WMNF | Talking Animals Presents Annual Holiday Animal Song Special

On the morning of Dec. 15, I as soon as once more put aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to ship the Annual Christmas Animal Song particular—that’s, a present nearly completely dedicated to Holiday-oriented animal tunes.

As has been required within the earlier years of this particular, and as I acknowledge whereas over-explaining this program’s premise (over-explaining the premise has grow to be its personal custom—certainly one of many on this present), the one strategy to successfully pull off this conceit is to assemble the particular with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph”-related songs.

Which meant together with varied variations of “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” together with Chris Isaak’s velvety-smooth but rollicking take, in addition to an inimitable rendition by the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald. And it’s important to incorporate a minimum of one model of “Run Rudolph Run,” this one a barn-burner by Keith Richards. Which we did once more this 12 months, however we additionally included, this time round, a decidedly completely different rendition of that Chuck Berry traditional by Norah Jones, from her new Holiday album, “I Dream of Christmas.”

While acknowledging, musically and in any other case, that the eye accorded to Rudolph is comprehensible and well-earned. But we do really feel some obligation to notice that not all reindeer are named Rudolph–making the purpose by putting Otis Gibbs’ “Lloyd The Reindeer” back-to-back with Joe Diffie’s “Leroy The Redneck Reindeer.” These numbers took their place alongside a longtime staple on this present, the quirky, if delightfully verbose “Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey” by the additionally delightfully-verbose Vinnie Bonofici And His Italian American Band—lately,this track is usually requested, simply as we’re taking part in it, or about to. Which occurred this 12 months.

To spherical out our playlist, a program of this nature is virtually constitutionally obligated to spin “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”—on this case, the more moderen model by Kacey Musgraves. We additionally labored in one thing by my beloved EELS, the propulsive fave, “Christmas Is Going To The Dogs.” We additionally performed the Bobs’ lilting “Rasta Reindeer.”

I took a short break from taking part in cool xmas songs for the standard studying of what I name the Dorothy Strauss Christmas message, as dictated by custom, or a minimum of the custom of the Talking Animals Annual Christmas Animal Song particular. That message, whose creator had all the time been unknown to me and my household whereas I used to be rising up–my Mom hung a poster of it every Christmas season, as a part of our house’s vacation decorations–-was written by Howard W. Hunter, whom we credit score a number of occasions on this present for fashioning these poignant, highly effective phrases.