One Hit Wonder Wednesday: Christmas Novelty Songs
A dental setback, a determined donkey, a hippo, and a beer as part of the twelve days of Christmas. Join us for some laughs on the Night Shift with Craig Alan.
Long before the Now That's What I Call Music series, we had K-Tel records. I had several albums and a couple of 8-tracks in my collection, including Dumb Ditties. While I can probably remember all the words to "On Top of Spaghetti," and "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat," I don't find myself playing them very often. Chuck Berry's only #1 hit was the novelty song "My Ding a Ling," but most of them are forgettable (i.e. "Beans in My Ears"). Others are those earworms you can't forget, like "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa!" Just like eggnog or fruitcake, they are best enjoyed for a limited time only, so tonight on the Night Shift, we're playing Christmas Novelty Songs.
All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth | Spike Jones
A second grade teacher wrote this song after asking his class what they wanted for Christmas and hearing most answer in a lisp because they were missing at least one of their two front teeth.
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas | Gayla Peevey
Gayla was 10 years old when she sang this song on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1953. Kids everywhere have been asking for a herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal at Christmas ever since. For a special treat, watch her at age 10 and again at age 73 in 2016 singing the Christmas Hippo song.
Dominick the Donkey | Lou Monte
Santa's eight tiny reindeer can fly, but they cannot climb the steep Italian hills. Dominick the Donkey saves Christmas. Bravo!
The 12 Days of Christmas | Bob & Doug McKenzie
Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas totally improvise and give a unique, Canadian flavor to the twelve days of Christmas. If you don't love this, you're a hoser, eh.
Christmas is a time of joy and tonight on the Night Shift, we'll have you laughing with the best holiday novelty songs on our One Hit Wonder Wednesday.
SEE: 30 Toys That Defined the '70s