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Post by spiritinthesky on Nov 25, 2008 14:52:28 GMT -5
What is the greatest Christmas song ever? John Lennon, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Fairytale Of New York, The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Bruce Springsteen, Do They Know Its Christmas, Band Aid or something else? This Day in Music have launched a poll to find out what your favourite Christmas songs are. What song would you pick? You can see a full list of songs and vote on www.thisdayinmusic.com
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Post by sayne on Nov 26, 2008 0:07:43 GMT -5
John Lennon, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Since this is a new board, I'll stir things up little bit by bringing up the issue of this being a rip-off of a preexisting song "Stewball". Check out the Hollies version. My favorite Christmas song is just about any version of "Little Drummer Boy" - especially Joan Jetts and the Dandy Warhols' version. I don't get into the Christmas spirit until I hear that song. Guess what. I heard it yesterday. I'm good now for the holidays.
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Post by OldFred on Nov 26, 2008 7:19:24 GMT -5
I like Ringo's 'Christmas Eve' from his Christmas album. Very wistful. Also his take on 'Little Drummer Boy' is fun. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Manheim Steamroller's 'Pat A Pan'.
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Post by alltouttt on Nov 26, 2008 10:40:31 GMT -5
Top Ten Xmas' albums ...
- A Christmas Album ~ California Guitar Trio - The Christmas Collection ~ Nat King Cole - A Putumayo World Christmas ~ various... - Louis Armstrong & Friends ~ - Nativitas ~ The Choir of New College Oxford - Everything You Want For Xmas ~ Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Yuletide Swing ~ Oliver Jones - Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas ~ - Silent Night ~ Mahalia Jackson
And my personal favorite of all times...
- A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965) ~ The Vince Guaraldi Trio
Of course, no music list about Xmas would be complete without mentioning David Bowie & Bing Crosby terrible cover of *The Little Drummer Boy* ... with Bing looking at Bowie and wondering who the hell is the freak standing next to him and Bowie wondering what the hell is he doing there at all!!
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Nov 26, 2008 16:36:45 GMT -5
Someone (Sayne?) one posted a youtube link to the Hollies' song that John probably pinched for HAPPY XMAS. It was quite a crushing revelation.
Still, I have always thought HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) was at least ONE of the greatest Christmas songs ever. Maybe my personal #1.
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Post by jimc on Nov 28, 2008 15:09:45 GMT -5
Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) by the Tryfles: this 1980s track mixes rock and roll Gloria and "Angels we have heard on high..." It's amazing, and actually one of my favorite songs, Christmas or not.
Father Christmas by the Kinks:
Run Rudolph Run by Keith Richard:
Backdoor Santa by Clarence Carter:
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love:
I'll stop with that for now. I have some 75 Christmas CDs -- I just love this stuff. Even some of the more traditional tunes like Most Wonderful Time by Andy Williams. A friend of mine just gave me a stack of discs -- Hillbilly Holiday I and II, Blues Christmas, Los Straightjackets, El Vez, Dave Allan and the Arrows -- so I started digging into those yesterday.
And my Christmas would not be complete without the Ventures, Rhino's Cool Yule, Barbara Streisand, and Buck Owens.
A new disc this year comes from Little Steven. He's put out a comp. of Christmas music in his Underground Garage series. It features the first CD appearance of Keith's Run Rudolph Run, along with many other great rock and roll Christmas tracks. Even Soupy Sales! Pick it up. It's well worth it.
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Post by winstonoboogie on Nov 28, 2008 16:04:13 GMT -5
Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) by the Tryfles: this 1980s track mixes rock and roll Gloria and "Angels we have heard on high..." It's amazing, and actually one of my favorite songs, Christmas or not. Father Christmas by the Kinks: Run Rudolph Run by Keith Richard: Backdoor Santa by Clarence Carter: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love: I'll stop with that for now. I have some 75 Christmas CDs -- I just love this stuff. Even some of the more traditional tunes like Most Wonderful Time by Andy Williams. A friend of mine just gave me a stack of discs -- Hillbilly Holiday I and II, Blues Christmas, Los Straightjackets, El Vez, Dave Allan and the Arrows -- so I started digging into those yesterday. And my Christmas would not be complete without the Ventures, Rhino's Cool Yule, Barbara Streisand, and Buck Owens. A new disc this year comes from Little Steven. He's put out a comp. of Christmas music in his Underground Garage series. It features the first CD appearance of Keith's Run Rudolph Run, along with many other great rock and roll Christmas tracks. Even Soupy Sales! Pick it up. It's well worth it. Then you may know, jimc: who had the big hit with "Happy Holidays"? I can't quite ID the singer, but it sounds like either Andy Williams or Steve Lawrence or someone in that mold. Of course the DJs on the radio never bother to ID the singer...
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Post by sayne on Nov 28, 2008 18:18:12 GMT -5
. . . Backdoor Santa by Clarence Carter . . . What's the flipside? "My Big 10 Inch (Record of the Blues)"? ;D
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Post by jimc on Nov 28, 2008 18:41:55 GMT -5
. . . Backdoor Santa by Clarence Carter . . . What's the flipside? "My Big 10 Inch (Record of the Blues)"? ;D It could be Santa Claus is Back in Town by Elvis: "...comin' down your chimney tonight, Oh, it's Christmas time, pretty baby..." Sorry, I'll have to look for that main singer of Happy Holidays. It's one of those that's in the air but not identifiable.
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Post by superhans on Nov 29, 2008 4:14:22 GMT -5
None of them! They all belong in some godforsaken shopping mall, played over a crappy tannoy system, with the sound of cash registers ringing in the background. Happy Christmas. Kerrrrching!!!!!
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Post by superhans on Nov 29, 2008 4:16:00 GMT -5
Oh, go on then....'Happy Christmas - War is over'. There -- even SuperHans has a warm and fuzzy, Christmassy side.
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JMG
Very Clean
Posts: 412
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Post by JMG on Nov 29, 2008 7:10:24 GMT -5
Then you may know, jimc: who had the big hit with "Happy Holidays"? I can't quite ID the singer, but it sounds like either Andy Williams or Steve Lawrence or someone in that mold. Of course the DJs on the radio never bother to ID the singer... I'd say 'Happy Holidays' would be considered a Bing Crosby Christmas song followed closely by the Andy Williams version. www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=17:609801
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Post by winstonoboogie on Nov 29, 2008 11:07:58 GMT -5
Oh, go on then....'Happy Christmas - War is over'. There -- even SuperHans has a warm and fuzzy, Christmassy side.
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Post by Cosmos on Nov 30, 2008 11:00:56 GMT -5
My lack of sentiment is along the same lines as superhans. Anymore X-mas is simply a capitalist nightmare of the worst kind. People are literally DYING to spend money Since the song has not even received an honorable mention however, I will attempt to get all traditional and warm and fuzzy about my old alma mater. Bing Crosby graduated from there also, and his "White Christmas" is a great song to hear; ONCE a year at the proper time & place.
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Post by winstonoboogie on Nov 30, 2008 11:47:12 GMT -5
My choice? "The Christmas Song" by Nat "King" Cole. Don't get me wrong, I like the other ones as well. Only, I like Nat just a little more...
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Post by John S. Damm on Nov 30, 2008 12:25:11 GMT -5
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love: jimc beat me to it but it is such a big song that we all can share. I always loved this one but in 1992 it took on more personal significance with the death of my father mid-year and the obvious deterioration of a long relationship I was then in. Ah, fun Christmas that year! ;D I think that if someone had played Macca's yuletide song that Christmas, I would have done a John Belushi and smashed the stereo. Anyway, Darlene Love does this one live every year on Letterman as ole' Dave is a big fan of it too. Maye I'll post the YouTube videos here a little later on. Unlike my friend sayne, I am not ready for the holidays. I like John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's song a lot too. And jimc also mentioned Streisand's 1966 Christmas album which is a must play for me. I wish I could say the same about Ringo's. I love all the old ones by Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole and those folks from the 40's, 50's and 60's. By the way, isn't it amazing how Paul's aforementioned "Wonderful Christmastime" is much more popular now than it was on release? It took me several years before I even heard it back then and I was an obsessive little fan. Now I cannot escape it in stores, restaurants, etc. Go figure. It is lightweight and merry so maybe it is perfect to max out one's credit cards to to the delight of the capitalist grubbers. Hmm. I better go put Darlene Love on!
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Post by sayne on Nov 30, 2008 15:51:15 GMT -5
. . . and nominee for the worst? www.leanleft.com/archives/2006/12/07/5823/I won't get into the debate, and I'm not putting it here for debate, but the responses at the bottom of the thread are interesting in regards to what it says about us and the holidays.
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Post by John S. Damm on Dec 17, 2008 0:07:21 GMT -5
Of course, no music list about Xmas would be complete without mentioning David Bowie & Bing Crosby terrible cover of *The Little Drummer Boy* ... with Bing looking at Bowie and wondering who the hell is the freak standing next to him and Bowie wondering what the hell is he doing there at all!! Oh man, I was going to supplement my list to add "Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" when I re-read this! ;D There sure was tension between those two great artists but it makes for a compelling song in my opinion. I really enjoy the "Peace On Earth" bit Bowie put together and insisted upon. We even get a name-check(on the show) to John Lennon at a time(1977) when John was in his househusband phase. This one has become one of my favorite Christmas songs.
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