To All Rato's Friends...

FELIZ ANO NOVO!

NOUVELLE ANNÉE HEUREUSE!

GLÜCKLICHES NEUES JAHR!

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!

NUOVO ANNO FELICE!

VOORSPOEDIGE NUWEJAAR!

C.S.>>> GAYLA PEEVEY

Two funny songs from Gayla Peevey:
- I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS
- SEVENTY SEVEN SANTAS
The ilustration above is Mel Ramos' "Hippopotamus" (1967)

C.S.>>> "LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS"

MUD's second British number one, from December 1974, is also one of the most enduring festive pop hits of the 1970s, a moving, heartfelt ballad which really wouldn't have been out of place on one of Elvis Presley's Christmas collections. The fact that Les Gray is, once again, in full Elvis sound-alike mode for the song, of course, only heightens the impression, which was precisely what songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman were intending. " Nicky and I were only concerned with writing songs that he could sing...like Elvis," Chapman confessed, "and I took that to its absolute extreme with Lonely This Christmas."
"It started as a send-up," Gray himself remembered. "It was meant to be like one of those old schmaltzy Christmas songs. Then we found out people took it seriously. But that was fine, because it didn't matter if you laughed at it, or if it meant something to you, as long as it affected you in some way."
Lonely This Christmas has been regularly reissued in the U.K., even returning to the chart in 1985, when it reached number 61 (David Thompson in Allmusic)

(Painting by Edward Hopper, "Night Hawks", 1942)

BAND AID

It all started on October 23rd 1984, when BBC journalist Michael Buerk appeared on the evening news reporting from the scene of a biblical famine in Ethiopia. The scene inspired Bob Geldof to take action. Geldof, in turn, inspired British music superstars Phil Collins, Sting, Boy George and U2 to record a song that would give 100% of the proceeds to help the victims of the famine in Ethiopia.
Soon the cream of British singers joined together under the name of Band Aid, and they recorded the song in November 25th, in London. Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and produced by Trevor Horn, the single sold more than 3.5 million copies, only in the UK, and was number one in 12 other countries. It also set the sights of stars like Geldof, Bono and Sting on a global mission and proved that musicians can make a difference.
Here are the names of all the people involved in the project:
AdamClayton (U2), Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Chris Cross, (Ultravox), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Paul Young, Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran), Simon Crowe, Marilyn Keren Woodward (Bananarama), Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Jody Watley, Bono (U2), Paul Weller (Style Council), James Taylor, George Michael, Midge Ure (Ultravox), Martin Ware (Heaven 17), John Keeble (Spandau Ballet), Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Roger Taylor (Duran Duran), Sarah Dullin (Bananarama), Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama), Peter Briquette, Francis Rossi (Status Quo), Robert 'Kool' Bell, Dennis Thomas, Andy Taylor (Duran Duran), Jon Moss (Culture Club), Sting, Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Johnny Fingers, David Bowie, Boy George, Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) and Paul McCartney

C.S.>>> "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?"

(Paul Young)
It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
(Boy George)
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time
(George Michael)
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
(Simon LeBon)
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
(Sting)
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is
(Bono)
The bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that are ringing
Are clanging chimes of doom
Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of you.
(Everyone)
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time.
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
(Paul Young)
Here's to you
raise a glass for everyone
Here's to them
underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
(Everyone)
Feed the world...
Let them know it's Christmas time again...

C.S.>>> XMAS GUMBO

It's amazing that 40-plus years after recording "The Fat Man", Fats Domino's voice is virtually unchanged. Hearing that lazy N'awlins drawl on his original "I Told Santa Claus" and "Christmas Is a Special Day" is a delight despite the electronic keyboards and rhythm machine used on the latter. Fats romps through other seasonal favorites: "Jingle Bells," "Silver Bells," and "Blue Christmas" among them. Once you get past the rhythm machine (three drummers are credited), you can enjoy the return of the "Fat Man." (Dennis MacDonald in Allmusic).

Here's the complete album (CD The Right Stuff T2-27753, November, 1993):

1. I Told Santa Claus

2. Christmas Is A Special Day

3. Jingle Bells

4. I'll Be Home For Christmas

5. Silver Bells

6. Frosty The Snowman

7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

8. Blue Christmas

9. Silent Night

10. White Christmas

11. Please Come Home For Christmas

12. Amazing Grace

C.S.>>> OUTRAGEOUS? NO, HILARIOUS!!!

The following tracks are a selection from two Bob Rivers' albums: "More Twisted Christmas" (cover above) from 1997 and "White Trashed Christmas" from 2002. I'm trying to get the first "Twisted Christmas" from 1990, which seems to be the best of them all. Nevertheless, here you have a douzen of hilarious parodies of classic tunes (Xmas songs or others that surely rings a bell to you...). So, if you're tired of hearing the same Christmas carols over and over this is a funny way to put you again in the holiday mood. And for God's sake, pay good attention to the lyrics. They are sensational!

1. ACUACLAUS

2. TOY SACK

3. POLICE STOP MY CAR

4. HOLIDAZE (S'CUSE ME, I'VE GOT GIFTS TO BUY)

5. THE LITTLE HOOTERS GIRL

6. OSAMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER

7. SLED ZEPPELIN

8. PARKING SPACES

9. YELLOW SNOW! YELLOW SNOW! YELLOW SNOW!

10. JESUS'S BIRTHDAY

11. BUTTCRACKER SUITE

12. I'LL BE STONED FOR CHRISTMAS

C.S.>>> FOUR BY THE FAB FOUR

Oh yes, The Beatles also recorded Christmas Songs.
Here's the proof:
- CHRISTMAS TIME (IS HERE AGAIN)
- DING DONG, DING DONG
- RUDOLPH THE RED NOISED REGGAE
- WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME

C.S.>>> "HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)"

Ok, let's begin for the inevitable Lennon's classic, first released as a single in the US (1st December 1971). The left cover is the original one and the right one belongs to a 1981 re-issue in Brazil, with a beautiful colour portrait of John and Yoko, taken by one of Rock's foremost photographers - Linda McCartney - possibly the only John Lennon single to feature both an Apple and MPL logo.

So this is Christmas

and what have you done

another year over

and a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

the near and the dear one

the old and the young

A very merry Christmas

and a happy New Year

let's hope it's a good one

without any fear

And so this is Christmas

for weak and for strong

for rich and the poor ones

the world is so wrong

And so happy Christmas

for black and for white

for yellow and red ones

let's stop all the fight

And so this is Christmas

and what have we done

another year over

and a new one just begun

And so happy Christmas

I hope you have fun

the near and the dear one

the old and the young

(War is over over... If you want it)

CHRISTMAS SONGS

Well, December has already began and that time of the year is coming up again. And even for a true non-believer like Rato it is really a "special" time. So, my friends, let's celebrate Xmas a little. During the next 20 days you'll find a couple of seasonal songs here and later a Rato's Special Christmas Collection too.