Christmas traditions on Boston radio

[Howard Glazer]

Out of the Boston area, but kind of a neat tradition nonetheless, is WDRC-FM
Hartford's Christmas Eve show. For several years, weekender Rob Ray (who, I
think, works in production at the station full-time) has pulled this shift,
and he uses it to empty out the station's library of seasonal music,
including a lot of Spector and Motown Christmas songs that don't usually get
airplay, as well as novelties like the Youpers' "Beat-Up Chevrolet," the
Singing Dogs' "Jingle Bells" and the Fab Four's "Hark! The Herald Angels
Sing!" (sung to the tune of the Beatles' "Help!"). And the show always
includes "Charlie Parker's Christmas Wish," a sentimental monologue recorded
by WDRC's late, legendary program director 30 or so years ago.

With oldies stations an endangered species, I don't know how much longer
this tradition will survive, so I'll have tape rolling on the 24th.

Howard

----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Watson <markwats@comcast.net>
To: Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@gmail.com>;
<boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: Christmas traditions on Boston radio


>   Adding to Bob Nelson's thread:
>
>    A tradition here in the Merrimack Valley back in the good old days of
the
> 70's & 80's : J.C. (Jim Camilli) would always play as the first Christmas
> song on his Saturday night WLLH oldies show Thanksgiving weekend (later
> Sunday only) Roy Orbison's "Pretty Paper". He also played some other
> Christmas songs that I believe no one else played then or now, such as
> "Little Becky's Christmas Wish" by Becky Lamb, which was released (judging
> by the Warner Bros. orange record label) 1966, 67 or 68. A narration with
a
> little girl's wish to have her brother home from Vietnam for Christmas,
and
> "There Won't Be Any Snow" (Christmas In The Jungle) by Derek Roberts,
> mid-60's Vietnam themed song on Roulette Records, Stan Freberg's "Green
> Christmas" and Allan Sherman's "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas".
>
>    I also recall until WBZ went all news/talk in the early 90's, they
would
> play all Christmas music Christmas Eve night through Christmas day. Now
they
> remain with the regular news/talk format on Christmas.
>
> Mark Watson
>
>
>
>