Saturday, December 14, 2013

Okay, you can play Christmas music now

Now that we're only two weeks away from Christmas instead of the day after Labor Day, I think it's finally appropriate to play Christmas songs. Here are some of my favorites and no-so-favorites. What are yours?

Personally, I get a warm feeling when I hear Nat King Cole’s “Christmas Song”, which was written by Mel Torme. One Christmas night I saw him eating alone at Delores coffee shop. It was ironic but sad.

The Phil Spector Christmas album is still my favorite. Putting aside that he killed someone, we thank Phil for a real musical gift.

And Darlene Love's , "Christmas Time for the Jews" which is a recent parody of her own work on the album is maybe the funniest Christmas song ever.

I fancy the oldies. Brenda Lee’s “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”, Bobby Helm’s “Jingle Bell Rock”, and the Beach Boys’ “Little St. Nick”.

The Boss’s Xmas ditty is pretty catchy as are the King’s.

Re: “White Christmas”, give me the Drifters over Bing. (Interesting that so many classic Christmas songs were written by Jews.)

Some obscure holiday songs I recommend: “Run Run Rudolph” by Chuck Berry, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by the Four Seasons, “Monster Holiday” by Bobby Boris Pickett (that one always tears me up), and “Santa Claus is Watching You” by Ray Stevens. Super obscure but worth finding is “Lost Winter Dreams” by Lisa Mychols. And for the motherlode of bad taste fun, try to find Claudine Longet singing “Winter Wonderland”. Before she shot skier Spider Sabich in cold blood she and husband, Andy Williams, were the first couple of the season. Their annual family Christmas special was a must-see. They even have a kid named Noel.
Songs I can’t stand: “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano, “Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney, and “the Little Drummer Boy” by anybody. Whey do stations overplay TO DEATH the songs that are the most repetitious? I seem to recall Paul Anka singing Christmas in Japan, which was like a drill to the head. Also, anything sung by kids usually makes me cringe.

I’m only sorry Kurt Cobain left us before he could give the world his Christmas album.

For a more vocal pop sound, you can’t beat Linda Eder’s holiday album. Her version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” would bring a tear to a glass eye. Listen for it the next time you’re in an elevator.  This year she recorded another Christmas album.  Worth getting too.  Streisand is great, but there’s more ornamentation than on the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. Johnny Mathis is a little too sugar plum fairy for my tastes, and you can always count on “Mr. Peace and Goodwill to All Men”, Sinatra. The Carpenters have their fans too. And The Manhattan Transfer's acapella album is gorgeous.   And of course there's Mariah.

But if I had to pick my all-time favorite Christmas song, the one that most expresses my feelings about the holiday season, it would have to be “The Christmas Song” by the Chipmunks. Sometimes the right song and the right performers just combine for sheer perfection.

Hopefully I can get the strolling Hawaiian minstrels to sing it tonight at the bar.

73 comments :

VP81955 said...

Ken, this came out in small-sized type. Intentional?

Anyway, my favorite Christmas record is Sinatra's "The Christmas Waltz," which he actually recorded twice. (OK, that's true for many songs he performed -- heck, he even did two versions of George Harrison's "Something.") Anyway, "The Christmas Waltz" -- either version -- is a lovely recording.

And speaking of Mel Torme, I've heard his jazzy version of "Good King Wenceclas" (which is actually far better than the concept implies) in two different supermarkets this holiday season.

Gary said...

How about two classics from Elvis -- "Santa Bring my Baby Back To Me" and his raunchy "Blue Christmas." Another Beach Boys gem is "The Man With All The Toys " with those signature harmonies. More recently, "My Grownup Christmas List" by Kelly Clarkson has very touching lyrics.

Zappa the Unholy said...

Happy Xmas (War is Over), John Lennon nailed it! And of course either Silent Nightclub, and Cocktails with Santa by Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine. The two greatest xmas albums ever.

Jesus said...

Thank you very much for your choices. I'll definetively look into the.
Here's mine:
* EllaFitzgerald's Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas. That album is fantastic, first song to last one. Even the rejected renditions of The Christmas Song, White Christmas and Frosty, the Snowman. If a woman knows how to sing that's la Fitzgerald. She can warm your heart, make you feel happy, sad, playful or (sorry) even horny. She can convey every single feeling with her voice.
One of the greatest voices of the 20th century. Of history. Period.

Chas said...

Every year I break out Vince Guaraldi's "It's A Charlie Brown Christmas". Great jazz piano and some kid's chorus from the tv special that really capture the holiday spirit. Never get tired of it.

Paul Blake said...

Ken, couldn't agree with you more about McCartney's song, and your love of "our" generation's recordings. For me, one that never fails to bring a smile to my face is The Ventures version of "Sleigh Ride" - it's so ridiculous that it's actually good!
Paul

Scooter Schectman said...

I once played "St Bernie the Sno-Dog" by the Roger Nichols Trio so we could all laugh about it, but was disturbed by the genuine horror and snarling rage it seemed to inspire. Supernatural evil...

Jeffro said...

Another obscure song that never gets enough airplay is The Band's Christmas Must Be Tonight (the original version that appears on their 1977 album "Islands"). Hall & Oates did a decent cover version of it not too long ago.

And speaking of The Band, even though it's not about Christmas, another song of theirs that puts me in a wintery mood is Acadian Driftwood, especially if I find myself in Eastern Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Quebec) and even in parts of Maine.

Carol said...

My picks:

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy as performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Father Christmas by the Kinks

Fairytale in New York by the Pogues

pumpkinhead said...

Recent discovery for me: Don't Shoot Me Santa from The Killers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cglLJJ0Czo8

LouOCNY said...

Try the album Christmas Island by.... Leon Redbone. The highlight- a duet of Frosty the Snowman with Dr John! Its a nice mellow record, and very mellow.

LouOCNY said...

Also..on the must-hear-if-only-once list is a little ditty by the inimitable Tiny Tim. Just search "Tiny Tim" and "Santa Claus" on You Tube. You have been warned!

Anonymous said...

OMG, I have Christmas songs out of my ears.

This is my second time on this board. Am amazed about the productivity of the host. Does that mean if I cannot write like this I cannot write a script?

A couple of thoughts:

Funny Kelly Clarks X'mas production is much better than that reproduction of "Sound of Music," and it's not mentioned. Why everybody talks of Carrie Underwood. Why everybody thinks she is so charming?

If Britney cannot be cast for "My Fair Lady", how about Miley? The professor should definitely be Ryan Gosling.

Unknown said...

Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," is an overlooked holiday gem.

pumkinhead said...

Here's one you probably never heard but shouldn't miss, by the late Alan Mann, a Philly artist, who wrote it about the residents of a local group home for blind that would decorate a Christmas tree for everyone else to see, though they couldn't. Christmas on the Block.

Original video (filmed at the actual home, and the first independent music video to air on MTV)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvYPf5dtg_k

Live Cover performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRISwzk1Q3I

And a blog about the singer and the song:

http://rarebird9.blogspot.com/2009/12/alan-mann-christmas-on-block-1983.html

The Mutt said...

Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.

ddatch54 said...

My 2 favorites are

Johnny Winter - Please Come Home for Christmas

Carnie & Wendy Wilson - Hey Santa

VincentS said...

Carol of the Bells!

VincentS said...

Carol of the Bells!

Doug Thompson said...

One of my all time Yuletide favs is the 1978 Eagles version of the Charles Brown co-written song "Please Come Home For Christmas". Besides Jon Bon Jovi, the song has been recorded by the likes of Cee Lo Green, James Brown, Pat Benatar, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride, The Platters and Kelly Clarkson.

Speaking of The Band's song "Christmas Must be Tonight",
(as Jeffro did a few posts above) guitarist Robbie Robertson recorded a solo version of that song for the soundtrack to the movie "Scrooged" starring Bill Murray.

Justin said...

Eder's recording of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is lovely, though that's one of those songs that, to me, will always belong to Judy Garland. As Eder cites Garland as one of her strongest influences, I doubt she would argue.

Name said...

Oh My Gosh! Yes! I hate hearing Christmas music in the middle of September! By the time Christmas comes around, I'm sick of it!

[Doesn't help much that I'm in the school band where we play the same four Christmas songs over and over again for four months! (= ]

vicernie said...

lets not forget the Jimmy Boyd version of "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus".

Doug said...

A couple of great secular holiday versions: Hall & Oates - Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday, and Jimmy Sommers with Chris Botti - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

John said...

Favorites: White Christmas by Bing Crosby, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland, Sleigh Ride by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.

YEKIMI said...

Thanks for the small type, my eyesight has now gone from 20/800 to 20/1200. [Yeah, I know, probably not intentional].

I'm so SICK of the same songs being played over and over on the radio [Hey, Clear Channel, Cumulus, CBS...are there more than the same 50 Christmas songs you play over and over on your crappy stations?}

My taste leans towards the more "strange" Christmas songs such as "Christmas At Ground Zero" by Weird Al, "I Farted On Santa's Lap" by the Little Stinkers and tunes of that nature. I came across some dance club mixes of Christmas songs which I really enjoyed cause it put a way different spin on the Christmas classics.

Toledo said...

Dominic the Donkey.

mark said...

Lennon's Happy Xmas and Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time Is Here never get old for me. And, once per year, I can take just about any other Christmas song but only once. After that, I'd rather pull my skin off than suffer through them again. It's kind of like turkey. Once at Thanksgiving is great. Twice in a year is one too many. I'm a professional jazz musician and end up playing Christmas songs every year starting around Thanksgiving. Depending the quality of player I'm working with, this can be run the gamut from fun to "someone kill me now" bad. Generally, unless the singer is really great, it's more fun to play them without a singer and mess with the harmony and rhythm a bit.

Wendy M. Grossman said...

I basically can't stand Christmas music.

EXCEPT FOR (and Ken, I urge you especially to run, not walk, to the Web site): the album Oy! to the World by The Klezmonauts. Fantastic as-if-they-were Jewish renditions of some of the best-known carols. Exceptional musicians with a sense of (Jewish) humor.

wg

Cap'n Bob said...

Happy Xmas, by John Lennon; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, by Judy garland; Little Saint Nick, by the Beach Boys; Run, Run, Rudolph, by Chuck Berry; Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, by Brenda Lee; Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helms; and I'll Be Home For Christmas, by Elvis.

But my favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night.

Rob said...

I Believe in Father Christmas

Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) - Ramones

Christmas in Prison - John Prine

Santa Lost a Ho - Christmas Jug Band

Christmas Baby Please Come Home - U2

Yah Shure said...

"Snoopy's Christmas" tops my list. Best hook ever. Other favorite critters: the Chipmunks and the Singing Reindeer, but the parakeet and the canary (Tweety & Sweety on "Silent Night") should have never been allowed out of the coal mine. Proof positive the Storz label should've stuck to bottled beer.

I also enjoy all things orchestral from Percy Faith, Bert Kaempfert, Raymond Lefevre, Paul Mauriat, Andre Kostelanetz... hell, even Mantovani. Other random faves: "Louisiana Christmas Day" (Aaron Neville), "I Wish It Could Be Chrismas Everyday" (Roy Wood), "The Marvelous Toy" (Chad Mitchell Trio), "Deck Five" (Saturday's Children), "Happy Holiday" (Steve & Eydie),
"Christmas Is Quiet" (Wild Colonials) and Freberg's "Nuttin' For Christmas" (label description: "vocal with burglar.")


Favorite holiday-defining album: Mathis' 'Merry Christmas.' So-awful-it's-great 45: Cindy Rella's "Bring Me A Beatle For Christmas." Nothing screams Fab Four devotion more than a backing track straight outta Annette's "Tall Paul."

Found a surprise in the seasonal 45s stacks I've never played before: "Some Things For Xmas (A Snake, Some Mice, Some Glue And A Hole, Too" by Shari Lewis And Lambchop. Must rectify oversight ASAP.

Anonymous said...

I wish some one had the guts to play the Phil Spector Christmas album....Phil could use the ASCAP rating. Jack FM???????

Mike Heath said...

Ken, you're not REALLY saying that Springsteens live "Santa Claus is coming to town" is actually good, are you?

Bing and Bowie is a fun one. Love the video for that.
Most of the 50's christmas songs have been played to death.
Lennon sounds great in his song and James Taylor does it right

Marie said...

I used to only like the old classics, my favs being Nat King Coles' 'the Christmas song', and Perry Comos' 'Do you hear what I hear.' I hated when people would do remakes of songs. But then I heard 'God rest ye Merry Gentlemen' by the Barenaked Ladies, featuring Sarah McLachlan and because of her voice it has become a new favorite.

Jeffro said...

Here's a pretty interesting list of songs:
"10 alternative Christmas songs you probably haven’t heard before" - metro.co.uk

Also Christopher Lee (sometimes known as Saruman, or sometimes known as Count Dooku or Darth Tyranus), has released a couple of MP3s last year:
A Heavy Metal Christmas

And he just released a couple more:
A Heavy Metal Christmas Too

Jeremiah Avery said...

One that makes me laugh is "12 Pains of Christmas" by Bob Rivers.

RCP said...

Not a big fan of Christmas songs in general but do like instrumentals like "The Holly and the Ivy" by George Winston, "Greensleeves" and "Carol of the Bells."

Brian Drake said...

Back in my music radio days, we always had a rotation of Christmas songs, but only a small stack, and none of them were any good.

I used to hate "Little Drummer Boy" too, until I read the lyrics and discovered how much rum is in it. Drunk is about the only way you can survive that song.

Greg Ehrbar said...

Lots of good stuff here...

In addition, I'd like to throw in some songs from movies and specials, like
* "Somewhere in My Memory" from
Home Alone
* "It's Christmas All Over the World"
from Santa Claus the Movie
* "Heat Miser/Snow Miser Song" from
The Year Without a Santa Claus
* "An Old Fashioned Christmas" from
The Stingiest Man in Town
* "Winter Was Warm," "Alone in the
World," "We're Despicable"...
pretty much every song from Mr.
Magoo's Christmas Carol.

BTW, Walt Disney was a little ticked that Ross Bagdasarian did so much better than the Disney record company did with a similar concept one year before "The Chipmunk Song":

http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/walt-disneys-christmas-concerts/

KoHoSo said...

I have a lot of favorites over many genres, some of which have already been mentioned. I'll try to add just a few for folks to consider.

For full albums...

Buck Owens' first two Christmas albums: Christmas with Buck Owens & His Buckaroos (1965) and Christmas Shopping (1968). These are just plain fun.

Something traditional? Songs of Christmas by the Norman Luboff Choir (1956). This was a staple in my house growing up. Some songs are abbreviated but are presented in beautiful medleys.

Need just one Christmas song? Merry Christmas from the Family by Robert Earl Keen (1994). No other Christmas song is more funny or honest.

Some already mentioned Carol of the Bells. Try out Natalie Cole's version from her The Magic of Christmas album. The jazzy arrangement is just stunning.

Finally for any Dead Heads out there, I think the version of Run Rudolph Run from December 14, 1971 at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor was the best. It's still out there for free on the Internet Archive and is a great copy.

Joey H said...

Should I mention now that "Turkey Lurkey Time" is actually a Christmas song?

Ken Copper said...

It's not Christmas until you break out Elvis's "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" and "Backdoor Santa" by B.B. King.

Judge Stone said...

When you saw Mel at the coffee shop, did you ask if he knew where Harry Anderson was? I always enjoyed Mel, as a singer and his sit com appearances...always a good sport. He was a fine drummer, too. That said, his Christmas Song is still one of my faves. As are most of the traditionals. And Burl Ives, of course!

Pat Reeder said...

Ella Fitzgerald's and Peggy Lee's Christmas albums are great. Dean Martin made a couple of fun ones where he sounds well-lubricated with plenty of hot toddies. I like singers who actually hold notes and convey the meaning of the lyrics, like Nancy LaMott (she made a terrific Christmas album). All the "American Idol" style ululators who oversing carols should be crammed down the chimney headfirst. My wife, who is a real singer, and I fell over laughing last week during the Rockefeller Center Christmas special, watching Mariah Carey in her skintight, corseted, spangled gown, singing "Jo-oy-oy-oy-OY-oy to the Wuh-uh-uh-uh-UH-urld..." as she moved her hand up and down, directing her larynx. As Peter Griffin would say, "Stop doing that!"

My favorite instrumental Christmas album that doesn't feature Vince Guaraldi is John Fahey's "The New Possibility," all gorgeous acoustic guitar arrangements.

For heartwarming holiday classics, you can't beat the Youngsters' "Christmas in Jail" or Commander Cody's "Daddy's Drinkin' Up Our Christmas." From my neck of the woods, I recommend the Texas Gypsies' Christmas album, Asleep At The Wheel's "Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all" (just got back from seeing their fantastic Christmas concert, "Santa Loves To Boogie"), plus Michael Murphy's "Cowboy Christmas" and "Cowboy Christmas II" (all acoustic and recorded in a small town church).

And then there's our favorite Christmas album of all, the one we play every year when unwrapping gifts: Leon Redbone's "Christmas Island." Wouldn't you like to hang your stocking by a great big coconut tree? Then get a copy.

Anonymous said...

Back Door Santa by Black Crowes. awesome
-Sammy

Anonymous said...

For the summer-suffering Southern Hemispherians:
'White wine in the sun' - Tim Minchin. And pretty much anything else by Tim at any time of year.
Also, 'Present Face' by Garfunkel & Oats.
And my family wakes up every Xmas morning to 'Holy Shit it's Christmas' by Red Peters.

Merry Christmas Ken.

Wendy M Grossman said...

the marvellous toy (written of course by the marvellous Tom Paxton) I had never thought of as a Christmas song but it makes sense. he wrote it when he was in the army stuck in a superfluous typing class.

wg

Jim Linzer said...

Allow me to second the hate for "Little Drummer Boy." The music is monotonous; the rhymes are built around onomatopoeia (e.g., drum/ta-dum), which is cheating (exception allowed for Poe's "The Bells"); and the story misrepresents the Biblical account of Jesus's birth. You would think that the last point would make more people angry, but the conservative church folk I know seem to have all convinced themselves that there really is a little drummer boy in the Bible.

LinGin said...

I attended an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva between the ages of 3 and 9 so I love all Christmas music (sacred, secular and profane). Nothing like forbidden fruit to make you love something.

And Greg Ehrbar - a big YES to "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol." The Styne/Merrill score is one of the greats of all times. I wish someone would turn it into a seasonal Broadway show (the songwriters' pedigree is certainly more impressive than those who wrote "Elf.") I believe they should drop the Mr. Magoo framing device (Jim Backus took that character with him)and go with the rest of it.

bruce said...

Singapore (which I'm visiting for a math conference) has a great desire to celebrate Christmas, even though the Christian population is not very large (under 20% by Wikipedia). It has been surpassingly weird to hear invocations of snow in a land where the all time low temperature is 67. Not to mention repeated requests by Burl Ives to have a "holly, jolly" Christmas.

Carolyn said...

The wonderful animated version of the Drifters' White Christmas. (Animator Joshua Held.)
http://youtu.be/ddVZOK_9UUI

Ron said...

But Ken, were not you also at Delores' on Christmas without family.

Judith said...

Mostly, I don't like any of the pop sentimental tunes about the Christmas/holiday season. Except for a few, like White Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, avoiding the actual religious content and paying tribute just to some amorphous holiday atmosphere brings out the worst in lyricists.

However, here's a good song, "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and a great version by Billie Holiday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs4AUuZ9TKk#t=40

Baylink said...

Well, here's my contribution:

My 2009 Christmas album/mix, with title track by the inevitable Red Peters

http://panther.baylink.com/pub/Holy%20Shit,%20It's%20Christmas%20'09.mp3 [warning: 109MB/72min MP3]

Steve said...

Check out Holly Cole's Christmas CD "Baby It's Cold Outside." And thank me later, as Larry King would add.

Kirk said...

"Have Your Self a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland

"Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon

"You're a Mean One Mr Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft

"The Cristmas Song" by Nat King Cole

"Santa Clause is Comin' to Town" by Bruce Springsteen

"Santa Clause is Comin' to Town" by Bing Crosby and the Andrew sisters (if for no other reason than "You mean the big fat man with the long white beard" at the end.

"Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt

Yah Shure said...

@Wendy M. Grossman: While Paxton may not have written "The Marvelous Toy" as a Chistmas song, the Mitchell Trio achieved their biggest hit by timing their version to coincide with the 1963 Christmas season. And although it wasn't a hit, Peter, Paul & Mary likewise paired their own cover with "Christmas Dinner" as their end-of-'69 single, just as "Jet Plane" was rising to the top.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" was likewise tinselized for Herb Alpert & the TJB's Christmas Album in 1968. The Von Trapp connection to MFT seems to grow dimmer with each year's TJB reappearance in the all-Christmas sweepstakes.

Hamid said...

I loathe McCartney's Xmas song too. Actually, I've loathed pretty much everything he's done post-Beatles except for Live & Let Die.

My favorite Christmas song ever is a I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard, a classic from the 70s. I don't know if that ever made it to the States but it's worth a listen on youtube!

Storm said...

Carol said: "My picks:

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy as performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Father Christmas by the Kinks

Fairytale in New York by the Pogues..."

You are just the kinda dame I wanna hoist an egg nog with, because I just came in here to post those exact three songs. Cheers!

I love "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", but it makes me cry when I hear it, because radio stations and regular folk played it OUT Xmas of '80, just a few weeks after Lennon's murder. Every time it came on, people would start crying, but damn if they didn't keep playing it anyway.

And as a faux queen and drag mother, you know I love Eartha's "Santa Baby", a drag Xmas classic.

Cheers, and happy holidays,

Storm

Mark in Auburn said...

Ken, Since you're a fan of THE NEWSROOM I wonder if you've checked out Jeff Daniels' "Won't You Please Stay For Christmas Santa Claus" or Alison Pill's cover of "Santa Baby".

Darth Weasel said...

local radio station used to play "Green Christmas" by Stan Freberg...best Christmas "song" ever...

Jeffro said...

One final suggestion from me:

The King's Singers A Little Christmas Music.

The a capella tracks are my favorites, but I also like the old (well, older than the rest) English carols as well as the Spanish ones.

Someone has made a YouTube playlist of it, but instead of using the titular "A Little Christmas Music—Medley à la Mozart" from the album, the playlist maker used their more well-known version from the 1987 ABC special, Julie Andrews: The Sound Of Christmas (with John Denver as W.A. Mozart). The album version, with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, can be found here.

Enjoy! A have a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

—Jeffro

Courtney said...

Gee, nobody mentioned Bob Dylan's Christmas album.
I won't either.
However, I will pull your coat to an obscure holiday trinket I heard once on an Eddie G promo cassette; "Christmas Day" by Detroit Junior. There's more plain joy in its two minutes' play than Mannheim Steamroller could contrive in a five-day run at Radio City Music Hall.

Jeffro said...

OK, regarding my previous comment, a little white lie—timely for a "White Christmas", somewhere. Here's another list I came across on the Interwebs:
Esquire.com: The 30 Best Alternative Holiday Songs.

iconoclast59 said...

I can't believe nobody's mentioned James Brown's Funky Christmas! "Go Power at Christmas Time" is awesome, as is "Sweet Little Baby Boy." If you want something truly different, this is it!

DwWashburn said...

Serach down "A Baby Just Like You" by John Denver. Terrific. I also like "Mary's Boy Child but not the Boney M version.

DrBOP said...

Babs Gonzales "Christmas NYC/Scat"

But it's not really Christmas until Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman with Paul Schaefer and the band.
They usually absolutely raise the roof, while we're rockin' in front of the tube. Good times!

Storm said...

DrBOP said: "...But it's not really Christmas until Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman with Paul Schaefer and the band.
They usually absolutely raise the roof, while we're rockin' in front of the tube. Good times!"

No lie, this is twice now; I just came in here to add that I'd forgotten how much I love seeing/hearing Darlene do that song every year, and you beat me to it, by a few hours! Her voice makes me feel the spirit, and I'm a notorious Yule-celebrating heathen.

Oh, and I like your icon. I miss John Candy so very much.

Cheers, and happy holidays,

Storm

*tarazza said...

Linda Eder's "Christmas Stays the Same" album has been my favorite Christmas album for 13 years, since it came out. It cannot be beat. By anyone. I finally had to buy a new copy this year because my original CD was so scratched!

Todd said...

I finally had to buy a new copy this year because my original CD was so scratched

For the life of me, I've never understood how CDs get scratched up. I've been collecting them for nearly twenty years and have never had one get scratched up.

Fred said...

I'm not sure if anyone weighed in on this but I loved Stan Freberg's Green Christmas from the first time I heard it in the 60's.
BTW Hate Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by anybody.

Unknown said...

Okay, you can play Christmas music now is really interested article. Thanks for sharing it.