Saturday, December 8, 2007

Christmas At Denny's


Today's blog post carries on the theme from a few days ago of posting songs that are Christmas songs but appeared on non-Christmas albums. I don't know if any of these songs have been collected on Christmas compilations ever. Unless you're a fan of these artists, I am not sure when somebody would get a chance to hear them. That's why I love sharing these songs.

Christmas At Denny's
(lyric link) is the first offering today. It is by an artist named Randy Stonehill, and I first discovered Randy when I made a blind purchase on Our Recollections, a best of collection. This track was on there and I was happy to have another unique Christmas song to add to my collection in addition to having a collection of great music and an introduction to an artist who's work I'd come to enjoy for a long, long time.

Randy Stonehill
is not the best known singer in the world, but his song "Shut De Do" will probably live long after him and be sung in Sunday School class rooms and by children for years to come. And so will his acting debut in Beware! The Blob.

It's probably been ten years since I discovered this song and I still manage to find a new appreciation for it each time I hear it. It's just an amazing track.

Randy Stonehill-Christmas At Denny's

Next up is Bobby Goldsboro. The song is "Honey" and it is his tenth album and his only number one hit, released back in 1968. It has been called "The Worst Song of All Time" by CNN and makes the worst song lists of many critics quite frequently. I had no idea it was supposed to be a bad song when I discovered it through the underrated and criminally overlooked movie Breakfast on Pluto and the movie's subsequent soundtrack. It's not a traditional Christmas song (as if Christmas at Denny's is!) but because the story of the song centers around Christmas, it's a Christmas song in my book.

As for it being the worst song of all time, that hasn't stopped me from just loving this song and every minute of it. It's a beautiful song and when I realized what I was listening to, I was quite taken by it. And it's a song that once it ends the lyrics pick right up at the beginning again.

Bobby Goldsboro-Honey


Today I will give you a bonus song...another Bobby Goldsboro track, but this is a true Christmas song.

Bobby Goldsboro-Look Around You (It's Christmas Time)



A side story that has nothing to do with the songs, but
just a personal story about Randy Stonehill. I was trying to
find a copy of the limited edition version of his new
CD Thirst, which was signed and numbered by him. I
was having a very difficult time finding a copy, and
was posting on an online message board about it.
Randy Stonehill himself contacted me and sent me a
copy of the CD personally. So he's an artist very
much in touch with his fans, and I think that's a
great quality in any artist. He's got a cult
following, but he does deserve a wider audience.


3 comments:

Traitor Vic said...

Wow!!!

I love my memory of Randy Stonehill as "the Hippie that thought a Haircut was going to hurt... And who was RIGHT!!!"

Y'know, his debut album, "Welcome to Paradise" (Solid Rock Records SRA-2002) from 1976, includes one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time - "Christmas Song for All Year Round". It could be the official theme song of this blog!

I only have it on vinyl (I'm not sure if it was ever released on CD) and need to rip it. I'll let you know if I do.

Thanks!

Traitor Vic said...

Hey!

I done it already. Find the file here: http://rapidshare.com/files/75609578/09_Christmas_Song_for_All_Year_Round.mp3.

Merry Christmas!

Steve Schmidt said...

I was searching for updates about the whereabouts of Blinda Turvey because I have a copy of the same 45 RPM record 'Santa's Tag Along'/'I'm All Broke Out with Love' on the MICA label. I was a neighbor of Blinda in Topeka Kansas from 1963 to 1974 when I moved away to start college. I had completely forgotten about her until I found the 45 a few years ago and recognized her name (unusual spelling) and the Topeka label/recording info. She is or was living in Osage City Kansas as of 2004, according to a Topeka newspaper item about her parents' 50th wedding anniversary