of chess, I am just being silly. I'm very bad at that kind of stuff. Like I'm bad at even checkers. It's too much. I'm a very strategic person. I think it's what it in that like, what are your top 50 strengths thing? It's like my number six. But I am terrible at thinking, What are you talking about? It's called, it's called the Gallup or the Clifton Strengths Finder. It's like a, it's very much like Myers Briggs. And a lot of companies make you take it. Haha, and you start and people. So people introduce themselves in the corporate world by telling each other what their top five strengths are. Ah, because you are you, it kind of teaches you how to relate to each other. in a way that's a little easier to remember than the NF TJ or whatever they I don't remember what those things mean. But if I tell you that one of them my number two strength is Woo, which means winning others over, which means I like to talk to people, I don't know and get to know them. Okay, I wouldn't be surprised by that, right? No, I'm not. And guess what, my friends. So anyway, I'm bad at chess, even though strategies. I'm my number six, which is I think due to my self diagnosed case of dyscalculia, which is it's like dyslexia, but for numbers, one of the strengths that they read people on is input, which is the collection of information and the delight in sharing that information with others. Guess where that one is? For me? Number two is number one. Oh, I thought you already told me number one, or else I would have guessed that. But if no woo is number two for me, I think. Got it. Yeah. Well, and here we are sharing. Here you are sharing information. Mm hmm. delight. I love sharing information. That's the idea. Yeah, delight and or like, oh, fun having a thing ready. Not just always information, but like, having the things somebody needs when they need it. So I'm like the mom whose purse weighs 30 pounds, because she's got one of all the things just in case you need it do have Advil? Yes, I do. Have a bandaid. Yes, I do. You have that kind of band aid that goes on the back of my heel for blisters. I have five of them. Yeah, what do you need? I've got it. Like, I'd be grand. Um, let's make a deal where Monty Hall was like, I'll give you $100 if you have a toothpick in your purse, and the ladies always like no, I don't have one. I internalized that as a young child and was like Reggie find this this, um, self study or organization of traits that seems to have come in handy, then like you trust it, or Oh, it works. Yeah, there are certain ones that I'm like, abs I totally resonates with me. Absolutely. And I also know that I'm bad at. So it also says like if you're doing a project and you're really good at ideation, find somebody to partner with who's good at activation. So activator is another one of the strengths. I'm very low at that.

Unknown: 4:28

I like working with. Okay, is that surprising? Not just cuz, just to say I'm low at activation, like

Elizabeth: 4:44

mad totally, totally. Yes. Well, I like to find people who are good at it who are loaded. It's also funny to be like, well, I really don't do things. So I have to find someone who does.

Margaret: 4:57

That is what it sounds like. I know that I can't do them. It just I don't like it. Anyway, friggin This is why my house is a mess because I like to have things when you need them. But I don't like to do things. So I don't want to put them away or organize them.

Unknown: 5:15

And then everyone I meet, I'm like, have you taken this? Can you take it? I want to guess what yours are. I want to see if I'm right. That's I have friends who one friend in particular who's like that with Myers Briggs? Like very strong like she that's if it would be okay socially, to just ask people that out. Right? What the first time she needs them. She would I think that stop her. She should just sometimes it doesn't. Yeah. But then, and I can't remember what my Myers Briggs letters are. But I recently met another good friend of hers who I had never met before. And it turns out that the other friend and I are the same Myers Briggs type, which is relatively rare. Yes. And so my friend, our mutual friend, was like, I have a type. And that is, it is your type. And the whole time I had been like chatting with this other friend. And I was like, I kind of like this woman. What is it about her? And it turned out we were the same type, which is officially incompatible as friends actually. Oh, maybe it was more than I was just intrigued. Oh, are you supposed to find friends who are different than you? I think the way this word types. Well, I just like your types. You know, you're supposed to find combinations. And

Elizabeth: 6:28

it's all just like variations on astrology or something. Totally. But people love that. Yeah, they love everybody loves. They're like, what type? Am I and like how? I don't know, some way of just like organizing their thoughts about themselves. And we love to categorize people and dgr. I mean, yeah, guilty. I love doing it. For sure. I will say that as a means of segue that I've been trying to organize the basement and I have chuckled to myself the number of boxes just full of shit. I have opened that have included a book about organization,

Margaret: 7:07

which is a nice kind of irony. And anyway, I was down there poking around because it was bringing up all the Christmas stuff, which for a cluttery person is a certain kind of joy because you get to clutter your house more and it's like socially acceptable. Have you decorated at all we just did this weekend. On Saturday was a frenzy a whirlwind, it was a hurricane of activity. We were active. We were all activators on that day.

Elizabeth: 7:34

We got we bought lights, we installed lights, we bought a tree we put up the tree, we decorated the tree, we got outside ornaments up outside inside, etc. It was a frenzy. Sounds awesome. Did you you did it yesterday. Also you did it last weekend, got the tree and did all the stuff and then we also went to a like one of those drive through the park and there's a million light displays for you to look at. And you tune your radio to a station and listen. Um, I like lights I remember having to be have been hauled around as a kid to look at the neighborhoods that had remarkable light setups. And I hated it. I hated it. Like a jumping around. But now I would love it. I don't know. It's just like compulsory family time. And it seems so useless to just stare at lights. But you know, I'm crazy for the lights now. I mean, I get it because it gets so dark so early. And then you want a little bit of joy and sparkle, you know, and it is the perfect COVID Christmas activity. Because you're in your car, just your bubble and you don't have to see you know, like you're safe, safe and sealed up in there. Speaking of Christmas, maybe dive in because this one is chock full of things to say because this is sort of a bonus episode and I guess I'll just say I'm pausing on the one that we recorded most recently and saving it to release later. And when that comes out, it may sound somewhat dated, but we wanted to do a very special Christmas episode about a very special Christmas. So get your peppermint mocha ready. Hmm. Which I cannot because my local Starbucks is closed for two weeks. Why? I think it's the pandemic I think somebody there got sick or something. Oh dear. Oh, that's too bad. It is too bad. But I did we did get a shipment from my spouse's brother of gourmet ice cream and some holiday flavors, including one called reindeer tracks, which really tastes like a Girl Scout pigment cookie but an ice cream form. And so that's kind of filling that need. Okay, that's that's scratching your mint flavored chocolate itch. I didn't think I had one. But I'll tell you this until I had this and it's so freakin good. You're not to sidebar on food, as we always do. But when you lived in Chicago, did you go to get those Marshall field mints that were like chocolate but mint flavored.

Margaret: 10:00

You know, what are you talking about? Oh, how do you know about these? You know, like a little square. Oh, chocolate and it was mint flavored.

Unknown: 10:11

Something it was just mint flavored and nice in the chocolate itself. Yeah. And it's like the mint meltaways. Maybe they're called. Delicious. We're gonna have a bite closer to this ice cream, actually, now that we're talking about it, but yeah, that sounds delicious. No, I didn't lead a very Marshall Field's friendly lifestyle. And it was such a short time I lived there. But in any case, I'm all about the mint chocolate holiday treats. Yeah, yeah. And peppermint mocha is one of the one of the more delicious ones. Yeah, so listeners Get it. Get it right now. Pause it. Go get your peppermint mocha. Come back. We'll be waiting. So today for our very special Christmas episode. We're going to talk about the album. A very special Christmas. You and I together? Yes. Which great released in 1987 fits squarely in our theme for this podcast. And certainly has some

Margaret: 11:07

memories. For me that resonate. I had the cassette tape which I didn't have a lot of actual cassette tapes I mostly copied other people's cassette tapes. Hopefully the statute of limitations on copyright is expired but I will find out that we will I listened to it on my door dash D player cassette player all yeah, it was not a Walkman It was a Georgia Gold Georgia Walkman So join us being known for its electronics. Yes, exactly. Did you have the album

Elizabeth: 11:39

I this if it came out in 1987 I didn't have the album However, I'm a little surprised about the year because my memory of it is working in what we call the record store but really didn't sell records they sold mostly tapes and CDs but I didn't start working there until 1989 However, this album was probably still feeling current and in circulation but we played it non stop on repeat in that store. So I don't think I owned it and I because I definitely never felt that need to own it. But I my life was suffused, suffused with it like very much so for a few years there OSH that's a pretty good way to ruin music for you is to listen to it while you work retail oh my god there's a few songs that were like that that I really associate with working there like also Unchained Melody because ghost came out and so we can't we played it like cuz the singles of Unchained Melody we played so much and friends in low places. The Garth Brooks song. I remember playing that like very good. Yeah, I think I mentioned working at the store when we did the episode about Richard censorship, censorship. Oh, because I had to card people to buy the two Live Crew. Mm hmm. Cuz that was like the new thing then. Anyway. Yeah. So I so familiar with it. And I love some parts of it for sure. Yes, it's got some lows for sure. Yes. So what we talked about was we usually take turns doing songs for each other, but we'll kind of divvy the album up a little and talk about all of it. Did you do some looking into what how the album came about? It's kind of a very sweet story. No, I only know that it was for the Special Olympics, which is a great organization and I at the time, I think what made an impression on me was the Keith Haring artwork because Keith Haring and aids were did Keith Haring die of AIDS. Yeah, I think he also did some artwork that was to benefit some aids charities in memory, sir. So I think like if I hadn't looked stuff up before we did this episode, I would have thought it was like an AIDS benefit actually, just because of the king Hearing Association. That's funny. I will tell you my I have this memory of Keith Haring. Vanity Fair did a story on him. Maybe it was after he passed. I don't know exactly. If it was while he was alive. But there's this like very famous picture of him. Where he was in his apartment may be standing on a piece of furniture he had painted his entire body white with like putting his penis I remember this photo very vividly. It was like the first time I ever saw male genitalia. And even though it was all covered in paint, it was right there in the middle of normal magazine, and I was like, What am I looking at? on that uncircumcised if I recall? Oh, I don't I don't remember that. It just I just remember it had one of those black stripes like he looked

Unknown: 14:40

a one of his paintings. And that made a big impression on me obviously. But his his artwork for the album is really beautiful and sweet and iconic. Well, Jimmy Iovine produced it and he's the guy who founded Interscope Records and also Founded Beats by Dre with Dr. Dre beats electronics. I saw the Defiant Ones. Oh, do you see that? No, I didn't. I know a bit about it, but I didn't see it. No one defies anything in that movie, just FYI, Miss titled movie. But in any case, I know the whole beats Dr. Dre story. Well, there you go. He didn't made the record because his dad died a little bit after Christmas. He's super close with his family. He's from New York. He's like this New York guy. And he still has the accent and everything. And his dad was like a longshoreman. He had a heart attack around the holidays. And then the family gathered around his bedside over the Christmas holiday. And then he died two weeks after Christmas. And he was so moved by that, that he was like every year Christmas, I'm just going to be sad and depressed unless I can do something that makes a happy memory out of this. And so because the family had like such strong Christian Christmas memories, he was like, I'm gonna make a Christmas album. And then I'll always think about that. Yeah. And so that is what he did. Yeah, just like a lovely thing. And he couldn't get the artists though to participate, because all the record companies wanted money. So he was like, Well, I know what we'll do. We'll like take money out of the equation and just give it all to charity. And then the artists started saying yes, and they couldn't figure out what charity to give it to and his wife, Vicki, I have been volunteered with Special Olympics. That's how they got connected. He went to a party at Maria Shriver his house and met her dad Sargent Shriver, and they were behind Special Olympics. The future Mrs. Schwarzenegger? Yes. Well, hello, Eunice founded Special Olympics. I knew that and I forgot. Yeah, it's like deep it does. It's a girl. Really, what you need to know is that it all comes back to the Kennedys every time. Oh, yeah. Yunus started it in her backyard, if I'm not mistaken. So who was it an honor of rows of her sister? I feel like I read that somewhere. Rosemary Kennedy. Yeah. They give her a lobotomy. Right? Yeah, it was like a very sad and secret story for a long time. Yeah. Anyway, and it's and it is still to this day, very special Christmas album is like the number one funding for Special Olympics. Really? Yeah. Which is there's been like three or four or five of them right? Yeah. A bunch media. I'm almost up to seven. I think I saw seven album in my research, but it's raised like 100 million bucks for them. Certainly done well, since 1987. Wow. And they're all for Special Olympics right? There is no separate charities are fascinating to read and super interesting Mental Floss article about it. And a fantastic article from 1987. From October when the when the album came out from the LA Times which I got to tell you this was so interesting. like half the article, the reporter went to the photo shoot they did with like Bono and staying and Run DMC and Annie Lennox, like famous photo of all of them together. And this reporter was there and he was talking about how like uncomfortable the photo shoot was. And until Jimmy, I have been showed up and then and then Bruce Springsteen got there late, because Jimmy, I haven't given him the wrong address. What's the roughly like 30 minutes late? Anyway, the whole the says so much about the 80s the whole beginning of the article is about criticism about aid fatigue, because there had been Oh, yeah, right. Yeah, date and hands across America and live. Totally, your Mellencamp did and so borders are all asking them about it. And like none of the celebrities wanted to talk about that was almost like they were being asked to explain why they were part of another, you know, yeah. Right. And which, like, I feel so weird to me, maybe because it's become so commonplace, but wow, what jaded people we were back in 1987. Right. We're so like, another charity record.

Margaret: 19:15

But I feel like they don't do that. And I mean, I guess there's like telethons, because also you knew of one you told me about one on an episode here. Did I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. Maybe that was like, that seems like a very 80s phenomenon, though to have charity. Maybe I just listened to Farm Aid. Like a month ago. Brandy. Oh, yeah. Right. That does happen. Yeah, I get some money. In fact, it was guy. Yeah. Great. Well, we have not that we don't have charity now, but it feels like it's all GoFundMe, like privatized, you know, like individualized things. Yeah, well, then, like a big group effort. It would be nice. Yeah, totally. Oh my god. Well, I read well

Elizabeth: 20:00

I was looking stuff up about this that Christmas music is the like, far and away number one selling genre of music. And it's certainly the only reason I've ever heard of Mannheim steamroller or the Trans Siberian orchestra, you know, only because of Christmas music. And so that it sounds I guess that makes sense that if totally are still selling very special Christmases, which when you think about it, it's genius, because well, some songs come and go. A Christmas hit comes back every year. I was reading the ASCAP holiday song tart. It's American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. It's the intellectual property. Yes, you've got to pay you know, if you're gonna like put on a concert, you have to pay the rights to do a song and you pay it to to ASCAP, they give it to the artist, or whoever holds the rights and number one can you guess it in 2020? Can you guess the number one song on the ASCAP holiday song chart? Is it Elvis Presley Christmas song? No. Oh god so this is the one that the most people are paying the rights to. Yeah, Mm hmm. So it's something that you still have to pay for rights to is not like nighters but it's also like radio airplay album sales like a lot goes into it. It's not just who's you know, it's like the most popular what's getting the most play it's Mariah Carey All I want for Christmas is you

Margaret: 21:31

the queen of Christmas Did you see that? Yeah. Oh my god totally. I did look up the all the best selling Christmas albums because I think very special Christmas is something like the 19th of all time Yeah, yeah, that it is behind my carries for sure. And also behind Kenny G's but surprise, you know, the number one by far because it's already like one format of it was number one, but then it's also been released and released so many times in different titles and formats is the Elvis Presley Christmas album. Interesting. I would not have guessed that but if maybe Mariah Carey is like a modern day Elvis Presley

Unknown: 22:11

maybe she is I'd really have to think that one through. Yeah, but easily believe you what you tell me about that. Also, the The cool thing about it is she's one of the writers like Yes, right. I don't believe that Elvis Presley wrote many of his It's like he didn't write blue Christmas. I know that for sure. But she did. She co wrote All I want for Christmas is you and could for her. It is a bob? Absolutely. Yeah. You know, I met a woman at the swimming pool this summer. Who's like a total Mariah Carey fan like a huge fan. Like such we didn't talk about Christmas. But she did say she has like all this butterfly themed stuff in our house. And that's like her, you know, go to like if people are buying her gifts, that is butterfly because it's related to Mariah Carey. She loves she loves her. So eight ways from Sunday. And I've never met anyone who said that, but there's obviously a lot of them out there. And so I just got like a little because that's why she's such a giant, huge star. A lot of Mariah heads or whatever her fans are called. I'm sure that there's a special name for them. And yeah, probably not Mariah head. Yeah, I don't know what it was. I don't know what they're they do have a name because she said it and I dairy lover was Mariah maniacs. Mariah max. Mariah met. Me. Riot maniacs. I don't know. reax, Mary. Harry. Mary. Mary. Mary. Mary. Carrie. Carrie Carrie. They're called Harry Carey. Mariah Carey. Yep, just going around committing Harry Mariah Carey on everyone. And talking like Carrie Carrie, the sports announcer from Chicago. All I want for Christmas is terrible. Carrie was terrible. Let me tell you about a couple of the songs and then I'll toss it to you and you can tell me about a couple of the songs. So some of the songs are produced by Jimmy I have been and some of them are not the first one. It is Santa Claus is coming to town by the Pointer Sisters it Phil Spector's Christmas album from the 60s inspired this album for IBM. And this song is really meant to be like in the tradition of Phil Spector. Actually, Bruce Springsteen recorded it as a beside to his song, my hometown, which we've talked about on this podcast, and Bruce Springsteen recorded a Christmas song to be the beside of my hometown. Yeah. Wait, what is that he's not the only artist on this album who had a Christmas song on a beside what's the Again, I only wrote down my song Santa Claus is coming to town. And isn't that the name of Bruce Springsteen's autobiography? No. Okay, as a Jew, he has a big time Christmas memories. He wrote a whole book about this note song. Yeah, I know I love that about him. I love that he's known for all these Christmas manakala He's so ecumenical. Uh huh. Oh, yeah, that's him. Um, he, but but this is the Pointer Sisters. Right? So they're singing what's essentially the crystals 1960 version or 1962 version of the from the Phil Spector Christmas album. That's the version of this song that they're singing with this big time Phil Spector sound, but the Bruce Springsteen tie in is kind of a fun tidbit because there's big saxophone break and it's Clarence Clemons from the street band playing saxophone for the Pointer Sisters fun. I will say this is one of my least favorite songs on the album for sure. There are parts of the song I love, love the harmony on the chorus that they do this thing where they talk like little kids when they're talking about the toys and you remember there's like stupid lyrics like it was written in 1934. So it's got all these like really to toot and rummy TomTom. And when they talk about getting dollies they use a little boy Yeah, and it's just like a bi I love when our sisters if the eight Yeah, they were the the Pointer Sisters of the 70s are way better than the Pointer Sisters of the 80s. Agreed. I just I'm not and this is Exhibit A Yeah, not a huge fan of this version of the song but that's okay. There's better there's better things to come. Then we go to Winter Wonderland by eurhythmics. Ah Hmm. Which one? I really like this one a lot. And this is one of those that was not produced by Jimmy I have been, they gave it was a B side on one of their songs and they gave it to him. So again, that they were like, Well, here you go. You can have this. The interesting thing about this song also written in 19. In a long time ago in the 30s was there's written by this guy Richard Smith, who's from eastern Pennsylvania. This town called hones Dale, Pennsylvania, and he wrote it about the park across the lake. His house was on the town square. And he remembered seeing like the beautiful snowfall in the park. And so he sort of wrote it as this romantic walking through the beautiful snowy Park. He wrote it when he was in a sanitarium for tuberculosis and saw kids playing in the snow and it like reminded him of this part. That sad. So he entered he entered it into a like a contest when he was in the middle then eventually it became a song but he died on his 34th birthday before he could see it become a hit. He died of tuberculosis. Yeah, yeah, it is number 11 on the ass ASCAP holiday song tart does not the eurhythmics version but this song in particular. So that's nice for him and whoever his estate owner is a Nazi. We can take it away from can we do about this? Yeah. But I love the I love the way any Linux things on this one It's so pretty. I cannot think of a single eurhythmics or any Linux song but I would not choose to listen to like we need to do them as a whole episode at some point because they're so good. And they just completely hold up like there's a few add artists I do think that your ad mix are one of them. I would say maybe the cars too. And there's definitely others that they just still sound like damn good songs and like Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And you and you don't get tired of them and they sound current. Yeah, I agree. I think that's so beautiful. That song and you can like picture the silver snowflakes practically in her voice. Yes, you can. That's a great way to say it. I love that. Anyway, number three on the album is new. You hear what I hear by Whitney Houston. Oh yeah, the dearly departed Whitney Houston. She donated this recording which she recorded it for the album. She was like a one take gal she went into the studio. Jimmy I have been tells this story. He went to get a cup of tea. He came back and she was done recording like she wasn't she was finished because she kind of just put all the passion into it and then right it's complete. One thing that I love about the her version of the song is that it sounds like like such a, like a gospel song. And that's, you know how she grew up singing as a gospel singer coming from like a whole family of singers. I love that she puts it into that. And one of the fun facts about like the production here is that background vocals were by a woman named Edna right Perry and Darlene love who? She's going to come up later in my little grouping. She's one of my faves. Yeah, music. I didn't know about her until this moment. But yeah, very interesting. The song is from 1962. Do you hear what I hear? It was written by a husband and wife writing team and was written in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The writers were like very emotional about that. And the Cold War, obviously. And there's that line that says pray for peace people everywhere. And that is that is because they were talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis. And it really resonated. It was like a big hit. After they released it. The Harry Simeon chorale first recorded it and my mom had that album. So we listened to it a lot when I was young. That's a sweet little detail about that song. Number four, Merry Christmas, maybe by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Yeah, Mm hmm. Bruce was the first artist to give Jimmy I have been a song for this album. Jimmy, I have been had produced more into run, which is an album but also the actual name of Bruce Springsteen's automatic graphy if you didn't know. And yeah, Springsteen called Jimmy to give his condolences on his dad dying. Jimmy was like, hey, thanks. Listen, I'm gonna do an album. Can I have a song? And of course, Bruce was like, I mean, sure. You know, you can't tell somebody know, when you've called to give your condolences. So he said, you can have this unused besides signal signal, Merry Christmas baby, which he had recorded in 1980. And so it had been around for a while, and it was on the B side to a live version of his song war. It got really big, obviously, when it was on very special Christmas, and it was already seven years old. The record was already a couple of years old. Mm hmm. It is. I mean, I think it goes to show you like a little bit of marketing can go a long way. It's one of Bruce's favorite songs to close his shows with in November and December. I can't even imagine how fun it would be to see him perform this live. Like I would probably lose my mind. It would have you you've seen him live, haven't you before? Yeah, I saw his Tunnel of Love tour. Mm. Oh, okay. It was in the summer. So he didn't do this song. Right. It was right around this time actually, though, because Tunnel of Love was 86 or 87. still the best concert I ever saw, I think. I mean, he's incredible. I don't know. I don't know how he does it. He plays for like three hours and he I think I read once he loses like five pounds just in sweat every time he performs. Wow, that man they don't make them like they used to know him. This song was from 1947 Johnny Moore's three blazers sing it. The pianist and songwriter was Charles Brown. So this guy, Lou Baxter brought the song to Charles brown and said, Hey, I need the song to be a hit. I've got to publish the songs. I have cancer and I need to have surgery. So I need some money. So cute. So it became a hit because Charles brown took it and reworked It was called Merry Christmas blues. And then Charles brown took it and reworked it and called it Merry Christmas maybe. And then it went to number three and 1947 and it's a bluesy, r&b. They had Charles brown record it for a very special Christmas to with Bonnie Raitt. He did it as a duet. Oh, cool. Isn't that sweet? So yeah, all your songs so far, correct me if I'm wrong, they're all 20th century songs, right? Yes. so far. What? Yeah, okay, I've got one that isn't interesting one that's older than that. They're all newer songs, because I can't help but think about, like, what was happening, like when you were talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis, what was happening in the world when people were writing Christmas songs and whether that affected how they think about Christmas by Oh, it has to right? Yeah, sure. Well, I read something. I read recently, a book review of a new biography of Charles Dickens. And the book review was very in depth about Charles Dickens and about the book and noted as if everyone already accepts it, that we would not think of Christmas in the same way that we do. Now. If it hadn't been for Charles Dickens. I feel like that maybe as long as it's post a Christmas, Carol, that all Christmas songs, you know, start to sound similar as long as it was after that. And so maybe there's not such a huge like when you said Do you hear what I hear from the 60s I feel like it could have been from a landline. I thought that song was much older. Yeah, plus it's in the minor key. So I thought it was more traditional And the interesting thing about that song is that the guy who wrote so husband and wife, right, the wife was a sort of like a pop writer in the style of Carole King or something. And her husband had escaped Europe after world war two and had like grown up in France as a young boy and was kind of haunted by a lot of what he saw. And that comes through in his lyrics. One of the things I was reading about it, you can sort of feel there's like this haunted kind of quality, a little bit about some of the lyrics. And it also talked about him like having these fond memories of seeing, you know, sheep grazing on the on the hill. And that's so much why it's about all these sheep. And so certainly, some of his experience from a World War went into inspiring the way that he wrote that and then certainly, you know, the threat of a world war three was why he was so worried about but it is funny with sad Christmas songs, and even all Christmas songs. There's so many of them about like being together or being a part you know, blue Christmas by Elvis Presley, I'll have a blue Christmas because I'm without you. Or the next song on the list, which is Have yourself a merry little Christmas by pretenders, which is so sad, because it's about being apart. There's so much a streak of that. If it's not about you know, the birth of Christ or the Annunciation or something, then it's depression. Yes. Sad, and I really think people are getting into the sad the sad ones right now with with what's happening with COVID. And it's like, an ideal theme for this year. I think some of these sad Christmas songs. Yeah. In fact, meet me in St. Louis, I think is also excuse me, the pretenders version of Have yourself a merry little Christmas, which is from the film Meet me in St. Louis. Starring garland. Oh, really? It was written for a musical. Yes, Maha. Yeah, one of my favorite movies. I love this movie so much. The songwriting duo who wrote the song wrote all the songs in the film, including clang, clang, clang with the trolley and the boy next door. And have you ever seen it? It features little 10 year old Margaret Mitchell, Margaret O'Brien, excuse me. Margaret Mitchell wrote Goma. And she plays Judy Garland's younger sister, and it's all about the the World's Fair in St. Louis, their family is going to move they're going to move from St. Louis to New York because their dad is a lawyer, and they're going to move and it's all you know, like 1897. And they're very sad. And the little girl is sad, because she's going to have to leave all her friends behind. And Judy Garland is sad because she's gonna leave her boyfriend behind. So that's what they're singing about. She's trying to cheer up her little sister when they see it, she seems it to her. And they're both crying. The first version of the song, and there's like a really good fresh air episode about this. Terry Gross interviewed Hugh Martin who wrote the song. And the original lyric was Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last next year, we all will be living in the past. So dog, and the guy who played the boy next door, came came up to the guy who wrote the song and he was like, Well, first, Judy Garland was like, I really, I'm having trouble with this song. It's so dark. And I have to sing it to this little girl. And she's gonna think I'm a monster. Like, I can't sing the song, you've got to change the lyrics. And he was like, Well, no, this is this song. And this is how you're going to sing it. And the guy, the act, other actor pulled him aside. He's like, Are you crazy? This is your career. This is a great song, it's gonna wind up in the dumpster change the lyric. And he's like, he got over himself, and he changed it. And it is a real moment in the movie. And then later, Frank Sinatra wanted to record it for the song, which was called like, a very jolly Christmas or something. And he's like, Listen, I love your song, but it isn't very jolly. So is there anything you can do to change it? Any change that line? Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow. And he changed it to Hang a shining star upon the highest bow for Frank Sinatra, and that's a great thing. And a lot of people now sing both in different verses. Yeah, I have heard that other line. Yeah, this is the first one. This is the first one on very special Christmas that's come up that has overlapped with what is in my mind that or Christmas album, which is the Muppets with john Denver Christmas. Yes. Because I was when I was examining the two albums for correspondence and this is one of the few that does Hmm, I just wanted to point that out. Very interesting. Well, this and this is sung by Rolf the dog on that and it's just very sweet and piano and you know, Do you like his version better than Chrissy Heinz version? I guess I like them for different reasons. I don't think I don't think Rolf and Chrissy hind are in totally different universes either, you know? Sure. Like I feel like they would be friends. They for sure would. How do we know that they aren't? Good point? Yeah, they very they may well be yeah no i like i like Chrissy Heinz version a lot but the role version will be the standard to me. Yeah, yeah. I think Ross version to have to go listen to it again. It's probably been 30 years since I listened to it. Chrissy Hein said, This isn't one of my favorite versions on this album, not one of my favorite tracks. It's so moglin and in fact, she said of it that she was kind of surprised that it became popular at all. And she said that singing it like upset her she was near tears. That actually makes me like it more because she sounds like she's near tears. She sounds so sad. She was thinking about the people that you know, she couldn't see any more who maybe she had lost or whatever. So Gosh, yeah, it's dark man. This song is number 10 on the ASCAP 2020 song list of holiday songs. So then we go from that to a much more upbeat song. About mommy cheating on daddy with Santa Claus. I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus by john Mellencamp was a be a melon camp. Beside that he donated to the album, again, not produced by IBM. It's got this cute little part at the end where there's like a fiddle and some little kids singing. I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus. That's, that's melon camps daughter, which is sweet. One of the interesting things about that LA Times article I read is that in the hole, or the whole piece, or the angle of this article that talked about, like the tedium of doing charity albums, he really took a firm stance about it and said, I got to read you this quote, because it will make you love him even more. He said, I used to think you and I paid taxes. So we wouldn't have to do these things that the elected officials were supposed to take care of starving people and the homeless, but that's not the case. instead of blaming the rockstars for asking for help, people should be asking why people are in such need and start examining who isn't doing their job. Mm hmm. That was at the time. Yeah. That he gave that quote, he was in that photo shoot. And everybody was like talking about helping people. And sting was talking about the nobility of the Special Olympics and whatever. And john Mellencamp was like, Yeah, like, get off your ass and fix shit. Yeah, about him. I do too. And I always wish that like Indiana followed him more, you know, I mean, I know he's the darling of the state and like, Why? I don't know why they don't move when people think that way. They let you know, Mike. Mr. Mike Pence fans? Yeah, maybe we'll say a good 5050 split, we'll assume a 5050 split. That's just so nice and generous, probably. And I just most states point out so between john Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen in your group, and then I have Bon Jovi and Bob Seger. And my group that you know, the, the working class white guy vibe is very strong in this, which it was in 1987. It was a denim jacket gang is really coming out heavy here. Yeah, we did an episode about that. And I can't help but feel that that's especially suited here because of the nostalgia that's sort of built into that. Yeah, and persona, a lot of that kind of plays into like Ivan's tastes, he had a real vision for the record and his personal tastes I think are really in line with like Springsteen, and he produced john lennon and I mean people think of him as Interscope and and rap and all of that but he you know, again, like coming from a very blue collar New York family think that roots rock and true rock and roll is really his alley. Those are mostly who is interviewed and the Defiant Ones, Bruce Springsteen that's worth seeing it just to see these people in action, you know, recommendation, Tom Petty, I think is there and Stevie Nicks too. There's, there's some just people that you like to hear, talk, you know, that are in it, people with things to say Mellencamp also said the reason he did this album that he wanted to be part of it is because he had like a spinal disease as a kid. He had an operation as a kid who he might have been in Special Olympics when he was younger, and he felt like he knew there was a girl he knew who had the same operation around the same time. And he said, like, I just saw her a couple years ago, and I made it and she didn't, and she's still in a wheelchair and that's the reason I Did this how like very personal for him? You know, the only other factoid I'll offer about the song is that it's kind of like a little cheeky, obviously the punchline of the song is Santa Claus is your dad. Okay little boy. And mommy's not kissing Santa Claus. His dad dressed up as Santa Claus. And so all very sweet and funny. When it was first recorded. It was in 1952. This British songwriter named Tommy Connor wrote it but then it was recorded by this little boy who was 13 named Jimmy Boyd. And it went to number one on Billboard. And it was, this is so rich. It was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church in Boston, on the grounds that it mixed kissing with Christmas and they were horrified that there was sexualization of this croissant. Rich the Boston diet that's rich, rich. Oh, my God. Boyd, the kid who sang it was photographed having a meeting with the Archdiocese to explain the song. I'd love that they might god 13 year old to meet with the Archdiocese well, to explain it that has that kind of have its own explanation for and after the meeting, the band was lifted. Mm hmm. So the story of that song though, or the story that those lyrics tell reminds me of of This American Life about the tooth fairy when a kid saw their I can't remember if it was their mom or dad doing the exchange of the money for the tooth, and then put together that their parent was the tooth fairy but that was not a bust. What the assumption was, was that their parent was the tooth fairy for like all children was like the tooth fairy. And like, so the kid like was like telling their friends like my my dad. Is there his house? Yes, exactly. And I wish it was that with this song, too. You know, like, oh, gosh, I'm like the prince of Christmas. If my dad is Santa Claus, like I shall assume this mantle and learn to fly that say like very soon. Just a melon movie. Yeah. Yeah. You've assumed the mantle. I love it. Yeah, there was a parody song. Just as a footnote, there was a parody song by spike Jones, who was like a parody. parody theist. We might have mentioned him when we did the weird owl episode. But that version was called I saw mommy screwing Santa Claus. So fun. Little Friday in his amp it up there. Uh huh. So my last one that I will hand over to you is Gabriel's message by staying which is the only one in my grouping that is pre 20th century. It is a Basque Christmas folk Carol about the board. You think so? I can't remember. Whatever. I look at the listing. I go Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And I like fucking Gabriel. Like, I can't even I don't have any connection to it. Although, when I played it recently, I did say Oh, yeah, so maybe it's just like that. The title though, is not contra, though. You know, I will admit that when I had the cassette. Oh, but fast forward through this one. More often than not, and oh, wait, is this the one that goes? most highly favored? Lady? glow? Oh, yeah. Yeah, Lady and I take it back. It's like kind of, you need a little bit of like age or maturity for because it's got a very like, medieval tune to it. Yes, it was a B side of an earlier single by sting. It was the B side on his single for Russians. Again, like a very interesting pairing. You know, that one's all about the Cold War. And then the other side, flip it over. And there's this song about the Annunciation. And then he also included it on his I don't know if you'd say holiday album 2019. If On a winter's night, which is beautiful. If you don't, don't have it, or haven't listened to it, give it a listen. It's beautiful. He's famously an agnostic, which is kind of interesting, because he sings a lot of songs that it's not the only kind of medieval sounding song on that album. He loves human imagination. He told a journalist and he likes. He said, religion is a product of human imagination that is like literature or music. So to deny religion is to deny part of what it means to be human. It's a magical story, and it has power. So that's pretty. He's such a deep thinker. That sting is that so that song is like a traditional one? Yeah, it's a Basque Christmas folk Carol, so it's Spanish shot up. I got it. I saw Spanish it's Basque. Sorry, you're right. They want to be separately record. You want to come and be no, I don't need to know if anybody who's bass Ah, I will let you bask in your Christmas folk Carol glory. Baskins baskets. What did they call themselves? I don't know. I think that I think just fast. But I asked her, all I know is that you do not call them Spanish furry. That's all I know. iberians we'll just generalize it. Um, so this is where I handed over to you. That's the first half of the very special Christmas album. I will say, it's interesting, because I had all my songs of course, in the back of my mind while you were talking about your songs, and so I was noticing some patterns on the collection. Mm hmm. And also, I just think the idea of a Christmas well, so first of all, you said when you're talking about the stigma of being a beside, I don't know, I just feel like all these artists were told, like just knock out a Christmas song. Yeah, it's the biggest selling genre. just plop it out somewhere and then even have it in your catalog. Did you know when Jimmy Ivonne came along, they were like, Oh, yeah, just said I have one. Yeah, totally. But also, while I was looking up some of these songs, you know, just the idea of a Christmas song is so doesn't really mean anything because it means everything from like, I have a song from the 14th century, and I'm sure that I'm sure the Basque song is as old but then we have these ones that were written in the 60s and they all just like get packaged together as Christmas songs. And so it's kind of like a weird genre that doesn't have markers and the way the other genres do, right, except that it's just like on this topic are meant to be played at this time, basically. Yeah. So weird, isn't it? I agree with ya. So like the first song of mine is Christmas and Hollis by Run DMC and that's not a crisp quote. I mean, you would say it was just made up for this occasion right? It was the I want to say it was like the B side maybe to walk this way or something I didn't I don't know if it was released I think walk this way I guess came out earlier so maybe it was recorded to be that and then given to the collection in the same way that some of yours were? Well, first of all, of course, Run DMC doing Walk This Way revived Aerosmith career. So that's like a side note that is kind of funny, but also about Christmas and Hollis. That video the video for that song was directed by some NYU film students who just like, got an opportunity to do this video and took it and it one Rolling Stones magazines like Best Video of the Year over Michael Jackson's the video from Michael Jackson's bad, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. So it's also like one of the many hilarious losses that Martin Scorsese has had over the lives of that's like, a theme for you, too, is talking about hilarious misses of Yes, like but this you think this was a big song, listen to what topped it. Yeah, right. The next one was baby, please come home by you too, which for some reason, in my mind is the song I primarily associate with this collection. Maybe it's the one that gets played in the grocery stores the most or something like that? I don't know. But in any case, if and this is the connection with Darlene love, I mean the whole because that was originally recorded by Darlene love, and also was a beside for you, too, that they then just gave to this collection. Darlene love things back up on this YouTube version. Oh, I know. It's also a story of like women getting sort of shunted to the side but Darlene loves I guess it was maybe 1962 or something that she first recorded it I'll just say that Cher sang backup for her back then. So cool. I know totally. But it was part of a Phil Spector I don't know. I mean, Jimmy Ivan I'm sure could not help but think about Phil Spector once in a while. So that maybe there's a reason why he haunts Yeah, I mean, play if you're a music producer in the 80s that's your like model right? Totally. And we didn't know he was a murderer at that point. We didn't know but that wall of sound I love like I it's so cool, right? It's so cool. And you can really hear it and Ronnie Spector and Darlene love and all those people have like such great voices to hear and that production context so anyway, I feel like YouTube I feel like their song was like, maybe it's not total. Exactly well sound but it is like a very rich production. I really liked that song. I thought I read somewhere that I've been flew to Glasgow to record this with them with this album. Yeah, they did it during a soundcheck. Am I right? Am I wrong? Oh, it was during a soundcheck and it was in the UK. And so yeah, you did my homework for me a little bit I guess. I mean it was probably also a beside that for them also probably mixing up some of the songs with each other but that does sound It was during a soundcheck. I'm not sure it was for the out and and Jimmy I And you too had a long relationship. I'm just not sure it was for this album. Okay, the next song is like it's Santa baby which Madonna recorded and it's a little like I saw mommy like, what's up with the creepy Christmas songs? Although this one is less creepy than except it sounds creepy the way Madonna I have to say this was maybe a low point for Madonna. Because she sings it in that like little girl Betty boopie voice Yeah, like her kid. We just talked about this in the last episode. It's around the time she did that Dick Tracy movie, but I was sort of assumed she was maybe doing that character. But you're right. Maybe it's Betty Boop, I don't know. But the original was Earth a kit. It was recorded and was popular in 1953. Just, I'm just checking Oh, I have to check with our helper. barbarella Oh, will you please check on that? Okay, let's just see. Let's just see what she brought me. 1953. That's right. And I listened to Earth a kid's version, which is legitimately sexier than the Madonna version because? Well, I don't know. It's just like the Madonna just seems saccharin. Whereas the earth a kit is like pushing her that well. Yeah, totally is it and it was so sexy. It was banned on some radio stations and be really sex content. Yes. And also, though, last year, and 2019 if anyone can remember that year at all, there was a newspaper poll done in the UK about annoying festive songs. And are the kids Santa baby was the most annoying festive song. It's not a great song I got I might place it higher on that list. But yeah, yeah, it's just like whiny or pain. You know, I guess you can you know, you could make the argument that it is a woman using her powers of sex appeal to advance her station in life or make bank you know, whatever. I I'm just not. I just yeah, it's I'm just tired of girls talking about how they want boxes from Tiffany's? Yes. Tired of it? Yeah. So don't listen to our Material Girl episode, if you because that is what that is all about. So listeners deleted. I don't know if you saw this detail anywhere. But in the LA Times article I read it said how they got Madonna for this album, which in 1987. She's like, huge shot, right? Like, these are all huge stars. But she's particularly one of the bigger stars. And she, I think had dated JFK Jr. and, or, you know, had some sort of relationship with him. And he reached out to ask her to do it because he's triber cousin. And so therefore, you know, special and, like, so they were working those phones and tapping everybody in the family to work those phones and they're like, hey, john, john, you know, our girl match. Give her a little call. See if she's got it. And it's a good choice for her given. She's the Material Girl. But yeah, it just, it's it feels like it embodies the worst aspects of the 80s that people think of in some ways, you know, even though it's from the 50s Yes, I mean, that recording especially because it's so not set. It's not sexy. I can't put it's like trying so hard to be sexy, and it's not sexy. Well, the song itself sounds playful and childlike. Like the music Yeah. Music and I think that that the lyrics overlaid with this like, they do they do like doo dee doo dee doo. I just Yeah. It sounds Yes. Yeah, it really does. I'm having a hard time articulating why I didn't like it, but I don't care for it. If only if only thinking of adjectives would have been part of our homework, our feelings, but they weren't. Nope. So the next three, I'm actually kind of going to race through Little Drummer Boy, Bob Seger does it that was written by a woman it's where I suppose it's worth pointing out in 1941. Its first recording was by the Trapp family singers, which so no kidding have heard of in another context. And also a lot of our listeners might remember or know the Bing Crosby and David Bowie Little Drummer Boy from Udemy from the 70s it's very beautiful. It's my favorite version of this song. Yeah, the next one, like really whatever it's run Rudolph run which is also sometimes called RUN RUN Rudolph Bryan Adams sings it, Chuck Berry made it popular. Sounds like a totally typical Chuck Berry song which is to say like really good, but also by now like kind of standard rock and roll song. Sure it's melodically identical to a who's our What's her name? barbarella barbarella come to me melodically identical to the Chuck Berry's on little Queenie. But just with like different lyrics, whatever but I just don't have anything to say about Bryan Adams. I think it's kind of forgettable or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I just don't know how to chop Chuck Berry. Frankly, hey versions totally iconic. The next one actually was replaced later Bon Jovi singing back door Santa. What's that one about? Explain it to you. Yeah, you know, so it was written by Clarence Carter, the blues musician, and it actually has nothing to do with Christmas. You don't say? Partly an answer to your question, which was so that's why it was replaced later with another Bon Jovi song. I wish every day could be like Christmas to have more Christmas content instead of just the word Santa. Okay, anyway, those three those three songs are there. I did see some video clip of Jon Bon Jovi singing I wish I could be what is it called? I all I can think of is the song I wish it could be Christmas every day by Slade Do you know that one? The British one Oh, I wish it could be Christmas every day. Yeah, that is not the one that Jon Bon Jovi sings and he's like crooning like boo play or something in this clip and I'm like, What isn't? Jon Bon Jovi? Yes, yeah, well straight up channeling his jersey roots and putting on some Sinatra. No, don't say Ah, it was off putting. I did not care what I'm saying that because, well, first of all of Bob Seger Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi if you're what is Marybeth kill there that's so fucking easy. It's Mary Bon Jovi kill Bryan Adams and Bob Seger. That's what his answer No, no, no, no. What would you do? Why are you buffing bug cedar? Because I want to kill Bryan Adams and I want to be married to Bon Jovi process of elimination. Yes. I think I'm gonna do I okay. Also marry Bon Jovi. Look, the fact that he's been married to his high school sweetheart this entire time is proof that he is a good husband. So I don't think anybody would dispute that. Also. I think Bob Seger is like, famously a little bit jerky. But no, so I'm sorry, then I'm gonna boss Bryan Adams. also killed. He's looking good. Yeah, didn't Bryan Adams say some Trumpy things on Twitter recently, though? No, I can't believe that. That would be the case. No, it must be. Are you thinking of a different Brian? No. Ryan Adams, the Canadian pop star singer of summer of 69 winner of multiple Juno Awards. We cannot be talking about the same person. Yes. It wasn't maybe not Trumpy, maybe Trump esque things he said he said something very problematic that we have to get barbarella to look up for. Can we just stick marks on that problem and just have him take him? I think we have. I think he did. Yeah, okay. I think we haven't I think he did. Being said doesn't mean he deserves to live in a merry boffin Cal round. If just because Richard marks already did his job. I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt because we can't substantiate this Barbara Lee can't work quick enough with her confirmation work. So I'm sorry. It's gonna have to be Mary john bongiovi. Off Bryan Adams, and we'll set Bryan Cranston. That's a weird and kill Bob Seger. I'm sorry, Bob. Yeah, so Little Drummer Boy is one of the more boring Christmas songs. It just goes nowhere. It's fairly boring. I feel like the point of it is just to be like a vocal show off type of situation with the voices doing the drum sound, you know? Perren. pum, pum. pum. Over and over Yeah, and going like dum, dum. Oh, like it's uh, you know, like the whole thing as an acapella they're basically describing what the song is. Yeah, totally. I just want to reiterate, Jon Bon Jovi, if you're listening, I love you. Oh, yeah. This is quite an admission on your part. Jon Bon Jovi. I feel like anyone who knew me could have told me this about myself without his name ever coming up course. I love him. I don't know why this is such a big revelation for me. I wouldn't have guessed this. Well, maybe I'm really coming to terms with it. What are you? What's the version there? I know. I mean, man. Like he's sewn. I think okay, I just saw Are 15 minutes of the episode of 30 rock that he appears on? where he is? He plays himself. He is nbcs artist in residence. Oh my god, I love that show so much. new gadget again. Yeah, and I just feel like well, what as you said he's married to his childhood sweetheart. I feel like he is a hard working talented, very nice person. That's all it takes for you. Hmm. Maybe maybe a nice good look. Maybe in my dotage? Yes. That's all it takes. Okay, good. I mean, you can that's cool. Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just, you know, probing. Interesting. Oh, using this our podcast as the vehicle for making celebrity connections. Let's be frank. Okay. Sure. Yeah, I'm gonna move on now, because the last two songs are the most interesting to me out of the collection. And the second last one is Coventry. Carol, which is sung by Alison isn't my a, it's more of a Yeah, I don't know. So this is beautiful. It's a beautiful song. It's a traditional British, I guess you would say, Carol, and the first recorded performance of it was from 1392. Whoa, and because it featured in a play in a mystery play, which was about the Nativity and I guess mystery plays came in series, and this particular one began, which was barbarella, would you please hand me that? Thank you. This particular one was called the pageant of Sheerman and tailors. I don't know why it was called that. But it began with the Annunciation. And it ended with the massacre of the innocence. So when if you want to talk about the darkness of holiday songs, let's talk about murdering infant boys of the infant boys. Because this song was written as a lullaby for all the mothers singing to their children who are going to be murdered the next day, oh my god, as part of the part of hair King Herod's orders. And that was part of these mystery plays that were put on to remind people of the story of the Nativity, and this was a song that was it was probably the most popular one. And people when they hear it will agree, it's probably due to the beauty of the song, and it was around 1579 that it stopped being performed because it was suppressed by Queen Elizabeth, for Protestant propaganda purposes. They were trying to stamp out the old Catholic ways. And of course, also Catholics love blood, blood and guts in their religion. And so maybe they were, maybe Elizabeth was trying to clean it up a little bit. I don't know. I don't know why people you and I hung out on a street when we were teenagers called Coventry. And I think we thought it was cool. And I don't know why. And we hung out in Coventry in England to when you left there when I was at it there. Why does that word maybe because of coven. I don't know. It seems like it attracts this idea of darkness. And I almost just said witches but maybe it's once again because coven is right there in the title. I don't know. Yeah, I mean, but it's just just not do you think? Do you think that they have the same etymology? Do you think they're coming from the same word? This is only just we need to get Barbara. We need to get her to look it up for us. Because I don't know. I sort of do think so a little bit. And I can't help but think about coven, coven movie, or maybe it has something to do with the same route as covenant or gather I'd like it probably means something about together. Because that's the overlapping meaning between covenant and coven, and cover smart. You're like an amateur etymologists right here on the show. That's awesome. I could be wrong. These are all guesses. But so is it called Coventry Carroll because the origins of the song are from that area in England. Yes, they were performed. Apparently Coventry was the site of where these plays were performed. wormed Yeah, how beautiful and creepy and scary. It's so creepy and scary and like and but I couldn't help but think of it too with the when you were talking about staying at him being an agnostic person, but loving the idea of religion and imagination. But yes, okay, great. I get it. But like it seemed like a lot of those different religious types. The ones that I'm most familiar with is the Catholic history. They really needed a lot of violence, stories about violence and actual violence to get the point across. Yeah, I mean, there are certainly plenty of examples of violence so it's not hard to find the stories because he Human beings are violent by nature. That thing I really like about this track on the album too is Alison Moyes voice is like it's like nobody else's voice it's so deep and rich and I love the way she sings it and it's so cool to hear her do such an old song because she has a voice that sort of sounds like a like there's patina to her voice like there would be too old metal or something and I let I get that kind of image when I hear her sing it I if there's one artist that I feel like should have been a bigger deal the guy no we love her because right kind of an alternative clean and I always say like What's she doing on this album? Do you have any idea how she got on this album? I don't I didn't look that up but what was her What would I norm what's what what I associate her with what was in Yazoo so she sings don't go all of those upstairs that Eric's hits? Are you are you blanking on that effect play? Yeah, you the album, you would know all of them. Okay. I will insert a little clip here right? Oh, if you haven't been listening to these songs, you need to pick them back up. They're great. Yeah, I guess I do. I'll do it while I make dinner tonight. That and also that's the last song on the album too, right? No, because it's followed by and I just want to say like there's partner songs I know you know cuz Coventry, Carol. I feel like as a partner to the sting to Gabriel song. But the very last song is silent night the Stevie next Silent Night. which I love. Listen, I love, love Stevie next. I love her. And I love Fleetwood Mac. And I love this song too. I feel bad, but I also make fun of it. I so okay, I have a few things to say about this number one is yes. Here's I'm about to make fun of it because I'll just get out of the way. Here's how it goes. Well it was a silent night Yes, it was was like it's a it's a nose song for her. You know it's a real she's really up here. She's very up here real. I'd like her to be down here. She doesn't have the Cleveland accent that I do. Because if we say night, you know, but anyway, the other but it's beautiful. It is beautiful. And I love her and also I always think of Lucy Lawless playing her on Saturday Night Live. Did you ever see that? I mean, I certainly have but it's not coming to mind with God it's yours. She wears a Lacy you know black lace outfits and it's like, she I think she's seeing an ad for like a like a taco truck or something. And she's like, chicken burritos. 99 cents and Wouldn't you love to eat? I love everything about Stevie Nicks, including the fact that it's so easy and fun to make fun of her. You know, you know one of my favorite things about her at this point. Did you watch the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony like last year two years ago when she was induced inducted? No, she wasn't. She gave her a spinal tap and gave her some toes and she started contracting right in the middle of the stage. She's 75 years old. When she burst a song right there in front of Harry Styles introduced her and okay and a bunch of men sang songs with her and he calls her his Fairy Godmother and apparently they are like super close buds and he was wearing this like Blue royal blue velveteen bell bottom suit and I was like, Hello, who's this? One Direction but I was like, holy cow Harry Styles. You really got something going on? And he was, I mean, they sang together like gorgeously. Yeah, I'm kind of been a gigantic Harry Styles fan ever since. And Ben was supposed to see him in concert this year and it was delayed and I am pissed. Yeah, he's okay. He's one direction is he also married to no one? No. Okay. He is a fellow who just recently appeared on the front of Vogue. He was the first man on the front of Vogue. He was wearing a dress and sort of a tuxedo jacket. On some Republican pundits and blowhard Candace Owens tweeted about it something nasty and said she wished there were more manly men. People are so dumb, dumb. Well, he's, uh, yeah. Horrible. And yeah, musician. And he's like, besties with Stevie. Yeah, no, that's adorable. That is. And she she like she would be a fair a really good Fairy Godmother? Yes. Although he says he hangs out with her. And he's like, and then I'm like, I have to go to bed now. Like, she just stays up all night. And he's like, No, I can't party is hard to see you go to sleep. He's like she's saying she. Like she stays up all night. And then she goes to bed at dawn. Oh, I know. Why is that cute? It's cute. Yeah, she's like, the early bird special for the 75 year old lady. And she's like, you know, but I'll be having mine at 4pm we're gonna call it breakfast. Yeah, just she just to me, I didn't know I was gonna keep talking about this but her and Tom Petty's, you know, stop dragging my heart around is a big feature in that. Jimmy iving. documentary, Dr. Dre documentary? It's where the Defiant Ones? Yes. That is the song that she's saying with Harry Styles during the install and it is Tom Petty had died. Yeah. I'll just give you a spoiler to the end of that documentary is then they invented the best headphones ever and became super rich. Just FYI, they got money for it. Hell, yes. And look, I'm wearing my beats right now. Yeah, you are good for you Good for dry. I'm proud of them. Huh? Oh, okay. So I have things to say also about Silent Night. That is the other song that corresponds to the or Christmas album of the Muppets with john Denver, which came out in 1979. So it's usually beyond the scope of this podcast. However, the song silentnight has a pretty good history, which is told by john Denver on the album, and if you want to know about it, you better go listen to it. motherfuckers. Give me the highlight though. It's very old, right? Did it? Yeah, Henry the Eighth read it, or was that just Greensleeves? Henry the Eighth only wrote Greensleeves? That's the only song he wrote. Okay. He didn't write Silent Night. What is that? He also wrote Henry the Eighth I am I am. It was later popularized by Herman's Hermits. Let's round about the word. Anyway. They saw I am I am. Yeah, here's a here's a little here's a songwriter. No, this one was written in the 19th century in like 1818 or something like that by I want to say Franz Gruber. Maybe What's the name? guy from? villain? diehard? Yeah. This is saying, hang on a second. It could have been maybe the villain After all, the 18th century author of Silent Night that would be kind of an interesting tip of the hat. But I feel the Ellen that's the Ellen. Ellen record character. Yeah. Oh, my God. Totally. Uh, his name was fucking Franz Gruber. The guy who wrote Silent night I wasn't really serious about why they named the character that maybe it was like, Yes. It's a Christmas movie. And it's part of how what makes diehard a Christmas movie if we're sitting in that conversation. Wait, who do you feel bad for you that is Margaret. You should add rechargeable response. That was a failure. response to me saying that syllables Franz Gruber. You had a very reasonable response to that and they were Obviously, and obviously that was not a silent night on diehard that was a very loud night, you know from Hans Gruber Austrian organist. Yes. And Joseph Moore. Yeah, you know, it was like they needed a saw. Oh, like, Oh, wait, the guy in diehard is named Hans is Hans Gruber and Gruber Okay, so there's, there's friends, and we want to pump you up. Hans Gruber was the mastermind behind the nakatomi Plaza heist. Listen, I feel like this goes so deep. It's coming back to Austrians and hot including Hans and Franz, who are playing on Arnold Schwarzenegger. Who later married driver who is what we are uncovering. Now. This is a vast conspiracy that has deep roots in both Christmas and the Kennedys and Austria. Well, that's Silent Night. Oh, I had something. Here's the funny thing about me silent. Yes, exactly. Okay, so they it's like this little it's a real Austria national treasure the song is you know, and they have like the little chapel where it was performed burned down. And so they built a little Silent Night chapel on its site. And also there was a new translation commissioned in 1998, where the translator re translated the lines that say that have previously been known as around young virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Oh, I should have saved them like CV next. The trick the new translation is Round yon godly tender pair Holy Infant with curly hair. And it's closer to the German Really? Yes. I mean, I know like the tiniest touch of German but yes, I can see that that is Hmm. Yeah. You know, I always thought round john virgin was referring to her stomach being around but then I realized oh, they meant like, people are around her. They're round the young they're around the young virgin. I'm 100% with you. And it wasn't until I was looking at the lyrics for this that I saw what they mean it because you previously to that is All is calm. all is bright. So that means a route all around her is all bright. Yes. Yes, exactly. Yeah, you got to sort of see it all together in a written out. My family. sings this in German. Uh huh. They sing this in German on the phone too. Oh, well, maybe that's how my mom learned. Just kidding. I think it was her parents who were might her mother was was German by descent. So I think that came down from the family. And they also saying Oh, tanenbaum in German. And still do I get to go. I didn't take German. So I can't sing it. My mom and dad did well, school. How do you know German? I took a take a college. I took it in college. Yeah. And I mean, it's not like I could have a conversation ended or anything but I do remember a lot of routes and rules. And did you speak to Claudia? My German exchange student my German sister in German ever? Definitely. Definitely not because that was before then. Choose Claudia. If you're listening to Oh, does she listen? I don't somebody in Germany is listening. I don't know who it is. There is somebody in Germany listening. Oh, well, I hope they laugh at him this shabu Oh yeah, me to have some cookin Oh, and I want to say many things about Silent Night. Yeah, there's a there's a very special Christmas I think it's the third one that hat features also a woman with a I don't know what you would call it. What is that? A vocal fry voice singing a song at the end and that is Petey Smith singing we three kings Whoo. That's a treatment. That's a creepy treatment of a song that everyone should go listen to and never heard the article. Listen. Well it just also seems like a partner to this ending with Stevie Nicks doing singing Silent Night like I don't know. There's just sort of patterns emerging among the different very special Christmases. People just don't that's not a song that you hear a lot. We three kings. People don't record that as often as they do say run Rudolph run. And so perhaps it's for that reason that I cannot remember the actual words to that song. All I can remember are the joke words. We three kings of orient is smoking on a rubber cigarette cigar is it was loaded exploded thing you've never heard that now oh we three kings of orien are smoking on a rubber cigar it was loaded it exploded bang we two kings of orient are smoking on the car it was loaded it exploded bang we went king of orient is smoking on rubber sick is it was loaded it exploded bang. Silent man I love that. Go tell him is a great dad joke that involves Christmas songs and singing. Yes love when you sing the law my god I've really noticed that. Nothing will please an eight year old boy more his mother singing. So try it tonight. I'm gonna do it. You should I think we should all go listen to like, every very special Christmas album. And we should probably buy one so that the Special Olympics get somebody to do their good work, right? Absolutely. I may choose to donate separately rather than purchase these have an idea? Yeah, but yeah, always do that. Just make a direct donation. Mm hmm. Well, that was fun, huh? Well, we did it. We burned another song and we hope you enjoyed it and danced around the fire. If you want to suggest a song or join our conversation. Find us on Instagram. We're at sick burns pod on twitter at at sick 80s or on Facebook as sick burns and we'd love to get an email from you. Send it to us at burning the eighties@gmail.com and if you haven't yet gotten the message that we're desperate to interact with you but in a totally cool and standoffish way. Maybe this will do it. We also have a website and you should definitely use it. Visit Sick burns podcast.com to leave a comment or a voicemail. Ciao for now.