June 2021 – Page 3 – Novelty Christmas Music

Ringers: Bubba

A favorite epithet among the rednecks, Bubba sounds like a punchline. Just add sass. Naming a mighty magical mythical beast that creates comedy, no choice. Or does it?

Donald Pinkleton tries the Ray Stevens routine with “Bubba the Redneck Reindeer.” Better country song than hee-haw comedy.

Robert (‘Dr. Bob’) Blake slows country down to morose monotone with “Bubba the Buck-Toothed Reindeer.” This fill-in for Rudolph bites more than he can chew (get it?), but this Army vet surprises all of them by whipping them into shape. Huh?

Ringers: Brutus

Vixen’s down with the flu! Who you gonna call?! “Brutus the Backup Reindeer” comes to the rescue thanks to Phil and the Osophers with ’70s pop crooning. Too bad the washed-up loser ruins everything–to upbeat scatting.

Ringers: Brother

Reindeer Brother ask us to consider the four inch tall “Brother Reindeer.” Dour pop with an insistent electric organ through line. Maybe not really a reindeer after all. Four stars.

Ringers: Brendan

Brown-nosing has already gotten play among reindeer songs. But The Original Cast of ‘Naughty, but Nice’ the holiday revue rekindles the concept with “Brendan the Brown-Nosed Reindeer.” This musical show tune tootles through the sycophantic attempts of the titular wanna be. He gets his.

Ringers: Boudreaux

If you wondered who was the most Cajun reindeer of all, Eric Stone has a tune-appropriate answer: “Boudreaux the Cajun Reindeer.” He apparently saves Mardi Gras by making the beer run. Wild piano solo.

Ringers: Bob

Daniel Dennis takes on nerds with “Bob the 10th Reindeer.” This outlier has all the misfortunes the outcast kids got: headgear, chess club membership, toupee (??!)… So we gotta embrace Santa’s accountant, right?

Ringers: Bernie

Bernie, as a name, gets a bad rap. It’s no Herbert, but it’s an oddity. “Bernie the Reindeer,” a kids’ favorite from Maple Leaf Learning finds the big-antlered overeating agoraphobic a job as a telemarketer. You kidding me?

Alternative holiday reindeer don’t much more other than “Bernie, the Jewish Reindeer.” Stage Stars go so schticky that i’d call it anti-Semitic, if they weren’t just fun-loving Chosen boys. Kidsong parody comedy.

Ringers: Babes

Redrick, and the Rick-Rack Reindeer; The North Pole Report is some concept holiday journey (we’ll visit Redrick later). Not sure who, when, or why, but it’s much better than most kidsong twaddle. For now we’ll visit the folky pop “Babes the Baby Reindeer.” Paul Bunyan’s Babe may be a close relative, ‘cuz this li’l ol’ thing does turn blue on occasion. But he’s so cute and tiny!

Ringers: Alex

Al Walser tried a cutie-pie book a few years back about a black/white reindeer (think Frank Gorshin in that 1967 Star Trek episode). Believe it or don’t, he saves the day. This author also sings about “Alex the Reindeer” with the loungiest showtune schmaltz this side of Tuskaloosa dinner theater. Brace yourself.

Ringers: Adolph

Surely the hateful eight of Santa’s reindeer are all dead by now. Does he just rename replacements like The Simpsons do with their cats (Snowball 5)? Are there OTHER reindeer to sing about?

Frank L Baum (the Oz guy) rhapsodized a Santa poem and named ten: Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, Feckless and Speckless. Cool, that. But no songs.

“Adolph the Brown-Nosed Reindeer” from classic comedy songster Dave Rudolph gives us a rollicking kidsong peek into how reindeers get ahead at the North Pole. Not that everyone loved him; there’s a reason that name is no longer christened these days. Sorry to start on a ‘Rudolph’ parody, but–unavoidable.