A Rock 'N' Roll Country Christmas

OMAHA (DTN) -- The rules in my parents' house on the farm were simple. Never answer back. No sleeping in. And never, ever, EVER touch the dial on radios in the house or half-ton truck.

For all my brothers and I knew, there was only country music in the world. On the busy farm, my family didn't listen to the radio often, except for grain prices, weather, local funeral details, top-of-the-hour news and occasional country music. Dad controlled the radio dial; my brothers and I honestly thought there was only one or two radio stations and they were permanently stuck on old-time country music.

Until ... one Christmas.

An aunt of mine, who lived in a big city a five-hour drive away, loved to bring gifts for us farm kids when she came to visit us during the holidays. Toys, books and -- one particular Christmas -- she brought a two-album set of songs that she thought would be perfect for us kids stuck indoors because of cold, snowy weather outside.

It was a daring gift. It wasn't country music, but she assured my father that this would be fun and appropriate music for young kids.

It was a double set of K-Tel 1970s hits. One was Looney Tunes, with classic songs like The Witch Doctor, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, Tip Toe Thru The Tulips With Me, the Chipmunk Song and so many other really, truly annoying songs etched into those vinyl record grooves. The second record in the package was supposed to be Goofy Greats, providing a similar genre of music -- awful and annoying to most adults, but probably appealing to bored kids in winter.

The first record had exactly what was advertised. My brothers and I listened, hooted, laughed and very loudly (and extremely badly) tried to sing along. Dad hurried outside an hour or two earlier than usual to do livestock chores just to escape us.

Then we spun the next album on our small record player. Suddenly, The Hollies' Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress belted out.

Confused, my brothers and I looked at each other. What was this, we nervously but also excitedly wondered. Next up? Dr. Hook's Cover of the Rolling Stone. There was also Mony, Mony by Tommy James and The Shondells.

We looked closer at the record. Somehow a Superstars Greatest Hits record had been accidentally packaged into our Looney Tunes/Goofy Greats set by the fine folks at K-Tel. My brothers and I weren't heartbroken. By the time my Dad returned to the house and realized what had happened, it was too late. Our innocence about music was gone.

After that, when my parents weren't around, we turned on the radio -- and discovered how many other radio stations actually existed. AND how many WEREN'T country music. It was one of the greatest revelations in our young lives.

When we were out in the fields, whenever Dad wasn't in the half-ton truck, my older brother would flip the station to rock 'n' roll. We'd panic whenever we'd see dad strolling back to the truck, as we'd quickly turn the knob back to dad's beloved country music station. Sometimes we got caught, and dad would make it quite clear that we were never to touch the dial. Only country music was tolerated. Long live country music!

However, to us, country music was dead.

Especially when, shortly thereafter, my brave older brother bought an eight-track player. The disco era was beginning to peak. One of the first eight-track tapes he bought had the songs Rubber Band Man and Disco Duck on it.

Dad never forgave my aunt.

Elaine Shein can be reached at elaine.shein@dtn.com

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