Christmas Songs - S&D!!!!

"There Ain't No Sanity Clause" by the Damned.

the one by mariah carey. gorgeous song. love "last christmas" by wham as well.

I think Kindercore released a Christmas cd a few years ago--original songs by K-core artists...

D: 'novelty' Christmas songs, Mr Blobby, etc

Also S: The cover of Mud's "Lonely This Christmas" my mate Feedle did. It's truly beautiful!

and the rest of their christmas album.

Mr. Noodles -- "Christmas Wrapping" OTM.

Destroy:
quickie holiday records by big artists recorded solely so that they'll have some new product in the shops during the December shopping season (way too many to list)

1. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"
2. "Frosty the Snowman"
3. "Jingle Fuckin' Bells"

I especially loathe scat-splattered jazzy renderings of Christmas songs as well. Makes me want to shave my head, speak nothing but backwards Latin, become a full thelemite and go live in Bolskine House on Loch Ness.

I'd love to hear the Kinks' "Father Christmas" and Mud's "Lonely This Christmas", yet I don't believe I ever have.

For me:
Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here"... evokes childhood's christmases; beautifully melancholic. Piano playing of levity and gravitas; a spare production... very moving. Love the choral version.

Lew Stone produced 1946 version of "Let It Snow". A less obvious choice than "White Christmas" certainly, though that too inevitably has its place; it was always *there*...

Flaming Lips' "Christmas at the Zoo" is reasonably good I suppose, yeah.

Ashamed to say that Wham's "Last Christmas" has its place in my yuletide affections... I always seem to associate childhood christmases with things like Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley's "Thank You Very Much" from the 1971 film musical "Scrooge", starring Albert Finney. This always got shown on TV around the xmas period; I strongly recall watching it at junior school near the holiday and soon after it being on TV. ;-) Really loved the film, and this song in particular brings back so many memories...

Here's a Gone Daddy Finch version. 'Sokay. (Scroll down a bit.)

http://www.gonedaddyfinch.com/gonedaddyfinch/mp3page.html

S: Jona Lewie - "Stop The Cavalry", The Pretenders - "2000 Miles" (which Coldplay have apparently covered, for shame), Shane'n'Kirsty obv, "Last Christmas" oh yeah, Dandy Warhols - "Little Drummer Boy"

D: Cliff urgh. Most Christmas songs are aces tho, just cos it's Christmas innit.

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is such a weird song when sung by Frankie Valli.

Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

As sung by the Four Seasons this comes across like really surreal, mordant humor. Father walking in on his wife smooching a four-hundred pound mythical figure, and little Frankie sitting in the corner thinking it's all really quite an amusing scene.

Chris Rea - Driving Home For Xmas (The Revenge Re-rub)

hearing the Jackson 5 sing it is weird too because I doubt irl the kids would have ratted their mom out to their abusive dad if they had caught her cheating, especially with a guy like Santa who would have made a pretty awesome stepdad

yeah whenever I hear Michael say "I'm gonna tell my dad!" I just picture Joe Jackson losing his shit.

I just picture Joe Jackson losing his shit.

I was thinking the same thing hearing this song earlier today.

That's really funny that we all have the same comic-horror reaction to this JAckson Five song.

as a side story: my mom went to HS for a year with the Jackson Five, and she told me that one time she and her girlfriend puts wigs on and they went up to Jermaine and one of the other brothers and they sang "ABC" to them as a teasing joke -- my mom says that the Jackson Five weren't considered cool, like, say, Blind Faith (actual example) or whatever -- and that Jermaine took the joke in stride and thought it was funny but that everybody laughed when they did it.

Well since posting on ILM I inevitably link that story with the notion of baby boomer rockism, and vice versa.

Last night I spent another lonely Christmas
Darling, darling, U should've been there
Cuz all the ones I dream about
U are the one that makes my love shout
U see, U are the only one I care 4

Remember the time we swam naked in your father's pool
Boy, he was upset that night
But boy, was that ever cool
Remember that night we played poker 4 money
And U robbed me blind
Remember how U used 2 scream so loud cuz U...
U hated that number 9
Hey, I saw your sister skatin' on the lake this afternoon
Good heaven, how she's grown
She swoons the boy skaters cuz she's so tall
But of all your father's children
All your father's children, baby
U know U are the finest of them all
U are brighter than the northern star and I...

Last night I spent another lonely Christmas
Darling, darling, U, U should've been there
Cuz U see, of all the ones I dream about
U are the one that makes my love shout
U see, U are the only one I care 4, yeah

My mama used 2 say always trust your lover
But now I guess that only applies 2 her
Cuz baby, U promised me
Baby, U promised me U'd never leave
Then U died on the 25th day of December

Oh baby, last night, oh, I spent another lonely, lonely Christmas
Darling, baby, U, U should've been there
Cuz all the ones I dream about
U are the one that makes my love shout
U see, U are the only one I care 4, yeah

Your father said it was pneumonia
Your mother said it was stress
But the doctor said U were dead and I...
I say it's senseless
Every Christmas night 4 7 years now
I drink banana daiquiris till I'm blind
As long as I can hear U smiling, baby
U won't hear my tears
Another lonely Christmas is mine, yeah, mine, yeah
Another lonely Christmas is mine

Last night, yeah, I spent another lonely, lonely Christmas
Darling, darling, U should've been there, yeah
Cuz all the ones I dream about
U are the one that make my love shout
U see, U are the only one I care 4

Another lonely...

Ramones - Merry Christmas
Der Bingle - White Christmas(at one point was the best selling song, period)
the drifters - white christmas (killer version)
George Strait - White Christmas (ditto)
Shonen Knife - Space Christmas

second the request of where to find Can - Silent Night

http://www.mute.biz/can/silentnight.html

Apart from carols (Gaudete, Coventry Carol, and Carol of the Bells in particular), the Christmas song I've listened to most this festive season is Christmas in Jail by The Youngsters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjPm0o04lGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry7PcYtKPhA

Discovered a Johnny Horton christmas song & it is a goddamn treat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZVHlRYhbCo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHRINgBk3YA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQRKxJyHvQ

mary margret o hara - silent night

always pull this e.p. up, this time of year, happy xmas, everyone

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE3185A180A218F2D

count your blessings - a selection of seasonal songs with ace vocalists including mary margret o hara

S: James Brown - “let’s make Christmas mean something this year”

I have that album! beat to shit with some skips on side 1 but it's hard to find

I've just put out a mix / compilation of very old Xmas recordings

https://centuriesofsound.com/2020/12/21/centuries-of-sound-presents-deep-magic-christmas-recordings-1902-1924/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbL9Vsobx8I

not xmas per se, but extremely seasonal and guaranteed to lift the spirits of all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdJ0FcjMGD8
Samthing Soweto ft. Mzansi Youth Choir • The Danko! Medley

Here's a playlist of new xmas songs from this year that I enjoyed. Only 4 out of 47 are "Last Christmas" covers.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6g0NuGUoyTyqXmIHnKM2D6?si=U-v86VgdQry3pWs7zY8Gpg

My all-time favorite Xmas song. Cary Grant's "Here's to You" - the smooth "a votre santé", the sincere "shalom, sha - lom!", the rushed "kung hee fat choy" - is the gift that has kept on giving to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGPKnVHL1yY

Here's my heavy 2020 list-https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6s88CJdMQ9Wbudqe5DcY5i
Belated discovery of the year-I'd been aware of the Arbor Records Christmas comps (https://www.npr.org/2016/12/20/506152779/songs-we-love-the-classic-brown-christmas-sweaters) but had never really dug in before. Man was I missing out. Great original Christmas albums are pretty rare, but this one sure made 2020 a little more tolerable.
https://theclassicbrown.bandcamp.com/

I've been enjoying The Angry Snowmans this year. Christmas punk parodies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ji9K3sz56A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkdWAuqXvaQ

They even did a Nomeansno parody this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6YjlTMg-Vk

Only so many gifts can be slung with eight deer, one sleigh, on one run.

Oh, I posted this in another thread but I guess this is the one that is popping

Thom Gill has a gift for us all:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJEXDhqgtcw/?igshid=1po3b1tjo8nt7

For me it's the Eurythmics' version of "Winter Wonderland" as one of the most iconic Christmas songs.

I remember it being huge as a kid on the radio, in department stores (seemed like everyone had that "A Very Special Christmas" album), so I was shocked to see how low its play counts were in the digital world these days. None of the multiple decade-old uploads on Youtube have yet to crack a million; it has about 3.5 million plays on Spotify (roughly the same as some of the tracks on the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album). Apparently only made the Billboard Holiday chart at #41 in 2011 and not since then... Both the Phil Spector/Darlene Love & Tony Bennett versions have charted from airplay and streaming in more recent years.

I never forget to come back to the Mountain Goats' rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5I7y4xvPoU

Through the years we all will be together...

In the grave. That's where we'll all actually be together is in the grave.

...if the fates allow

I bought the Soulful Strings’ ‘Magical Christmas’ album (recommended itt) & it is delightful. Love!

^yep, one of the very best

Here is my Spotify Christmas playlist for this year. The usual mix of new and not so new. At 45 songs, it’s a bit longer than usual. There seem to be a LOT more new seasonal recordings this year compared with the norm. Also, there were quite a few finds from the People’s Pop polls on Twitter (just finished) that I had to squeeze in.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4054OsQgPWQejHoBtxJsOa?si=JwfloeTsSLWWjSXItV2MzQ

Mi Burrito Sabanero - originally from Venezuela - is very popular in latinamerican countries and has the plus of being a christmas song that you can dance to.

Get to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B36074Q1G7U

Also if you’d rather dance to it “banda” style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKNQudGnLuo

Thanks, that one's new to me! I haven't really dug into Spanish-language Christmas apart from all the Fania Christmas albums and some Celia Cruz.

I see Calexico cover Mi Burrito Sabanero on their new Christmas album/I see Calexico have a new Christmas album/it's kind of boring

Speaking of Spanish language Christmas, just came to say ¡Feliz Vanidad!

Or even ¡Felisa me muero!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jueRg0H1_Jo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KvWwJ6sh5s

this is the one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncgtgDE253s

The Specials - a message to you rudy

are you confusing that with Do Nothing? (check the jumpers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhGDdXg1o-Q

hmm....different context same name. it's Rudy 24/7, especially on christmas.

I heard this lovely little song on this year's holiday episode of Sound Opinions. The artist is Allan Hull, who was in 70s folk-rock band called Lindisfarne that I'd never heard of, though this song was from a posthumous 1996 solo album (Hull died in '95).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOSQEMmWh9E

S: François-Auguste Gevaert harmonisation of "Les anges dans nos campagnes"/"Angels We Have Heard on High"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGYcz5oSFQ

There are a couple of the Starbucks Christmas comps that get a lot of play in our house this time of year. Some of the more enjoyable tracks:

Louis Armstrong with Benny Carter and his Orchestra - Christmas Night in Harlem
The Roches - Good King Wenceslas
Cyndi Lauper & Norah Jones - Home for the Holidays

Christmas songs are terrible dreck for the most part.
I did make a Spotify Playlist of Christmas Songs that Don't Suck that highlights the exceptions.

<iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/11F05Gtve6aUtyRlczdA1v?utm_source=generator&theme=0"; width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture"></iframe>

Yikes, thank didn't work!

This should: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/11F05Gtve6aUtyRlczdA1v?si=a46f84052874454c

Nice one two punch at the beginning!

Smithsonian Folkways playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YG4eIRIiZRrzhMA0fZq6j?si=03ba7c4aad6a49b0&nd=1

:D

Does anyone have a link to, I guess, a “blues/jazz” playlist… like what I would hear growing up on the radio in Washington DC? The kind of thing when you hear five great versions of “Merry Christmas Baby” in the course of a few hours, interspersed with jazz Xmas tunes, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Ry_YaXss4

Big Christmas in chimney and in rest of house

This sounded good tonight:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0012rgj

Late Junction-y - Claire M Singer, Laura Cannell, Nils Frahm etc ...

Smithsonian Folkways playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YG4eIRIiZRrzhMA0fZq6j?si=03ba7c4aad6a49b0&nd=1🕸

My Xmas 2021 playlist. Very late this year (too busy ensuring we could all get together this year, Covid-free, to give this much attention). So, rather hastily thrown together last night, then road tested at lunchtime, then tweaked a bit. I think it passes muster now.

Usual mix of old and brand new, with the emphasis on songs/versions that are new to me. Season's greetings to all ILXers.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bKrVlYDJERlJzNWoRvNF3?si=0445d2bf46bf4045