In 1981, Steinberg began a momentous collaboration with songwriter Tom Kelly, with whom he wrote many memorable hits of the 80s and 90s. In our conversation, Billy shares how he found out Rondstadt would record the song which later reached the Billboard Top 10. The duo also co-wrote "I’ll Stand By You" with Chrissie Hynde and "I Touch Myself" with Christine Amphlett and Mark McEntee of The Divinyls.īilly Steinberg and Cyndi Lauper in Finland, 1988.īilly’s first hit song was "How Do I Make You," which Linda Ronstadt decided to record after hearing demos from Steinberg’s band Billy Thermal. Our special guest is Songwriter Hall of Fame member Billy Steinberg, who with collaborator Tom Kelly wrote many Number 1 hits including "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, "Alone" by Heart, and "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles. Two show-stoppers drive home the majesty of Christmas: Robin (Nelson) and Denver's version of When the River Meets the Sea (a song originally featured in the Henson production Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas) and Silent Night, Holy Night, which begins in the original German, and also features Denver telling the story behind the composition of the song.Welcome to Season 2, Episode 10 of Song Chronicles. For evidence, listen to the melancholy take on Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a piano-driven duet between Rowlf (Henson) and Denver, or the harmony-laden The Peace Carol.
Of course Denver, in supreme warm, gentle, sentimental mode, plays a big part in that. But there's genuine depth and gravitas on the album as well.
The fun, witty side of the Muppets is on display in takes on The Twelve Days of Christmas, Christmas is Coming, We Wish You A Merry Christmas ("Piggy pudding?!"), and a cover of The Beach Boys' Little Saint Nick by Dr. In fact, it's pretty amazing the way the Muppet performers (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz) can elicit genuine emotion while singing in a weird voices.Ī Christmas Together illustrates that perfectly. If you think about it, music has always been an integral part of the appeal of the Muppets, from Sesame Street to The Muppet Show to the various Muppet movies. (The most egregious omission is All Summer Long, so you should throw that on the playlist, too.)īy all accounts I was a Muppet-obsessed kid from age 2 on, and so for as long as I can remember A Christmas Together has been my favorite Christmas album. Since this is only on vinyl (and probably 8-track), here's the tracklist so you can play along on iTunes: 1) Surfin' USA, 2) California Girls, 3) Little Deuce Coupe, 4) Dance, Dance, Dance, 5) Help Me, Rhonda, 6) Don't Worry Baby, 7) Surfin' Safari, 8) When I Grow Up (To Be a Man), 9) I Get Around, 10) Fun, Fun, Fun, 11) Surfer Girl, 12) Barbara Ann, 13) In My Room, 14) Catch A Wave, 15) Do You Wanna Dance, 16) Little Honda, 17) 409, 18) Be True To Your School. And take a close look at that cover it's endearingly weird. Said compiler also sequenced the songs exceedingly well. Whoever put this together decided to (or was forced to) focus on the pre-1966 hits, so that means that 1) it's a perfect companion to Pet Sounds and your other later-period Beach Boys albums, and 2) Kokomo is not to be found. Like my K-Tel Chartaction '83 tape, the 1978 Ronco cash-in product Beach Boys Super Hits manages to transcend its as-seen-on-TV origins.
The Beach Boys have approximately six million best-of compilations out there, all with slightly interchangeable song selections.
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