Thanksgiving is historically all about household, meals and soccer, however traditional rock additionally performs a component.
From Paul Simon poking enjoyable at his self-serious picture to the Band’s remaining live performance with its unique lineup to Kiss displaying up on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, we have discovered occasions when a few of our favourite musicians made vacation reminiscences that we like to revisit yearly. Below, you may examine these and different traditional rock Thanksgiving moments, and discover hyperlinks to our in-depth tales about them.
When Paul Simon Dressed as a Turkey on ‘Saturday Night Live’
On Nov. 20, 1976, Paul Simon opened up Saturday Night Live by singing his then-recent hit, “Still Crazy After All These Years,” in maybe probably the most memorable outfit of his profession: a turkey swimsuit. But after the primary verse, he introduced the tune to an abrupt finish and defined his facet of the story: “When the turkey concept was first brought up, I said there’s a very good chance I’m gonna end up looking stupid if I come out wearing it.” Simon then walks offstage and confronts producer Lorne Michaels concerning the stunt, however winds up with a distinct drawback.
Read More: How Paul Simon Ended Up Wearing a Turkey Suit on ‘Saturday Night Live’
The Band’s Last Waltz
United Artists
In 1976, the Band determined to surrender the highway after spending years as a backing band for Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, then having fun with in depth success on their very own. They placed on one final present that included buddies, influences and collaborators like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton and Dylan. Thanks to Martin Scorsese’s famed 1978 live performance movie The Last Waltz, the Thanksgiving Day present would go down as one of many well-known occasions in rock historical past.
Read More: The Story of the Band’s Thanksgiving Farewell
Kiss’ “Horrible” Thanksgiving Parade
Mike Pont, Getty Images
When Kiss appeared on the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of their hometown of New York City, the supposed spectacle didn’t go in line with plan. Situated on a last-minute, a lot smaller-than-expected float, the band members did their finest to benefit from the makeshift circumstances, miming “Rock and Roll All Nite” on chilly and wet day. “We looked like the shittiest thing on the Macy’s Day Parade,” supervisor Doc McGhee later mentioned. “That was just a horrible time.”
Read More: Revisiting Kiss’ “Horrible” Thanksgiving Parade: “This is How You Get Fired”
‘WKRP in Cincinnati”s Hilarious Thanksgiving Episode
“As God is my witness, I assumed turkeys might fly,” says station manager Mr. Carlson in this special Thanksgiving edition of WKRP in Cincinnati. It’s this small but significant misunderstanding that lands Carlson in hot water as he plans a promotional event in which live turkeys get dropped from a helicopter. Amazingly, it was based on a real-life stunt.
Read More: Revisiting the Classic ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Thanksgiving Episode
The Story Behind Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Alice’s Restaurant’
Hulton Archive, Getty Images
Arlo Guthrie was just 18 years old in 1965 when he rolled into Great Barrington, Mass., to celebrate Thanksgiving with his friends, Alice and Ray Brock, who lived in an old church. Guthrie and a friend spent the day helping to clear debris from the Brock’s home, but it led to their arrest for littering, and the bust turned out to be crucial in getting Guthrie out of military service. The good deed gone wrong inspired Guthrie’s 18-minute career-launching “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.”
Read More: How Arlo Guthrie’s Arrest Inspired the Thanksgiving Classic ‘Alice’s Restaurant’
“Leftovers” Albums
While the meal is the highlight of Thanksgiving, raiding the fridge in the days following has its own joys. Similarly, sometimes musicians will dig deep into their archives for their own “leftover” albums. Many of our favorite artists – including the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty and Pink Floyd – have fashioned compelling releases out of songs originally deemed not suitable for release for one reason or another.
Read More: Top 10 “Leftovers” Albums
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