About Christmas TV History

Monday, December 20, 2010

Book Tour: Cleveland OH recap

Blue Arrow Records and Boutique on Waterloo Rd. in Cleveland, OH

Last Saturday, December 18th--Blue Arrow Records and Boutique was the final stop on my book tour. I was lucky enough to be asked to be a part of their Holiday Extravaganza event where I signed books and read from the encyclopedia. Since Blue Arrow Records is a hip vinyl record store, I read three summaries from Tis the Season TV with a cool musical connection: 1977's Johnny Cash Christmas Special (with special guests/fellow Sun Studios recording artists Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins who perform a tribute to the then-recently deceased Elvis Presley); 1965's The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood with special guests Eric Burdon and the Animals; and, 1975's The Christmas Messenger which includes recording artist/rocker David Essex.


That's me on the right--reading from the encyclopedia

Both the 1977 Johnny Cash special and The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood are also included in my book The Christmas TV Companion--in the TV Variety chapter. If you are interested in more out-of-the-ordinary Christmas titles with a musical connection, check out the movie Christmas on Mars--made by several members of the band The Flaming Lips. Or, look for the 2004 episode Santa's Rockin' of the children's musical program The Wiggles. This installment includes Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty and actor/singer Barry Williams performing holiday songs for pre-schoolers.


Sorry about the foreign subtitles :(

Another favorite is George Michael guest starring as himself on The Catherine Tate Show Christmas special in 2007. He sings karaoke with Tate's nurse Bernie character at the hospital staff holiday party. Together they sing "Fairytale of New York" the much beloved Christmas song made popular by the Irish band, The Pogues.

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