Christmas Classics - Part 2

It's nice eyes Dan, I'm telling you eazy Bodon's news.

Lady Ill thank you very much. I'm Morgan Morgan White Junior, been a pound of the BZ fabric since nineteen ninety five or so. I am here tonight. I'll be here for the next four nights Tomorrow, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. I do my own show on Saturday, beginning at nine o'clock this week, and then until further notice the following week, I begin at nine o'clock. Donna Helper is my guest and.

True, it's true. Before we go anywhere else, we have listeners who are just the best. Okay, I've had several people message me on social media, and I thought of it the moment we went to break. Don't you hate when that happens. You can't think of something, and then we go to break. It's like, oh, yeah, I've got the answer. The thing would meet me in Saint Louis.

So people in Saint Louis had an opinion that the people in New York would look down on.

Them, a bingo. Like you said, you were right about the social class thing, but I could not, for the life of me think of the context. And it just you know, sometimes that happens. So thank you to Billy, and thank you to some of our other listeners who messaged us about that. We're monitoring social media. So what we're doing, what we've been doing last hour, we were doing Christmas songs that mean something to you, or Christmas movies or Christmas TV shows, and we got a lot

Yeah.

Burt was ninety years old. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about. Remember the movie Crocodile Dundee, nothing to do with Christmas. Okay, just change the subject for a second. Crocodile Dundee nineteen eighty six. Paul Hogan Bert the Crocodile was a real, honest, pieces crocodile, and he just passed at the age of ninety. Okay, So that set me to thinking how many TV shows and movies had an animal as a central part of the cast. I'm not just talking like, you know, side here, like, oh,

Spinoff of Francis the talking that was solute basic.

Yes.

So we can go in either direction. Okay. We can either stay with Christmas songs and movies and stuff that means something to you, or we can segue over to TV shows and movies that featured an animal in a prominent role.

Either was Crockatoo Fred Yeah, Fret the Corockatoo.

Yep. Remember Doc Tory, which was on from sixty six to sixty nine. Remember Clarence Clarence Yan, Yes, oh lordy, I remember Claren.

Rashell Thompson was a human star. Yeah, and the kids star later went on to go into Happy Days. Aaron Moran at five or six years old. Yeah, on Doc Tory.

Yep.

Remember Old Yeller nineteen Best Parker, Best Parker And.

If they want to take you behind the barn dogs, don't go.

Don't go, Oh lordy.

So we hope we're bringing back some memories for some people. Tony he's listening at home, and Tony says hello and wishes everyone a happy holiday. Bill Winnaker the same way. So if you'd like to call in and talk about either of those subjects, we would love to hear from you.

Let's take Mark from Newton. He's been holding about fifteen minutes. So Mark, good evening.

Good evening, Happy Hanukah, Donna, Marry Christmas. Morgan. Always love hearing both of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been a collector of Christmas music for most of my fifty five years of life, and I have some obscure ones for you. First off, the gentleman mentioned Scott, have yourself a merry little Christmas. I believe I recently heard the first lines were supposed to be have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last.

I don't think, having to do with the.

I heard, not the version I heard either, well.

That I believe was the that was the original lyrics, and they felt it was too much of a downer, so they changed it because I guess it may be your last referred to the last Christmas in Saint Louis before the move to New York, right, but I had heard that anyway. Someone mentioned Paul Harvey. I don't know if either of you have heard. He has one called the Man and the Birds, Oh Christmas Recitation, which is

By the way, if I can segue back to something you said, you mentioned that you had heard that the lyrics were kind of dark in their original incarnation. That's a story that comes from a guy named Hugh Martin who was a friend of Judy Garland's. And this is kind of like he heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend. So I don't know if that is exactly the case, but I do know that, yes, the lyrics were changed a couple of times.

And I believe they said he even Frank Sinatra updated some lyrics.

Yes, yes, I've heard Franks.

There are some people who tried to modernize the lyrics a little bit because they felt like it it sounded too much tied to the movie, and they wanted to make it a little bit more contemporary. And that happens with pop songs all.

The time, exactly.

And one more for you, you might appreciate this. When Donna the DJ William B. Williams as a Christmas recitation, I believe it's called a World to Grow Up in quite a moving recitation. It's kind of like a little Vetchi's Christmas book by Becky lamb.

Okay, that's possible. I vaguely remember hearing something like that, but it has been a while, right, fifty.

Five you're very knowledgeable. Mark. Let me give you a compliment at fifty five, you are a very knowledgeable man of what came before you. A lot of people don't thank you. Pay attention to the history of things absolutely, Dona, Donn and I've been doing for our living for years.

But yep, because we're media historians, but not everyone is.

And when we see somebody do it, we need to call him out and give him credit for that.

A round up clause to you, sir, Thank you so much.

Thank you for the call.

Always a pleasure, be well.

Thank you you toobe hy here open line you want to call six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty or eight eight, eight nine to nineteen thirty. We welcome you to do so. I'm about to take a break. Gary, You'll be next here on night Side Time and temperature eleven fifteen twenty nine degrees.

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World. Nice sights to you on WBZ News Radio.

We are expanding our current subject to go from Christmas based media songs, movies, TV, and.

To Well, you know what else is happening while we're expanding, We're getting all of these messages on social media. I am so pleased to see that all these nice folks are finding out about your show, because no kidding, Live live and local radio is a gift and we are so glad to spend the evening with you nice folks. So Heloda Carter and Heloda Bob and Heloda Aaron, and you know, just this is so cool. I love this all right now.

If you know this, Donald, don't answer. But in the nineties there were two different TV series that each series the lead character had a pet gator, a pet alligator live and if you know the two, I don't want just the one, I want the both of them. Call in six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty or eight eight eight nine two nineteen thirty. And here's a hint. One was an adult male. One was a teenage.

Girl saying a word not.

Let's go to Wooburn and speak to Gary, Gary, happy holidays to you.

Well, I raally ain't working that good, so I won't be able to get that question right and I won't be able to get the answer. So next time you'll tell me the answer, Morgan the animal, There's no question the top three. It's got to be Flipper.

M hm, absolutely, yes, everyone loves the King of the Sea.

I could keep going.

But nineteen sixty Ford in nineteen sixty seven NBC.

You want to know something ironic about Flipper? Tommy No, Yeah. Tommy Norton in the original movie, which came on two years before the TV series, played Bud. There were two brothers, but and Sandy. But they had another person play Bud on the TV series and the two brothers with Luke Halprin and Tommy Norton. I forget who did which, but.

I always found that interesting, and I always found it interesting that you had mostly female dolphins playing Flipper and one male.

Right like the dolphins for the dolphins. For the dolphins that would swim around outside of the Orange Bowl where they played back then, was.

Named Susie yep.

And in the movie with Jim Carrey, the dolphins name was Snowflake.

Ah.

There you go. The things we wonder about. I wonder how many people realized when they saw Lassie on TV that it wasn't the same Lassie all the time, because poor Lassie would have had to be three hundred and seven years old.

No, so what else Gary?

Well, as far as favorite Christmas song itself, what I mean, we got all the traditionals, all this that. But as Donna says, she's a big Rush fan. We know about Bluce Springsteen with his Santa Claus Is Coming to.

Anta Claus Is Coming into a great song by the way, nineteen eighty five, love it right, Well.

That should be on the radio every day of our lives. Is unbelievable. But there's another Christmas song from a rock and roll person. Donna knows what I'm talking about, and it should be on every Christmas all the time, and it's not. And it drives me crazy that it's not. You have any idea, Donna.

I have several ideas, But go ahead, well, yes, no, I don't want to guess wrong, and I don't want to take away something that you had on your mind.

So go ahead.

Billy Squire yep, somebody mentioned it earlier.

I'm going to say I love you.

Yep.

Somebody mentioned Billy Squire a little bit earlier. I've always been a Billy Squire fan.

Now it is when you say Christmas is the time to say I love you. It's not a like romantic song this that. It's a rock and song.

Absolutely. When I was in album rock, we always looked for songs like that. That's why we liked Santa claus Is Coming to Town because it wasn't some wimpy little song. I mean, you could play it on album rock.

And one last note, a buddy of mine invited me over for Christmas dinner and so forth. He's a single guy, real nice guy, but he's very, very boring, and I hate to hurt his feelings, right, So I told him no, I'm gonna take a pass on coming over and having dinner with you or whatever. But then watching some old Bonnie Miller reruns.

Yeah, that's Bonnie Miller stupid.

It was my own little stupid joke.

Mary Chris was.

Okay, Happy holidays, Gary.

Bye bye. Gary's line is now open six four ten thirty or eight eight, eight nine, nine ten thirty, And we've got time to go to line to and speak to Sean in Boston.

Hello Sean, Hi, how are you? Morgan?

All right?

And you I'm doing good. I just wanted to call up to make a clarification on the Judy Garland song. Two years ago today, the Wall Street Journal had a full article on that song, and it was very impressive and emotional. It's both a micro level on a macro level. The song was written before the movie came out, and what it was about was World War Two, and that's why the whole song is about like families being separated. You know, your next door neighbor, mister O'Brien's kid who

Yes, yes, And then I've seen that interpretation.

Yes, and the movie did change some of the lyrics to make it less harsh and melancholy. And you guys were close and the movie, what happens is they were all moving from Saint Louis to New York. Judy Garland gets engaged and then the father does about faith and decides to stay in Saint Louis, but Judy Garland and

Yes, my recollection. And again it's been a while since I've seen it. I thought that she was upset because her father had gotten a promotion and they were all going to have to move to New York. But if I'm misremembering, it wouldn't be.

The first time it was going to be that way. And then none of them want to leave, but yes, that I remember, and then he the family persuaded the father to stay, but she's still going, so I might have had it backwards. But the thing is, Judy Garland's going to be in either Saint Louis or New York, and the rest of the family was in the other one.

I believe Judy was going to New York either way.

It's a really good movie.

Yeah, that's the point. Was in that scene, which is a great scene the movie dated I saw it the night after I read this Wall Street Journal article two years ago today, because it was so impressive. Okay, Judy Garland is moving away and the younger sister, Yeah, Judy Garland was going to New York because the dialogue was like, we'd like to take everything, but we can't put your

Yep.

But the more important, the more impressive thing to me was the lyrics captured the nation at that time. Oh absolutely, about all the different families during World War two, and.

Yet it never mentions the war. But that's how people that's how people heard it.

Yes, and I don't remember exactly what lyrics were changed, but it changed like four or five lines for Judy Garland's version.

Yep, thank you.

Is there anything else?

Sean, Oh no, that's it. I'd say. One Christmas song I always loved is when you were taking the input for the favorite Christmas song, I always loved the baby It's Cold Outside.

Oh absolutely, that was a hit.

It was a huge change controversial. I started actually listening to it more.

Right, But it became controversial later at the time, in like nineteen fifty six. It came out originally in forty nine, and then it was a hit again in fifty six. And I think.

People innocence innoce that was.

Exactly the point I was going to make. I think people were a lot more innocent about it. They weren't taking it like, oh, this is kind of creepy.

But with Dean Martin singing it, then people became aware of their own interpretation running wild.

So yeah, I think I think it was very popular until the woke police tried to kill it and cancel it.

Ah.

Yes, and no, people still play it. People still play it, people still like it. But you know, you're always going to get people interpreting songs in a certain way and oh no, no, this is dirty or this is They don't we didn't know from any of that when I was growing up. I really don't think we did outside.

And I think the lyrics were a lot more relatable back when it first came out because families all stayed much closer together, where nowadays families are much more separated. But back when that came out, like everyone had their uncle down the street.

Oh yeah, brother.

By the way. In fairness, even back then, there were songs that had double meanings, double on tundras, that tried to slip things by the sensors, and songs that were getting in trouble. And it was when I was an album rock. We used to go through this all the time. With lyrics. You were always worried about that. The FCC would you know, say that this particular lyrics we had nothing to do with being woke. This was like nineteen

What winding station were you employed with? You heard you mention that to a previous call.

I was on the air for forty I have a four decade career in broadcasting. I was on the air in Cleveland, in New York, in Washington, here, in Boston, all over the place you name it. For a good chance, I was there. But long story better told some other time.

So Jim a couple of the Boston stations. Well, I was on w on my radio at Northeastern. That's where her career began.

Yep. I was the first woman in the history of Northeastern University to be on the radio, and I worked at a small station in Cambridge, WCS long gone, and then I went to WMMS in Cleveland, and then I went to WRVR and w l i R in New York, WAVA in Washington, DC. Back here to Boston, WHDH, et cetera, and et cetera. Inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame last year.

Yes, I was there, and.

You was there.

I saw you there.

I said kind things about you into the microphone.

Wow.

I couldn't believe that you did that. I really couldn't, but I appreciate I would do the same for you.

Oh, thank you. Maybe who knows but of her backstory for you, or.

You can just google www dot Donnahelper dot com. It'll tell you a little.

More about me now and I'll investigate.

Thank you, sir, Happy happy holidays to you and family.

Much love, all right, thank you.

Open line six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty, eight, eight, eight nine to nineteen thirty Jimmy, New Hampshire. We will get to you after a commercial the two and news here on Nightside. For the time is eleven thirty temperature twenty nine degrees.

It's night side with Dan on WBZZY, Boston's news radio.

We are talking about two things, your favorite Christmas blank song movie, TV series and also animals from TV shows that you may have loved. I'm gonna go way way back and keep it kind of Mardern with these next two examples. Data on Star Trek, he had a cat. Yep, tell me the name of that cat? Uh not you. This is for the whole audience. You tell people, and this is for back in our day, the story of a horse and the boy who loved him. That was what the announcer would say at the beginning of every

I absolutely.

Watch it. Watch it?

Yeah, I did too. Let's go to New Hampshire and speak to Jimmy. Jimmy. Good evening, Jimmy.

This is what you say, you're Jimmy.

Jimmy's having technical issues, so we'll put him back on hold. There's another call on line one, and now they're not there to.

Have a song. She's not there. I was also a big kid, yes record, I remember the first I remember the first song I ever played on the radio. It was Tired of Waiting for You by The Kinks nineteen sixty five.

Yep.

First record I ever played on the radio, well, the first.

The first theme I ever played was Perry Mason because that was my opening theme. Let's try Let's try Jimmy again. Have you worked out the Kinks?

Jimmy Hey, can you hear me now?

Loud and clear?

Jimmy very good. In nineteen seventy eight, I was working for Casta Blanca Records doing promotion in Boston, and I walked into Whight with Asscate, not even a press record yet, and acecated a song by the village people called why mca yep, yep, and Donna, This is Jimmy Drisco Donna, if you remember that name at all.

Oh, Jimmy, I know you very well. You were an excellent promoter. Didn't you also bring me kiss? I was made for.

Loving You.

Exactly.

The should have been a number one song. Oh that irritated me. That should have been a number one song. And I'm not even a kiss fan. I mean they were always nice to write. I was made for Loving You as a classic.

It was a classic, and now fact. In nineteen seventy eighth. That song Hymca went to number one and seven. Let's see forty six years later, which we're now, it's again number one. Trump resurrected. Where's that campaign song?

Yeah, now that's a really great that's a really great issue because a lot of no but a lot of politicians they want to use hit records, and the artists don't want them to, not because they like the politician or not because they don't want to alienate half of their audience.

Right.

Well, that's it, I mean, you know, and he had half the audience and the other half didn't like them, so I can imagine.

But the guy, the.

Writer of that song was against Trump years, is it? But then he realized months later that the thing was taking off and sewing again like Gangbusters, and now he endureged.

Can I tell you something honestly? Can I tell you something honestly? And you and I go back years, and I'm so glad to hear your voice again. I always wondered where you were because whenever I talk about Kiss, I always talk about you bring me that song in a Manila envelope. Because you knew that if the mom when I saw Kiss, it would be like, oh, you know,

I couldn't.

It was just music.

We talked about music, and Jimmy talk about the Villagers, you know, Jimmy, Yeah, and then go ahead.

I almost opened for them. It's a long story, but my favorite Village People's song was the Women, which was the B side one of their early hits. But I just like that song the people. They mentioned most of the movie stars from the forties and fifties and the repeating line of I love the women who knew they were women? And you got obviously the tongue in the cheek of the group, But I love that song. Yeah.

And back in the day, Daughter, when we never saw we wouldn't think of the politics, right, I think somebody would say, remember the old American dance they break the records and some guys, says, I'll giveing it a ten because I like the beat.

Oh, I go.

It's got a good beat. It's easy to dance too. We'll have to talk sometime.

What city are you and Jimmy, I'm in cham Worthing dancer. I'll I'll reach out to you.

Reach out to me on social media. We go back years. It's great to be back in touch with you. We need to take some other phone calls, but oh, it's just just a delight to hear from you.

Happy bye bye and Donna give give your information for people that want to speak to you.

Yeah, they can just reach out to me on social media. I'm on all of them. I'm on the you know, Twitter X, I'm on Blue Sky, I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram. Or they can just go to my website. Www dot Donnahalper dot com. D O n n a h A is in applesauce, LP is in Potato e R www dot Donnahlper dot com. I answer emails when I received them. I'm always happy to hear from people,

So will you were you there in eighty one eighty two?

I a little bit before that, A little bit before that. I left in eighty, left in eighty.

Because I was there eighty one eighty two. I did two year.

Yah, I had just left in eighty left in eighty, but had a lot of fun there was music director, worked with just Kine and a whole bunch of other really great folks. Knew all the folks over on the FM at w COZ. Yes, those were the days.

Let's go to Pennsylvania and speak to Dave. Dave, thank you for calling nightside. Welcome aboard.

Leaving Morgan.

Hey, Hey, what I'm doing.

What I'm doing is I'm calling to give Morgan a Christmas present?

Ah, okay, what is it?

Probably from your grandma? Probably what probably from your grandma? I have this idea about scholarships, Okay, okay, And if you would put a dollar side of a week, you'd have fifty two dollars at the end of the year and you could open or start a scholarship for fifty dollars for a book fund scholarship, so that would give you your scholarship. And I wanted to call tonight because I know Nancy's there and Dons there, and I know

You want to know what, No, I'm gonna say something

Well, you do that. You could do that for some kidkets there already who's gone to college and my needed for Put the twenty five or fifty dollars whatever you have you wanted to split it up to do it.

Hey, I have a promise you, David, promise you. I will do that, and thank you for the suggestion.

All right, I'm glad. I'm glad you did it. I appreciate it. Anything else, I thank you so much. You've made many evenings joy and a privilege. I'd like to call more often, but I get so wrapped up in listbon time goes by.

Well, I'm here every Saturday. You call once a week if you.

Can, Uh, I would like to, but I said, I got all wrapped up and listening and doing a conversation. Oh the other thing I wanted to tell you before I hang up, real bad body, get out of get out of your way, is how about the Hill's sisters, Juliette and Haley. Can you get a hold of them somehow? I know, I know you mentioned Nanny and the professor earlier, but maybe that's an idea for you.

I will see what I can do. Okay, day, thank you for your call. I have to get to you, bye bye, all right, and I got to take a break. You don't want to be more late than they already am. Time and temperature here on nightstide eleven forty seven. I am very late twenty nine degrees.

Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World Late Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Roughly about eight maybe seven minutes of show left to go, Donna Helpers, Sarah Morgan, and we're going to talk to Craig in ohioa state We're Dona once was on the radiollow.

Yes, he was WMMS yep, and I wanted to make a comment on it's a controversial songs. My oldest brother had a band and he played at a Catholic school where we all went and they played this song, my baby does the Hanky Panky.

Oh yeah, yep. They pulled the plug yep, Tommy James and the chondele yep.

And then my brother came home and he said, Dad, My dad went to the priest already called you know, it's just a song, Carl, you know, uh, forget about it. But Carl thought he was going to be in trouble, you know, because of that song.

You know.

But it was just that songs have different meanings.

Oh yeah, and everybody that thinks that this is a recent problem or wants to try to say that it's political or whatever. When I was growing up, there were always songs that wake up Little Susie from nineteen fifty seven. The priests were like, they didn't want Catholic kids listening to it because it was a dirty song. I didn't hear it as a dirty song. I heard it as two kids that fell asleep at the movie theater because.

The movie was so boring.

Yes, and there I ah, but they were sleeping together. I'm like, no, the movie wasn't didn't have much of a plot. We fell asleep, Our gooses cooks, and our reputation is shot.

Yeah.

People, Oh, they were outraged that song was banned in a number. It was not banned in Boston, that's a myth. But there were a number of stations that wouldn't play it in the daytime. They would only play it at night. And I'm like, why, It's a great song. But so this was even going on back then the balls fire.

Yeah.

The funny part about it after that, my brother they changed the name with the band to My Sin.

Hmmm.

Got a picture of them with it, you know.

But it was like, but song lyrics all. Elvis Presley had a song called one Night and the original lyrics were one night of Sin is what I'm now paying for, but he had to sing one night with you is what I'm now praying for?

Okay, Oh yeah, and you know what it was talking about Elvis. If you listen to the lyrics, the precise lyrics and Joe House Rock number twenty seven said to number three, the cutest Joe Bird he ever did. Yep, I she'll be delighted if you come rock with me. Come on and do the Joe House rocking now.

Yep.

In prison it's all the same sex hell.

Yep, sure would be delighted with your company.

Yep.

Hello, yeah, yet prisoner a propositioning prisoner b Yep. When I do trivia, I always say, if you didn't know any better, what Elvis song would you think? Deals excuse me with homosexuality?

Hello yep.

Yeah.

But on the cleaner side of things. Blue Christmas by Elvis was a great song, Okay, nineteen fifty seven, really good Christmas song stands up very well. A lot of the older songs don't, but that one certainly does.

Hell yeah, that's a joke there. My brother broke up with his girlfriend and we was all singing that song.

We all, we all had songs like that. So anything else we can do for you, you're making some great points.

Well, I thank you for bringing back that memory of uh my baby does a hanky king?

Oh it was.

It was a great song.

But again we were innocent. We didn't think about what's the hanky panky? I thought it was a dance.

What did Tommy James had James and j A. M. Yes had a run of four or five years where he couldn't keep from making a hit.

Oh my god, all the songs. Money Money was one of my favorites.

The book and that would have gone to number one, and all.

The money went to all the money went to uh good old Mars Levy and the Mob. But that's another story for another.

Day, another story. I'm surprised.

I remember all kinds of stuff for my DJ days. But we'll talk about that sometime.

What else we get you and I will talk about that at lunch, not in front of a hot Michael exactly. Yes, Craig, is that about it?

That's about it, And I thank you and thank you for the memories, and thank you for all them great sounds on MMS.

Well, thank you for listening.

Much love to you, Happy holidays. All right, there are no more calls, so let's kibb it for a few minutes. Of all the radio stations you played, which one brings back the most vivid memory.

Well, that probably would be WMMS, okay, because a lot of what happened there. I met so many up and coming bands who went on to become famous, okay, but at the time they weren't famous. And it was just I mean, Charlie Daniels, who is today one of the most you know, political he hugged me. I mean, he was just so glad that he was getting some airplay that it was just like, yep, great song. Great song, by the way, But there were so many artists that

Now.

I grew up listening to jazz because my parents liked jazz, okay, And when I took that job, a lot of people were like, well, you were rock and roll DJ, what do you know about jazz. I'm like, you'll be surprised, okay, and I show them. Oh my god. I had some really great artists on the show, and it was so much fun to meet them in person after listening to their music for years. And I sometimes I'm just a fangirl,

Stoffe here because again news.

Ah, Okay, Well, thank you for having me on.

Thank you for helping me spend a great Christmas night.

Well, thank you for having me on on. Hanicah so much love to your listeners. Thank you for being such a great audience. Everyone, excuse me. My whole day has been like that. Yeah, I know, me and just being with me chokes you up. Being with me, chokes you up. I understand.

Thank you, Thank you for giving me a perfect outline.

Happy Holidays, much love, Happy.

Honikah, much love their those Donna Dan in the control room. Thank you, Nancy and Gray. Thank you. I'll see everybody tomorrow night. Hopefully this little cough will be gone. Time and temperature eleven fifty eight twenty nine degrees