In April of 1979, John Denver made his first appearance on episode 401 of The Muppet Show, when he joined the gang for a weekend camping trip to Kermit the Frog’s hometown, the swamp. Several months later, Denver reunited with the Muppets on December 5, 1979, for the holiday television special, John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. The special paired the singer-songwriter with Jim Henson‘s flock of Muppets, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Scooter, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, and others, for sing-alongs, along with other songs Denver performed solo.
The soundtrack to the film features peformance by Denver and the Muppets of “Silent Night, Holy Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,””Deck the Halls,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Peace Carol,” “Christmas is Coming,” “When the River Meets the Sea,” “Little St. Nick,” “Noel Christmas Eve 1913,” and “The Christmas Wish.”
The album also included Denver’s “A Baby Just Like You,” a song he wrote for his newborn son Zachary, and his part-spoken word holiday hymn, “Alfie, the Christmas Tree,” about a small evergreen tree living happily in the woods.
Did you ever hear the story of the Christmas Tree
who just didn’t want to change the show
He liked living in the woods and playing with squirrels
He liked icicles and snow
He liked wolves and eagles and grizzly bears
and critters and creatures that crawled
Why bugs were some of his very best friends
Spiders and ants and all
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[RELATED: The 1975 John Denver Classic About Flying, Featuring Olivia Newton-John]
Now that’s not to say that he ever looked down on the vision of twinkling lights
or on mirrored bubbles and peppermint canes and a thousand other delights
And he often had dreams of tiny reindeer
and a jolly old man and a sleigh full of toys and presents and wonderful things
and the story of Christmas Day
Oh, Alfie believed in Christmas all right; he was full of Christmas cheer
All of each and every day and all throughout the year
“Alfie, the Christmas Tree” was part of a medley including “Carol for a Christmas Tree” and the David Pomeranz-penned “It’s in Every One of Us,” which was later performed at Henson’s memorial service in 1990.
The album, A Christmas Together, peaked at No. 13 on the Country chart, No. 26 on the Billboard 200, and No. 9 on the Americana / Folk chart.
‘Rocky Mountain Holiday‘
In 1983, Denver joined the Muppets for a second holiday film, bringing them on a hiking adventure in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado for the TV special, Rocky Mountain Holiday.
The soundtrack for the second movie, which picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Album for Children. featured more duets with Denver and Muppers, including “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” with Kermit, Scooter, Gonzo, Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Janice, and others, along with “Home on the Range” with Rowlf the Dog, and a medley of “Happy Trails” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” with Miss Piggy.
Aired in May of 1983, Rocky Mountain Holiday completed Denver’s two collaborations with the Muppets.
Photo: Bob D’Amico /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images
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