Here’s two great things combined into one uber-Christmas special.

 

 

If there is something I love about Christmas it’s the music. And if there’s one thing I love about popular culture it’s the Muppets. Therefore the 1979 Christmas special John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together is the ultimate win-win situation for me.

 

A good thing, then, since A Christmas Together may be one of the best holiday variety specials ever made.

 

One of the things often forgotten about Jim Henson and his fellow Muppeteers is that they were not only visionaries that made puppetry into an artform, they were all brilliant performers as well. And all of them (mostly Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt and Steve Whitmire) are incredible singers as well. These people not only create characters out of foam rubber and cloth, they give voice to them and sing some great songs as well. Ask anyone who loved “Bein’ Green”, “The Rainbow Connection” and “Rubber Duckie”. John Denver by 1979 was one of the greatest MOR (Middle of the Road) artists in the world, using a mix of folk, country and soft rock and making it into eminently listenable music. Ask anyone who loved “Country Roads”, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Annie’s Song”.

 

John Denver and the Muppets together were a perfect fit. Add in Christmas and it becomes sublime.

 

The opening number is “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and it may be one of the best versions of that song ever performed. Every major Muppet character gets their own verse (the album version is even better by having Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker) and watching Fozzie forget his line is great fun. Trust me when I say you’ll never want to sing “Five Gold Rings” any other way than how Miss Piggy does it after hearing it.

 

See:

 

There’s a wonderful mix of wassails (“Christmas is Coming”) sentimental favourites (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”) and original pieces. The best of the new songs is a piece by Bob Beer called “The Peace Carol”. This is one of those songs I’m always surprised never got more mainstream attention. The lyrics are gorgeous, as is the harmony provided by John Denver and Scooter.

 

See:

 

The finale for the special is a beautiful version of “Silent Night” in both German and English, with a bridge to tell the story of how that hymn came to be written.

 

See:

 

While I love the special itself, I love the album that was released with it even more. It’s a standard that I play every year. Someone recently asked me if I was missing something by not having the visuals impact of the Muppets and I must honestly say that I don’t miss anything. It’s lovely music regardless of whether or not you can see Kermit or not.