10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.
This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1213: The 25th Annual THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Christmas Show. This show is available as a podcast.
THE GRIP WEEDS: Santa Make Me Good
For this 2023 holiday season, the jolly souls at the mighty Jem Records label have executed the mitzvah of reissuing the Grip Weeds' fabulous 2011 album Under The Influence Of Christmas. Tracks from this record have been frequent fixtures on our TIRnRR Christmas shows since the dawn of ever, dating back even before the original album's release. We're delighted to see it return to retail--where it belongs!--with the extra added jingle that three of its tracks have been remixed especially for this big 'n' bright world of Christmas Future.
One of those remixed tracks is "Santa Make Me Good," with guest lead vocals from none other than Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Kicks! CHRISTMAS kicks! Following our traditional welcoming song "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John and Yoko, the Ghost of Christmas Cool decreed this nice, naughty gem absolutely hadda open our program of The 25th Annual THIS IS ROCK 'N ' ROLL RADIO Christmas Show.
JUSTINE'S BLACK THREADS: Angels We Have Heard On High
We lost some heroes in 2023, and we lost some friends. The late Justine Covault was both, and a TIRnRR Fave Rave as a performer with Justine and the Unclean and as a proud ambassador of the rockin' pop cause, particularly with her own label Red On Red Records. Justine will be missed for a very, very long time.
Angels we have heard on high. We've heard some angels right here with us, as well.
THE GEMS: Love For Christmas
Such a pretty song, and it's far more obscure than it should be. The Gems were a girl group in the '60s, recording for Chess Records, and Discogs informs us that the Gems also served as backing vocal group for other Chess artists. I would be very open to buying a CD compilation of the Gems' work, especially if the rest of their material is even half as sublime as "Love For Christmas."
This single was released in 1964, and its assorted assembled Gems presumably include one then-unknown Minnie Riperton, who was a member of the group. If Riperton is on this track, it's a lovely footnote to her career; if she ain't, this is still one fantastic record to love for Christmas.
MAPLE MARS: Christmastime In The City
Our only new holiday track this year, but it's a good one: a split digital single from the merry and bright Big Stir Records, featuring a new Maple Mars song called "Christmastime In The City" coupled with that group's Rick Hromadka covering the Carpenters' "Merry Christmas Darling." Let those silver bells clang 'n' call at will. It's Christmastime in the city.
THE MONKEES: House Of Broken Gingerbread
I like the Monkees' 2018 album Christmas Party, but I've never quite been able to fully embrace its charms. Weird but true: I resent the fact that the Monkees' final studio album was a Christmas record instead of, y'know, a real album. I love Christmas music when I'm in the mood for it, and I love the Monkees year-round. After the out-and-out triumph of the Monkees' 2016 album Good Times!, I would have very much preferred one more...yeah, one more real Monkees album.
I can't justify my apparent Grinchiness in this matter, but nor will I deny it. And what the hell, I was the Grinch in our 1968 third grade production of the play based on the Dr. Seuss book; maybe I've retained a bit of my role's curmudgeonly demeanor, even if my heart did grow three sizes that day.
On the annual TIRnRR Christmas shows, we usually--almost always--play "Riu Chiu," a 16th century Spanish classical folk song that the Monkees--Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork--performed a cappella on their TV show in 1967. I was working at a record store at the time of resurgent Monkeemania in 1986, and kids who'd seen reruns of the TV series on MTV came in looking for the Monkees' "Riu Chiu." Alas, it had never been released to retail.
An alternate version of "Riu Chiu" (without Davy Jones, with producer Chip Douglas) appeared in 1990 on the rarities/previously-unreleased CD collection Missing Links Volume Two. The original TV performance has since been released as well (on an expanded version of the Monkees' Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.), and it was also included on the Target-exclusive edition of Christmas Party.
This year, we gave "Riu Chiu" some well-deserved time off, and we went instead to the Christmas Party track "House Of Broken Gingerbread." Written by novelist Michael Chabon and the late, great Adam Schlesinger (who produced Good Times! and most of Christmas Party), the song is told from the POV of a child whose parents have divorced. It's not exactly a happy holiday song, but Micky's commanding vocal and winning way with a Fa-la-la-la-lalala-la nonetheless manage to make spirits bright.
I wish the Monkees had made one more non-seasonal album after Good Times! That wish ended with the deaths of Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith, and I am emphatically not interested in Micky adding new parts to unreleased recordings by Peter, Michael, and/or Davy. So Christmas Party must stand as the Monkees' final studio album.
And even a Grinch can concede its value.
IRENE PEÑA: Will You Turn Up (For Christmas)
What better way to set those visions of sugarplums dancin' in our heads than the sound of America's Sweetheart Irene Peña? NO better way! This bouncy number comes to us courtesy of the fab 'n' festive compilation Big Stir Singles: The Yuletide Wave, a star of wonder that also pointed this year's TIRnRR holiday spectacular toward tunes from the Brothers Steve, Dolph Chaney, Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, and Kimberly Rew and Lee Cave-Berry. Turn up for turnin' up! This ain't no silent night, people. Rest ye later, merry gentlekids. We got sweet treats to enjoy.
THE RAMONES: Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
THE IDEA: It's About That Time
"It's About That Time" by the Idea (aka Phil Angotti and the Idea) is my all-time favorite Christmas track, my all-time favorite Christmas song. No qualifier applies. It's not just my favorite power pop Christmas song, or my favorite rock 'n' roll Christmas song, or my favorite pop Christmas song, or my favorite secular Christmas song; it's my FAVORITE Christmas song. It never fails to make me feel good. It puts me in the spirit whether I wanna be in the spirit or not. It is joy and delight in audio form. Play it. Sing along with it. It's about that time.
THE PRETENDERS: 2000 Miles
It is a built-in characteristic of our annual Christmas shows that we have way, way more holiday music we wanna play than we have airtime to play them. This year, tracks by Graham Parker (with Nona Hendryx), the Smithereens, Darlene Love, the Flirtations, the Decibels, and King Elvis I actually made the playlist prior to some necessary trimming, and a bunch of other almosts (including Dean Landew's "Holiday Bash," Rotary Connection's "Christmas Love," and Michael Mitsch's "Christmas Crystals") were on deck, waiting for a spot. A three-hour slot fills up quickly.
Dana and I each had a preferred track for our final individual selection of the season. Mine was, of course, the Idea's "It's About That Time." Dana's was "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders. We played them back to back to end the show's main part, the giddy anticipation of "It's About That Time" transitioning into the longing ache of "2000 Miles."
That's the mix of emotion this season offers us. There are things we want that we can't have, things well beyond the realm of material goods. If we're lucky, we're able to balance the lack of what we can't attain with something that we can.
I wrote this at Christmas three years ago. It may bear repeating:
He was a saint, but he was in many ways still as human as any of us. It had been such a long, difficult year. He could feel the pain of so, so many, of the children and the grown-up children alike, all over this world of wonder. Pain. Fear. Despair. The chilling gray of uncertainty. He knew the magic of hope. He embraced the redemptive power of faith. And yet he understood that even the belief in something better might not be enough to cast sufficient light into the darkness.
He also knew that the magic--of hope, of faith, of belief, of light itself--was often the only resource one could summon. The magic could fuel courage, and be fueled by courage in turn. The magic could draw strength from love, and fortify love with strength.
It wasn't about the toys. It was never really about the toys. It was always about striving to be better, kinder, to be good rather than evil, nice rather than naughty. He still believed. He would always believe.
That ache in his shoulder, that heaviness in his chest--did he suffer those mundane ailments a century ago? Did he feel them last year? He couldn't remember, and he decided it didn't matter anyway. He had a job to do.
Father Christmas rose from his chair. He wiped away the stray tear that stung his eye, and he hoisted his sack over his back. The damned thing got heavier every year. But he stood, determined and resolute. He was a symbol; he knew his importance and he knew his limitations. He didn't have Playstations, nor playthings of any kind. No His and Hers sports cars, no Beatles records, not even a fruitcake. The material gifts would be given and received outside of his provenance. His sack was filled with the magic itself: the wishes, the dreams, the prayers for brighter days, and the will to make days brighter to the best of our mortal ability.
As he boarded his sleigh, Father Christmas thought back once again to the words of Robert Frost, the words he recalled every year as he began his miracle trek around the globe:
"I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."
He would not fail. His belief would see him through.
And us? Music will help see us through. On Dasher, on Dancer. Especially Dancer. 2000 miles. Better pull up a playlist and hit the road.
GEORGE HARRISON: Ding Dong, Ding Dong
A new year awaits. Tomorrow, December 27th, is This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's 25th anniversary, and Dana and I will be recording a celebratory show to air on New Year's Eve. In the mean time, we ring out the old and ring out the new with George Harrison.
Once again: Happy Holidays from Dana and Carl.
If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar.
Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/
If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.
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