Yeah, mind power, Swede, mind power.

My mother had not had a hot meal for herself in fifteen years...

I was visiting with some South African friends a couple of weeks ago, and as happens this time of year, the conversation turned to Christmas. They had asked me if I had seen something called Dinner for One. I had not, and they quickly gave me an education.

Written for the theater in the 1920s, this 11 minute single take black-and-white 1963 TV recording featuring British comedians Freddie Frinton and May Warden has become a tradition every New Years Eve on many European television sets. It has also been preformed live and recorded in many other countries. Here is the British version from 1963.

Our hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpuses, had at least 785 smelly hound dogs...

I love finding strange, unique, and sometimes bizarre records at local shops, and when you add Christmas in the mix, it's just straight up holiday magic. Let's take a look at some wonderful Christmas kitsch.

I don't need all this jazz about smugglers and pirates...

The Christmas ep that I recorded with a few friends and my wife is still being mixed and will be shared as soon as it if finished. With the urge to work on something else while the ep is still in the microwave, Jill and I, armed only with a non-pro tools wielding laptop, a cheap Yamaha acoustic guitar, a bathroom, a closet and a bottle of cheap brandy, set sail to tell the tale of star-crossed lovers longing for each other on Christmas (maybe we enjoyed the brandy a bit much). Below is the song on youtube, and you can CLICK HERE to download the song for free if you so desire.



Enjoy

You know this wine ain't bad. You want a sip?

Many of us have our favorite Christmas albums, movies,television specials etc. Sounds and images that trigger nostalgia and reassure us the the season is in full swing. A Christmas Story, Ella Fitzgereld's Christmas album and A Charlie Brown Christmas Special are always at the top of the list for me, but the journey for undiscovered and sometimes forgotten Christmas adventures always calls to me. File this list of Christmas Television Specials under "not so popular/guilty pleasure/non classic" or maybe just horrible. Still, I remember watching them, and I'm a fan of them and I'm gonna share them with you.

First up is The Neil Diamond Christmas Album and Television Special. I remember seeing this thing back in 1992 and being memorized by Mr. Diamond's tan. Still, I will never speak ill of "The Diamond".



Let's not forget the opening to the Pat Boone Family Christmas Special. Debbie was my favorite.



Andy Williams is a Christmas time staple, and he had many a Christmas special. Here are a few clips from him. I had to post a couple, because he is always rather fun and jolly.



Here is one with Andy, and his less successful Williams Brothers.



The Internets are full of these treasures, and I'll probably be posting more of them this season.

Ah, baloney. What would your old man know about anything?

'Tis the season for sharing, and I love to share what my fellow Christmas Brothers in arms are up to at this time of the year.

Red Letter Agent are a Nashville based band who I have known for quite some time, and have just today released a Christmas EP called Rejoice. O Come,O Come Emmanuel & Rejoice are definitely the stand out tracks, and fill my head with visions of Luis Bacalov & Ennio Morricone sitting down and making a Christmas record. It's worth a listen, and at $3.96 it's worth a buy! Nice going boys!
Check out and buy the EP HERE


Grant's Advent Calendar is the longest running holiday video podcast on the web, and I don't mean they are long podcasts (each episode is actually quite short), I mean it is the only holiday video podcast still around since the dawn of the holiday video podcasts. I'm glad it has stuck around, because it's great fun! As with a real life advent calender, there is a surprise for you everyday. Check him out over at www.grantsadventcalendar.com

Here is a promo for this year's season featuring Rowdy Roddy Piper. Yes I said Rowdy Roddy Piper.

I think I see Aunt Clara's gift to you right over there...

Well, here we are, December first. Twenty five days. Today is the day that all the Humbugs who tell me it's to early to listen to Christmas music bite their tongues. No more will I hear, It's not even December yet. Yes folks, welcome to full blown Christmas Bacchanalia!

In celebration of such a glorious moment, I am sharing my annual Christmas mix with all of you! A few days before Halloween, I start pulling together all my resources, and any discovery that might be found in a vintage store or some deep dark corridor of the internets. This is why some of these songs may have some old school record pop and scratch noises. Think of it as culture!

Click on the link below to download! I will guide you through the steps if you are not familiar with the process.

Daddy's Gonna Kill Ralphie Presents Mikey's Christmas Mix 2011

Click on the above link to download directly to your computer. The download will be in a folder called Daddy's Gonna Kill Ralphie Presents Mikey's Christmas Mix 2011. Drag that folder into itunes or whatever music player you use on your computer. It's just that simple.

I have listed the track order below just in case something funky happens with the order, but I have tested everything on two computers, and everything should be locked in!

1. Santa's Night Before Christmas///Santa
2. Christmas Wrapping///The Waitresses
3. What Will Santa Claus Say When He Finds Everybody Swinging?///Louis Prima
4. I Want To Spend Christmas With Elvis (Heartbreak Noel)///The Holly Twins
5. Dasher///Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
6. Christmas Shopping///The Shoppers
7. Christmas Wish///NRBQ
8. Merry Christmas, Baby///The Beach Boys
9. All I want For Christmas is a Go-Go Girl///Ben Hinds
10. Christmas Day///Detroit Junior
11. Merry, Merry Christmas Baby///Dodie Stevens
12. Christmas Greeting From Hawaii///The Islands
13. Mele Kalikimaka///Arthur Lyman
14. Christmas Island///Bob Atcher & the Dinning Sisters
15. Exotic Night///Martin Denny
16. Sleigh Ride///The Ventures
17. My Favorite Things///Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
18. The Bell That Couldn't Jingle///Burt Bacharach
19. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town///Arthur Treacher
20. Here Comes Santa Claus///Bob Dylan
21. YULESVILLE///Edd Kookie Byrnes
22. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas///Ramsey Lewis
23. We Three Kings///Jack Brokensha Quartet
24. Christmas Time Is Here///Starflyer 59
25. Santa Claus On Mars///Voldar
26. Santa Done Got Hip///The Marques
27. Futuristic Christmas Tree///Dick Horner and The Camarada
28. Jingle Bells///The Three Suns
29. Sun Valley Ski Run///Esquivel
30. What Is A Santa Claus?///Stan Kenton
31. Santa Has To Go Now!///Santa

I hope this collection brings you tidings of comfort and joy, and may just expand your Christmas collection pallet beyond Bing Crosby and Andy Williams (no disrespect to those fellas, I do love them as well). Enjoy!

Oh! Don't forget, you can download last year's mix RIGHT HERE! Happy December first!