Musical Fruitcake

Doctor Who is a long-running British science-fiction television series about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as “the Doctor”, who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs. The program is a significant part of British popular culture, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running science fiction television series. The series originally ran from 1963 to 1989, and a television movie was released in 1996. The program was relaunched in 2005, and the show has also spawned spin-off series, including the current BBC television series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

In Britain and elsewhere, the show has become a cult television favorite, and fans love the show for its imaginative stories, creative low-budget special effects and pioneering use of electronic music.

During a 1987 broadcast of a Dr. Who episode on WTTW Chicago Channel 11, a Video “Pirate,” wearing a Max Headroom mask, broke into the signal and transmitted for a few minutes, and was never caught.

The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants that appeared on Doctor Who. A Dalek is a grotesque mutated organism integrated with a tank-like mechanical casing made of “polycarbate.” The resulting creatures are a pitiless race bent on universal conquest and domination. Their most infamous catchphrase is “EX-TER-MI-NATE!“, with each syllable individually screeched in a frantic electronic voice.

The creatures inside the “travel machines” are depicted as soft and repulsive in appearance, and still vicious even without their mechanical armor. The Doctor described the Daleks as “little green blobs in bonded-polycarbide armor,” however, as the creature inside is rarely seen on screen.

The voice of a Dalek is electronic; the Dalek creature is apparently unable to make much more than squeaking sounds when out of its casing. Daleks also have a radio communicator built into their shells, and emit an alarm to summon other nearby Daleks if the casing is opened from outside. The Dalek’s eyepiece is its most vulnerable spot, and impairing its vision often leads to a blind firing of its weapon.

Over the years, Doctor Who has also inspired dozens of musical tributes, such as the 1964 Christmas song “I’m Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek” by The Go-Go’s (not the Belinda Carlisle Go-Go’s, but a 1960s British pop band). In the song, a little girl explains that she’ll celebrate the season by kissing her favorite robot “on his chromium-plated head.” You haven’t lived until you have heard a Dalek asking for “more plum pud-ding and cus-tard.”

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
The_Go-Gos_-_Im_Gonna_Spend_My_Christmas_With_A_Dalek.mp3

Wayne Newton, also known as “Mr. Las Vegas,” is an American singer and entertainer, and he has performed over 30,000 shows in the past 45 years. He is best known for his 1963 hit song “Danke Schoen.”

Wayne Newton has also appeared in over 20 films, and on numerous television shows. In 2001, he replaced comedian Bob Hope as the chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle, charged with leading tours to entertain American troops overseas.

In the 1970s, there was a line dance called the Hustle, which became an international dance craze, following Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony’s hit song “The Hustle.” Not wanting to be left out, Wayne Newton released an excruciating disco Christmas song called “Jingle Bell Hustle.”

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Wayne_Newton_-_Jingle_Bell_Hustle.mp3

Mel Blanc (1908 – 1989) was an American actor, performing on radio, in television commercials, and most famously, as a voice actor in hundreds of cartoons. He is regarded as the most gifted and influential person in his field, providing voices for characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tasmanian Devil, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, Speedy Gonzales, Woody Woodpecker and Barney Rubble among hundreds of others. His talents earned him the nickname, “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” and clearly his talent gave a timeless personality to his characters. Blanc’s voice, as these cartoon characters, has become instantly recognizable to generations of children. Both Blanc and Bugs Bunny have their own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mel Blanc has said that the honor of which he is most proud is his inclusion in the United States entertainment history collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Blanc was working as a voice actor in radio when his ability to create voices for multiple characters first attracted attention. He was a regular on the Jack Benny Program in various roles, including Benny’s automobile (a Maxwell in desperate need of a tune up), violin teacher Professor LeBlanc, Polly the Parrot, Benny’s pet polar bear Carmichael, and the tormented department store clerk. Blanc’s success on the Jack Benny Program led to his own radio show on the CBS radio network, and he also appeared on other national radio shows, and later played various small parts on Benny’s television show.

Mel Blanc joined Warner Brothers Pictures in 1936 as a voice actor. The first cartoon to feature his vocal work was Picador Porky, directed by Tex Avery and released in 1937, and he soon became noted for voicing a wide variety of cartoon characters. During his days at the studio, they earned five Oscars for cartoons he was involved with, and he worked with a talented group of animators, producers, and directors that included Friz Freleng, Milt Avery, Chuck Jones, and Leon Schlessinger. In addition, Blanc occasionally acted as a dialect coach to film stars such as Clark Gable. He also negotiated an unprecedented screen credit that enabled him to get freelance work with other studios and programs. In the early 1960s, Blanc went to Hanna-Barbera and did the voices for many characters such as Barney Rubble from The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely from The Jetsons.

It would not be much of an exaggeration to state that Mel Blanc invented the profession of cartoon voice acting. Before 1936, when he joined Warner Bros., voices tended to be done by whoever happened to be handy. Popeye, for example, was voiced by animator Jack Mercer, and Mickey Mouse, at first, by Walt Disney.

Between 1943 and 1945, during World War II, Warner Brothers produced educational cartoon shorts for the United States War Department. The character Private Snafu was created by director Frank Capra. Voice characterizations were provided by Mel Blanc, with Private Snafu’s voice being very similar to Bugs Bunny. Through his irresponsible behavior, Snafu demonstrates to soldiers what not to do while at war. In “Spies“, Snafu leaks classified information a little at a time until the Germans and Japanese piece it together and sink his transport ship.

Blanc voiced some of his Warner Bros. characters for TV in the late 1960s. For these, Blanc primarily did the voices for Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales or Tweety and Sylvester (since he was forbidden by Hanna-Barbera to voice Bugs Bunny). He continued to work as a voice actor up until the end of his life. Blanc’s last original character was an orange cat called Heathcliff. He also provided voices in the feature films Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Jetsons: The Movie.

In the mid 1940s, Capitol Records began producing a line of records specifically geared towards children. Mel Blanc was under contract there at the time, so a deal was made with Warner Bros. to produce children’s albums featuring the popular Warner Bros. cartoon characters. Mel made many records for Capitol Records including his Warner Bros. characters and other characters, including Woody Woodpecker, with his most famous Capitol album being “Party Panic.” He also performed on records with other artists including The Sportsmen.

Speedy Gonzales debuted in 1953’s Cat-Tails for Two, directed by Robert McKimson. Friz Freleng and animator Hawley Pratt redesigned the character into his modern incarnation for the 1955 Freleng short, Speedy Gonzales. Mel performed his Speedy Gonzales character in Pat Boone’s 1962 hit record of “Speedy Gonzales.”

In 1958 Mel Blanc released a Christmas record (Capitol 3902), featuring his mexican Speedy Gonzales voice (though it is never referenced as being Speedy), called “The Hat I Got for Christmas is Too Beeg.” On the B-side is a song called “Pancho’s Christmas.”

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Mel_Blanc_-_The_Hat_I_Got_For_Christmas_Is_Too_Beeg.mp3

Alvis Edgar “Buck” Owens, Jr., (1929 – 2006) was an American singer and guitarist, with over twenty number-one hit records. He pioneered what has come to be called the “Bakersfield Sound” with the help and talents of his band, “The Buckaroos,” and his best friend, Don Rich. Rich can be heard harmonizing on all of Owens hits, until his untimely death in 1974.

Here are Buck Owens and Don Rich singing “Tiger By The Tail“:

1963’s “Act Naturally” became Buck’s first number one hit, and the Beatles later did a cover of it in 1965, with Ringo on vocals.

Owens also co-hosted the Hee Haw televison program with Roy Clark for seventeen seasons, from 1969 to 1986. Hee Haw, originally envisioned as country music’s answer to Laugh-In, ran for twenty-four seasons. A popular segment on the show, called “Pickin’ and Grinnin’,” featured Owens and Clark playing guitar and banjo, along with the rest of the cast telling jokes and reciting one-liners.

Buck was elected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996. He opened Bakersfield’s Crystal Palace restaurant and theater in the mid 1990s, with his final concert taking place on its stage the night before he died in 2006.

In 1968, Buck Owens released his second Christmas album, which was titled “Christmas Shopping,” and contains a holiday weeper called “All I Want for Christmas is My Daddy.” The song avoids explaining exactly why Daddy is missing, but the sadness of the little boy that Buck sings about is very clear.

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Buck_Owens_-_All_I_Want_For_Christmas_Is_My_Daddy.mp3

Dora Bryan is a British actress, with a long list of films, television shows and plays to her credit. She has a distinctive speaking voice which has become a trademark of her performances.

She often played women of easy virtue, a nosy talkative neighbor, or similarly stereotypical female roles. In 2004 she joined the cast of the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine as Aunt Roz.

In 1996, she was awarded the O.B.E. in recognition of her services to acting and she was awarded a Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the West End theater production of the Harold Pinter play, The Birthday Party.

Dora Bryan recorded “All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle,” in 1963. The song has the distinction of being the first record that attempted to cash-in on the success of the Beatles, and was a top 20 hit in the UK that year. When this song was released Beatlemania had not yet reached the U.S. shores. The following year there were many other Beatles related Christmas songs released, such as “Ringo Bells,” and “I Want a Beatle for Christmas.”

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Dora_Bryan_-_All_I_Want_For_Christmas_Is_A_Beatle.mp3

Los del Río is a Spanish music duo, consisting of Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz. They have been performing together since the early 1960s, and have released dozens of albums over the years.

In the summer of 1996, the duo enjoyed the success of their multi-platinum smash one-hit-wonder “Macarena“, which sold over 4 million copies in the United States. The song also featured prominently in many other countries and sold extremely well in Australia. Los del Río’s popularity sparked a special concert for the Pope, and prompted the BMG label to license an American dance-club version in 1994. The single, remixed by the Bayside Boys, first hit the U.S. charts in 1995. The dance was a staple in baseball parks as well as dance clubs, making “Macarena” the biggest single of 1996. The single spent 14 weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, one of the longest runs atop the Hot 100 chart in history.

In 1996 Los del Río also released a Christmas Single on BMG, called “Macarena Christmas,” which is basically a re-working of “Macarena” with some Christmas songs tossed in for good measure. It even has the Singing Cats! Here is a video for the song:

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Los_Del_Rio_-_Macarena_Christmas.mp3

Mr. Green Jeans, played by the actor Hugh “Lumpy” Brannum (1910 - 1987), was the right-hand man to Captain Kangaroo (played by Bob Keeshan) on the popular children’s television program, Captain Kangaroo. The duo, and a number of other regular “guests” including Grandfather Clock and hand puppets like Mr. Moose and Bunny Rabbit, were watched by several generations of children as the Captain Kangaroo television show ran from the mid-’50s through the mid-’80s, making it one of the longest-running children’s TV series ever. Mr. Green Jeans earned his nickname from his apparel, a pair of green farmer’s overalls. He frequently visited the Captain with various farm and zoo animals.

Hugh Brannum joined the Marines during WWII, and played in a Marine band led by Bing Crosby’s brother, Bob. After he got out of the service, he played in the Four Squires, who were eventually hired by orchestra leader Fred Waring. He created and narrated a weekly series of folksy “Little Orley” stories which Waring used on his radio program in the 1940s.

In 1954, Brannum hosted a local TV show called Uncle Lumpy’s Cabin, and the following year joined up with Keeshan for Captain Kangaroo, playing Mr. Green Jeans, as well as numerous other characters.

Hugh was the subject of an urban legend that claimed he was the father of the late musician Frank Zappa. The confusion came from the title of song by Zappa, “Son of Mr. Green Genes“, from Zappa’s 1969 album, Hot Rats. Zappa was, in fact, the son of Francis Vincent Zappa, Sr..

Captain Kangaroo released a Christmas album called “Captain Kangaroo’s Merry Merry Christmas,” with the song “Crackerjack Christmas,” sung by Hugh Brannum, as Mr. Green Jeans.

LISTEN TO SONG:

DOWNLOAD MP3:
Mr._Green_Jeans_-_Crackerjack_Christmas.mp3