KEVIN McCORRY, HOST: I’m Kevin McCorry and this is ‘Jukebox Journey.’
[MUSIC: “Lost in the Supermarket” by The Clash]
KM: This week: The holiday party potluck.
A potluck, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Invite musicians, they said.
[MUSIC: “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” by Hank Williams]
KM: It starts well enough. First through the door is Hank Williams. A solid, hearty choice from 1954.
[MUSIC SWELL]
KM: The next knock comes from Brian Wilson and boys. Healthy stuff from 1967.
[MUSIC: “Vegetables” by The Beach Boys]
KM: And then, suddenly, the guests are filing in quickly….
[MUSIC: “Savoy Truffle” as performed by Ella Fitzgerald]
KM: Ella Fitzgerald with desserts baked by George Harrison. Why not?
[MUSIC: “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson]
KM: Harry Nilsson from 1971, sure.
[MUSIC SWELL]
KM: Q-Tip and Phife Dawg roll in with a list of dietary restrictions from 1990…ok, fine.
[MUSIC: “Ham ‘N’ Eggs” by A Tribe Called Quest]
KM: But then Frank Zappa shows up with The Mothers and they bring all sorts of weird energy to the spread.
[MUSIC: “The Duke Regains His Chops” by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention]
KM: That’s when the vibes really start to turn:
[MUSIC: “Eat That Chicken” by Charles Mingus]
KM: Next thing you know Charles Mingus brought a dish he’s dying to cut into.
[MUSIC SWELL]
KM: But he’s being cornered in the kitchen by Morrissey, who brought enough tofu to feed Manchester.
[MUSIC: “Meat is Murder” by The Smiths]
KM: Meanwhile, 2007 Thom Yorke appears with something no one wants.
[MUSIC: “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” by Radiohead]
It’s December, but the room is so jammed that it starts to feel like a hot August night — with Neil Diamond topping everyone off too high.
[MUSIC: “Red Red Wine” by Neil Diamond, live at the Greek Theatre]
KM: Over on the couch there’s something brewing between 1962 James Brown and Dee Dee Sharpe.
[MUSIC: “Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.” by James Brown, and “Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)” by Dee Dee Sharp]
KM: A couple hours in, the party is still rocking, but the spread has been thoroughly picked over. You feel a pang of regret that you didn’t buy more. That’s when you notice an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time tapping on the window.
He’s a bit of an acquired taste, but he’s brought a stack of Pyrex and immediately takes things to a whole new level.
[MUSIC: “Lasagna” by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, in the tune of “La Bamba,” and “Eat It,” in the tune of “Beat It”]
KM: Yep, it’s Weird Al, and he really likes food.
[MUSIC: “Girls Just Want to Have Lunch” by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, in the tune of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and “I Love Rocky Road” in the tune of “I Love Rock ‘N Roll”]
KM: So, how was the party? Well, the prep and clean up was an absolute bear… but a chance to bring the people and soundtrack you love under one roof? Now that’s a sacred recipe.
[MUSIC: “The Rye or the Kaiser (Theme From Rocky XIII)” by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, in the tune of “Eye of the Tiger”]
KM: I’m Kevin McCorry and this has been a Jukebox Journey on WHYY.
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