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American Morning
James Brown Dies at Age 73; American Climbers Missing in China; 'A Twisted Christmas'; Which Video Game Console is Best?
Aired December 25, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news. Legendary singer James Brown is dead. We're looking back at the Godfather of Soul's unforgettable career.
MILES O'BRIEN CNN ANCHOR: Christmas 2006 from Vatican City to Bethlehem and Iraq. Christians are celebrating one of the most important days on their calendar. The sights, sounds and holiday prayers are ahead on this Christmas edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Good morning to you. Merry Christmas, Monday, December 25th. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CHO: And I'm Alina Cho, in for Soledad this week.
O'BRIEN: We begin this Christmas morning with some sad news, the death of a legend. James Brown, the man known as the Godfather of Soul, dead at the age of 73.
The legendary singer, seen here just Friday. His last public appearance, his annual toy giveaway in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia.
He died early this morning at an Atlanta hospital.
"Living in America" just one of a series of groundbreaking hits for the Godfather of Soul. Known as the hardest-working man in show business, he pioneered many of the sounds and rhythms of rap, funk and disco.
No official cause of death yet. Brown had been taken to the hospital suffering from pneumonia, however.
In just a moment we'll take a closer look at James Brown's legendary career.
Christmas morning, and you may be up early with some excited children, anxious to see what Santa left behind, but the exchange of gifts is the secular side of an important Christian holiday marking the birth of Jesus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: From the Vatican, the pope's message of peace beamed round the world. Benedict XVI celebrating midnight mass in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, issuing an appeal to help the children. POPE BENEDICT XVI, THE VATICAN (voice of translator): The Child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children, particularly those who suffer and are abused in the world.
O'BRIEN: But in Bethlehem itself, the Biblical birthplace of Jesus, hard times temper the celebration. Five thousand turned out in Manger Square, 2,000 packed the Church of the Nativity, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas -- the city itself on its knees from sanctions imposed against the Hamas-led government.
O'BRIEN: In Paris, the Eiffel Tower lit up like a Christmas tree -- literally.
Brazil, the normally festive atmosphere taking on a more reverent tone, as thousands turned out for the traditional holiday carnival.
And perhaps the oddest picture of them all from China. A seven- year-old Christmas tradition in the streets of Chongqing, 100,000 filling the streets, carrying inflatable hammers and bats -- apparently inspired by the New Year's Eve scene in Times Square.
And, of course, in Australia where it's not summer, it has to be Christmas on the beach.
Here in the States another tradition -- last-minute shopping. They were jamming the aisles at Macy's in New York City well into the Christmas Eve night.
Los Angeles malls packed to capacity with last-minute bargain hunters and plain old procrastinators. Santa pulling over-time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you like for Christmas, honey? What's that honey?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A Barbie.
O'BRIEN: Talk about a world away, Christmas in Kabul. A handful of Christians gathering there to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
And in Iraq, Christians brave devastating violence in the streets to celebrate a day of peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And our Ryan Chilcote is embedded with a few of the 140,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq. He's in Yusufiyah, inside the Sunni Triangle, where peace is rare. He's with members of the Army's 431 Infantry.
Here's his report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, YUSUFIYAH, IRAQ: In Iraq's "triangle of death," there's no such thing as holidays. Third Platoon is on the hunt for insurgents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the most part, it's just another day. And it's too bad, but we know what we're doing and we know why we do it.
CHILCOTE: Patrolling in the heart of a Sunni stronghold, Christmas feels as far away as they are from home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No snow, no winter wonderland, nothing like that.
CHILCOTE: In the four months they have been in Iraq, the platoon has seen five roadside bombs go off. They've been shot at 10 times.
Today is their first day policing this neighborhood. The only contact they're making is with kids. They've learned to take pleasure in small things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not as bad as what we're coming from. It's a little better. So, kind of nice, you know. A Christmas gift right here, to come to a better place.
CHILCOTE: The standard Christmas wish?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully get more than four hours sleep. That'll be a good Christmas present to me.
CHILCOTE: Night falls on Christmas Eve, but the mortar team is keeping everyone up.
In the platoon's tent, the light comes and goes. But it becomes apparent, there is something different about today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of my packages actually got blown up.
CHILCOTE: Each one of these men has a story to tell of sacrifice.
A lieutenant was shot by a sniper, but has been hiding it from his family so they wouldn't worry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you are my hero.
CHILCOTE: A sergeant got called back into the service for his third tour since 9/11, two weeks after he got married. They are on the receiving end of presents and letters from strangers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes we feel like a lot of people forget about us over here, or whatever. But you get stuff like this, it helps out a lot.
CHILCOTE: For the lieutenant, it's a gift from his 13-year-old cousin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When it's a holiday, and something happens to make you realize it's a holiday, like getting a present from your little cousin -- it means a lot. And getting mail. You know, whether it's late or not, it's Christmas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And that was CNN's Ryan Chilcote. We will check back with him live in the next hour.
Iraq certainly on the mind of President Bush this Christmas Day. He is celebrating the holiday with his family, but making sure to pay tribute to the men and women in uniform.
CNN's Elaine Quijano has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush and the First Lady are spending Christmas at Camp David with family, including their twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara.
The president, on Christmas Eve, called 10 American service members to wish them a Merry Christmas.
It's been a working weekend for the president, as well. On Saturday, he met for an hour with top aides, including his new defense secretary, Robert Gates, to discuss Iraq strategy.
After the holiday, the president heads to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and will return to the White House on New Year's Day. Thursday, he'll hold consultations on Iraq with the National Security Council.
And the president, early in the new year, is expected to make a speech to the nation to announce any changes to his Iraq policy.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: As we told you a moment ago, the Christmas celebration in Bethlehem is tempered by the violence and division in that troubled part of the world.
CNN's Elise Labott is live in Bethlehem with more -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, BETHLEHEM: Miles, about 5,000 pilgrims flocked to Manger Square last night, 2,000 packed the Church of Nativity for the midnight mass. The birthplace of Christ has fallen on hard times, and the conflict with Israel has really intervened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LABOTT: This Christmas, the Church of the Nativity stands empty. One lone pilgrim prays at the silver star marking the site where Jesus was born.
Manger Square is bare. Most of the souvenir shops are shuttered. For those like Naser Alawy, who remain open, sales are down.
NASER ALAWY, STORE MANAGER, BETHLEHEM: We hope we'll get many people -- "Insha'Allah," we say in Arabic, we hope so -- and at the same time have the peace will come to this land.
LABOTT: Israel has promised to help pass (ph) Christmas pilgrims in through this checkpoint. But the scene is far from welcoming.
The famous Hotel Alexander is nearly empty. Manager Joseph Canawati says, being broke doesn't encourage the Christmas spirit.
JOSEPH CANAWATI, HOTEL OWNER, BETHLEHEM: The majority of people here in Bethlehem, they're not going to celebrate Christmas from the heart. It's just -- it's artificial Christmas this year.
LABOTT: Bethlehem's woes are not about Fatah versus Hamas or Christian versus Muslim, says Mayor Victor Bartarseh. In fact, relations between Christians and Muslims are good. Instead, it's about money and separation.
Thousands of residents have not been paid in months, due to the international boycott of the Hamas-led government.
VICTOR BARTARSEH, MAYOR OF BETHLEHEM: Christmas is coming and I cannot pay the salaries of my employees.
LABOTT: And the little town of Bethlehem has been made even smaller by this concrete barrier. The Israelis built it to protect Jerusalem from suicide bombers, but it has also cut off many Bethlehem farmers from their land and their livelihood.
Forty-one-year-old Claire Anastas, a Christian, has lived in Bethlehem all her life. Now, she sees only gray.
CLAIRE ANASTAS, BETHLEHEM RESIDENT: I feel that we are buried alive. We are not animals. We are human beings.
LABOTT: This Christmas, Claire will pray for her four children, who she says have no future growing up in a prison of concrete.
ANASTAS: We try to let our children be happy, and to do as best as we can do -- even we lost everything. But we have to do some nice things on Christmas time.
LABOTT: The mayor of Bethlehem says, if Israeli occupation ends and peace returns, so will the people.
BARTARSEH: As long as we believe in Jesus, who was born in this city, then we have the hope that it will survive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LABOTT: So, Miles, obviously not as many pilgrims as there were in years past, before the conflict with Israel began.
But still, the residents of Bethlehem say that it's Christmas, the day Christ was born, in the city he was born, and they really need to celebrate the day as best they can and hope for a better day, both for Palestinians and for Israelis, the Palestinians together living side-by-side, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Elise Labott with an important hope on this Christmas morning. Thank you very much -- Alina.
CHO: Happening this morning, war planes from Ethiopia strike the airport in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The attack didn't do much damage, but is escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is backing Somalia's Western-backed government against the Islamists, who are trying to take power there.
In Europe, a British newspaper is reporting that Islamic militants may be plotting a terrorist attack over the holidays. "The Observer," citing U.S. and French security sources, names the Chunnel connecting England and France as the target. U.S. and British officials would not comment to CNN. But on Friday, U.S. officials said there was no evidence to suggest a specific target for attack.
And a fresh lead in the search for missing American climbers, Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler, in China. A man says he dropped them off near Gini (ph) Mountain on November 11th, close to the Tibetan border. He said he was holding their luggage for them, but they never returned. The climbers were due back in the States in early December.
O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, Chad Myers has your traveler's forecast on this Christmas Day, and a look back at the extraordinary life and career of James Brown.
You're watching a Christmas edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The hardest-working man in show business is at rest this morning -- James Brown, dead at the age of 73. The legendary, pioneering singer influenced artists from Mick Jagger to Michael Jackson.
CNN's Sibila Vargas with more on an amazing musical career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was the Godfather of Soul, Mr. Dynamite, a performer who lit up the stage with his distinctive voice and endless supply of energy.
All James Brown did was change the face of R&B, soul and funk music in the '60s and '70s, leaving behind those signature tunes that continue to influence today's generation of musicians.
Growing up poor in the Depression Era South, Brown said he shined shoes and danced for spare change. And despite a criminal record dating back to an armed robbery conviction in his teens, Brown managed to become a certified music icon. He emerged as a standout talent in the R&B group, the Famous Flames, in the late '50s. And with a hit album, "Live at the Apollo," released in 1963, James Brown shined in the national limelight. A year later, he and the Famous Flames performed together for the last time.
Soon after, Brown recorded two of the songs he would be known for the rest of his career. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," and "I Got You," in which he coined his catch phrase ...
JAMES BROWN, SINGER: I feel good!
VARGAS: ... topped both the R&B and pop charts in 1965.
Brown's style of rhythm and blues with attitude gradually earned its own genre. By the '70s, his music was funk.
He led a new group, the James Brown Revue, and the performer was now a bona fide hit machine, with more than 50 Top 10 R&B songs under his belt by the mid '70s.
But in the late '70s, a new musical craze took over the country, and the '60s hit maker, Soul Brother No. 1, struggled to connect with the disco generation.
Cameo appearances in hit movies of the '80s, like "The Blues Brothers," reintroduced Brown and his quirky performance style to younger audiences. His "Living in America" became a Top 10 hit in 1985, with both the song and singer appearing in "Rocky IV."
That success was short-lived. By 1988, Brown once again found himself tangling with the law. First came allegations of assault on then-wife Adrienne Brown. And just a year later, after Brown allegedly threatened people with a handgun, he sent police on an interstate car chase with police opening fire on Brown's pickup truck.
He was sentenced to six years in prison, paroled after 2.5. Brown had several more brushes with the law through the 1990s, arrested multiple times for drug possession and domestic abuse.
But that didn't change what Brown had done for music. The singer received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and inductions to both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Brown was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. He continued to work well into his 70s, touring internationally and performing for special events.
James Brown, the self-described hardest-working man in show business lived up to his name.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: No official cause of death yet. Doctors were treating him for pneumonia, however.
What an amazing career. And really, truly, never stopped working.
CHO: Known for his hair as much as his dancing.
O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
CHO: That's right.
Coming up, we'll take you to Christmas celebrations around the world, and the pope's message for this Christmas Day 2006.
And what does the Zune do that the iPod can't? Is it the next big thing in portable music?
You're watching a Christmas edition of AMERICAN MORNING. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Millions of Americans are getting iPods for Christmas, but competing devices are under the tree, as well.
Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business." So, what is this, the Zune, is what you're telling me?
ALI VELSHI, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The Zune. Yes.
CHO: OK.
VELSHI: This is Microsoft's response to Apple -- about five years late, I might add. But it's Microsoft.
If you look at a Zune, it looks a lot like an iPod. It's a little chunkier. It doesn't have the scratching and smudging. It costs about the same money as the iPod, and it does a couple of extra things.
A Zune has a radio in it. I don't know if anybody cares about a radio, but if you want one on your iPod, you have to buy a device, and it's like 60 bucks. So, you get that for the same money.
And Zunes have this function called -- I don't know what it's called -- but you can Zune other people. So, if any other Zune user is within 30 feet of you, you can send them songs and photos.
I'm thinking this is going to become like some kind of a dating thing, or a stalking thing. I can already see the movie.
CHO: So, it has that little circular thing, as well.
VELSHI: Yes, it doesn't ...
CHO: Just like the ...
VELSHI: It's not a -- it's more like a pad.
CHO: Got it. VELSHI: It doesn't -- you don't rotate it. It's not like the disk on an iPod.
CHO: Like the iPod, right.
VELSHI: But it looks exactly the same.
Now, the issue is, you can't take your music off an iPod out of your iTunes and put it onto a Zune. So, for all those established iPod users -- and Apple has 70 percent of the market.
CHO: There are many, yes, including me and you.
VELSHI: Yes, I mean, when I got my iPod, my first iPod I got as a gift, so I didn't care. I wasn't using it. It sat around for a little while. I figured out how to use it, and now I use it a lot.
I don't want to change.
CHO: Right.
VELSHI: So, the Zune, the issue is, if someone is going to Apple on -- and there are lots of MP3 players on the market -- but if someone's really going to take Apple on, Microsoft is probably the person to do it, the company to do it.
CHO: Right. But here's the question. I mean, can Zune really compete with iPod? I mean, I was in an Apple store the other day ...
VELSHI: Oh, it's unbelievable. It's mobbed.
CHO: ... waiting in line for hours.
VELSHI: Yes. Have you ever been in a software store that sells Microsoft stuff that's mobbed like that? I mean, Apple is all about the cool. It's a nifty gift.
Now, here's the other thing. Apple has succeeded, because its subscription model -- or its model for giving you music is very simple. You buy it, and it's yours.
Zune is a subscription model. You pay a monthly fee, you download a song, and as soon as you stop paying that fee, your song -- poof -- disappears. That's not caught on very well.
CHO: Right.
VELSHI: So, it's going to be tough to see. But that said, Microsoft is not a company that fails a lot.
So, if those of you who are opening up your presents are getting Zunes, if you haven't got an iPod you might want to give it a try. I tried it out. It seems fine. It seems like a nice little device.
CHO: OK. VELSHI: For those of you who are giving Zunes, and if you're in families where you're not opening the gifts until later today, you might want to just take it back.
CHO: Do they come in cool colors like the iPods we know?
VELSHI: They come in the white, the black, and they've got a brown, which they ...
CHO: Brown.
VELSHI: Yes, it's very strange. It looks like -- it's like, did you guys make that by mistake? It's one of those things where they say that it's not as generic or sterile as Apple. They're taking sort of a shot at Apple. I don't know how those brown ones are going to fly off the shelves.
CHO: Yes. All right. Pink is my favorite, just thought ...
VELSHI: Yes, yes. Not with (ph) Zunes (ph). We'll have to stay with the iPod for that.
CHO: OK. All right. Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business." Ali, thanks.
O'BRIEN: It's Christmas morning. We hope you're having a merry one. Coming up, a look at Christmas around the world from the splendor of the Vatican to a tiny church in war-torn Iraq.
And the music world loses a legend. The Godfather of Soul is dead this morning.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Remembering a musical legend. Singer James Brown dies overnight in an Atlanta hospital. A look back at the entertainer's groundbreaking career.
CHO: And praying for children and for peace. Pope Benedict XVI's holiday message as Christians celebrate Christmas around the world, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: Good morning to you, this Monday, December 25th. Oh, guess that means it's Christmas.
CHO: That's right.
O'BRIEN: Merry Christmas to you. I'm Mile O'Brien.
CHO: Merry Christmas to you, and to everyone. I'm Alina Cho in for Soledad this morning.
O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us this morning. Breaking news this morning, James Brown, the Godfather of Soul is dead. The legendary singer, seen here at his last public appearance on Friday, his annual toy giveaway in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia.
He died early this morning at an Atlanta hospital. He was 73.
"Living In America" just one of his groundbreaking hits. Known as the hardest-working man in show business, he pioneered many of the sounds and rhythms of rap, funk and disco.
No official cause of death yet. Doctors were treating him for pneumonia, however.
CHO: Christmas 2006, Christians celebrating around the world and here in the U.S. today. President Bush will spend the day with his family at Camp David. The president ushered in the holiday with a round of Christmas Eve phone calls to 10 U.S. troops, thanking them for their service.
In Vatican City, thousands are gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Benedict's traditional message to Rome and the world. His midnight mass was broadcast to 47 countries, and offered prayers for poor and suffering children around the world.
In Bethlehem, hundreds of worshippers at midnight mass near the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Most of the crowd, which included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, consisted of locals and Christian Arabs from Israel. The foreign tourist business has been hard hit by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Ramadi, Iraq, Christmas is just another day for one U.S. platoon on the front lines battling insurgents, but the scene is much different in Baghdad, where their comrades are celebrating with a traditional tremendous dinner. Tonight the troops will be treated to a Kid Rock concert.
Not a bad way to spend the holiday.
A white Christmas in Afghanistan. U.S. troops get into the holiday spirit as the bloodiest year since the fall of the Taliban five years ago draws to a close. Coalition troops held services and had a special Christmas meal before they went back to hunting the Taliban.
And who needs a white Christmas to get into the spirit? Nobody in Australia does. That's for sure.
People in Sydney spending Christmas day in the sun and surf, sporting bikinis and swim trunks. But as you can see there, they didn't forget to wear their Santa hats. Some even brought their own Christmas trees to plant in the sand.
M. O'BRIEN: That's a different kind of white Christmas, isn't it? Yes, white, sandy beaches.
CHO: That's right. M. O'BRIEN: In China, the search is narrowing for two missing American climbers. The two climbers disappeared after hiking on to a snowy mountain in the Sichuan province.
Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler, both very accomplished climbers, were due back in the U.S. on December 4th. Three hundred searchers are looking for them, but unlike the men trapped on Mt. Hood, they did not leave a detailed itinerary behind.
John Vause with details you'll see only on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Ted Callahan is leading what seems an almost hopeless expedition. He and 13 other experienced mountain climbers have fanned out across hundreds of square miles of rugged southwest China looking for two friends, Americans Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler.
TED CALLAHAN, SEARCH LEADER: We still have hope, but it's diminishing.
VAUSE: With the help of dozens of Chinese volunteers, some knocking door to door in villages, Callahan slowly pieced together where Christine and Charlie may have traveled.
CALLAHAN: We had people west of here, east of here and south of here. And they really tracked down every lead.
VAUSE: Everything has led the search teams here to the Genyan (ph) area. It's a half-day drive east of a small frontier town called Litang, where there was the last confirmed sighting of the two missing climbers. This past weekend came a possible breakthrough.
(on camera): Litang police now claim to have found luggage belonging to both Christine and Charlie. It was allegedly being held by a local man who works as a driver for tourists. Searchers are now assuming the bags were left unclaimed because the missing pair never made it back from the mountains.
(voice over): The focus for rescuers is now on Yenda, a small village where the driver claims to have dropped the climbers off November 10th to be collected two weeks later. But they never returned.
No one knows how long they've been in trouble; at least a month, maybe more. Local mountain guide Pn Xiao Long says it would be almost impossible for anyone to survive. "There is a lot of reason for concern," he told me, "because the time has been so long."
Still, this against-the-odds search will continue for the next few days at least in one of the most remote and isolated places on earth.
John Vause, CNN, Sichuan Province, China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Stay with us, because Chad's Christmas forecast is coming up.
Also, they are the hottest gifts this year, but which is better, Miles?
The PS3 and the Nintendo Wii, we're testing them out. So is Miles.
And what to do you want to do with your holiday? If you want to rock, we've got just the thing. A twisted Christmas is next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, that's the Twisted Sister you remember. Their 1980s hits like "We're Not Gonna Take It" hard to forget. Now, though, nearly 20 years after breaking up, the band is back with a sound you might not exactly expect.
Listen.
TWISTED SISTER (SINGER): O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, o come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
S. O'BRIEN: Joining us this morning, lead singer Dee Snider and guitarist Jay Jay French.
Nice to see you guys.
I have to tell you, I like the Luther Vandross Christmas album, the last Christmas album I bought. I love this CD so much. It's hilarious and it's great.
Why a Christmas album? You wouldn't necessarily think it.
DEE SNIDER, "A TWISTED CHRISTMAS": Yes. We were trying to figure out what to do to put the final nail in the coffin of our careers. And a Christmas album seemed like a good idea. Who knew people were going to like it?
S. O'BRIEN: Who knew people were going to run out and buy it?
JAY JAY FRENCH, "A TWISTED CHRISTMAS": It backfired. W were trying to figure out a way to never have to do business again. And now it looks like we are stuck with each other through at least the next Hanukkah record.
S. O'BRIEN: I believe it because it's a great -- it's a great -- first of all, the songs are so traditional. I mean, you have "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." O Come All Ye Faithful," "White Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Silver Bells." You know, every traditional one.
SNIDER: The truth is, we thought there was a void there, honestly. And we thought, where's the rock Christmas songs? You know?
You listen to -- you have Euro dance, disco pop mixes, but where's the rock? And we said, let's give it a shot. And yes, there was a concern that it might be damaging to our career. But we figured, what do we have to lose? They're not playing us on the radio anymore anyway.
S. O'BRIEN: And now they are.
SNIDER: And now they are, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: The sense of humor really translates. I mean, it sounds -- you know, sometimes you get a sense of people really having a good time when they do an album. That kind of translates.
Is it true? I mean, was it fun to record?
FRENCH: You know what? The band has always kind of had a dual-track personality. It's a heavy metal band, but we also are pretty funny guys. But when "We're Not Gonna Take It" became a hit, we were brandished by that image that we're just kind of like funny guys and it's a heavy band behind it.
A lot of time passed, and that time has really kind of transformed things and made it extremely acceptable. And now the humor has come back and people really wanted the holiday seasons to translate perfectly to it. And it was a lot of fun.
SNIDER: It was a fun to the '80s rock and metal that is lacking in today's music really. So I think that people are embracing it for that reason.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, and it's traditional. And you guys have been married 25 years. You have four kids.
SNIDER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: I mean, you're traditionalists.
SNIDER: Yes, we all have been married -- how many years? How many wives?
FRENCH: Many wives. A total of 19, I believe.
SNIDER: One wife.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to talk about that.
SNIDER: One wife. Yes, we just renewed our vows.
S. O'BRIEN: So under it all, you are just regular, traditional kind of guys.
SNIDER: I'm a big Christmas guy. Although this is killing my Christmas, quite honestly, being on the road. Just did the whole city thing yesterday. Went to the... (CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: Hard to be a star.
SNIDER: Yes, you've got to do that. You know?
FRENCH: You have to understand these culturally deprived Long Islanders. You know, I'm a Manhattanite.
S. O'BRIEN: Hey. Hey.
FRENCH: So I shop at Sephora with my daughter and embarrass the heck out of her.
SNIDER: Soledad's a Long Island sister right there.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to say, enough with slamming of Long Islanders, man.
SNIDER: Long Islanders.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly. Exactly.
You guys, good luck with the CD.
SNIDER: Thanks so much.
S. O'BRIEN: It's going to do great because it's...
FRENCH: Can we just say, by the way, portions of in of the proceeds and our tour go to Cure Autism Now.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm so glad to hear that.
FRENCH: OK.
S. O'BRIEN: That's great. My nephew is autistic. That is such great news.
FRENCH: We have to thank VH1 Classics and our record label, (INAUDIBLE), for partnering -- it's available everywhere.
SNIDER: Have "A Twisted Christmas," Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: No one can have mine. People keep trying to steal my copy. I'm like, "No, mine."
SNIDER: Yes, keep your hands off Soledad's.
FRENCH: We'll sign it, but don't put it up on eBay.
S. O'BRIEN: Please. Please. "A Twisted Christmas," stores now.
Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, thanks, guys. Appreciate it.
SNIDER: Pleasure, Soledad. FRENCH: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: All right. She gets all the good interviews, doesn't she?
For gamers it's been a good news-bad news holiday season. The good news, two great new machines out there: Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii. The bad news, you have to risk life, limb, long hours or long dollars to get one.
Now, in case you missed out and are still trying to decide what to get, we have some advice for you from those who know best.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN (voice over): Past the long line of PlayStation fanatics deep in the basement of the Sony store, we took our panel of experts to a place aptly called the Dream Room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So cool!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you add in the TV, this is, like, the coolest thing ever.
M. O'BRIEN: Meet the Game Boys: Robert, Dylan (ph), Harrison, and the one on my dole, Murrah (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Let's play.
M. O'BRIEN: PlayStation 3 on a humongous HDTV was a near religious experience for them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah. That's what I'm talking about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that. Like, you can see him -- it looks like he's really looking at it. Like he paused television.
M. O'BRIEN: The graphics are astounding. You would think it would be enough to give Sony's competitors a cold sweat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sweat is, like, pouring down his forehead.
M. O'BRIEN: But maybe not. We went back to our place, where Nintendo had shipped us a Wii to take for a spin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woo!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm in love with the console. It's beautiful.
M. O'BRIEN: The Wii is cheaper, fewer bells and whistles, and definitely inferior graphics. So I figured the Game Boys would not be impressed. I was wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE : You can move the controller, Dylan (ph). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Serious?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! See?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my god.
M. O'BRIEN: The cool thing about the Wii are the controllers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!
M. O'BRIEN: The players' movements match the action on the screen. It was a hit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like nothing that's ever happened, ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Totally.
M. O'BRIEN: What did you say, Dylan (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, no one ever has done this before. No one's ever done anything like this before.
M. O'BRIEN: Bottom line, the Game Boys see advantages to both systems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: PlayStation 3 is kind of almost -- it has amazing graphics and it's really for gamers. This is kind of, you know, like anybody can kind of, like, pick it up and play it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And do the -- you know, the Wii.
M. O'BRIEN: But if they had to pick one right now, which would it be?
(on camera): And what do you say, Robert, to your pals?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel alone, and you're not gamers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: So the Wii wins that one, but there is also a good news- bad news story there as well. The good news, that magic Wiimote is a lot of fun even for middle-aged TV anchors. The bad news, the Wiimote can easily turn into a Wii missile.
Coming up, we'll show you a story that helped prompt a nationwide recall of those Wiimotes.
CHO: That is a boondogle story if I ever saw one.
All right.
Forty-three minutes after the hour. Chad Myers at the CNN weather center with your Christmas forecast.
Hey, Chad. Merry Christmas.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Merry Christmas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHO: All right. Stay with us. Just ahead, Iran's angry reaction to U.N. sanctions.
Our Aneesh Raman joins us live from Tehran.
And we continue to follow the big breaking story this morning. Legendary singer James Brown dead at the age of 73.
We'll have a live report in just a moment.
Stay with us on this Christmas edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eat, eat, eat! We have all heard those words during the holidays. A wonderful time of year to celebrate, family, friends and lots of tempting food, but sometimes there is tremendous pressure to overindulge.
(on camera): My Italian grandmother -- I mean, a compliment to her would be to eat as much food as you possibly can.
ELLIE KRIEGER, REGISTERED DIETICIAN: Right. And I have worked with a lot of clients that do have trouble with their families, kind of forcing food on them, and this is part of how their families show love.
COSTELLO (voice-over): If your family tries to load you down with extra helpings, Ellie suggests telling them you'll have a little taste, because you are trying to be healthier.
KRIEGER: Scan the buffet, see what is your, you know, prime holiday food that you would miss out on if you didn't have any. Fill up on the fruits, vegetables and the lean proteins, and have a couple of those little specialty items.
COSTELLO: And Ellie's best holiday advice is to savor every bite and eat intuitively.
KRIEGER: Just slow down and listen to our bodies, we will wind up eating less and enjoying our food more.
COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back on this Christmas Day on this AMERICAN MORNING. A defiant reaction from Iran's president after the U.N. Security Council voted for sanctions to stop Tehran's nuclear program. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is warning the West that sanctions won't harm his country and won't keep them from trying to enrich uranium.
CNN's Aneesh Raman is live for us in Tehran this morning -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alina, good morning.
The U.N. hope was that these sanctions would stop Iran's nuclear problem. Instead, the country is only speeding it up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN (voice over): Despite U.N. sanctions in Iran, the defiance continues and the rhetoric is rising. In his first reaction, hard- line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned the U.N. would soon regret its decision, saying, "I am sorry for you who lost the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself know that you cannot harm this nation."
And from the foreign ministry, a charge the sanctions were illegal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Because we don't believe this resolution has undergone the right legal path, we're not bound to implement it. And we will continue our peaceful nuclear activities.
RAMAN: But perhaps the most significant development came from parliament, which is now debating whether Iran should suspend its relationship with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. That means Iran could kick out inspectors that are here and pursue its nuclear ambitions in secret. A decision that would significantly ratchet up tensions amid fears Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, something the Islamic republic consistently denies.
So why haven't the sanctions worked so far? In part, because they cut off technical aid for Iran's nuclear program. Aid Iran might not need as it moves closer to nuclear self-sufficiency. And Iranians at every level believe the need to create nuclear energy outweighs the impact of these sanctions.
"Since the Islamic resolution," says Hassan (ph), "we have always been sanctioned. Such sanctions have never had an impact on our day-to-day living."
Next year will prove make or break. Either the U.N. will figure out a way to stop Iran's program, or the world may have to simply accept a nuclear Iran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: There is one thing Tehran surely took note of in that vote. It was unanimous for these sanctions. A sign the international community is increasingly unified, Alina, against Iran's defiance.
CHO: CNN's Aneesh Raman in Tehran for us this morning. Aneesh, thank you.
M. O'BRIEN: We're watching the weather this Christmas morning. Chris Myers tells you if nature is going to give you a holiday headache as you head home from Christmas dinner.
And unwrapping the Wii. A look at Nintendo's hot new video game. If you opened one up this morning, you better duck.
Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Apparently, some old-school gamers aren't buying the new Nintendo Wii.
Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business."
So people are getting nostalgic.
VELSHI: Yes.
CHO: People our age or older.
VELSHI: Yes. Well, you know what I have? I have a little gadget that's got to be $20. And it plays Pac-Man and things like that, because that's the last time I was kind of involved in gaming.
But these -- this year has been all about the new boxes. A year ago it was Xbox. Now PlayStaion 3 and the Nintendo Wii. But there's this whole generation of people, sort of my age, who wear ties, who remember the old days, the Mario Brothers, the...
CHO: Space Invaders?
VELSHI: Right. The old games. And they've taken these old Nintendo -- the original Nintendo game players, which you can still get, and they've sort of hacked them so that you can play some of the new games on them.
Look at that thing. I mean, it's unbelievable. This thing was never sexy, let me tell you. Nintendo has never bought into the whole sleek and sexy thing.
CHO: That's right.
VELSHI: And they've modified some of the games, the new games you can play on them. You know, there's this whole generation of people who really stick to their old stuff. Now, think about how many things we use today that it's cool to go back to the old days and go through the trouble of hacking it so that they work.
CHO: Going retro.
VELSHI: Yes, because, I mean, think about the games that were out. Think about those games we used to play. You watch -- you play an NBA game on one of these new sets, it's hard to tell whether you are watching television or you're playing a game. I mean, the movement, the graphics. So, it's interesting that people are so attached to this, because it's what introduced us to gaming.
CHO: Right, but here's the thing. The new Wii has that great motion- sensitive thing.
VELSHI: Unbelievable.
CHO: And, I mean, that's cool.
VELSHI: On a lot of levels, this new Wii...
CHO: Never tried it, but it's very cool. It looks cool.
VELSHI: Well, Miles tried it, as you know.
CHO: That's right.
VELSHI: And it really is gaining a lot of ground for two reasons. One is the obvious one. I mean, look at him. He's punching.
CHO: I mean, check him out.
VELSHI: Yes, he called this work.
CHO: Oh man. Oh.
VELSHI: But he's punching.
CHO: Yes, work. Right.
VELSHI: Now, video games are -- they're sedentary, right? These kids are couch potatoes. Between the time we spend on a computer and the time kids spend -- it's not just kids, by the way -- the time we spend sitting around...
CHO: Come on, Ali. You're not calling this exercise, are you?
VELSHI: Well, but it is, kind of.
CHO: Kind of. All right.
VELSHI: I'm actually thinking as a -- you know, a little test. I might buy one and see. I like sports that doesn't involve me going out in the cold and changing.
CHO: Yes, not a bad idea, right? You do get a little exercise.
VELSHI: And unlike Sony, with the PS3, Nintendo has been able to ship more of these things. They'll have shipped about four million by the end of the -- by the end of the holiday season, which we've got a little less than a week to go.
You know, they have actually been able to deliver them. People are buying them. It's a good experience. Nintendo has done something interesting in the fact that they can keep those people around who were our age -- not your age, my age...
CHO: That's right.
VELSHI: ... who were buying them all those years ago. It's kind of interesting.
CHO: Yes. Great. Great stuff. All right.
VELSHI: Yes. It's a good brand.
CHO: Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business."
Ali, thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Be careful, Ali, about that age thing. I could have been a contender, you know. You know?
CHO: That's right.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. We're coming up on the top of the hour. Chad Myers at the CNN weather center with more on the weather picture.
Hello, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Breaking news. The godfather of soul silenced. James Brown dies in Atlanta overnight. We're looking back at his unforgettable career.
CHO: Prayers, celebrations and sacrifice. Christmas 2006 from the front lines of Iraq to Vatican City on this Christmas edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you. Merry Christmas, Monday, December 25th.
I'm Miles O'Brien.
CHO: Merry Christmas to you.
And I'm Alina Cho, in for Soledad this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us.
We begin this Christmas morning with some sad news, the death of a legend.
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