Episode 228 – Songs vs the Christmas season

Brian and Murdock relive the horrors of Christmas seasons past – particularly the ones where they had to play Christmas songs on the radio – and get at why one particular tune always got under the skin.   SHOW NOTES: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/610472/do-they-know-its-christmas-band-aid-song- history https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1220362/george-michael-news-band- aid-paul-weller-savage-bust-up-do-they-know-its-christmas-spt https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/ethiopia.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midge_Ure https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-of-hear-n-aid-the-heavy-metal-band-aid http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4012573.stm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It%27s_Christmas%3F

The guys have a VERY GOOD announcement to make about the future of the show!

The guys get a stack of letters, each asking for clarification on a similar point – are these classic tunes REALLY “Christmas songs”? Support the show on Patreon. Find us on Instagram. Visit the website.   SHOW NOTES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Old_Lang_Syne   https://www.pjstar.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/12/14/dan-fogelberg-same-old-lang-syne/6494479002/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Speedwagon   https://fle-pics.blogspot.com/2013/01/dan-fogelberg-in-jackson-ms-1974.html   Fogelberg in Jackson, Mississippi recording – https://youtu.be/JTAEvRx-omk?si=g2DHG2LPViJHIygZ   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Honeyman-Scott   https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pretenders-2000-miles/   https://www.jonkutner.com/2000-miles-pretenders/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_to_Crawl   https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/2000-miles-pretenders-song-story/   JM talks about adoption   Will Blythe on Joni & James Christmas in NC   Washington Post How River Became a Christmas Classic   Excellent Resource on Blue from NYT   JM on NPR about Bah Humbug  

Author David Rowell joins Brian to talk about his new book, The Endless Refrain, and the idea that maybe none of us like new music as much as we should. Check out David. Buy the book. Support Rock N Roll Story Guys on Patreon.

Brian breaks down a couple of seemingly tall tales about the poet-turned-troubadour and uncovers another bad business manager cautionary ode. SHOW NOTES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_Leonard_Cohen Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Leonard Cohen documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GvTeMdmdCI https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/highlights/1218412-judy-collins-ray-darcy https://savingcountrymusic.com/leonard-cohen-could-have-been-a-country-star-rip/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Collins https://www.bigissue.com/culture/music/judy-collins-i-didnt-write-songs-until-after-i-met-leonard-cohen/ https://scalar.usc.edu/works/musictoronto/earliest-recording-of-leonard-cohens-suzanne—the-stormy-clovers-1966 https://ex-press.ca/2016/11/15/leonard-cohen-reminiscence/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Johnston https://cavehollywood.com/leonard-cohen-songs-from-a-room/ https://www.billboard.com/music/features/leonard-cohen-embezzlement-career-comeback-7580545/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/19/leonard-cohen-former-manager-jailed https://sharpmagazine.com/2018/11/06/how-do-we-come-to-terms-with-leonard-cohens-legacy-in-the-metoo-era/ https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/772-mccabe-mrs-miller-profound-pessimism-and-leonard-c/ https://www.kelleylynchfactcheck.com/ https://www.kelleylynchfactcheck.com/pleadings/Compl%20agst%20Lynch%20Westin.pdf 2006 Fresh Air interview: https://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poetry-music-and-why-he-left-the-zen-monastery https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/archived/rhythmdivine/5076662 https://www.dailybulletin.com/2016/11/26/leonard-cohen-mt-baldy-monk-claremont-consumer/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyozan_Joshu_Sasaki https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/robbery-leonard-cohen-music/ https://variety.com/2022/music/news/leonard-cohen-hipgnosis-1235196842/

The guys get an earful and an education on the Tulsa Sound and sketch comedy when a listener asks about Leon Russell’s drummer… Support the show on Patreon. Follow us on Instagram. Check out the website.   SHOW NOTES: https://kendrasteinereditions.wordpress.com/2021/02/08/gary-busey-discusses-leon-russell/ https://www.ranker.com/list/the-13-craziest-things-gary-busey-has-ever-done/carly-kiel https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/23/archives/folksiness-is-gary-buseys-film-career-the-one-who-taught-me-poetic.html https://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/broadcasts/113660 https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/21166/gary-busey-life-after-death-1988-accident-howie-mandel-podcast https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-05-me-711-story.html https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/03/01/Buseys-anti-helmet-stance-unchanged-despite-crash/5243604731600/ https://www.tumblr.com/uncle-gary-busey/190159738563/gary-busey-and-teddy-jack-eddy https://okma.fandom.com/wiki/Carp https://www.mazeppa.com/ https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BU022 https://tulsatvmemories.com/mazeppa.html https://tulsatvmemories.com/chew.html https://tulsatvmemories.com/mazmurg.html Tulsa World article (1992): https://www.mazeppa.com/about-mazeppa https://thislandpress.com/2011/01/23/mazeppa-the-uncanny-film-festival-and-camp-meeting/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Halsey https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/columns/brandy-mcdonnell/2016/11/13/master-of-space-and-time-leon-russell-dies/60638176007/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_sound https://thechurchstudio.com/leon-russell-going-back-to-tulsa-one-more-time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_O%27_the_Wisp_(album) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buddy_Holly_Story https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/petty-warren-zanes/1122597923  

A listener letter leads Brian and Murdock to another sliding doors speculation – if a certain tragedy hadn’t happened to Bjork in 1996, would the world of music sound very different today?   SHOW NOTES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_L%C3%B3pez_(stalker) https://emadion.it/en/suicides/ricardo-lopez-storia-uno-stalker/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3du0GpXE5WY https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=444358093173398 https://thomasr.nvg.org/bjork/mainpage/rc.html https://www.icelandtours.is/blog/bjork-iceland/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sugarcubes https://www.npr.org/2010/08/06/129029063/bjork-a-celestial-voice https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/bjork-stalker-acid-letterbomb-ricardo-lopez/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/08/northern-souls-the-anarcho-punks-who-made-iceland-a-pop-powerhouse https://thevogue.com/artists/bjork/# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm_(record_label) https://smekkleysa.net/about/history/ https://www.reddit.com/r/bjork/comments/udmxc6/opinion_the_sugarcubes_are_a_bunch_of_pretty_good/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life%27s_Too_Good#:~:text=Despite%20never%20having%20intended%20to,release%20two%20further%20studio%20albums. Betsey Johnson fashion show footage: https://www.reddit.com/r/bjork/comments/1c2ip81/you_wont_see_anything_more_iconic_today/ https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132422&page=1 https://thecrimemag.com/ricardo-lopez-tapes/ https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/09/19/a-race-against-insanity/ https://themoderngirls.co/2017/06/21/frontwoman-spotlight-bjork-and-the-sugarcubes/ Unpredictable podcast episode: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/unpred-ictable/episodes/The-Bjrk-Stalker-Tapes–explained-e270o2b Spread the Dread podcast episode: https://music.amazon.com/es-us/podcasts/aa625bb4-74b6-4015-8649-97b88eb8a4d9/episodes/e12c5a9e-4910-48eb-bbc5-83a48bac6ea3/spread-the-dread-podcast-episode-10—ricardo-lopez—the-bjork-stalker  I Could Murder A Podcast episode  https://shows.acast.com/icmap/episodes/the-bjork-stalker-the-ricardo-lopez-video-diaries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldie https://forums.lostmediawiki.com/thread/5618/ricardo-lopezs-803-page-diary https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/interviews/wanted-bad-wasnt-cut-goldie-crime-class-return-music/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Loves_Sunshine https://www.thefader.com/2017/11/08/goldie-david-bowie-truth-all-things-remembered-extract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogenic Spin cover story 1997: https://www.spin.com/2017/09/bjork-homogenic-cover-story/ https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/bjork-homogenic-at-20-template-for-artistic-reinvention/ https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music/2022/09/homogenic-brought-bjork-into-focus

The guys catch up on letters sent to the show and talk more about the Pumpkins, the Butthole Surfers, Cannibal Corpse, white noise, and more.

A question from a listener unlocks the “sliding doors” history that exists between members of Van Halen and the accomplished musicians who would join forces to form Mr. Big.   SHOW NOTES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Be_with_You https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/its_like_getting_a_phd_in_showbiz_101_billy_sheehan_recalls_what_david_lee_roth_was_like_to_work_with.html https://defendersofthefaithmetal.com/billy-sheehan-talas-david-lee-roth-mr-big-the-winery-dogs-interview/ https://www.vhnd.com/2024/03/24/billy-sheehan-on-roths-initial-guitarist-choice-before-vai/ https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/billy_sheehan_speaks_on_why_he_left_david_lee_roth_talks_how_steve_vai_behaved_when_he_joined_the_band.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper_(album) https://www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/threads/66629-Billy-Sheehan-on-How-David-Lee-Roth-Treated-Musicians-He-Hired/page2 https://www.vhnd.com/2009/06/30/billy-sheehan-talk-david-lee-roth-and-van-halen/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Big_(American_band) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Martin_(musician) https://www.al.com/life/2021/12/how-having-a-number-one-hit-changed-this-rock-singers-life-forever.html https://www.vhnd.com/2021/09/16/mr-big-singer-eric-martin-on-the-85-van-halen-audition-that-never-happened/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gilbert https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/paul_gilbert_recalls_ozzy_audition_rejection_when_he_was_15_years_old__how_it_affected_him.html https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/paul_gilbert_explains_what_made_him_play_guitar_with_electric_drill_talks_what_he_rarely_does_on_instrument_anymore.html https://www.quora.com/Who-was-the-first-guitarist-to-play-with-a-drill-was-it-Eddie-Van-Halen-or-Paul-Gilbert Lips from Anvil (2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx-WSiIY2zM https://blog.evhgear.com/2015/08/ask-eddie-using-a-drill-on-poundcake/ Mr Big live performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46BCpSJKIjw Up close drill footage from Poundcake performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kImCAqulEKA https://www.eonmusic.co.uk/anvil-steve-lips-kudlow-eonmusic-interview-october-2016.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBow

The guys reflect on the monstrous career of Quincy Jones and what he meant (and continues to mean) to the world of popular music.   SHOW NOTES: The Theme from Ironsides Ironside (Theme From “Ironside”) I’ve Got You Under My Skin – with Sinatra, Basie at the Sands Vegas 1966 I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Live At The Sands Hotel And Casino/1966) Lesley Gore – You Don’t Own Me Lesley Gore – You Don’t Own Me (Official Audio) Summer In the City – Quincy’s version 1973 Quincy Jones  – Summer In The City 1973 Soul Bossa Nova  1962 Quincy Jones – SOUL BOSSA NOVA PYT Michael Jackson – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (Audio) The Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23-1977 Strawberry Letter 23 Baby Come to Me-Patti Austin & James Ingram Patti Austin & James Ingram – Baby, Come To Me (1981 Original LP Version) HQ Lesley Gore in the Simpsons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upDAeY2L-6I