ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (415)

Merry Christmas to us all

Before our holiday feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with the 1952 Looney Tunes cartoon Gift Wrapped, co-starring Sylvester, Tweety, and Granny, directed by Friz Freleng.



This short, along with the Bugs Bunny/Yosemite Sam cartoon Ballot Box Bunny and the Pepé Le Pew cartoon Little Beau Pepé, were submitted for an Academy Award in 1952 but were not nominated.


In case you are still overwhelmed by the holidays (or haven't finished wrapping,) - ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like to share with you a few shorts that we didn't get around to post for you this holiday season.

First up - Dick Van Dyke just celebrated his 99th birthday and his neighbor helped him celebrate -



All My Love is a heartfelt song that explores themes of enduring love, commitment, and resilience in relationships. The track uses weather metaphors to convey the ups and downs of a lasting union. The rain clouds might roll in, sure, but eventually, the sun breaks through. The video was co-directed by Mary Wigmore and Spike Jonze and filmed at Van Dyke's beachside home in Malibu, the clip is a heartwarming tribute to the iconic actor.


Next up, holiday greetings from the original cast of Star Trek -



So live long and prosper!

And finally, a rather rude song from a rather elderly British gentleman:



Oh Mr. Idle, what are we going to do with you?


As always, ACME wants you to join them in celebrating the holidays with your friends at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour - the official soap of our nation's bald eagles. Remember if your bald eagle's talons are filthy, do we have a soap for you! It's nearly here - after all the shopping and planning. Why join The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour in watching another Frank Capra classic holiday movies, the 1961 film - Pocket Full of Miracles, (a remake of his 1933 film, A Lady for a Day,) starring Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange, Ann-Margaret, Arthur O'Connell, Peter Falk, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Everett Horton, and Mickey Shaughnessy. This was the final feature film Frank Capra directed. It was not a happy set as Glenn Ford and Bette Davis did not get along and bickered throughout the filming. Nevertheless, people find the film a charming holiday classic The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching this fun movie, so push away from pile of gifts you are wrapping, if you can, get comfortable and enjoy the film.



The animosity that sprang up between Glenn Ford and Bette Davis gave Frank Capra constant blinding headaches, even though he refused to physically intervene in their altercations. Capra wrote in his autobiography that the production was "shaped in the fires of discord and filmed in an atmosphere of pain, strain, and loathing."


The staff and management of The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like to wish you and yours the happiest and warmest of holiday seasons.

Remember, the best holidays are those spend with the ones we love. We hope we've been able to a part of yours.


Demand Euphoria!

No man is a failure who has friends.

December 20, 1946 -
The Frank Capra film It's A Wonderful Life had a preview showing for charity at New York City's Globe Theatre, (a day before its official premiere) on this date.





But wait ...



The film is no longer available online – please enjoy the 1947 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast.



The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a flop.



There have been countless parody of this classic film -













(Another, more adult alternate ending of the film) -



This is truly a strange little film.




ACME Eagle Hand Soap would like to share with you another of their annual salute to the holidays via Rock and Roll (well, some Rock and Roll).


Run Rudolph Run  Chuck Berry –



The song holds the record for the longest amount of time between a song hitting the charts and then breaking into the Top 10. When it was released in December 1958, it went to #69 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, it re-entered the chart at #45, and in January 2021 - 62 years and two weeks after its chart debut - it reached its peak at #10.


Christmas All Over Again  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers –



The song was recorded for A Very Special Christmas 2, benefiting the Special Olympics.


What Would Santa Do   The Monkees –



Yes I know, they're almost all gone now.


Please Come Home For Christmas  The Eagles –



Charles Brown was a Texas blues musician who recorded the popular R&B Christmas song Merry Christmas Baby in 1947. Please Come Home For Christmas is a very melancholy Christmas song, as the singer has lost his girl and finds himself unbearably lonely over the holidays. Brown wrote it with Gene Redd, who was a New York producer that went on to guide the career of Kool & the Gang.


Father Christmas  The Kinks –



In England, Father Christmas is the personification of Christmas, in the same way as Santa Claus is in the United States. Although the characters are now synonymous, historically Father Christmas and Santa Claus have separate entities, stemming from unrelated traditions.


Here's a holiday song I'm guessing you haven't heard - Carol of the Bells, featuring Stephen Colbert and Henry Rollins:



The internet meme Ding! Fries Are Done is the anthem of a Burger King worker named Billy set to the tune of Carol of the Bells. It originated in 1993 on the mysterious singer's cassette album A Very Spastic Christmas and gained attention the following year on the Dr. Demento radio show. In 2006, Peter Griffin covered the song on the Family Guy episode Deep Throats. Despite the cartoon's popularity, interest in the song waned not long after the episode aired.


And, of course, Santa Claus Is Comin To Town  Bruce Springsteen –



Bruce Springsteen released the song as the B-Side to My Hometown in 1985 ( he had been playing it in concert for years,) and it quickly became a holiday staple. Strangely, many people consider it one of the worst Christmas songs.

Demand Euphoria!

... if you want something done, ask a woman ...

Acme's annual salute to the holidays via Rock and Roll.  First up - Do you hear what I hear?: Female Performers:


River   Joni Mitchell –



The song is about the recent split of a romantic relationship, with the singer needing to escape her immediate surroundings and emotional connections as they are too painful. It is said to be inspired by Joni Mitchell's 1968 to 1970 relationship with fellow artist Graham Nash.


Run Rudolph Run   Norah Jones –



Chuck Berry based this tale on Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, giving Rudolph a bit of an attitude as he delivers the toys. Unlike Santa, however, Rudolph is copyrighted, and Berry had to give the publishing rights to Johnny Marks, who wrote the original Rudolph. Perhaps if Berry had used "Randolph" (another reindeer he mentions), he could have kept the publishing.


Underneath the Tree   Kelly Clarksons -



Accompanied by various instrumental sounds, the song prominently incorporates a Phil Spector-like Wall of Sound treatment along with sleigh bells and bell chimes to resonate a holiday atmosphere


Snow   Tracy Thorn –



This song is one of many songs Randy Newman wrote in the days before he became a recording artist of his own songs and was writing songs for other artists to record. Another beautiful version of the song was recorded (but never original released) by Harry Nilsson. Newman has never recorded the song himself.


2000 Miles   The Pretenders -



While many people believe the song's title and lyrics refer to two long-distance lovers who miss each other over the holidays, it was actually written for James Honeyman-Scott, the group's original guitarist, who died the year before the song was released.


Silent Night    Annie Lennox -



It is believed that the carol has been translated into over 300 languages around the world, and it is one of the most popular carols of all time.


Merry Christmas Baby   Sheryl Crow -



Although the song is credited to Johnny Moore and Lou Baxter, blues songwriter and singer Charles Brown insisted he was really the song's co-writer, not Moore.


Let It Snow  Lucious Jackson –



This was written by the lyricist Sammy Cahn and the Broadway songwriter Jule Styne in 1945. Although this song is associated with Christmas, there is no mention of the holiday in the lyrics. It's about making the most of a snowy day by spending it with a loved one by the fire.


And of course the holiday favorite - Christmas Wrapping The Waitresses -



When Chris Butler wrote this song, he was not feeling very festive. The Waitresses were signed to ZE Records, whose boss, Michael Zilkha, asked the bands on his roster to each come up with a Christmas song that would go on a holiday compilation issued by the label. The Waitresses were in the middle of a grueling tour, and weren't happy about the task, especially since it was July and they weren't exactly in the Christmas spirit.

Demand Euphoria!

Christmas came, just the same

We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, given Christmas is a mere week away! Why not join The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour in celebrating that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel was published as a book by Random House in December of 1957. The book criticizes the commercialization of Christmas and the holiday season.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! the CBS animated special based on the book of the same title by Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), directed by legendary cartoon director Chuck Jones, premiered on this date. The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching this fun holiday special, so push away from pile of gifts you are wrapping, if you can, get comfortable and enjoy the show.



The special is notably the first prime-time animated television special based on a Dr. Seuss book, it features narration by Boris Karloff (who also voiced the title character) and music written by Albert Hague.



Here's a brief interview with Chuck Jones involvement with the special -



Boris Karloff was picked to voice the Grinch after Chuck Jones heard a recording of him reading Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories (which Jones was a fan of).



Here's a 'making of' documentary of the special, hosted by the late Phil Hartman -



and finally some very rare original commercials from the original broadcast -



Much like the Coca Cola sponsor plugs from A Charlie Brown Christmas, the original broadcast of How The Grinch Stole Christmas was sponsored by the Foundation for Full Service Banks and featured plugs for them at the beginning and end of the special. These have since been edited out of subsequent airings and are quite difficult to find, however they recently resurfaced in 2021.



So, welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand.


While the Grinch is now a beloved holiday classic, it is a strange little tale. This got us thinking about how strange some Christmas songs really are - so our second feature of the day is Odd Christmas songs:

Merry Something To You  Devo -



“Believe what you want to,” sings Gerald Casale, “nothing’s really true.” That's the Christmas spirit.


Santa Claus The Original Hippie   Homer & Jethro -



Patent leather boots? Check. Psychedelic clothes? Check. Granny glasses? Check. Pot belly? Yep, the “thinking man’s hillbillies,” as Knoxville, Tennessee’s Henry “Homer” Haynes and Kenneth “Jethro” Burns were known, nailed Santa’s underground origin on this laid-back track.


Christmas At The Airport  Nick Lowe -



Set during a nightmare layover, Nick Lowe combats the frozen hellscape and creeping ennui with music-hall humor and a little jangly guitar.


Flappie   Todd Rundgren -



Please note that no rabbits were eaten during the recording of this song.


I Wanna Goat For Christmas  The Wilder Brothers -



I have no idea why this kid wants a goat. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.

Demand Euphoria!

Say boy, what day is it?

Will you profit from what I've shown you of the good in most men's hearts?

Today is the 191th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dicken's story - A Christmas Carol.


There are literally dozens of adaptations of A Christmas Carol. Let's take a look at a few of them:

A Christmas Carol (1910) -



This is one of the earliest film adaptations of the story. It featured Marc McDermott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit.


Scrooge (1935) -



This film is the first live action production to include the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come's scene of Scrooge's shrouded corpse as in the book.


The Christmas Carol (1938) -



Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge McDuck was probably based physically on this version of Ebenezer Scrooge, with the fringe of hair and the small tuft of hair on the top of his head.


The Christmas Carol (1949 TV special) -



This is a very rare example of a 1940s television broadcast still surviving in entirety. In the infancy of television, programs were always broadcast live because videotape recording technology did not yet exist.Although crude (a film camera was pointed at a television monitor filming the broadcast,) it was the only available method to record a live broadcast during the earliest days of television.


Scrooge (1951) This is the favorite in the Caligari manse-



Scrooge was likely based on a real person named John Meggot (born John Elwes), who was a local celebrity, a member of Parliament, and a famous miser from Charles Dickens' part of England. Meggot was dead by the time Dickens was born, but he heard quite a bit about "Scrooge" from locals where he grew up.


Scrooge (1970) -



Not noted for being a singer, Albert Finney nevertheless insisted that the final number be sung live instead of synced like the other songs in the film. Finney played the last song with an earpiece giving him his musical cues and he nailed it on the first take.


Blackadders Christmas Carol (1988) -



It has been noticed by some that Robbie Coltrane's costume and character in this Christmas special, has a nearly identical portrayal to his much later role as Hagrid, in the film versions of J.K.Rowling's series of Harry Potter books. Also, its been claimed that JK Rowling herself had said Robbie Coltrane was always intended to have been cast as Hagrid in the films, suggesting that this Blackadder episode may in part have inspired the creation of Hagrid.


A Christmas Carol (1999) -



During the 1990s, Patrick Stewart wrote and starred in a one-man play based on A Christmas Carol, performing it in various places in the United States and the United Kingdom. He performed it again for the survivors and victim's families of 9/11, and again in 2005. In the play, he performed over forty different characters.


Please join us in watching what could be the greatest mash-up ever, or at least the most labor intensive. Heath Waterman spent 18 months putting together this labor of love, retelling the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in his video A Christmas Carol Encyclopedia, Stave 1 (which is an update of his original Twelve Hundred Ghosts - A Christmas Carol in Supercut.)




Mr. Waterman uses clips from over over 850 sources to make this holiday classic. (Make it your business to watch this!)


And there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than drinking spirits -

Eggnog is usually thought of as a Christmas beverage and to tell the truth I am not a huge fan of Eggnog. So I find it amusing that the recipe that I'm posting is for Eggnog (Above is a copy of my family recipe - my father sent it to his sister in 1962.)

Coquito, a Puerto Rican twist on the classic, is a family favorite and I thought I'd share it with you and perhaps you can try it out on your family.

Please note: these drinks go down quite smoothly and are very potent - they could be administered as a calmative for frayed nerves during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup of sugar
* 1/2 can of (14-ounces) condensed milk
* 1 14-ounce cans evaporated milk
* 1 1/2 cans of 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
* 1/2 of a Fifth of white rum (or more)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract


Tools:

* Drink Blender
* Can opener
* Glass


Directions:


Add the egg yolks, sugar, spices and vanilla into the blender. Mix until well blended.

Add the evaporated & condensed milk to the blender and briefly mix. (Condensed milk is very thick - you may want to open the can up all the way and scrap out all of the milk with a spatula.)

Vigorously shake the can of cream of coconut (it tends to separate.) Pour the cream of coconut into the blender and mix well. Scrap out any remaining coconut stuff from the can.

Add the rum and mix. Taste. If you think you need more rum, add it.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve cold.


A Christmas Carol Tom Lehrer -

Demand Euphoria!

I got these choices just under the wire

Happy Holidays! I'm sure you are just starting to run around doing your holiday shopping. So why not sit back and relax (quick, find the most comfortable seat on the sofa,) get a snack (perhaps, some popcorn,) and a beverage before our special starts, here's our final guest programmer with her favorite Christmas jingles (once again, I had to gently press her for two days to get her to give me this list.)

Here's another guest programmer with her favorite Christmas jingles (once again, I had to gently press her to get her to give me this list.)

Remember, it's the holidays (there are no bad choices, especially if the guest programmer lives in my house. There also seems to be some duplications between some of the guest programmers)


Christmas Time Is Here    Vince Guaraldi Trio -



Originally, this was an instrumental piece that Vince Guaraldi wrote to open A Charlie Brown Christmas. About a month before it aired, Lee Mendelson, who produced the special, decided it might work better with some words, so he wrote the lyric in about 10 minutes sitting at his kitchen table.


Drummer boy   Justin Bieber -



This Christmas classic was originally a Czech song that Katherine Kennicott Davis translated to English in 1941. Under the title Carol Of The Drum, it was covered by the Austrian Trapp Family Singers (of The Sound Of Music fame) a decade later, but a new arrangement titled The Little Drummer Boy was popularized by the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1958.


Jingle Bells   Frank Sinatra -



The words and music for this Christmas classic were written by James Lord Pierpont, a popular American composer, in 1857 with the title of One Horse Open Sleigh. Pierpont was a member of a staunch Unitarian Church family, and his father was a minister. It was originally written for a local Sunday school entertainment on Thanksgiving Day in Savannah, Georgia. Its catchy tune was soon taken up by Christmas revelers.


Do You Hear What I Hear?   Bing Crosby -



Married couple Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker penned this Christmas carol in October 1962. Generally it was Baker who wrote the lyrics for their songs while Regney composed the music, but in this instance it was the other way around. Regney's lyrics are a plea for peace, and they were written during the Cuban Missile Crisis when the USSR was spotted constructing bases for ballistic nuclear missiles in Cuba. These weapons had the ability to strike most of the continental United States and a confrontation was only averted when they were dismantled at the US president's insistence. Baker stated in an interview with the Los Angeles Times years later that neither could personally perform the entire song at the time they wrote it because of the emotions surrounding the incident. "Our little song broke us up. You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war at the time."


Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree    Brenda Lee -



Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded this song. Known as "Little Miss Dynamite," she stood 4'9". Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree wasn't Lee's first Christmas single. Back in 1956 she recorded two novelty festive tunes: I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus, and Christy Christmas as "Little Brenda Lee."


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays    *NSYNC -



The song was released on November 29, 1998 as the first and only single from their second studio album, Home for Christmas and was also featured on the end credits of the 1998 Disney Christmas movie I'll Be Home For Christmas.


Before you go - Once again, I'm going to play a perennial favorite bonus track (in our house, anyway) - the inspired mash-up of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You and My Chemical Romance's Welcome To The Black Parade.



In case you've ever wondered what Thom Yorke would sound like singing a Christmas song



This is so perfectly matched that it seems it was written this way. I didn't think this one would work but give it a listen



Okay, maybe you've had enough of Mariah -



We'll end this session with the Mariah Carey/ Marilyn Manson mashup (by the brilliant Bill McClintlock.)


Sweet Dreams.



Demand Euphoria!

There's no ego when you're a ukulele player.

When I was five my parents bought me a ukulele for Christmas. I quickly learned how to play it with my father's guidance. Thereafter, my father regularly taught me all the good old fashioned songs. – Tony Visconti

Let's make everyone a little happier - tonight's theme is a Uke Xmas


Mele Kalikimaka   Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters -




Carol of the Bells   Jake Shimabukuro -




Christmas Time Is Here    Cynthia Lin, Abe Lagrimas, Jr., & Ukulenny -




We Wish You A Merry Christmas    The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain -




Silver Bells   She & Him -




Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree   Cynthia Lin -




ACME is proud to sponsor the annual U900 Christmas Special featuring Usagi-no U (Rabbit U) and Kuma-no Kulele (Bear 900)



- Nothing says Happy Holidays more that a pair of ukulele playing knitted puppets.



There's something about the ukulele that just makes you smile.

Demand Euphoria!

ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (414)

Thank you for joining us today

Before our first holiday feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another ComiColor Cartoons cartoon, the 1934 Jack Frost, produced by Ub Iwerks.



The character Old Man Winter returned in the 1935 film Summertime.


Before the start of our feature presentation, in case you are already overwhelmed by the holidays, we another episode of The Puddles Pity Party Show, tonight featuring Jack Black:



Nothing says entertainment like Puddles and Jack Black.


As always, ACME wants you to join them in celebrating the holidays with your friends at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour - the official soap of our nation's bald eagles. Remember if your bald eagle's talons are filthy, do we have a soap for you! We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, given Christmas is a mere week away! Why join The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour in watching the classic 1962 animated film Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol directed by Abe Levitow and features songs composed by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Bob Merrill. Jim Backus provides the voice of Magoo, with additional voices provided by Paul Frees, Morey Amsterdam, Joan Gardner, and Jack Cassidy. The special was the first animated Christmas special to be produced specifically for television



This version of A Christmas Carol is unique in that the first spirit to visit Scrooge is the Spirit of Christmas Present, followed by the Spirits of Christmas Past and Yet to Come, whereas in all other versions, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past first, then Present, and then Yet to Come.


For the twelfth year in a row, the gentlemen from Bensonhurst were so moved by our themes concerning Frank and Dino that I have be persuaded (strong armed) by those gentlemen to present the 12th Annual Mobbed Up Christmas Special this year (our second theme of the evening).

(Let us be very clear - none of these singers are in anyway associated with organized crime.)

It's just that the usual suspects, Frankie Lupini, Molluschi Vincenzo, Joey Carrozza, etc, 'requested' these songs.


Merry Christmas Baby Dion -




Christmas In Herald Square Tony Bennett -




Silent Night Connie Francis -




It's Christmas At Our House Lou Monte -




Do You Hear What I Hear? Bobby Vinton -




Deck the Halls Vic Damone -




Christmas Tears Frankie Valli -




After many shots of Strega and plates of scungilli, baccalà alla vicentina and fried calamari, the boys want to wish everyone Buon Natale and Happy Hanukkah.

Demand Euphoria!

I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.

I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.

As you can probably guess, Frank wasn't the only member of the Rat Pack to sing carols -



Today's Holiday Theme is A Dean Martin's Christmas (Dean died on Christmas day in 1995.)


Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer -



Because Gene Autry's reputation was that of a Western star, he didn't feel suited to sing a Christmas song. The songs writer Johnny Marks, however, was determined to change Autry's mind (even though he'd never met him). He enlisted an unknown singer named Al Cernik to record a demo in the style of Autry and shipped it to the star in California. After a long wait - and some prodding from his wife - Autry agreed to record the tune.


Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! -



This was written by the lyricist Sammy Cahn and the Broadway songwriter Jule Styne in 1945. It was first recorded by Vaughn Monroe, and has since become a standard.


I'll be home for Christmas -



The song was written by Walter Kent (music) and James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (words). Though Kent and Gannon collaborated on other songs, none reached the same level of popularity as I'll Be Home for Christmas.


Silver Bells -



This song was originally sung by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in The Lemon Drop Kid. The following year Bing Crosby, together with Carol Richards recorded the first recorded version.


I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm -



This was written in 1934 by Richard B. Smith and Felix Bernard. The lyricist Richard Smith served as an editor of a newspaper before taking up a career in music. The composer Felix Bernard, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, played the piano with popular orchestras and was also a tap dancer and writer of musical comedies for Vaudeville. He later became a composer and though this proved his greatest success, he also earned a steady income writing songs for Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor on radio shows.


A Marshmallow World -



Written by the Brill Building songwriters Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose, Marshmallow World is a popular Christmas song, although it doesn't specifically mention the holiday. A celebration of the joys of winter, besides Dean it has been covered by Frank Sinatra, Brenda Lee, Johnny Mathis, and a Phil Spector-produced version by Darlene Love.


What the hell I'm starting to feel the bourbon, let's watch an entire episode of The Dean Martin Christmas Show -



If people want to think I get drunk and stay out all night, let 'em. That's how I got here, you know

Demand Euphoria.

The best revenge is massive success.

I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.

Welcome to our 14th Annual tribute to Ole Blue Eyes - Acme's tip of the hat to The Chairman of the Board.


The First Noel -



The First Noel is a traditional English carol most likely from the 16th or 17th century, but possibly dating from as early as the 13th century. It appeared in Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1823) and Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (1833), edited by William Sandys.


Mistletoe & Holly -



The song was written by Frank Sinatra, Dok Stanford and Hank Sanicola, and published by the Barton Music Corporation in New York.


Jingle Bells -



The words and music for this Christmas classic were written by James Lord Pierpont, a popular American composer, in 1857 with the title of One Horse Open Sleigh. Pierpont was a member of a staunch Unitarian Church family, and his father was a minister. It was originally written for a local Sunday school entertainment on Thanksgiving Day in Savannah, Georgia. Its catchy tune was soon taken up by Christmas revelers. Every December, an old battle known as "The Jingle Bell Wars" rages on. The folks of Medford, Massachusetts, claim their town is the real birthplace of the famous holiday tune, as Pierpont was still living there in 1850 when it was allegedly written at the local Simpson Tavern. This isn't a battle the South is prepared to lose: Savannah's tourism guide maintains Jingle Bells was penned in the very church it premiered. That doesn't stop Medford from holding an annual Jingle Bell Festival or dubbing itself "The Jingle Bell City."


I'll Be Home For Christmas -



This was originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, and it quickly became one of America's most popular holiday songs along with White Christmas, which Bing had put onto disc the previous year. The song particularly struck a nerve with overseas GIs and their families awaiting their return from serving their country in World War II. The GI magazine said Crosby accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era.


I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day -



On Christmas day, 1864, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow received word that his son, a soldier in the Civil War, had been wounded. Just two years before, Henry had lost his wife in a fire. As Longfellow sat alone with his grief, he penned words of hope to challenge his own despair. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day was set to music by composer John Baptiste Calkin in 1872.


Have Yourselves A Merry Little Christmas -



Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine wrote the classic song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for Judy Garland's 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis, along with dozens of other songs for MGM and Broadway musicals.


Acme would like to bring you this 1957 Christmas episode of The Frank Sinatra Show - Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank



The special was filmed in color, although ABC originally broadcast it in black and white. The special was directed by Frank Sinatra himself. He and Bing Crosby team up for several musical numbers celebrating the holiday season. Because Bing Crosby liked to pre-record his music in the morning and lip synch on film and Frank Sinatra preferred to record live in the evening, the musical "duets" were recorded ten hours apart with only soft piano accompaniment. Nelson Riddle overrode the piano with the orchestra during editing.

Throughout my career, if I have done anything, I have paid attention to every note and every word I sing - if I respect the song. If I cannot project this to a listener, I fail. .

Demand Euphoria!

Another Caligari heard from

Happy Holidays! I'm sure you are just starting to run around doing your holiday shopping. It's our second guest programmer this year and it has nothing to due with the fact that it's Julietta's birthday. (And I don't want to mention anything about haranguing her for several days to get her actual choices.)

Here are her holiday choices:

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)  Mariah Carey -



Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is a song originally recorded by Darlene Love in 1963 that Mariah covered for her 1994 Merry Christmas album. “I really did enjoy Mariah Carey's version, I think she stuck so close to me,” Darlene told Variety in 2020. “I was really surprised, because that has a lower voice than how she sings. But when you have a song that has a great melody, like ‘Christmas, Baby’ does, there's no sense in trying to mess with it. And she has such a great, powerful voice. She did an unbelievable version.”


This Christmas  Donny Hathaway -



Like many Christmas songs, this one took a while to find an audience. Released as a single in 1970, it went nowhere, but later became a modern holiday standard, covered by a wide range of artists including Destiny's Child, Aretha Franklin and Lady Antebellum.


Underneath the Tree   Kelly Clarksons -



Accompanied by various instrumental sounds, the song prominently incorporates a Phil Spector-like Wall of Sound treatment along with sleigh bells and bell chimes to resonate a holiday atmosphere


Santa Tell Me   Ariana Grande -



This self-penned holiday single finds Ariana Grande singing of feeling let down by Santa as he didn't grant her Christmas wish. She said during a live stream Q&A with Arianators the song is, "sort of about being fed up with Santa because he doesn't necessarily pull through all the time."


Last Christmas   Sabrina Carpenter & Chappell Roan -



There’s nothing in this song about Santa, reindeer, trees, snow, or anything that is typically associate with the holiday. Rather, the song is about a failed romance that just happens to have begun on December 25.


Julietta would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy holiday season and a bright New Year.


As always - for an extra added treat, here's a few Christmas songs from Puddles Pity Party



What would Christmas be without our favorite 7 foot tall clown singing Christmas songs -

Demand Euphoria!

It's A Funky, Funky Christmas

Why not slow down your jam and listen to The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Rockin Soul Christmas Revue (Old School)


Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday   William Bell –




Merry Christmas Baby   Otis Redding –




This Christmas    Donny Hathaway –




Presents For Christmas   Solomon Burke –




What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?   The Emotions –




Who Took The Merry out of Christmas    The Staple Singers -




Christmas Will Really Be Christmas   Lou Rawls –




What Christmas Means To Me   Stevie Wonder –

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... Snowflakes in the air ...

December 9, 1965

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first animated television special based on the popular newspaper comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, and also the first Christmas special for the franchise. Acme is proud to ask you to join us in watching the perennial showing of this depressing little special.



The original broadcast included some brief animated sections which included the logo of Coca-Cola, the show's original sponsor. These have been edited out of subsequent broadcasts and the video release. Right after the opening title, Linus crashed into a sign advertising Coca-Cola after being tossed by Snoopy. The closing carol originally included the complete verse (instead of fading out) with a final on-screen "Merry Christmas from your local bottler of Coca-Cola" right after the United Feature Syndicate credit at the end.





A documentary celebrating the Charlie Brown Christmas special: -



When they first saw the show, CBS executives were horrified at the idea of an animated Christmas special with such a blatant message. They also strongly objected to the fact that the show had no canned laughter. In addition, they greeted Vince Guaraldi's jazz score as an intrusion in the special that audiences would never accept. However, when CBS learned to their astonishment of the special's spectacular ratings earned on its initial broadcast and the glowing reviews for it, the network promptly contracted the producers for more specials.


A Charlie Brown Christmas Vince Guaraldi Trio -



Producer Lee Mendelson wrote the lyrics for Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time is Here music, and his son Glenn, along with his then sixth-grade class, sang the vocals.


Christmas Charlie Brown mashups











And a couple of Charlie Brown parodies






In honor of our depressed little pal: Let's all get in the mood with our second holiday theme and have a depressing Christmas -

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot  Nat King Cole -



Written by British composers Michael Carr, Jimmy Leach and Tommie Connor, it tells the tale of a fatherless boy who sent a note to Santa Claus to request presents of soldiers and a drum. On Christmas morning he awoke to find that Santa never came, and therefore, he only had last year’s broken toys to play with. The song was introduced to a completely new generation in 1982 when it featured in the Pink Floyd film The Wall. Vera Lynn’s version is heard during the opening scene, providing an eerie atmospheric effect.


River   Joni Mitchell -



At the start of 1970, Joni Mitchell's relationship with her boyfriend Graham Nash was crumbling. On top of this, she was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the mass adulation her recordings were receiving. The songstress needed to get away, so she took off on a trip to Europe, metaphorically skating away on a river to escape the crazy scene. While Mitchell was in Crete, she sent Nash a telegram to tell him their romance was over.


7 O’Clock News/Silent Night  Simon & Garfunkel -



In perfect two-part harmony, they sing the song to a piano accompaniment. Into that song bleeds the sound of a news announcer bringing news of the day, thus creating a sound collage of peace set against modern times. That news was actually scripted and read by Charlie O’Donnell, who was a radio DJ then and became the announcer on many TV game shows, including The Wheel of Fortune.


Pretty Paper Roy Orbinson -



This was written by Willie Nelson, who at the time was a successful songwriter but relatively unknown performer. It's a Christmas song where the singer goes about preparing for the holiday, but notices an unfortunate homeless person who can't afford the luxuries of the season. Unsure how to handle this, the singer decides he is just too busy and carries on with his preparations.


And what could be the saddest Christmas song written:
Christmas Will Break Your Heart - LCD Soundsystem



Christmas, I love you but you're bringing me down.


Before you go - since you're in the mood, let's all get together and listen to William S Burroughs read his Christmas story, The.Junky's Christmas.



Francis Ford Coppola produced this short Claymation film based on William S. Burroughs short story The Junky’s Christmas. The piece was directed by Nick Donkin and Melodie McDaniel.

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