We Wish You a Silly Christmas

A "Yooper" is someone who lives on the upper peninsula of Michigan.  And straight from "da yooper" comes Da Yoopers with this classic Christmas gem:

"Dr. Elmo" Shropshire operates a veterinary hospital in Novato, California.  He was best known for recording "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" with his then-wife Patsy in 1979:

Sometimes it's not the what, but the how.  Courtesy of Straight No Chaser:

Composer Spotlight: Giorgio Moroder

Italian singer, songwriter and DJ Giovanni Giorgio Moroder was a pioneering force in the nascent genre of European electronic dance music (EDM) throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's.

"I Feel Love" was cowritten by Moroder, Pete Bellotte, and Donna Summer and was released in Summer 1977:

"Chase" was from the soundtrack to the movie Midnight Express and was the first of several songs from movie soundtracks that Moroder became quite well known for.  It is also familiar to fans of the radio show Coast to Coast AM as that show's longtime theme bumper. 

Moroder's work throughout the first half of the 80's did tend somewhat more towards more mainstream and commercial work, including the song Call Me from the American Gigolo soundtrack, cowritten by Moroder and Blondie's lead vocalist Debbie Harry.

Mondegreens

Mondegreen is a misheard lyric from a song or a poem.  The history of music, popular and otherwise, is rife with examples.

Song: Blowin in the Wind
Artist: Bob Dylan
Lyric: The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
Mondgreen: The ants are my friend, they're blowin' in the wind

Song: O Fortuna (The Lament of Fate, from Carmine Burina)

Artist: Carl Orff (composer and conductor)

Lyric: The lyrics are in Latin, so there are many instances in which words an be misheard in English

Mondegreen: See video below (mildly NSFW)

Song: Purple Haze

Artist: Jimi Hendrix

Lyric: 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky

Mondegreen: 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy

Song: Bad Moon Rising

Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Lyric: There's a bad moon on the rise

Mondegreen: There's a bathroom on the right

Music in Movies

After finishing The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas desired to create a modern version of the adventure serials of the 30's and 40's.  His project became Raiders of the Lost Ark which was scored by John Williams, then of Star Wars fame.

James L. Brooks directed Terms of Endearment in 1983 with an ensemble cast including Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger.

The music for Star Trek: The Motion Picture was written predominantly by Jerry Goldsmith who later went on to write for several other Star Trek movies and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Heavenly Harmonies

Brothers Barry and Robin Gibb wrote "To Love Somebody" with the intent of having Otis Redding record it.  Redding died in a plane crash before he was able to, and the Robert Stigwood-produced tune ended up on The Bee Gees' international debut album "Bee Gees 1st" in 1967.

"Wake Up Little Susie" was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and released in 1957 by Phil and Don Everly recording as The Everly Brothers. It reached #1 on the Billboard Charts in America and provided the first of many examples of the Everlys' close harmony.

"Good Vibrations" represented a departure from the lyrical surf-beach rock for which the Beach Boys had been known.  Over 90 hours of tape was used in the recording sessions between four different studios as Brian Wilson and Mike Love drew heavily upon the services of studio musicians from The Wrecking Crew.  The result was described by Beach Boys publicist Derek Taylor as a "pocket symphony."

Jametown Revival founders Zach Chance and Jonathan Clay were childhood friends in Magnolia, Texas who collaborated on their first musical project at the age of 15.  When they started singing harmonies on each others' songs, they decided to start recording and touring together.