Nothing says “Christmas” quite like Mike Love and Dean Torrence nearly decking each other. the early 1980s saw Love and Torrence — of the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean fame, respectively — introducing new touring and recording models for fading rock & roll stars. In 1982, they hooked up with beer giant Budweiser, who sponsored a mini-tour of college areas in Florida and Texas and produced a single by the duo: “Be True to Your Bud,” a rewrite of the 1963 Beach Boys hit “Be True to Your School.” The next year saw a partnership with the then-ubiquitous electronics store Radio Shack that included exclusive in-store sales of a newly recorded album with pop and rock stars from the sixties and seventies singing other people’s hits.
Later in 1983, Love and Torrence applied the same general idea to a a home video release and accompanying LP — both titled Scrooge’s Rock & Roll Christmas — with several of the same acts tackling classic holiday songs. The home video framed the performances through a (very) loose adaptation of Ebenezer Scrooge and A Christmas Carol. The releases included performances by the Association, Bobby Goldsboro, Mary MacGregor, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Merrilee Rush and Three Dog Night, as well as by Love and Torrence, who scuffle a bit after Love hits Torrence square in the chest with a snowball. The “Rock & Roll” in the title is a bit of a misnomer but it’s still enjoyable stuff — and if nothing else, a fascinating time capsule. See for yourself…