Sunday, December 28, 2014

Pierre Cardin Electronics, circa 1980s








 From that strange time Pierre Cardin was into cheap, Chinese made electronics....

Also see Reader's Digest......Electronics?                         

Monday, December 22, 2014

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

'Twas The Night Before Christmas (1974 Christmas Special)


Classic TV Special! With Joel Grey as....Everybody.

Every character in this animated special looks like Joel Grey.....

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Worst Christmas Song EVER


"An Old Fashioned Christmas (Daddy's Home)" Linda Bennett (1975)

It starts out like your typical sleepy MOR Christmas ballad. But then comes the "Breaking News" radio reports. And from here, this record really goes to hell.

What were they thinking?


Sunday, December 14, 2014

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Christmas In The Northwest


"Christmas In The Northwest" Brenda Kutz-White (1985)

Now if you're not from the Pacific Northwest area, you probably will not understand this song. Or why Seattle folks still get a lump in their throats whenever they hear it.

Some people say Northwest folks are a proud, almost to the point of smug, bunch. And to be fair, they have a point. We don't have to go far for world class gourmet Asian food. We love our Seahawks, our high octane espresso....


...as well as our insatiable tattoo cravings.

We also got legal bud now too.

But most of all, of the fact we live in an area surrounded by such pristine natural beauty.

Around the holidays, you learn to get a taste for local products like egg nog lattes, Frangos and Almond Rocha. Or if you dare, Aplets & Cotlets. I'm not particularly a fan, but some people have a thing for them.

And Christmas In The Northwest. Which not only became a regional Christmas anthem, it is also the name of a best selling regional yearly album collection in the 1980s through today.


The concept for the album came when Alex Lawson (daughter of Steve and Debbie Lawson) was admitted to Children’s Hospital at the age of 2, suffering from E.coli. The Lawsons were so impressed with the treatment their daughter received, along with the care they received during their family crisis that they wanted to do something in return for the hospital.



The Lawsons then owned Lawson Productions; a Seattle based recording company which later became Bad Animals/Seattle. They enlisted help from an “A” list of the Seattle music world to provide contemporary Christmas music for the first and subsequent CDs.


Artists have included Dave Matthews, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart...


....Kenny G, Steve Miller, David Lanz and Paul Speer, Tickle Tune Typhoon, Tim Noah, and Walt Wagner. The first album launched the hit song “Christmas in the Northwest”, written and sung by Brenda Kutz. That song has become a Northwest classic.

ChristmasInTheNorthwest.com






And if you like what you hear, you can get copies on the ChristmasInTheNorthwest.com web site.

Enjoy!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Sunday, December 07, 2014

Saturday, December 06, 2014

"Merry Christmas" Melanie (1968)


Melanie Safka (usually referred to as simply "Melanie") was a singer/songwriter who was considered a hippie pop singer who sang hippie pop songs, but she never personally identified with being a hippie. And she was signed to bubblegum pop label Buddah. And Buddah wasn't exactly Vanguard or even Reprise in the echelons of hippie rock.

But while wannabe hippie girls everywhere loved her. She was the Jewel of her day.

But before Melanie had her famous Woodstock appearance and her 1970s mega-hits "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)" and "Brand New Key", she recorded a Christmas song called "Merry Christmas", based on the traditional carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It was originally on her debut LP in 1968 Born To Be. After her Woodstock appearance and the success of "Lay Down", Buddah re-released Born To Be, retitled as My First Album.

On this track Melanie, changes the "We" in "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to "I". And literally demands her figgy pudding and her cup of good cheer. Now.

She still performs and releases new music and her old classics independently.


Friday, December 05, 2014

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

"Merry Christmas You Suckers" Paddy Roberts (1962)





Yes, it's the same Paddy Roberts who gave us this..




Tuesday, December 02, 2014

John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas TV Special (1975)


Complete with original 1975 TV commercials!

Yes kids, TV really did look like this in 1975.

And who knew John Denver invented the Bio-Dome?

Monday, December 01, 2014