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Christmas Songs

E

ericakane

Ok just for fun...
Its a few days before Christmas...every Christmas Song ever made has been played several thousands which one have your Heard enough of for one year,....I personally will scream if I hear "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer"...or Bruce Springsteen :Santa Claus is coming to town"..on the other hand....I can not get enough of "Christmastime" or "Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi trio or "Grownup Christmas List"...Merry Christmas My Friends....Also..it was a first for me.....I heard Sleigh Ride by Herb Albert it was great.. /b]
 
This sounds like a joke or sarcasm, but it's not. I was on my way back from church two Sundays ago, listening to WNAK and Bill Flynn's polka program. He played a recording of five polka groups together doing "We Need A Little Christmas," and it sounded really great. Maybe it was the amount of instruments giving it a little more body, plus the "up" sound of the polka bands. Really good arrangement. btw: It's not a Christmas song.

I like the "Christmas Waltz," especially when the artist puts a little retard at "annnd thisss" then a strong waltz beat "SONG of MINE in three QUARter TIME."

Also, I like Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sister's version of "Jingle Bells," the one where they pause at "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle ........ all the way."
 
Every year I put together a Christmas CD I give to friends and family. My wife does the art work that features pictures of us when we were kids. (Yeah they had film in the fifties!) Try to do something different. Like this year we saw Al Green in concert, so I put him on there. Put the Chipmunk Song on, then the version by Powder right after it. Last year, The First Noel by Eye 6 followed by Mario Lanza singing the same song. Anyway, here's my all time Christmas Top ten.
10. That Holiday Feeling Steve and Edie.
9. I'll Be Home For Christmas Fats Domino.
8. White Christmas...Darlene Love.
7. Merry Christmas Darling....Carpenters.
6. Hot Christmas......Squirrel Nut Zippers.
5. Dominick the Donkey....LouMonte.
4. Christmas Shoes.....Newsong.
3. Jingle Bell Rock......Bobby Helms.
2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree/Papa Noel...Brenda Lee
1. Hey Santa........Wilson Phillips.
 
Yonkstur, wonderful idea about a top ten list. Here's mine for what it's worth.

10.Little St. Nick - Beach Boys (mom always played the Beach Boys album first each season)
9.Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives (corny I know...but I like it)
8.Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid (makes me stop and think when the seasons stresses me out)
7.What Christmas Means To Me-Stevie Wonder or Paul Young (great bass line for a holiday song)
6.Santa's Beard-Beach Boys (somehow conviced me to believe in Santa a few extra years)
5.Christmas Wrapping-Waitresses (because I think we were all there at some point)
4.Have Yourself A Merry Little Christams-By Anyone (love the warmth in the melody)
3.Snoopy's Christmas-Royal Guardsmen (makes me forgive my enemies at the holidays)
2.Christmas(Baby Please Come Home)-Darlene Love (see #5 above)
1.Merry Christmas Darling (Karen's vocal and the lyric makes me cry everytime)
I'd be curious to see other people's top 10. Let's keep it going. Happy Holidays!
 
Man, I don't know if I can come up with ten, really. Working in radio really soured me on a lot of music, and Christmas music falls into that category with ease. That aside...

I like the "Christmas Waltz,"
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Me, too. The #1 version, IMO, is Sinatra's, the other is Karen Carpenter's.

Merry Christmas Darling (Karen's vocal and the lyric makes me cry everytime)
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That song knocked me out the first time I heard it back in the early 70s, and I have honestly never grown tired of it. To this very day it makes me think of "someone." You're right, it's an extraordinary lyric, and to me at least, Karen Carpenter had a magical voice. Yeah, I know, she was a pop icon and all, but that voice was incredible.

...listening to WNAK and Bill Flynn's polka program. He played a recording of five polka groups together doing "We Need A Little Christmas," and it sounded really great.
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My theory on polka music is that the music itself is pretty poor, not the musicians - oddly, I kind of like polkas. I've heard many polka bands break into something other than a polka, and they sound great, so it has to be the music itself. You're very right about that song, it's a show tune(Mame).
 
Top Tunes

1) An Old Christmas Card ...... Jim Reeves (Shows that a simple card with a personal message is all it takes)
2) Where are You Christmas? .. Faith Hill (A New favorite, Christmas is inside us)
3) Have Youself a Merry Little Xmas. Kenny G. (I wan't one slow dance with my Wife to this)
4) Wrap Me in Your Love.. Joe Diffie (No presents, necessary just the one you love)
5) Merry Christmas Darling (or any) by Karen Carpenter (one of the sweetest voices I still miss)
6) Happy Holidays! Andy Williams (Classic)
7) Do You Hear What I Hear? Johnny Mathis (Wraps up Cristmas pretty neatly and what a voice)
8) Holly Jolly Christmas.... Burl Ives (Still brings out the kid in me.. I still see that cartoon in my mind)
9) Sleigh Ride.. Boston Pops.... makes me want to run through the snow (we'll nowadays walk).
10) Santa Baby... Madonna Funny, Sexy and a perfect song for a female coworker to sing an the office party.
 
Don't have a list per se, but maybe I can get some help with the name of a certain song. I lived in Sussex County(Newton) NJ in the mid-80's. For Xmas Eve & Day, WPAT out of Patterson, NJ would pretty much play non-stop music, with no Credits. I recorded a few reel-to-reels of it, but it's maddening to try and figure out who actually sang/played the songs that don't really get airtime anywhere else. This particular song has 2 sexy babe voices singing this line "Christmas.....Merry Christmas, when all your wishes come true". I want to say the title is "Christmas is", but I can't find it anywhere. Anybody recall it? And while I'm at it, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you Radio/Ex-Radio people. I grew up listening to radio as a kid, and it still plays a big part in my life. I would rather listen to Radio than watch TV! I Enjoy all your stories.

Chez
 
5.Christmas Wrapping-Waitresses (because I think we were all there at some point)

7.What Christmas Means To Me-Stevie Wonder or Paul Young (great bass line for a holiday song)

Yeah, these two would be on my list also. But every year, the list changes. There is so much stuff out there and some really obscure, non traditional funny stuff too. Louie Armstrong's "Zhat You Santa Claus" is a classic along with Louis Prima's "Shake Hands With Santa Claus".

Yonkstur
 
I heard Mary Did You Know today...I forgot about that one...Its beautiful. Also...The Rat Pack Christmas is pretty good...fun! Here is one for you "Guardian Angels Around My Bed" by Mario Lanza....and "And the Bells Rang"...By the Golddiggers...it's off an old Dean Martin Album!
 
after playing christmas music for many years.....maybe we have about 60 good tunes. most
stuff from the rock & roll era and the classic stuff from bing..dean..frank and nat.
 
Aside from traditional Christmas Carols...Church songs...These are my favorite Christmas songs:

10. Chipmunk Song-David Seville
9. Something About Christmastime-Bryan Adams
8. Merry Christmas Darling-Carpenters
7. Snoopy's Christmas-Royal Guardsman
6. Santa Baby-Earth Kitt
5. Happy Christmas (War Is Over)-John Lennon
4. Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You-Billy Squire
3. Happy Holidays-Andy Williams
2. Home for the Holidays-Perry Como
1. The Christmas Song-Nat King Cole

Songs 1 and 2 bring back happy memories of Christmas when I was small. My dad always played his Perry Como and Nat King Cole albums on Christmas Eve while we were having dinner. Dad still dusts off the old LP's
every year. The music with the pops and crackles from the vinyl warms my heart.

Wishing you and those you love a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
 
My God yes, "The Christmas Song". Every year I have a different top ten. It interchanges but the Mel Torme song is one of the classics.
Yonkstur
 
1. Believe By Josh Groban (Polar-Express)
2. Christmastime by Michael W. Smith
3. That Spirit Of Christmas by Ray Charles (It was in Christmas Vacation. It's the song that's playing while Clark is stuck in the attic watching old family holiday movies)
4. Christmas Canon by Trans Siberian Orchestra
5. Christmas For Cowboys by John Denver
6. The Gift by Jim Brickman
7. Christmas Island by Andrew sisters
8. Marshmallow World by Darlene Love
9. The Chimney Song by Bobby Rivers
10. Someday At Christmas by Stevie Wonder
 
10) Let it Snow-Chicago
9) Santa Claus is Coming to Town-Bruce Springsteen
8) Frosty the Snowman-Leon Redbone
7) The Spirit of Christmas-Ray Charles
6) Mary's Boy Child-Boney M
5) Silent Night-Mannheim Steamroller
4) Little Drummer Boy-Jars of Clay
3) Home for the Holidays-Carpenters
2) Sleigh Ride-Boston Pops
1) We Five Kings-Jethro Tull
 
Not an oldie but one of my favorites- "All I want for christmas is you", by Vince Vance and the valiants. Lead singer, Lisa Layne. Killer pipes!!! ;D

Not as good as Brenda Lee blasting out "rockin around the christmas tree", blasting out of my grandfathers' atwater kent radio on the Mighty 590....sigh.....

have a cool yule!!

longing for the good old days
warm590 ;)
 
I don't know, but I like the Bob Rivers "Twisted Christmas" tunes.
Pretty creative, but sure they offend many.

Speaking of "offending"...
Does anyone have an opinion on saying "Merry Christmas" over the air.
It seems to me I've heard it a lot this year. I always say it and have gotten e-mail from listeners thanking me.
 
I think "Merry Christmas" is fine ... that's where the season came from. btw: I start playing Christmas music tomorrow, as the Christmas season starts with Christmas Day and continues for eight days. First cut is the Christmas Waltz, one of my faves.
 
Speaking of "offending"...
Does anyone have an opinion on saying "Merry Christmas" over the air.
It seems to me I've heard it a lot this year. I always say it and have gotten e-mail from listeners thanking me.

I think the pendulum is swinging back to where it should be. It's Merry Christmas and if people get offended by that, then that's plain silly. I for one go out of my way to say it and glad the stations and media are doing so too.
It's about time too!
Yonkstur
 
Thank you WARM590, I couldn't remember who did that song even though I have the 45, somewhere. What a killer song. I don't think I heard it this year.

Funny thing is after 20+ years in the biz, I don't think I ever did an all Christmas show. I always came on just before it started or after it ended. Maybe that's why I still like Christmas music. Now New Year's Eve/Day.. I think I've only had one of them off in the past ten years.
 
"All I want for christmas is you", by Vince Vance and the valiants. Lead singer, Lisa Layne. Killer pipes!!!
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Absolutely! IMO, probably the best "new" Christmas song recorded in the last 15 years or so. Two versions exist, Layne did a second one with The Jordanaires, Elvis' old back-up group, but I can't say I've ever heard that one.
 
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