From the Vault...

12/30/2012
#1340

info
Dr. Demento
"The Greatest Christmas Novelty CD Of All Time"


© Rhino Records

Year of Release: 1989
Rating:

track listing
  • The Christmas Song--
    The Chipmunks
  • All I Want For Christmas
    Is My Two Front Teeth--
    Spike Jones
  • Jingle Bells--
    The Singing Dogs
  • The Twelve Gifts
    Of Christmas--
    Allan Sherman
  • I Want A Hippopotamus
    For Christmas--
    Gayla Peevey
  • Nuttin' For Christmas--
    Stan Freberg
  • A Christmas Carol--
    Tom Lehrer
  • Grandma Got Run Over
    By A Reindeer--
    Elmo & Patsy
  • I Yust Go Nuts
    At Christmas--
    Yogi Yorgesson
  • Twelve Days
    Of Christmas--
    Bob &
    Doug McKenzie
  • Green Christmas--
    Stan Freberg
  • I'm A Christmas Tree--
    Wild Man Fischer
    with Dr. Demento
  • I Saw Daddy Kissing
    Santa Claus--
    Kip Adotta
  • Santa Claus And
    His Old Lady--
    Cheech & Chong
  • Christmast At
    Ground Zero--
    Weird Al Yankovic
  • Christmas Dragnet--
    Stan Freberg

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    "The Greatest Christmas Novelty CD Of All Time"



    Dr. Demento's radio shows consisted of Novelty records. It was Dr. Demento who "discovered" Weird Al Yankovic, as the Doctor asked his audience to send him their own novelty songs. (I was going to do this; I had started working on lyrics to Billy Joel's "Honesty" -- A parody song called "Allergies," which I did have back then (and still do). Unfortunately I only had a partial chorus.) Collecting the most popular songs from the Doctor's show would be a treat. Some of them were on the vinyl-only Demento's Mementos." Later, the Doctor would release "Anniversary" collections: 15th, 20th, and 30th. Of the many songs that were not on these compilations, you pretty much had to buy the artists' original albums.


    Then came the Christmas novelty records. Most of the tracks for our pick of the week, I either had known, or already had in my collection. Everyone knows "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville & The Chipmunks; a Christmas collection would not be complete without it, whether it be a Novelty collection or not. Another ditty was Spike Jones' "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." The Singing Dogs' "Jingle Bells" would be another favorite. Before there was Weird Al, there was Allan Sherman, a man who's vinyl records were part of my collection while growing up. His "Twelve Gifts Of Christmas" is a classic, and a track that will never die, as it will always be a wonderful track for every Christmas yet to come. Another radio favorite would be Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer." Yogi Yorgesson's "I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas" would be another one I remembered, as I still await a CD collection of Yogi's music, and hopefully it will include "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" b/w "Yokohama Mama" -- I had the Capitol 45, of which Yogi changed his name for this single to Hari Kari. Back in the day, I would watch NBC's Saturday Night Live, and if I wanted to stay up longer, I would watch the show after it, Second City Television. From SCTV, came Bob & Doug McKenzie, as they would release an album of their own, Great White North. And from it, their "Twelve Days Of Christmas" would be another funny version. The last track I remembered from this Dr. Demento set, would be Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus And His Old Lady" -- a track that would never be released on an original Cheech & Chong album. (It was only available on a 45, of which I never get the chance to get. I'm sure there's a Best Of/Greatest Hits package by C&C, with this on it.)


    As for the remaining "not so well-remembered" tracks -- They are just as exceptional as the ones I did remember. Of course, some are better than others. Stan Freberg has three tracks here: "Nuttin' For Christmas" (a song I do remember, but not by Freberg); "Green Christmas," and his TV Dragnet spoof'er, "Christmas Dragnet." (Freberg reached #1 with a Dragnet novelty track, "St. George and the Dragonet."


    Gayla Peevey's "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" is surely another very entertainig Christmas ditty. Tom Lehrer was very well-known to me, yet I never did hear his "A Christmas Carol" until I received this Dr. Demento Xmas collection. Both Wild Man Fischer and Kip Adotta were well-known as well, but not for their Xmas tunes: Wild Man Fischer was best remembered to me with his novelty track, "My Name Is Larry" (of which I am still trying to find the original album this song is on by Larry, for an affordable price. Larry had passed away in 2011 of heart problems; he was 66 years old. His albums I guess became out-of-print, and the prices would skyrocket.) Kip Adotta's biggest novelty track was "Wet Dream." His parody of the Christmas classic, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus."


    Which leaves us lastly, to a gentleman who gives credit to Dr. Demento for making him famous as he is today: Weird Al Yankovic. His "Christmas At Ground Zero" may not have been remembered as a Christmas classic, but still, it's Weird Al. (If you enjoy him, I stronly recommend for you to check out Allan Sherman, as he was the original song parody-ist.)


    All in all, this is a great, and wonderful Christmas collection. For the humorist in all of us, this collection will truly bring smiles to all. And thank you, Dr. Demento, for discovering this wonderful little ensembles.


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