Christmas Rarities

[All Summer Long]

I wanted to remember to post about this before the end of the year, but I’m a little late now. About a week ago, I saw Bruce make a (random in my opinion) remote appearance in the syndicated Christmas special by Mark Milovats, who I did not know about until I was channel-surfing. By the way, Milovats is the worst lounge singer impressionist I have ever heard. Bruce introduced Milovats and sang at least a couple lines of Jingle Bells as an introduction to Milovats’ own performance, but I sadly don’t have any audio to donate to the thread.

EDIT: Fixed typo. And yeah I thought this could give us a “re-recording” if anyone found a copy. 

[Rocker]

I wanted to remember to post about this before the end of the year, but I’m a little late now. About a week ago, I saw Bruce make a (random in my opinion) remote appearance in the syndicated Christmas special by Mark Milovats, who I did not know about until I was channel-surfing. By the way, Milovats is the worst lounge singer impressionist I have ever heard. Bruce introduced Milovats and sang at least a couple lines of Jingle Bells as an introduction to Milovats’ own performance, but I sasly don’t have any audio to donate to the thread.

Don't worry about that. Maybe next time 
There is a recording of "Jingle Bells" by Bruce but that one is from the 90s.

[Rocker]

Probably a little outdated by now but I thought to ring this up again so you can get into the mood for the season

[Rocker]

Here we go again

[Rocker]

Well, Mike and Bruce appeared on the Today show playing "Reason for the Season".


The Beach Boys - Reason for the Season (The Today Show)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8mmrnz6QcQ


Unfortuantely not a particularly good performance (or song for that matter).

[HeyJude]

Oy.

Dennis reacting to this 42 years early:

[rasmus skotte]

Is there a missing link to "Kona Christmas"/Melekalikimaka in all this, please?

[Tony S]

Saw them live on the Today show. Not sure what everyone was expecting but Mike is 80 now and it is what it is. Bruce is really looking his age too. 

[HeyJude]

I don't have any issue with Mike and Bruce's age. Yes, even compared to a few years ago, I think they're starting to show their age more, both in terms of appearance and voice. But they still seem to be in great shape for their age and have been for years. I've always given Mike props for that. Truly, as comical as it is, his story in his book about having to give up his "beloved Tillamook cheddar cheese and coffee ice cream" seems to have paid off. Other than Ringo out there doing jumping jacks at 82, I think Mike is one of the most spry band leaders at that age. I truly hope I'm half that active if I ever get even close to that age.

The bleh factor in this performance is the same as it has been for many years. While even the most curmudgeonly fan has at this point gotten used to Mike doing his own thing with the BB name, it never doesn't seem a bit absurd to see Mike and Bruce fronting a viscerally kind of anonymous, kind of homogeneous-looking group of backing guys. Maybe it's more noticeable when you cram them all up close to each other on stage like this recent TV performance. Then you add the Stamos factor, which I won't even expand upon because at this point folks either get it or don't get it when it comes to Stamos.

Add on top of that plugging a now four-year-old Christmas album (and they are literally plugging it as if it were a new album; it isn't just Mike picking out a Christmas tune he likes).

Not trying to pile on Mike. He did a cool Q&A about the "Sail on Sailor" set recently with Howie, and the fact that he's conversant about that era and has a willingness to sign off on *and* promote such a set is very much welcome. Just always have to remember that it inevitably also will always circle back to *this* thing that just aired on the Today show. Hey, as long as Mike continues to be supportive of the archival sets, he can tour every morning show across the globe with Stamos and pull out every last one of his solo songs.

[SMiLE Brian]

Are we at peace with M&B at long last? 

[guitarfool2002]

Truly, as comical as it is, his story in his book about having to give up his "beloved Tillamook cheddar cheese and coffee ice cream" seems to have paid off. 

"beloved Tillamook cheddar cheese and coffee ice cream" sounds like a great lyric for a new Mike Love Christmas song.

[SMiLE Brian]

Cowritten by OSD!

[guitarfool2002]

On the Today show, they also did "Finally It's Christmas":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpVX2_563ag

And "Little Saint Nick":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbw7Ar-CljA

[guitarfool2002]

Thanks to YouTube, another Beach Boys related Christmas clip came up which I probably hadn't seen since I was a little kid, the Tennille sisters singing Little Saint Nick on the Captain and Tennille's Christmas special from the mid-70's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYxhOoU7-hM

[Rocker]

The Beach Boys - Sail On Saint Nick Animated Short

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVRuIsLAmjo


A new animated clip. I like the KTSA part. That one works really well imo.

[picassosson]

Shared this on some of the other boards so I thought it'd be appropriate share here... just made some new art for my 1977 Christmas Album playlist. I tinker with it every year but decided to really try and go for something new this time with the art. Its a mash-up between MIU cover design and the 1977 Bowie/Crosby picture sleeve art for maximum period authenticity. Versions with and without hats... I couldn't decide. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Merry Christmas from The Beach Boys - The 1977 Christmas Album

Side 1:

Christmas Time Is Here Again
Alone On Christmas Day
Bells Of Christmas
Child Of Winter
Winter Symphony

Side 2:

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Kona Christmas
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Santa's On His Way
Christmas Medley
Morning Christmas

Time: 29 Minutes

(This is honestly the only listenable configuration of this proposed album to me. Had to leave off Go And Get That Girl, Michael Row The Boat Ashore, Seasons In The Sun, and Santa's Got An Airplane for not being "Christmas-y" enough.)