Pink Floyd - Pigs on the Wing (8-Track Version) (1977)

Pink Floyd’s tenth studio album, Animals, was recorded in London, 1976 at the band’s newly constructed recording studio, Britannia Row Studios. Akin to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the album was a collection of songs named after animals satirizing different social classes in 1970s England. The categories people were lumped into included pigs, dogs, and sheep; or, those in power, those who do the bidding, and those who sit idly by, respectively. The album was also meant to steer in a slightly new direction for the band, as they had recently become the victim of many jokes in the newly thriving punk rock movement. Considered “dinosaur rock” by younger people, Pink Floyd wanted to create an album a little harsher sounding than their previous works. Having been certified four times platinum, the album was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Besides the animal-related songs which made up the majority of the album, Animals also began and ended with the front and back halves of a love song written by Roger Waters about his new wife, Carolyne Christie, the ex-wife of Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully. Christie had gained Waters affections by being one of the few, if not only, people who could win an argument with Waters. As it was arranged, royalties for the album were given to the songwriters based on the total number of songs written and not their total length. Since this “song” was split apart on the album as two completely separate tracks, it created a bigger piece of the royalty pie for their author, Roger Waters. This didn’t sit well with the band’s David Gilmour, who had contributed a seventeen minute song, “Dogs.” This, among other frictions during the recording of Animals, proved to be the starting point for the strife that would eventually split the band apart.

At one point during the recording of the album, Roger Waters and Nick Mason accidentally erased a guitar solo by David Gilmour, recorded as the link between “Pigs on the Wing (Part I)” and “Pigs on the Wing (Part II),” which was still being treated as one song. Thinking they needed to replace it, the band asked non-Pink Floyd-member Snowy White to record a replacement guitar solo. Ultimately, it was decided that the song would be split apart for the beginning and ending of the album, as it’s now known. Because of this separation, the guitar solo became superfluous, omitted, and never appeared on the final version of the vinyl release. However, for unknown reasons, the album’s 8-track release not only kept the songs together, appearing as the opening track, but also kept the guitar solo by Snowy White. Below, you will hear the alternate 8-track version of the songs, back to back as one, with the inclusion of Snowy White’s rare guitar solo.



Pink Floyd - Pigs on the Wing (8-Track Version) (1977)

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Lyrics:

If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care
For you
We would zig zag our way
Through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain
Wondering which of the buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing

You know that I care
What happens to you
And I know that you care
For me, too
So, I don't feel alone
Or the weight of the stone
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone
And any fool knows a dog needs a home
A shelter from pigs on the wing

The Beach Boys - Mele Kalikimaka (1977)

The Beach Boys had intended to release a Christmas album in 1977 titled Merry Christmas from The Beach Boys. Although it was eventually aborted (as only Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson had shown up for the recording sessions), some of the songs would later appear on their 1978 album, titled M.I.U Album. Heard below is the original version of a song that was later reworked and released on that album. Given that there was quite a bit of Christmas music recorded by the group over the years, Capitol records decided to release Ultimate Christmas in 1998, an album which contained every Beach Boys’ song that had to do with the Christmas topic. In 2004, the album was put out of print and replaced with Christmas with The Beach Boys, an identical album which differed only in its album art and the omission of the song “Christmas Time Is Here Again”.

Although there is a famous Christmas song with this name that was written by Robert Alex Anderson in 1949 (famously sung by Bing Crosby in 1950, and later many others), this is actually an original song by The Beach Boys that borrows the same title. Written by Mike Love and Al Jardine, it was alternately known as “Kona Christmas” or "Kona Coast" when it was revised and rereleased on the M.I.U. Album in 1978. Love and Jardine provided the lead vocals on this original version, which was recorded on November 18th, 1977 but not released until September 22nd, 1998 on the Ultimate Christmas album.



The Beach Boys - Mele Kalikimaka (1977)

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Lyrics:

It's been my secret passion to try it
To spend my Christmas surfin', I can't deny it
I wanna spend my Christmas on the Kona Coast in Hawaii

For years I saved my pennies and planned it
The great Pacific Ocean, we'll span it
I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii

(Go to Hawaii, Hawaii)
Mele Kalikimaka is "Merry Christmas" in Hawaii talk-a
And at Lahaina we'll count the shooting stars
And it will be just you and me in Hawaii

The suntanned beauties are everywhere
If you're comin' to the islands then you might stare
And find a girl waiting for you there in Hawaii

Kani and Wahini and the haoles, too
Wish a Mele Kalikimaka to you
They're the friendliest people anywhere in Hawaii

(Go to Hawaii, Hawaii))
Mele Kalikimaka is how they say it in island talk-a
The island flower fragrance in the air
We'll write a card and underneath the mango trees
We'll say, "Wish you were here with us in Hawaii"

Winter in the sun and surf'd sure be nice
In a south sea garden paradise
I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii

(Honolulu, Waikiki)
(Do you wanna come along with me?)
(Waimia up to Hanalai)
(I'd love to take you to the islands today)

The Kinks - Father Christmas (1977)

In 1965, The Kinks were touring Australia and New Zealand with Manfred Mann and The Honeycombs. At one particular show at The Capitol Theater in Cardiff, Wales on May 19th, Dave Davies was apparently upset about the way Mick Avory was drumming to “You Really Got Me.” In his anger, Davies decided to kick over Avory’s drum set in front of the audience. Now equally angry, Avory picked up his set’s high hat and clubbed Davies over the head, knocking him completely unconscious. Thinking he had just killed his bandmate, Avory fled the scene. Meanwhile, Davies was taken to the nearby hospital, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, and received sixteen stitches to his head. Later on, in an effort to avoid serious punishment, Avory told the local police that the entire event was part of a new act during their concerts in which the members had pre-planned to throw their instruments at one another. Needless to say, events like this led to The Kinks being banned from touring in the United States for four years, late 1965-1969, greatly reducing their exposure during the British Invasion.

As they consistently put out albums until the early ‘90s, it’s no wonder that The Kinks have a very large library of music. This song, coming out in time for the holidays, was first released as a single featuring the B-Side “Prince of the Punks.” It was written and produced by Ray Davies and released on the Arista label on November 25th, 1977.



The Kinks - Father Christmas (1977)

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Lyrics:

When I was small, I believed in Santa Claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I'd be glad

But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said,
“Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys
Well beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread, so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys”

“Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
We don't want a jigsaw or Monopoly money
We only want the real McCoy”

“Father Christmas, give us some money
Well beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys”

“But give my daddy a job ‘cause he needs one
He’s got lots of mouths to feed
But if you’ve got one, I'll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street”

“Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Well beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread, so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys”

Have yourself a merry, merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin’
While you're drinkin’ down your wine

“Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas, please hand it over
We’ll beat you up, so don’t make us annoyed”

“Father Christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys
Well beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread, so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys”