holiday music

[trabka]

My vote for absolute worst song ever goes to Dominique The Italian Christmas Donkey. I mean really, what in the actual fuck?

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Same here. Where I grew up there's an AM radio station that has a program called the "Italian House Party" every Sunday morning that both sets of grandparents listen to religiously (neither are Italian) and this is a staple of that show from Thanksgiving thru Christmas.

[Terry]

Oh god. Now I feel like Scrooge hatin' on poor Dominique!

If it makes it any better, I'm a sucker for "Mamacita, Donde El Santa Claus," which understandably grates on a whole lot of people's nerves.

[Katherine]

If you're in Dallas over Christmas, the have (or, at least, had) a 24 hour Christmas music marathon on KERA 90.1, the local NPR station. The music is in an array of musical styles and tones. There's always a ton of music I've never heard. The guy (Glenn someone) who started this about fifteen years or so ago died suddenly of a heart attack some years back, but I think the tradition lives on.

Christmas music has been made much more pleasant by selecting Pandora's stations, Classic Christmas and Swingin' Christmas. For those who want to give Matt a little love, run up to him and sing Baby, It's Cold Outside. He'll love you forever. (Actually, he'll be confused about how you know it's his least favorite song with the exception of anything by Savage Garden.)

As far as nostalgia goes, John Denver's Muppet Christmas tops my list.

[mpbrockman]

In case you haven't run across them . . .

YouTube video of "The Closing of the Year"

Oh...

One of my all-time favorite short pieces of music period.

Has made me want to sing, cry, conduct, dance and laugh from the moment I first heard it. I think it's the tension between the low strings/taiko against the quarter kicks that does it but, so many things right with this... I even like Wendy's wispy soprano on it (a sound that normally drives me out of my gourd). Seal just puts a ribbon on it.

Hans Zimmer may have top billing on this but my ear says Trevor Horn.

Working up a version of this to do during the holidays here in Sint Maarten. If the audience doesn't care for it they can bite me. If I get a decent live recording of it I'll post it back here.

Here's another vid with the performers. Seal's hat rules; and this may be the only time I've ever seen him grin on video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9geCS0v7w8[/youtube]

Thanks for the reminder, Kathy!

[trabka]

This seems rather accurate:

[mpbrockman]

Oh dear lord.

Make that dear satan.

So many of these requests are beginning to come across my "desk" right now - and it's only going to get worse.

I never really mind "Chestnuts...", but I'm stocking up on darts to aim at the eyes of "Jingle Bell Rock" devotees.

You can take the "Frosty" and "Rudolph" songs and move them over a column or three - they seem to have lasting appeal (no doubt due to yearly reruns of the old specials), and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" has now morphed into "Really? Springsteen didn't write that?" - so transpose it into C, sing it hoarsely and give it another column or five as well.

[KathyRose]

In case you haven't run across them . . .

YouTube video of "The Closing of the Year"

Here's another vid with the performers...

Hadn't seen the live-action video. Thanks for posting.
Note: I keep the "Toys" soundtrack in my car. Let Joy and Innocence Prevail! (love both versions: Grace Jones and Pat Metheny)

[KathyRose]

We need more of "The Christmas Waltz" (first sung by The Carpenters, I believe)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-gAVxebkx4[/youtube]

[mpbrockman]

In case you haven't run across them . . .

YouTube video of "The Closing of the Year"

Here's another vid with the performers...

Hadn't seen the live-action video. Thanks for posting.
Note: I keep the "Toys" soundtrack in my car. Let Joy and Innocence Prevail! (love both versions: Grace Jones and Pat Metheny)

A little too heavy-handed for my taste. Give me Tori's "Happy Workers" with the cheesy horns

[KathyRose]

For your acapella enjoyment, this *unconventional* version of an old chestnut ...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbaRoNFBNcY[/youtube]

and this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ujHmzsQFs[/youtube]

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

i suppose it's telling that Blue Christmas and the Christmas Song (referred to as Chestnuts here) are the only two i can stand.

and Springsteen.

[Lindsey]

I know I will catch hell, but Springsteen can bite me all year round.

[hujhax]

Courtesy of Paul and Storm:  It Might Be Xmas, a Christmas EP in the style of They Might Be Giants.  ("Christmas Eve Eve" is my fave.)



--
peter rogers @ home | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

Whoever said, "Nobody ever said on their deathbed, 'I wish I had worked more,'" clearly was never at the deathbed of an unsuccessful actor.
      -- Paul Feig

[mpbrockman]

i suppose it's telling that Blue Christmas and the Christmas Song (referred to as Chestnuts here) are the only two i can stand.

and Springsteen.

Your ears are older than your years my friend.

And anyone who can hear the Velvet Fog without being at least a little affected can go have drinks in life's anteroom with Bobby Bare.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

I know I will catch hell, but Springsteen can bite me all year round.

sorry, he can't. he's too busy being awesome all the fucking time. it makes it very difficult to schedule biting time...

i suppose it's telling that Blue Christmas and the Christmas Song (referred to as Chestnuts here) are the only two i can stand.

and Springsteen.

Your ears are older than your years my friend.

And anyone who can hear the Velvet Fog without being at least a little affected can go have drinks in life's anteroom with Bobby Bare.

bigger fan of the Nat King Cole version myself, but yes...thank you Night Court, for teaching me of Mel Torme at such a young age (and for so, so much else...).