Artificial Radio Hour with Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Artificial Radio Hour with Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill Part 53

Hey folks!

It’s gonna be a new year! There aren’t many New Year’s songs, mostly just Auld Lang Syne, so I’ve picked out a bunch of songs about winter & snow.(and also a few versions of Auld Lang Syne).

This is the last weekly show I’m gonna do. It’s a lot of work to put this out every week, so I’m scaling back to once a month (probably).

I hope you’ve liked the shows you’ve listened to. You can find all of the previous episodes at the blog, revdrdrphill.blogspot.com. Catch up on any episodes you’ve missed!

No big write-up this week, either. It’s holiday time!

Enjoy!

-Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill

Auld Lang Syne - Lenny Dee (1961)

Snow Flower - Ananda Shankar (1970) (He was Ravi Shankar’s nephew, but did not learn sitar from him.)

Our Winter Love - Bill Pursell (1963) (Listen for the crazy fuzz-tone guitar! Wild!)

Snow Song - The Mountain Goats (1999) (Recorded on a boombox.)

A Hazy Shade Of Winter - Simon & Garfunkel (1968)

Snow in the Lowlands - Colorpulse (2010)

auld lang syne - c#merle (2011) (Another tune from the Cigar Box Nation Christmas album.)

New Year Resolutions - Colonel Sanders (197?)

Duane Park Snow - Robert Ginder (1998)

The Ice of Boston - The Dismemberment Plan (1998)

Winter At Night - i am robot and proud (2003)

Snow Tires - Unbunny (2004)

Auld Lang Syne - Sufjan Stevens (2006)

Snow - Nilsson (1970) (From Nilsson Sings Newman, an album of Randy Newman songs. Randy is the accompanist.)

A Sight for Sore Eyes - Tom Waits (1977)

Fun Winter - ze frank (2007)

Mancini New Year - Henry Mancini (19??)

A Marshmallow World - Vic20 (1999)

Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo (1997) (Before Dick Clark, before Ryan Seacrest, this was the New Year’s guy. Literally.)

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Artificial Radio Hour with Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill Part 52

Hey folks!

It’s Christmas time! I’m not doing a whole big write-up this week so I can release this episode early, in time for your Xmas listening. (I know not many will want to listen to this stuff as much after Monday.)

After Christmas I’ll do an after-Christmas mix, and that will be my last weekly show for the time being.

Enjoy!

-Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love (1963)

Blue Christmas - Low (1999)

Remember Christmas - Harry Nilsson (1972)

Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - E (1993)

Christmas Time is Here Again! - The Beatles (1967)

Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)

Jingle Bells - Booker T. & The MGs (1966)

A Christmas Carol - Tom Lehrer (1959)

Christmas In Prison - John Prine (1973)

Chiron Beta Prime - Jonathan Coulton (2005)

What Child Is This? - The Border Brass (1968)

Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses (1981)

Last Christmas - Wham! (1984)

Winter Wonderland - Allen Toussaint (1997)

Feliz Navidad - El Vez (1994)

Christmas Is Interesting - Jonathan Coulton (2012)

The Holly & The Ivy - John Maw & Dan Sleep - Cigar Box Nation Christmas (2011)

Silent Night - Dr. John (1989)

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas - Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill Mix (2017)

Featuring:

Philly Boy Roy's Twas The Night Before Christmas - Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster (2012)
Stan Lee reads 'Twas The Night Before Christmas - A Bit Of A Chat With Ken Plume (2011)
Twas The Night Before Christmas - Liberace (1954)

Christmas Bells - Tom Logan(?) (19??)

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Artificial Radio Hour with Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill Part 51

Not pictured: Pia Zadora

Hey folks!

I got this week’s show uploaded to the Internet Archive, so maybe it was a problem with last week’s show, I don’t know. I’ve also put this week’s show on MixCloud, let me know if that is something you all are into.

For various reasons, I’ve written this email/blog post multiple times, so if it sounds terse and weird that might be why. It’s mostly gonna be a list of facts.

“Seymour Swine” is North Carolina disc jockey Denny Brownlee (vocals) and Bill Lynn (guitar), although I’m pretty sure it just said “Porky Pig” when I first ran into it.

The 12 Days Of Mixmas had a Crypt Keeper clip (in the original DJ Riko version) that I swapped out for the cast of Twin Peaks.

The Barenaked Ladies have a whole Christmas album, but I only know this one song. It sounds like something developed on a tour bus.

The celebrity Xmas greetings are all from Bob Claster, former host of Funny Stuff on KCRW, which was my first exposure to many wonderful comedians. Check out his website, Bob Claster's Funny Stuff, for lots of great comedy shows.

My friend Bob is in Inch Erectionists, but I don’t remember who else is. Spell check does not like that spelling.

It’s hard to listen to bad kid singers, so I cut them quite short. There are a lot of that type of tune, though. I think they were trying to follow in the footsteps of “Nuttin’ For Christmas” and “Two Front Teeth” but they miss by a wide mark. “I Want The South To Win The War”? Really, Spike? I do like the Eyeball Skeleton song though.

I’m not sure of the date on the John Baker BBC Radiophonic Workshop jingle, but I know it was between 1960 and 1968 so I just split the difference.

I think the Fear song was performed on New Wave Theatre, but it seems a little much for UHF or even basic cable. I dunno.

“Christmas In The Stars” is from the Star Wars Christmas album of the same name. It’s pretty weird. It was by Meco Monardo, the same guy who had a disco hit with the Star Wars theme in 1977. Fun fact, Jon Bon Jovi appears on this record; his brother owned the studio where it was recorded and Jon worked there. (Not sure how “fun” that was.)

Tom Lehrer is a national treasure, and it’s a shame he didn’t record more music. I guess teaching at UC Santa Cruz is a good career too.

That's Jerry Wheeler, in the center.

Poxy Boggards are a band featuring the trombone player of Giant Ant Farm, one of my favorite bands. They perform at Renaissance Faires. Here they cover a Residents song.

Mojo Nixon gave away mp3s of his entire musical catalog on Amazon for free, so naturally I had to have it all. Usually there are vocals.

I don’t know anything about Game Theory except that they were active in the 80s. I couldn’t find this song listed in any discography, so I don’t know if it’s really theirs.

“Xmas On Mars” is from the Thrilling Adventure Hour serial “Sparks Nevada, Marshal On Mars”. One of the performers on this track is Chris Hardwick.

Pia Zadora was in Santa Claus Conquers The Martians as a child; that movie featured a song called “Hooray For Santy Claus”. This version is a cover.

“Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope” is also a cover, of a Martin Mull song from 1971.

You can find out about “Jingle Rock Bell” in this metafilter thread. It’s only a couple of sentences, but they are illuminating.

Trademark G(underson) of the ECC with his Thimbletronic gloves.

The Evolution Control Committee are a great bunch of cut-up artists. I first heard of them when they dropped their single, “Rocked By Rape”, on napster with misleading artists names.

I wonder if Squeaky Fromme really does love Christmas.

Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick are great. I’m gonna put some more Coulton Xmas music in next week’s show.

Porn Orchard was a band from Athens, GA. I don't think their vocalists always sounded like Peter Murphy & Tom Waits, but maybe. This one is often misidentified on file-sharing sites.

Brian Whitman’s Singular Christmas album was created by putting hundreds of Christmas songs into a computer, so that the computer could… learn how to make its own I guess? There is a much better explanation of it at his website.

Rod Rogers worked for MSR Records, a “song-poem” label. Song-poem records can get really weird…

Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her was a Japanese band. This track was misidentified as Melt Banana but I knew that wasn’t right because there wasn’t enough screaming.

I don’t know who Silev is.

The nullsleep track is from a collection of Christmas songs made on video game consoles.

That’s it, you guys! More Xmas next week! (Is that a promise or a threat?)

Enjoy!

-Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill

B-B-Blue Christmas - Seymour Swine and the Squealers (1985)

The 12 Days of Mixmas (Roger Whittaker, Sesame Street, the McKenzie Brothers, The Waffle House, the cast of Twin Peaks and Twisted Sister) - DJ Riko (2006) (with a little help from Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill, 2017)

Deck the Stills - Barenaked Ladies (2004)

Santa Fake - Inch Erectionists (2005)

I Want The South To Win The War For Christmas - Spike Jones And The Band That Plays For Fun (1959)

Poor Ole Santa Claus - Jeri Kelly (1960)

Christmas on the Moon - Troy Hess (1970)

Season's Greetings From Jackie Mason

Merry Christmas Elvis - Michele Cody (1978)

Happy Birthday Jesus - Little Cindy (1959)

Santa's On The Run - Eyeball Skeleton (2004)

Christmas Commercial - BBC Radiophonic Workshop (John Baker) (1964)

Fuck Christmas - Fear (1981)

Christmas In The Stars - The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir & Chorale (1980)

(I'm Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica - Tom Lehrer (1999)

Santa Dog - Poxy Boggards (1996)

Transylvanian Xmas - Mojo Nixon And Skid Roper (1986)

Christmas Moog - Game Theory (198?)

Xmas On Mars - Paul and Storm & Hard n Phirm (2011)

Season's Greetings from Pia Zadora

Hooray For Santy Claus - Senor Tonto Christmas Combo (2004)

Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope - Sonic Youth (1996)

Jingle Rock Bell - P. S. Tail, Esq. (2004)

The Christmas Wrong - The Evolution Control Committee (2003)

My Wife Thinks She's A Christmas Tree - Soupy Sales

Even Squeaky Fromme Loves Christmas - The Reverend Glen Armstrong (1994)

Uncle John - Jonathan Coulton & John Roderick (2012)

This Holiday Season (Christmas Sucks) - Porn Orchard (2005)

Radiant bells - Brian Whitman (2004)

Santa Claus Goes Modern - Rod Rogers & The Librettos (1969)

Here Comes Santa Claus - Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (1996)

Christmas Song (The Holly And The Ivy) - Silev (????)

Silent Night - nullsleep (2003)

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Artificial Radio Hour with Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill Part 50

Hey there folks!

Sorry the show is late, in addition to being long. The length usually means it will come together quickly but not so in this case. The problems I've been having with the Internet Archive haven't delayed me that much, but they haven't helped.

Here is a Dropbox link, please let me know how that works for you.

Well, the plan was to have this one finished early so I could get ahead. And here we are, it's not early and I’m not ahead. Oh well.

This is the pop/easy listening end of the Moog craze of the late 60s, generally. Wendy Carlos’ Switched-On Bach from 1968 sparked a load of mostly novelty, cash-in records at first, but some artists went deeper than just covering the hits of the day. In fact, some of the artists who performed on these records were already old hands at the synth game who were just trying to cash in themselves…

Four songs in the show this week are by “Christopher Scott” a.k.a. Jean-Jacques Perrey, a French electronic musician and composer. In 1969 he released an album called Switched-On Bacharach, with ten Burt Bacharach covers. It must have been a success because he released a follow-up in 1970 called More Switched-On Bacharach with eleven more tunes. (Interestingly enough, he apparently gave his alter-ego a knighthood, because he’s credited as “Sir Christopher Scott” on the second album.) When Perrey recorded library music for the Editions Montparnasse 2000 label, he used the name “Pat Prilly”.

Dan Lacksmann released three albums of primarily covers as The Discotheque Sound. He went on to greater success with the band Telex, even reaching the Eurovision finals (although they were aiming for last place).

Kenny Ascher, Alan Foust, and Norman Dolph had two albums as The Moog Machine, the first was Switched-On Rock and the second was a Christmas album. Ascher went on to co-write “The Rainbow Connection” with Paul Williams, and Dolph wrote the novelty hit “Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)”, which led to a lawsuit (and probably a very lucrative settlement) when MacDonald's ripped it off. I don’t know what Foust got up to.

Brian Kehew and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. briefly revived the “Moog covers album” concept starting in the late 90s as The Moog Cookbook. Sporting masks and aliases (Uli Nomi and Meco Eno) the duo played the alt-rock hits of the day in a retro, analog-synth style.

Sy Mann was a pianist and arranger on the Arthur Godfrey Show on CBS, but pretty much all of the albums he released under his own name were Christmas music played on the organ. “Switched-On Santa” is supposedly played on a Moog, but I suspect most of it is actually a Wurlitzer organ with a lot of echo effects.

Aivi & Surasshu compose music for Steven Universe, which is probably the best cartoon out right now.

Q.R. Ghazala is the inventor of a technique called “circuit-bending” that he uses to create electronic musical instruments out of electronic toys. The sounds created are really great.

Gil Trythall is primarily a composer of contemporary electronic classical music, but like many others, he saw a possible money-making opportunity after Switched-On Bach and released Switched-On Nashville in 1970. (It seems Switched-On Country was taken.)

Gershon Kingsley was Jean-Jacques Perrey’s partner in the duo of Perrey-Kingsley. Their big hit album was The In Sound from Way Out! It was released in 1966, before everything had to have “switched-on” or “Moog” in the title. “Baroque Hoedown”, from that album, was later used as the theme for Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade. On his own, he wrote the song “Pop Corn” which was on his 1969 album Music To Moog By. (See?)

Dick Hyman has a funny name, and also preceded Sy Mann as the pianist and arranger for Arthur Godfrey. He released many easy-listening classics, including multiple synth albums.

Whew. It’s taken me forever to write this up, I’m definitely going monthly next year. Talk to you all next week!

Enjoy!

-Rev. Dr. Dr. Phill

I Say A Little Prayer - Christopher Scott (1969)