Musical Fruitcake

How do Wookiees entertain themselves? Why is Grandpa Wookiee named “Itchy”? What is the warm, cuddly side of Han Solo? What would a love scene between Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman look like? What type of virtual reality porn do wookies prefer? Why would an imperial bad guy (or anyone else) watch Jefferson Starship for 10 minutes? What are the lyrics to the “Star Wars” theme song? And what would they sound like if Princess Leia sang them? These questions (and more) are raised by the Star Wars Holiday Special.

In May 1978, the Star Wars phenomenon was at its height, and someone at 20th Century Fox suggested to Lucasfilm that they cash in on allow the creation of a Star Wars themed holiday special. George Lucas liked the idea, and sat down with the show’s producers and penned a basic story outline for the television special. Read more »

Antonio Fargas is an American actor most famous for roles in the 1970s. He appeared in several blaxploitation movies including the classic Shaft (1971), the Mafia flick Across 110th Street (1972), and the Pam Grier vehicle Foxy Brown (1974). He also appears in a recurring role on the Chris Rock sitcom “Everbody Hates Chris,” as Mr. Harris, the local grocery store owner. His performance as a pimp in the 1974 James Caan film The Gambler helped him land the role of informant “Huggy Bear” Brown on the popular 1970’s TV series Starsky and Hutch on the ABC network. Huggy Bear was a flamboyant and somewhat androgynous, ultra-hip, jive talking, street smart (ie: black) informant who could be counted on for vital info and comic relief. Read more »

I have added polls here so you can vote for what you feel is the “worst song of the week.” I will be posting the polls after the week has finished.

You can find the polls in the sidebar on the left or on the Polls page.

Please be sure to visit the Polls Archive so you can vote for previous weeks songs as well. All polls will remain active throught the year so newcomers will have a chance to vote on previous weeks as well. Your choices will help determine the compilation that is released at the end of the year.

Back in the old days, before cable & satellite television, VHS/DVD, TiVo & YouTube, anyone who wanted to watch something on TV was only offered a total of three choices at a time, which accounts for the success of TV shows like Bonanza. Read more »

Universal Robot Band were an American disco group consisting of the members of Kleeer - Woody Cunningham (vocals/drums), Richard Lee (vocals/guitar), Paul Crutchfield (vocals/percussion) and Norman Durham (vocals/bass/keyboards). Their first single, “Dance and Shake your Funky Tambourine” was an international underground smash, later covered by Inner City Express. Their second album included the brilliant disco track “Freak With Me,” along with “Doing Anything Tonight” and “Dancing Disco Party.” They toured and recorded as the Universal Robot Band for two years. Read more »

Whenever people think of children and Christmas they usually think about wasting their hard-earned money on lottery tickets, right? So, it’s only natural that in 1982 the Ontario Lottery Corporation would release a Christmas record called “Christmas Is For Children.” Nothing goes together quite like lottery tickets and kids. I like to put this record right next to my collection of Joe Camel and Budweiser Frog knickknacks and toys. Read more »

Buddy Hackett (1924 – 2003), was a legendary rubber-faced comic, actor, and entertainer. Described as a “comic’s comic,” he appeared in motion pictures such as “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963), and “The Love Bug” (1968),” as well as numerous television appearances. Read more »