1
BWTB CHRISTMAS EVE EVE SHOW PLAYLIST w/special in studio guest GIVING US SOME HOLIDAY musical accompaniment… Sir Cosmo Topper
8.57 AM (?)
1 2
Pre-intro, intro…..
REG. SHOW INTRO
Cosmo….
Paul – Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – Holidays Rule
9:13 BREAK
This morning we will feature all 7 of the Beatles XMAS messages…which were FLEXI DISCS sent out to FAN CLUB members only…
They did one each year between 1963 & 1969… we’ll hear `em all along w/ some solo Holiday tunes from JPG&R…
Some novelty Beatles songs and a few surprises!
As well as some XMAS faves from people who worked, recorded and produced The Beatles…
FAB FOUR ARE HERE… COSMO TOPPER IS HERE… AND YOU ARE HERE…. w/ the Beatles and their 1st XMAS message from 1963…
* 1st / Fan Club X Mass Single 1963 (5:02)
2 3
Scripted by Tony Barrow – NEMS Pub. Manager / who ran fan club
Recorded Oct. 17th/ Released Dec. 6th 1963 /@ Abbey Road – 1st day w/ Four Track Recording Sessions for “I Want to Hold You Hand”
Dora Bryan - All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle `64 She also had a Top 20 hit in 1963.
Ringo Starr – I Wanna Be Santa Claus - I Wanna Be Santa Claus (NEW!) The Fab Four - Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer – HARK!
*Beatles 1964 – 2nd Christmas Message ‘Another Beatles Christmas Record” – (4:06)
3 4
Recorded Monday Oct. 25th 1964 / By the time of the release of this flexi the Fan Club membership had risen to 65,000 and Christmas flexi disks were made for every member. It came with a special sleeve and with a Fan Club newsletter. Notice on the label that the 1964 fan club flexi plays at 45 rpm, all the others play at 33 1/3.
Released Dec. 18th 1964
Another Beatles' Christmas Record was not sent to American fans. Rather, at Christmastime 1964, US fans received an edited version of The Beatles' Christmas Record, which was sent to British fan club members in 1963. Also, as opposed to using flexi-discs, the US fan club sent the message in a tri-fold cardboard mailer, with the "record" embedded in one of the flaps of cardboard
(NEW!) The Fab Four – The First Noel – HARK!
9:40 /Break
4 5
The Fab Four – Silent Night – Christmas A Go Go/QUIZ TONES *Beatles 1965 3rd Christmas Message – (6.26)
Recorded Nov. 8th/Released Dec. 17th, 1965 Sessions for Think For Yourself – Rubber Soul
Several off-key, a cappella versions of "Yesterday" are dispersed throughout the record, alongside Lennon's "Happy Christmas to Ya List'nas," "Auld Lang Syne," a one-and-a-half-line version of the Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song", which they quickly stop before they violate the copyright, and an original poem titled "Christmas Comes But Once a Year." A second version of Auld Land Syne segues messily into a cover of Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction
Members of the Beatles' U.S. fan club did not receive this (or any) Christmas flexi-disc in 1965. Rather, they received a black and white postcard, with a photo of the Fab Four and the message "Season's Greetings -- Paul, Ringo, George, John." The Beatle Bulletin, the publication of the U.S. fan club, explained in its April 1966 edition that the tape arrived too late to prepare the record in time for Christmas
Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmas Time – Single `79 Paul's first solo single since 1971 was a festive release, and was actually recorded in the summer, in July 1979,
5 6
when Paul laid down over twenty solo recordings some of which ended up on "McCartney II". QUIZ#1 / In 1979 Paul decided to have some Christmas messages carved into the run-out grooves of his single Wonderful Christmas Time on the A side to read…
"To lift a glass ... Xmas 79" and
What was carved on the B-Side Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reggae?
"Love from Rudi! ... 79 Xmas" was on the B-side.
The Fab Four – Blue Christmas – HARK! NEWS w/ Jackie HERE 10:10 – BREAK
…play The Red-Nosed Reggae into me and winner…
I’m CC yer host w/ the toast! Get it breakfast/ toast
6 7
*Beatles 4th Christmas Record 1966 (6:40) Pantomime / Everywhere it’s Christmas
Recorded Nov. 25 in the basement of Dick James Music / The 1st Double A sided Beatle Xmas disc
This time the free disc given to fans was in the form of a pantomime written by The four lads. It was ten separate items, together with the title song, which was mixed together at Abbey Road on 2nd December 1966 by the writer of the previous Christmas outings, Tony Barrow.
Pantomime sleeve design by Paul McCartney.
Becky Lee Beck - “I Want A Beatle For Christmas,” – Single 1964 Challenge Records
There were also at least four records released in 1964 that were titled “I Want A Beatle For Christmas,” with versions released by Jackie & Jill, Patty Surby And The Canadian V.I.P’s, The Fans and Becky Lee Beck. The version released by Becky Lee Beck was written by legendary luthier John Suhr, who has built guitars and basses for such musicians as Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Lou Reed, and Victor Bailey. When discussing the record, John Suhr recalled: “In the fall of 1964, I took Becky Lee,
7 8
and her brother Bobby, to Nashville to do two tracks for a single. We did ‘I Want a Beatle for Christmas.
Silvo Danti Speaks
Frank Sinatra – Jingle Bells - A Jolly Christmas
(Capitol Records `57) (NEW!) The Fab Four –Sleigh Ride – HARK!
? - Christmas w/ The Beatles - ?
QUIZ#2 Name the American Beatles album with a release daye closed to Christmas Day…which we all know is Dec. 25th…there was an AMERICAN Beatles LP with a release date very close to Dec. 25th…What is it? What year? What album?...800-955-KLOS I’ll even give you a hint to confuse you even more…by playing this song.
The Beatles - I’ll Be Back - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in 16 takes on June 1, 1964. “I'll Be Back” was written mostly by John Lennon, and was a reworking of the chords to Del Shannon's 1961 hit “Runaway.” Beatles fans in America would have to wait five months to hear this exquisite Beatles song, one of Lennon finest compositions, because Capitol Records held it off their “Something New” album and released it on “Beatles ‘65” in December 1964. On U.S. album: Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP released Dec. 15th 1964
WINNER HERE?
8 9
Back w/ 5th XMAS Message 10:40 BREAK
*Beatles 1967 5th Christmas Record – Christmas Time Is Here Again (6:10)
Recorded Nov. 28th 1967 – EMI ABBEY ROAD
THE ORIGINAL BEATLES with special guest appearance by the feet and voice of VICTOR U. SPINETTI and Something Else by MALCOLM LIFT-EVANS.
Another little bite of the Apple: Produced by George (Is Here Again) Martin.
FUN Facts ABOUT 1967 Message
Last Record recorded as a group. / Front cover by Lennon & Ringo / Back cover by Julian Lennon
Also mentions the then mysterious Apple ….. / Only song from any Xmas Message to be copy written
The accompanying sketches included, messages, jokes, tap-dancing by Ringo and Victor, the voices of Mal Evans and George Martin, and a snatch of an old song called "Plenty Of Jam Jars".
9 10
PLAY PETTY ID!!!!!! > INTO HIS SONG
Tom Petty – Christmas All Over Again - Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run – Single `58
Written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie. The song was first recorded by Berry in 1958 and released as Chess Records 1714. It hit number 69 in the Billboard Hot 100.
Darlene Love – White Christmas – Phil Spector Christmas APPLE / Kennedy died `63…Brian Wilson listens in July
Ringo Starr – Come On Christmas Christmas Come On – I Wanna Be Santa Claus
11:10 BREAK
Three Blonde Mice - Ringo Bells (2:27) - Single Atco REC# 45-6324
10 11
* Beatles 1968 6th Christmas Message – (7:55)
Released Dec. 20th /
The 1968 and 1969 Christmas flexis are double-sided and while all of the previous flexi's had paper record labels, the 1968 and 1969 disks have the information printed on the black flexi disk with white ink
1st X Mass to be recorded individually by each Beatle~~~~
John – Weybridge, Surrey
Paul – St. John’s Wood
George – Southern Calf. (During Electronic Sounds recordings)
And Ringo – Home at Ascot
Cover Painting by Julian Lennon
Features / Tiny Tim – Nowhere Man / Compiled by friend and DJ Kenny Everett The FAB FOUR – Jingle Bells via Tomorrow Never Knows Ringo Starr – Winter Wonderland – I Wanna Be Santa Claus
11 12
SLADE – Merry Christmas Everybody – 1973 #1 UK
QUIZ #3 Recorded at the Record Plant in New York where John was recording his new album in the adjoining studio…what LP was John recording?
11:40 BREAK
*Beatles Last (7th) Christmas Message 1969 – (7:42)
Released Dec. 19th, 1969 /
Really a very John & Yoko X Mass Message
Paul gives us an almost full song…very 1st LP McCartney like…
Ringo does get in a plug for his then current film project The Magic Christian. And interviews himself GEORGE IN LA w/ MAL EVANS
The cover seen above was designed by Ringo and his son Zak.
It was edited together by Radio 1 disc-jockey Kenny Everett, but this time credited to his real name, Maurice Cole.
12 13
Hey…I’m happy he’s getting a new chair…maybe it will make him funnier!
CLOSE W/
John & Yoko – Happy Xmas EARLY Spector MIX 71
fin
13