Since I can’t help myself, and
accidentally knocked out this list while making the new Halloween one, we return
to Christmas Novelty Song Trivia this year!
Once again, since “can’t help myself” is
genetic, Anabelle has concocted another Rankin Bass Marvel Figure Christmas
Special Tribute. This time out, it’s the 1975, clunkily named The First
Christmas, the Story of the First Christmas Snow, ("White Christmas" was taken. You'd think they'd have checked that.) Anyway, it stared Angela Lansbury, who I , sadly, do not have a Marvel action figure of.
Our Pageant’s Cast from left to right-
Sheep- Blackheart (Demon son of Mephisto reprising this role. Anabelle felt it critical that I point out the sheep's name is "Little Black Wooly.")
Trickster 2 (rotten kid two) – Arcade
Trickster 1 (rotten kid one)- Toad (The order is reversed because these two villains bear a distinct visual similarity to specifically chosen rotten kids.)
Lucas (the little blind boy) – Daredevil (The inspiration for this outing.)
Sister Theresa (Angela Lansbury) -Shriek (Center stage.)
The Wee Winter Singers – Several baby Groots. ( I have no acceptable explanation for why I own so many.)
Louise (the little girl who helps Lucas) – Elektra (her outfit was the closest match to the child in the show. “Destiny”- Anabelle)
Father Thomas – Count Nefaria (Sans
cape, couldn't figure out how to also make him "sans beard.")
Sister Catherine – Black Cat (Yes the nuns are a tad on the busty side. Marvel characters in black and white are sparse, and the ladies all seem to be shaped like this. I fear the artists needed to get out more.)
Waggles (the dog)- Franklin (The ever
popular and always present Mule with a Hat.)
Wee Winter Singers Leader- Dazzler (It is not a Marvel Christmas without her!)
Wee Winter Singers Leader- Dazzler (It is not a Marvel Christmas without her!)
I apologize in advance for the unusual wording on the questions, I try hard not to give away what I feel are obvious selections. Because weirdness has always been part of my life, especially around the holidays, I usually have no idea what weirdness, or obviousness is. Also, I tend to assume anything I like is probably a novelty song.
Question 1-
Before they were in Spinal Tap, several members were part of the LA Comedy group the Credibility Gap. This included one member who was oddly missing from that classic Rock Mockumentary film, even though his connection and performances with the lead singer of Tap goes back even earlier to when they were both college theater majors. Characters they developed during that college time became high points of a 70’s sit com, that was a spin off of another show also set two decades earlier, which became a hit in its own right. While not the title stars, the two former Credibility Gap members were allowed to write much of their own material, including multiple song performances in the many “talent show” episodes. The Christmas Connection was their “Christmas at the Poor House” number, aka “The Jolliest Fat Man” from a 1976 Episode. Who were these two breakout characters, known for a distinctive, “Hello” ?
Bonus- What prestigious Pittsburgh institute were they theater majors at where, when high one evening, they crated the characters?
Before they were in Spinal Tap, several members were part of the LA Comedy group the Credibility Gap. This included one member who was oddly missing from that classic Rock Mockumentary film, even though his connection and performances with the lead singer of Tap goes back even earlier to when they were both college theater majors. Characters they developed during that college time became high points of a 70’s sit com, that was a spin off of another show also set two decades earlier, which became a hit in its own right. While not the title stars, the two former Credibility Gap members were allowed to write much of their own material, including multiple song performances in the many “talent show” episodes. The Christmas Connection was their “Christmas at the Poor House” number, aka “The Jolliest Fat Man” from a 1976 Episode. Who were these two breakout characters, known for a distinctive, “Hello” ?
Bonus- What prestigious Pittsburgh institute were they theater majors at where, when high one evening, they crated the characters?
Discovered wandering The Sunset Strip singing (and / or yelling) at the top of his lungs by Frank Zappa. Larry “Wild Man” Fisher is best known for a 1981 Christmas number, where he teamed up with probably the only DJ that would play his songs (besides Jesse and I) that celebrated inexplicably claiming to be one of the main decorations of Christmas. What is the song and who did he sing it with?
Bonus- This artist suffered with Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia and other things throughout his life, and lost his relationship with Zappa when he threw a bottle that almost hit Frank's daughter Moon Unit during an argument. However, before that Zappa guided him to be the first release for this record label, that was basically “Shout Factory” before Shout Factory existed, releasing strange records, movies and shows that appealed to niche markets. What was the record label?
Extra Bonus- While not a Christmas song, Moon Unit Zappa is known for a 1982 novelty song her Dad wrote because she wanted to spend time with him. It was meant to mock the speech patterns of California teens in the area they lived, but instead, (tragically) spread those sayings and intonations nation wide throughout the Eighties. What is the song? Double extra bonus for knowing the semi Halloween themed album title.
Question 3-
There may be one role Mark Hamill played that is even more iconic than Luke Skywalker. In 1992 the first show he recorded with him providing what has become THE VOICE of this character, was a Christmas Episode. What was the Christmas song parody that was the very first time in the studio Hamill redefined this villainous individual? (Fine, it’s super easy, but take another point if you name the role too.)
Bonus- Mark wasn’t the first actor cast in this role. However, the actor, known more for songs played around Halloween, and a live action role of a terrifying villain in the same “profession” as this one in 1990 was deemed far too scary for the cartoon. (Though his laugh remains on some animatronics in the episode mentioned above.) Who was the original actor?
The Rankin Bass holiday efforts used a combination of already existing Christmas songs that were successful elsewhere, mixed in with original compositions. This somewhat nonsensical song from their first Christmas Special in 1964 is frequently thought to be one of those pre existing tunes. However, while it did become a staple for the well known (at the time) narrator of the special, it was written specifically for this show and didn’t appear anywhere before it. What was this snowman sung song?
Bonus- The performer of the lead character in this special’s dentally inclined side kick went on to voice which famous Super Hero later in the Sixties, known for his ultra catchy theme song, and several memes.
We lost an absolutely brilliant song writer, performer and satirist this year. He only released three albums of songs (all had both live and studio versions) but every selection on them was fantastic, both intelligent and hilarious. His topics ranged from politics, to chemistry, to folklore, to classic literature and well beyond. Knowledge of one of is songs is what got Daniel Radcliff cast in the Weird Al biopic because it proved, "He gets it." However, this performer spent most of his time as a mathematician and professor. Long before passing on at the age of 97 in July, he placed his entire music library into the public domain. The quality of his 1959 “Christmas Carol” was equal to his other selections, effortlessly skewering the commercial take over of the holiday by mixing original music with snippets of parodies of many standard carols. Who was this titan of intelligent novelty songs?
Bonus- He was Jewish, and wrote a song not on any of his original albums about which rhyming city he was spending each of his Jewish holidays in. It was performed in 1990, but not released until a compilation of his works ten years later. What’s the title which identified where he’s spending Hannukah?
Spoiler space
Bonus- They met, and partook the local herbs together at Carnegie Mellon University
Bonus- Larry, Doctor Demento and many others released on the Rhino Records label.
Extra Bonus- Moon Unit performed with her Dad, Frank Zappa, on “Valley Girl,” from the “droodle” named album, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch.
For new viewers on streaming or disc, (as the episodes are in production order) this is their introduction to him as the character he redefined, which is pretty cool.
Bonus- The originally planned voice of the Joker (and former Pennywise) was Tim Curry.
Answer 4- Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman
performed “(Have a) Holly Jolly Christmas” (whatever the heck that means) for
the first time in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Answer 5- A genius any way you care to
define the word, Tom Lehrer was both brilliant and brilliantly funny. Rest well
sir. Here is his public domain site.
Bonus- Tom spent “Hanukkah in Santa Monica.”
Tie Breaker Bonus
Quite a few points up for grabs in this one.
The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is a holiday staple, and due to the structure, it is incredibly easy to parody. However, it is also incredibly long. Some funny versions, like the Muppets or Phineas and Ferb, added personalization to each day to keep the entertainment coming. Even then it does tend to go on. There are three comedy versions of this song that figured out a way to keep the overall spirit, make it funny, but also shorten the adventure considerably. How did these three sets of funny folks truncate their tributes?
Bonus- The originally planned voice of the Joker (and former Pennywise) was Tim Curry.
Bonus- Tom spent “Hanukkah in Santa Monica.”
Quite a few points up for grabs in this one.
The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is a holiday staple, and due to the structure, it is incredibly easy to parody. However, it is also incredibly long. Some funny versions, like the Muppets or Phineas and Ferb, added personalization to each day to keep the entertainment coming. Even then it does tend to go on. There are three comedy versions of this song that figured out a way to keep the overall spirit, make it funny, but also shorten the adventure considerably. How did these three sets of funny folks truncate their tributes?
Alan Sherman 1963 (Of “Camp Grenada” fame)
Bob and Doug McKenzie 1981 (Of Great White North fame)
Howie “Ernest the Christmas Elf” Mandel 1986 (Of Stand Up, voice acting, Mogwai, and game show fame)
Bonus- A completely personal one for the ending. Another version of the Twelve Days that has personalization on each day is off of the famous (and not really as funny as its reputation for the rest of the songs) 1988 “Twisted Christmas” album. “The Twelve Pains of Christmas” goes the entire length by having people dealing with each issue eventually transition into more and more emotional complaints, some devolving into incoherence. The one line that always cracks me up, initiated with rigging up the lights, is something I have screamed many times while trying to get the tree set up. What is it?
Alan Sherman - Substituted “All that other stuff” for multiple days and then ignored them in the “12 Gifts of Christmas”
Bob and Doug- Got distracted by needing more words for day one’s “A beer” and forgot to sing, skipping many days until the last one in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Howie Mandel- Reached the fourth day of Christmas and got “Nothing ‘cause she died.”
1 comment:
Thank you to those that participated before hand:
Anabelle got 13 points (Bonus included) answering them on her white board while I was writing them.
Kim got 5 points on social media, (It would have been 4.5 since she guessed two Pittsburg colleges, but she also named both "Lenny and Squiggy' and "Lenny and the Squigtones") However, she hasn't seen the bonus and forgot to check the question posts for the second and third one.
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